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

This book does not fall on death ears.

If you could sum up The Fallen Angel in three words, what would they be?

A master piece.

What did you like best about this story?

The plot.

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favorite?

All of them. The man can do accents quite well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

Reading the other Daniel Silva books would help, but this can also be read as a stand-alone.

Fun but not a masterpiece

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I like the book but I would call it a fun good beach book type of read. Although the characters and locations were interesting, perhaps the characters could have been better developed. I could be that this book is one of a series and I have missed the first one.

Could you see The Fallen Angel being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

a TV series might be fun with a wonderfully dark handsome sexy middle aged man.

Love Silva, but formula getting too repetitive

The familiarity getting to be more worn out instead of comfy. Time to freshen things up a bit. Love Guidall.

The Fallen Angel Was Great

Would you consider the audio edition of The Fallen Angel to be better than the print version?

I have not read this book in print, so I couldn't compare.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

I especially like listening to George Guidall perform. I agree with another reviewer who I recall wrote something to the effect that he could listen to George Guidall read the tax code. When I'm searching for the next book, I sometimes look through the list of books he's narrated to see which ones might be of interest.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I save my audio books for the bus ride to work and a few minutes before bed. If I had the time and unlimited funds I might enjoy this in one sitting, however, I need to make them last a little while.

Any additional comments?

I enjoy the story's inclusion of historical facts mixed in with the fiction. Especially for covert op type of stories, because it makes you wonder how much of the story really is true.

Great Story Line

interesting slant on robotics and could be quite believable,
I found it quite fast paced and exiting reading. Narration was excellent and easy to listen to.
author could get a little corny at times but this could just be my taste in writing.
overall a very good read.

one of the best in series!

Really enjoyed the surprising humor which is unlike me! gratful none of the usual insipide women appeared! female roles were much more realistic. and of couse nothing is better than the hero and his male and female side kicks! good job.

Good book

the book was good overall, a little less action than previous books, but still a great read

great thriller

I really enjoyed listening to this story. the main character was portrayed as a very interesting person with a fascinating life. there are only a few places where it seemed like the plot was unclear. But the entertainment value of listening outweigh those spots. the narration really kept things moving.

Yet another winner for Silva

What made the experience of listening to The Fallen Angel the most enjoyable?

Silva's stories always seem believable given the history of what has happened in the Middle East. His gift for details that mirror those in real life accounts always seem to put you in the scene. To top it off, the reader is so good at what he does, you become either the characters themselves or you end up siding with them and supporting their every move. You begin to anticipate their next actions, knowing their will be a setback and twist in the story but you know not when it will come.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Allon is always my favorite character because he is so calculating and cool. I find myself cheering for a known assassin and justify it because he is up against terrorists that reflect those in the world today that threaten our own security.

Have you listened to any of George Guidall’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to many of his performances and they are all excellent. He and Scott Brick and the readers in David Hewson's, James Lee Burke's and some of WEB Griffin's books are my favorites. I really cannot say that this performance is better then previous ones, he is so consistent from book to book, he enhances Silva's writing and story telling each time. I have been listening to Audio Books since 1990 and I find that the reader of the book is equally as important as the quality of the story being read. That said, I search on this site by reader many times and purchase books that way.

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

It always makes me angry and hopeless about the situation in the Middle East. I am not a Jew, I am a Catholic who very much understands the biblical history of the Jewish people and I find myself sympathizing and siding with them both in the book and in real life. Although I do not know Silva's intentions, I feel his motivation for writing these books is to make people aware of the political realities in the region and Israel's tenuous position among the arab/muslim states.

Gabriel Allon never disappoints

If you like spy/mystery novels, you will love the stories about the former Mossad agent who is also an art restorer. It helps if you also like art since there is always a connection to a piece of art, either real or imagined.