Portrait of an Unknown Woman

A Novel (Gabriel Allon)

De: Daniel Silva

Narrado por: Edoardo Ballerini

In a spellbinding new masterpiece by #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva, Gabriel Allon undertakes a high-stakes search for the greatest art forger who ever lived

Legendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon has at long last severed ties with Israeli intelligence and settled quietly in Venice, the only place where he has ever truly known peace. His beautiful wife, Chiara, has taken over the day-to-day management of the Tiepolo Restoration Company, and their two young children are discreetly enrolled in a neighborhood scuola elementare. For his part, Gabriel spends his days wandering the streets and canals of the watery city, bidding farewell to the demons of his tragic, violent past.

But when the eccentric London art dealer Julian Isherwood asks Gabriel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the rediscovery and lucrative sale of a centuries-old painting, he is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse where nothing is as it seems.

Gabriel soon discovers that the work in question, a portrait of an unidentified woman attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyck, is almost certainly a fiendishly clever fake. To find the mysterious figure who painted it—and uncover a multibillion-dollar fraud at the pinnacle of the art world—Gabriel conceives one of the most elaborate deceptions of his career. If it is to succeed, he must become the very mirror image of the man he seeks: the greatest art forger the world has ever known.

Stylish, sophisticated, and ingeniously plotted, Portrait of an Unknown Woman is a wildly entertaining journey through the dark side of the art world—a place where unscrupulous dealers routinely deceive their customers and deep-pocketed investors treat great paintings as though they were just another asset class to be bought and sold at a profit. From its elegant opening to the shocking twists of its climax, the novel is a tour de force of storytelling and one of the finest pieces of heist fiction ever written. And it is still more proof that, when it comes to international intrigue and suspense, Daniel Silva has no equal.

©2022 Daniel Silva (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Not quite up to 5 star

Daniel Silva is one of my favorite authors and the Gabriel Allon Series is one the greatest international spy thrillers of all time. The complexity of Allon's exploits and escapades around the globe working against terrorists, thieves, spies and criminals of all kinds have always kept me enthralled and guessing. The same goes for this story with a few exceptions here. In order to set up a sting operation to bring out an art forgery ring, the solution (which I won't reveal here so I don't ruin anything for the next listener/reader) is a bit incredulous and unrealistic. I have bought into many of Allon's unrealistic and irrational tactics in the past but this time I just didn't buy it.
On another note, for some reason, Silva spent too much energy highlighting the love life of Allon and Chiarra, which was unnecessary and a bit too much for a guy now in his mid-70's. I have nothing against a sexually active couple but it doesn't add to the story.
As for the narration, Edward Ballerina is amongst the best of the best and he definitely keeps things interesting and knows how to create his characters like no one else.

Brilliant!

A different twist in the Gabriel Allon series. Thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the art world.

A Quintessential Allon Story

Do listen to the continuing saga of the brilliant Gabriel Allon’s adventures. Silva brings you to posh European locations (a few too many references to elite brand names) but the scenes he constructs are vivid & engaging.
Allon never fails in his duty to catch the bad guys. Well done, Mr Silva.
The narrator is fiercely adept at pronouncing foreign terms, locations, names, foods & wines. His voice for all the foreign male baddies is the same & a bit tiring, but forgivable because of his expert pronunciation of Italian, French, Hebrew , etc terminology.
All in all, a very entertaining book.

Enjoyed this latest Allon adventure immensely

As enjoyable as ever, meeting old friends that we have met over the years. A good read/listen for followers of Gabriel and a maybe irresistible tease for those meeting him for the first time.

Loved

I look forward to a new book every year, and this year didn't disappoint. I was wondering what the next chapter of Gabriel Alon life was going to look like. And I'm satisfied where it is heading. I enjoyed this story and the journey.

Enjoyable!!

Very enjoyable story to listen to. Would highly recommend. Slightly different than the previous stories.

Another masterpiece.

Silva never disappoints. These characters have become a family to readers of the adventures of Gabriel Alon.

Silva delivers, again.

I have listened to or read Mr. Silva's entire Gabriel Allon series and it never disappoints. His characters are among the best I have seen. I particularly like that characters have a depth of personality that seems beyond some authors. People are nuanced, nobody is 100% good or evil.
It is interesting that this is the first novel where Allon leaves Israeli intelligence largely behind and, with the help of some old and new friends, does what needs to be done.
Ballerini does a wonderful job, he slips from one character to another without missing a beat. A true pro. If I have any criticism, it is that, because I am hard of hearing, it is sometimes difficult to understand dialogue that is heavily accented. However, he enunciates clearly enough for me to figure out what he is saying.
All in all, a great book. Can't wait for another.

Excellent story. Excellent narration

This is my first by this author. The story line was interesting all the way through and not predictable. The narrator is fantastic with all the different accents. Made for an engaging listen.

Love all of Daniel Silvia’s books

Another great book with Gabriel Alon. Always look forward to the next book in this series.