The New Girl: The addictive, new international spy thriller from a New York Times bestselling author

Waiting. Always the waiting. This sums up the best the long year I had to wait to put my hands on Daniel Silva’s new masterpiece. It's been worth the wait. Silva proved once and again why his books are bestsellers. His deep knowledge of places and situations makes you wonder if the book is really just a fiction as he claims.Now, The New Girl’s pace is set up on fast and won't let you put the book down. So fasten your seat belt and get ready for an amazing ride. You won't be just reading a book. You'll be swallowed whole and you'll be living the story side by side the usual characters.Sarah Bancroft is back. Does she still have the skills Gabriel taught her? It's really difficult to forget something like that. Plus trying to live a normal life after knowing what the secret life can offer isn't easy. No wonder Sarah wants back. One does not simply leave a spy’s life behind.Obviously Barak team is back in its full glory. Gabriel wouldn't want to work without his always quarrelling family, especially when embarking on a quest against the Russian tsar. Of course, Keller can't be left behind. He has been restored by Gabriel and now is a very important asset.Where is Keller, there is Graham. Last time Gabriel and Graham didn't part their ways on a very friendly note. But Gabriel knows a thing or two that will help Graham to steady MI6 wobbly legs and put Graham on top of the game.Gabriel’s capability to work as field based director is incredible. He's never been meant for sitting in the office. He needs to be in the midst of the action and only reluctantly leaves Mikhail to take the lead. But never for too long.There is one part of Gabriel’s team that cannot be overlooked; his family. Chiara knows him the best and knows how to help Gabriel to find his way around the most cruel aspects of his work. Also the amazing twins cheer him up. Nobody can resist them. Especially not Gabriel.In short, Daniel Silva has outdone himself again. The New Girl is unputdownable book with brilliant twists, dark humour and constant flow which won't allow you to stop reading. What a ride! It's a must read.

Khaled bin Mohammed, generally known by his initials, KBM, is the proactive and ruthless Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Previously famous for opening cinemas and allowing women to drive in the Kingdom, he’s now reviled because he ordered the murder and dismemberment of a Saudi dissident in the embassy in Istanbul. Reema, his 12-year-old daughter, attends an exclusive private school in Switzerland. Only a handful of people know who the New Girl's real identity, so her kidnapping should have been impossible. Because there are geopolitical ramifications, the Prince calls in the world’s most efficient spymaster to mount a rescue – Gabriel Allon, head of Israeli Intelligence.Racing between Geneva, London, Washington and Tel Aviv, there are (literally) explosive moments in the muddy trail followed by Gabriel and his mixed team of Israeli/MI6/CIA operatives. Incidental details are always a pleasing part of the mix: the sedate Essex village of Frinton-on-Sea provides one of the UK locations!This is one of Mr Silva’s more "audacious" spy thrillers. In a Foreword he makes no secret of the fact that he has drawn on a real-life Saudi prince known by his initials. He fictionalizes the British Prime Minister (more Cameron than Johnson), but he avoids naming the Presidents of the USA and Russia (as previously, he calls Russia’s head of state “the Tsar”).Bold, brisk and highly believable, THE NEW GIRL showcases Daniel Silva’s exceptional grasp of global politics. . This is my third Gabriel Allon adventure in a little over a year. It’s the best of the three – and one of the finest in the 20-plus series.

Unputdownable!

Once again a ripping yarn that moves along at a cracking pace. Gabriel is a great character and well worth following.

I always wait impatiently for Daniel Silva's annual thriller featuring spy master and art restorer Gabriel Allon, a fascinating character with real depth. This latest addition to the series is excellent with its storyline inspired by events you will have seen in the news headlines over the last few months. The action takes place in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, France, England and the United States and includes some characters familiar from earlier novels in the series. This does work as a stand-alone novel although my strongest advice would be to read the stories in order to see the development of the characters. Well-researched stories like these make you question what might be going on in private behind the news headlines and how the world might actually work. There are lots of twists and unexpected turns here and the story is one that quickly grips and will not let go until you reach the end. A highly recommended read. Now I have to wait (impatiently) another twelve months for the next one!

If you have never read a Daniel Silva novel, what have you been doing? Having read every single one of his previous novels, I keep waiting for a mediocre effort, it shows no sign of arriving as The New Girl is a blistering page turner, that I read in a few days. Israeli super spy Gabriel Allon is pitted against some dangerous enemies in a story that has elements of some recent world events. I wont spoil what they are, but you will be racing to the end to find out. Cannot wait for the next one!

Enjoyed

I have enjoyed several of Daniel Silva’ Gabriel Allon series, but I think the fount of ideas is running thin. This seemed much more wish-fulfilment than a well plotted novel. Without too much in the way of spoiler, it perhaps describes what DS might like to happen in certain Middle Eastern countries. Gabriel has always been a bit of a superman, but it is wearing thin now. Time for him to really retire and return to his art and restoration?