Portrait of a Spy

A Novel

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Haunted by his failure to stop a suicide bomber in London, Gabriel Allon is summoned to Washington and drawn into a confrontation with the new face of global terror. At the center of the threat is an American-born cleric in Yemen who was once a paid CIA asset.

Gabriel and his team devise a daring plan to destroy the network of death - from the inside - a gambit fraught with risk, both personal and professional. To succeed, Gabriel must reach into his violent past. A woman waits there, a reclusive heiress and art collector who can traverse the murky divide between Islam and the West. She is the daughter of an old enemy, and together they form an unlikely and dangerous bond.

Set against the disparate worlds of art and intelligence, Portrait of a Spy moves swiftly from the corridors of power in Washington to the glamorous auction houses of New York and London to the unforgiving landscape of the Saudi desert. Featuring a climax that will leave listeners haunted long after the final words, this deeply entertaining story is also a breathtaking portrait of courage in the face of unspeakable evil - and Daniel Silva's most extraordinary novel to date.

©2011 Daniel Silva (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Great book - lousy narrator

Narrator spoke incredibly slowly. Very hard to listen to. It’s a great book though but would want someone else speaking.

One of Silva's best

I am a big fan of Daniel Silva and this is great. The story and narrator pulled me into this novel with true emotion.

Narration Issues

The narration is a bit odd ... the Israelis come across a bit like Transylvanians, like Count Dracula, especially Shamron and Allon.

But a great story!

Characters are exceptional!

This novel added to my depth of understanding of the current conflicts in the Middle East. The books are so well written! Gabriel continues to get better, as well as Sharon.

Of current writers in this genre, Silva is the best at keeping the plot threads moving along with great clarity--his writing is like great counterpoint!

Once again a triumph!

It's impossible for me to choose which book in the Gabriel Allon series is best. They're the perfect marriage of plot and writer's skill and imagination. To listen to a well narrated Daniel Silva is to be totally absorbed by the writing of an author who is surprisingly prescient and comfortable with his characters. Once again Silva has brought his regulars from the world of espionage together with the inhabitants of the art world and has woven a completely believale tale of contemporary evil. Kudos to Simon Vance, a first class narrator who presents the story seamlessly unlike Phil Gigante who was the least sympathetic reader for this series.

Probably his best yet!

- Daniel Silva is absolutely one of my favorite authors. This may be his best yet. If you're a fan and are familiar with the excellent cast of characters in his Gabriel Allon series you'll feel right at home. If not, welcome onboard. You'll love them. Since I had listened to all the previous in the series I felt like I was settling down with the team in a new deadly adventure. No politics, no theatrics, well some theatrics, just great story telling.
- The plot is excellent. Intriguing, explosive, and great listening.
- Simon Vance, the narrator does an good job. The different characters have different voices and inflections. You know when each is talking, no complaints.
- Start with "A Death in Venice" and work your way up. You'll get hooked.
- Daniel, start writing. Gabriel is waiting, me too.

Enjoyable

Intriguing story, makes me wonder - what did this author used to do to come up with these details??

Outstanding

First Silva novel for me. Well done. Simon Vance is excellent ! Highly recommeded !

just when I thought it was getting interesting...

it was over. maybe I'm used to Tom Clancy's 80 chapter novels, but it felt too short. never felt like I got to know the characters. it was my first Daniel Silva and while I like the characters, they weren't given enough screen time, so to speak. overall, this felt like a great movie that was edited for TV.

Poor performance

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The reader. Simon Vance is one of my favorite readers, but he was definitely the wrong person to read Silva. Really poor performance, particularly after the great readers of Silva's books who came before him.

What did you like best about this story?

Silva's books are always fun to read.

How could the performance have been better?

By choosing another reader.

Could you see Portrait of a Spy being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes