The Fallen Angel: Gabriel Allon, Book 12

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

After narrowly surviving his last operation, Gabriel Allon, the wayward son of Israeli intelligence, has taken refuge behind the walls of the Vatican, where he is restoring one of Caravaggio's greatest masterpieces. But early one morning, he is summoned to St. Peter's Basilica by Monsignor Luigi Donati, the all-powerful private secretary to his Holiness Pope Paul VII. The body of a beautiful woman lies broken beneath Michelangelo's magnificent dome.

The Vatican police suspect suicide, though Gabriel believes otherwise. So, it seems, does Donati. But the monsignor is fearful that a public inquiry might inflict another scandal on the Church, and so he calls upon Gabriel to quietly pursue the truth - with one caveat.

"Rule number one at the Vatican," Donati said. "Don't ask too many questions."

Gabriel learns that the dead woman had uncovered a dangerous secret - a secret that threatens a global criminal enterprise that is looting timeless treasures of antiquity and selling them to the highest bidder. But there is more to this network than just greed. A mysterious operative is plotting an act of sabotage that will plunge the world into a conflict of apocalyptic proportions....

©2012 Daniel Silva (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

Might just be my favorite in the series

If you are twelve books into a series it is not much of a stretch to say you like the premise of the stories. And I do. I hope there are people just like Gabriel who are willing and able to dispatch some particularly bad characters to their just rewards. What set this apart was the way the author demonstrated how the attitudes that led to the death camps of the 1930's and 1940's still exist.
I really enjoyed every aspect of the story. George did another great job. My favorite by a wide margin.

George G is the Best!

I love his narrations. He’s the reason I found this series originally. Glad we have him back on the campaign

Simplification of Palestinian viewpoint

Palestinians are both Muslim and Christian, a point which eludes Mr Silva, particularly in this novel.

So realistic

The Gabriel Allon series at its finest. I love the blending of storylines. I also appreciate the author’s notes.

I was hesitant to listen because George Guidall sometimes slurs his words. But this was was pretty good.

I've Got Some Catching Up To Do

My feline-like curiousity causes the more pragmatic side of me to be apprehensive about jumping into series...that addicitve anticipation --- the inevitable Iet down. So, I do very few series. Daniel Silva has caught my wandering eye for years now, I've had more than a few in my Wish List. I was about to just go for it...download The Rembrandt Affair, when The Fallen Angel grabbed my attention. I've jumped in mid-series before: James Lee Burke, Lee Childs, Karin Slaughter...without regret (of course, in these stellar cases that meant I got to go back and do some enjoyable catching up.) Wonderful writers have that ability to write a greatly structured novel each time, eliminating the need to read the books chronologically. I can't speak to Silva's previous works (yet), but if the writing, the atmosphere, the interesting global locations, the clever multiple plot-lines, the sophistication and tautness in those previous Gabriel Allon novels is anywhere close to Fallen Angel (the 12th? in a series) -- I'm in, and downloading 11 books right away.

Gabriel Allon is called out of retirement ("again" I keep reading) to investigate the murder of the Vatican's antiquities curator, whose body is found splatted on the Basilica floor...did she jump or was she pushed? Allon's covert investigation will take him to the underbelly of the stolen antiquities black market, from the mob to possibly the worst imaginable terrorists - Hezbollah - and to a massive global plot that could ignite armageddon.

Some research on Silva, a former UPI and CNN journalist, explained that Silva visits each location he uses in his novels (and that he is one of former Pres. Clinton's favorite authors). That explains the perfect scenic staging that creates such atmosphere. His global experience and vivid attention to detail made this a believable and tense read. Guidall, if you've read any of my reviews, is a favorite, a polished professional that adds to any project in which he is involved. In the the words of a another *review-buddy*: I'm late to the party, but so glad to arrive!

Great Read

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

Yes I would. The story is fantastic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gabriel of course, cool, calm, collected and caring.

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

He did a fantastic job at bringing the characters to life.

I miss Phil Gigante

Would you listen to The Fallen Angel again? Why?

No one can narrate Silva's books better than Phil Gigante.

What did you like best about this story?

Every thing Silva writes is perfection.

What three words best describe George Guidall’s performance?

Not suited to Silva's books.

MAKE ME CARE,

The story was fine, The writing was tedious at times when weighed down with such superfluous detail. I felt that it was an endurance test, too much change, too many characters, too much history lesson. I stuck with it because of the narrator. I really enjoy George Guidall's reading. He pulled me through. I felt like I was listening to a high tension action thriller movie, but it did not translate to an audible experience. Any other reader and I would have bailed. I also feel like it is really a masculine "book". There is no depth or connection to relationships. There was nothing created that I cared about.It proved a huge knowledge base of political and historical facts, but again tedious. It perhaps counted on interest or involvement based on one's religious preferences or readers who love to hear about complicated spy intrigue and terrorists busting. There was no mystery from early on which will often give a listener staying power, it was just a long protracted story of how it would unfold, padded with long winded historical relevance, which did not overcome the need for a personal connection. I gave it rather higher ratings than I wanted, but I have also come across many really bad books. this is not bad, definitely not my cup of tea.

As always, could not put it down

I discovered Daniel Silva's series several years ago and went back and read all of the earlier books. When I saw the author on Morning Joe, where I find out about a lot of great books, I instantly signed on and bought the Audible version. Fantastic, engrossing story and performance, as always...

Good book!

I love audio books, the reader makes all the difference in the book. This reader was ok.