The English Girl

Gabriel Allon, Book 13

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Daniel Silva delivers another spectacular thriller starring Gabriel Allon, The English Girl. When a beautiful young British woman vanishes on the island of Corsica, a prime minister’s career is threatened with destruction. Allon, the wayward son of Israeli intelligence, is thrust into a game of shadows where nothing is what it seems...and where the only thing more dangerous than his enemies might be the truth.…

Silva’s work has captured the imagination of millions worldwide; his number-one New York Times best-selling series, which chronicles the adventures of art-restorer and master spy Gabriel Allon, has earned the praise of listeners and reviewers everywhere. This captivating new pause-resister from the undisputed master of spy fiction is sure to thrill new and old fans alike.

©2013 Daniel Silva (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers

best story in years

An excellent writer, this book is like listening to a movie, I even checked to see if it had become one but unfortunately it hasn't, you won't be disappointed in this one.

another good book by Daniel Silva

I discovered Daniel Silva about a year ago and promptly read everything that was available unabridged. So, I'm a fan!

I enjoyed what was new in this book, which was a 'buddy' aspect with a new character (love/hate relationship) and the more up-to-date concerns on the world stage. I found some of the old aspects not boring at all, as it gave me that cozy feeling of familiarity and, of course, allows a new reader to have enough background without reading all the books. The narrator, George Guidall is marvellous. He can say "Let's go outside" and it resonates with layers of meaning.

To me the mark of a good writer is that you enjoy hearing the words no matter what the topic because they are so rich and entertaining. Daniel Silva definitely has that for me. I don't enjoy the violent parts, but for me, they are little enough in his writing that it's manageable. I do believe in the axiom that "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf". That certainly sums up Gabriel Allon. What is most important to me is that there is a moral centre in a book and there always is with Daniel Silva. Looking forward to Summer 2014 for the next one!

Passable

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Enjoyed the expansion on Christopher Keller, but the story of Madeline was disjointed at best.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

George is the consummate professional. When listening to him you can believe that the characters are different people, unlike other narrators where it's obvious it's one man using dfferent inflections. I search books based on his narration more so than even the authors at this point; it's how I found Daniel Silva.

you can see it coming

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Another good Gab story. A lot more dry humor then in the other books. New character introduced that should prove interesting. Story is not as cutting edge as the other books and seems a little lighter. Still worth getting

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

not really

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

character voices are really very good and support the image in your minds eye

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Long time Silva reader, first time w/ Audible

Despite being a big Daniel Silva fan, he'd gotten into a bit of a pattern with: Big Incident Occurs, Gabriel pulled out of retirement, Female asset in peril, the team saves the day (though always a fun ride). He charts a bit of a different path here, particularly with a "buddy cop show" dynamic with a character from an earlier book, that is enjoyable (no spoilers). The intensity and fun is sky high as ever, and as always, has chilling parallels to today's headlines.

I was nervous about the narration having read a ton of Silva's books but never w/ Audible. Overall, it was pretty good. The voices used by the narrator were largely good, and didn't really deviate from what I'd imagined. The only exception was the returning character referenced earlier, which the narrator made an absolute hot mess of.

Overall, if you like this genre, Silva is absolutely top notch. They're enjoyable reads, and I always find myself learning something. And if you're a reader taking the Audible plunge, it didn't detract from it one bit.

A winner!

The reader, George Guidall, makes all the difference in the world. This was an excellent novel.

2nd review in years

I do love these books but at this stage I wish the author would not repeat so many phrases like descriptions of the wife's hair for instance. I cringe now when I hear the dozen or so repeated phrases. But the books are always full of knowledge about others struggles, histories, and the relationships to past struggles to today's world issues. So I'll always read Silva's books but only the ones George Guidal narrates. Guidal is a timely treasure.

Hooray For Gabriel

Not so much the shooting and killings in the initial books five Stars is knowing I am able to listen and hear these books loved them in the desert and still enjoying them in my free Zone (home). Thank you audible.

This is definitely one of the author's best!

I have read every book in this series, and this one was for sure the best! Loved it!

3rd time listening and still love it

Daniel Silva has created a wonderful character in Gabrielle Allon, only rivaled by Vince Flynn’s character Mitch Rapp!