The Secret Servant

Gabriel Allon, Book 7

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

When last we encountered Gabriel Allon, the master art restorer and sometime officer of Israeli intelligence, he had just prevailed in his blood-soaked duel with Saudi terrorist financier Zizi al-Bakari. Now Gabriel is summoned once more by his masters to undertake what appears to be a routine assignment: travel to Amsterdam to purge the archives of a murdered Dutch terrorism analyst who also happened to be an asset of Israeli intelligence.

But once in Amsterdam, Gabriel soon discovers a conspiracy of terror festering in the city's Islamic underground, a plot that is about to explode on the other side of the English Channel, in the middle of London.

The target of this plot is Elizabeth Halton, the daughter of the American ambassador to the Court of St. James', who is to be brutally kidnapped. Gabriel arrives seconds too late to save her. And by revealing his face to the plot's masterminds, his fate is sealed as well.

Drawn once more into the service of American intelligence, Gabriel hurls himself into a desperate search for the missing woman as the clock ticks steadily toward the hour of her execution. It will take him from Amsterdam to Germany to the very end of Denmark. It will thrust him into an unlikely alliance with a man who has lost everything because of his devotion to Islam. It will cause him to question the morality of the tactics of his trade. And it might very well cost him his life.

Spy guy: listen to more of Gabriel Allon's exploits.

©2007 Daniel Silva (P)2007 Brilliance Audio

Critic reviews

"Bestseller Silva's superlative seventh novel to feature Gabriel Allon, the legendary but wayward son of Israeli Intelligence, puts Silva squarely atop the spy thriller heap." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Phil Gigante does a fine job with an international cast of characters....He also reads the narrative with clarity and verve." ( AudioFile)

One of his best.

What did you love best about The Secret Servant?

The plot is continually surprising, and the scenes in Denmark and Amsterdam are particularly interesting.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Secret Servant?

The kidnapping in Hyde Park was nail biting.

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

The readers slight accents for different characters is perfect.

Amazing thrill ride

This story was a thrill ride from beginning to end. Daniel Silva has an extraordinary style of writing that gives the reader a first hand experience of each scene he describes. It was as if I were walking or travelling along with the m as in character. I experienced the pain, frustration, and anger along with him. Phil Gigante did a wonderful job in his performance of bringing this book to life for the listener.

It gets better with every book!

I thought the first book was great. But as I get to know Gabriel and his many teammates- family- and friends, every book gets better and better!!

Excellent Piece Overall

The story was compelling, well articulated, and reasonably plausible. The length of the product was perfect for this genre. Narration was excellent.

Silva does it again.

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

I would. The narration is excellent.

What did you like best about this story?

The storyline and how it was narrated by Phil Giganti.

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

I had. As good as his others if not better.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I can't answer that one.

Any additional comments?

Any fans of spy novels will be interested in Mr. Silva's works no doubt.

One of Silva's Best!

It was a great story with Silva's usual plot twists and suspenseful moments. I listened to it in 2 days! Though George Guidall is THE BEST narrator, this narrator was pretty good. Gabriel Allon is a winner!

When narration missed the mark

Silva is an excellent writer in this genre, and although it's essentially the same plot book after book, the changes and interplay make it all the more enjoyable.
John Lee is an extraordinary narrator, especially in the five major Follett books. Phil Gigante is above average, but that's a disadvantage following extraordinary storytellers Guidel and Lee.
I still recommend the book, but the narration takes getting used to. I'm reading the series in order, and see Gigante has several books ahead on the list, I think I'll grow to accept his performance.

steady performance

not one off his finest but still a riveting piece well worth the time. a little surprising in some ways. keeps you interested r

Good enough

I've listened to 4-5 of these books but not always in order. While this book has all of the hallmarks of the Allon series, it does not pull you in as much as some of his other books.

The previous book in this series has a stronger story and narrative team.

Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon awesome

Take heed, America! This is fiction but it has happened over and over and we don't all have Gabriel Allon to save us! This is a fast-moving spy story with excellent narration. Although the accents weren't perfectly accurate, they were all believabl;e and distinguishable. Gabriel's world-weary character is really great and the spy technology seems well researched. I love all Silva's books and this is no exception.