The Other Woman, Daniel Silva, Book Review

Photo Credit: Anaisha Sukh

Daniel Silva has been my all-time favorite author of spy fiction. I thoroughly enjoy reading his books, and each time I finish reading one, I am itching to pick up the next one. His books mean lots of action, suspense, thrill and never a dull moment. And the travel to various locations around the world with a bit of history thrown in is like the Icing on the cake. An absolute must for those who enjoy spy fiction. 

Book details  –
The Other Woman
Author Daniel Silva 
Release date 17 July 2018 
Genre Spy fiction 

This is the 18th book in the Gabriel Allon series, a spy vs spy tale with its myriad twists and turns and of course the non-stop action. Gabriel Allon, the art restorer, the blue-eyed boy of Israeli intelligence with his perfect, unassuming style is in his element trying to get to the bottom of this one. 

The beginning …

”A flight of stairs awaited. The child, out of habit, counted the steps.” 
This is like a prelude to something critical which is clearly going to unravel itself sometime later. The story opens in Budapest, with reference to Heathcliff, a Russian double agent who is working with the Israelis as well and who eventually proves to be a feather in Allon’s cap. But initially, the discovery of his double game, his attempted defection and then his assassination just before the actual defection makes the operation a total failure. And with that comes a lot of flak for Allon so much so that his capabilities get questioned.

This is the point where Allon realizes that there is more to it than what meets the eye. He figures that there is a traitor, a mole somewhere in their midst who by virtue of having access to all their plans and intended operations is able to outsmart them and cause them to fail. And with this begins the manhunt for the spy and Allon’s run-in with the Russians, the SVR, a bit of unpleasantness with Seymour and of course with Langley as happens most of the times. 

The story in between also moves to Andalusia to a woman who is writing a memoir telling the story about a man she once loved. And the child she had.

Is there a connection between this woman and Allon? 

What is the common thread between the intelligence of these nations? Why does it reach a breaking point? 

And what is the connection to the Cambridge Five? 

Want to know, then Read on, get enthralled as I did. 

I give the book a rating of 5/5.

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