The Cellist

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

Master of international intrigue Daniel Silva, the number one New York Times best-selling author, comes an explosive new thriller featuring art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon.

The most beautiful music hides the deadliest secrets....

Viktor Orlov had a longstanding appointment with death. Once Russia's richest man, he now resides in exile in London, where he is waging a crusade against the kleptocrats who have seized control of the Kremlin. His mansion is protected by armed bodyguards. Yet somehow, on a rainy summer evening, in the midst of a global pandemic, Russia's vengeful president finally manages to cross Orlov's name off his kill list.

Before him was the receiver from his landline telephone, a half-drunk glass of red wine, and a stack of documents....

The documents are contaminated with a deadly nerve agent. The Metropolitan Police determine that they were delivered by one of Orlov's employees, a prominent investigative reporter. And when the reporter vanishes hours after the killing, MI6 concludes she is a Moscow Center assassin who penetrated the billionaire's formidable defenses. But Gabriel Allon believes his friends in British intelligence are dangerously mistaken. His search for the truth will take him to Geneva, where a private intelligence service is plotting an act of violence that will plunge an already divided America into chaos. Only Allon, with the help of a brilliant young woman employed by the world's dirtiest bank, can stop it....

Praise for Daniel Silva:

"Fascinating, suspenseful and bated-breath exciting." (Publishers Weekly)

"One of the greatest spy novelists the genre has ever known." (CrimeReads)

"Daniel Silva is that rarity of rarities, a writer whose stories just keep getting better." (Huffington Post)

"If you like Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher, get to know Gabriel Allon." (Australian Women's Weekly)

©2021 Daniel Silva (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Limited story

I think have I have listened to 8 books in this series but I found this story was lacking in substance.

Very disappointing

This book was very disappointing. Daniel’s focus on Covid throughout the book and his sermonising on vaccines and masks was totally superfluous to the story.Covid’s constant interdiction into a drama story with such potential was disruptive and problematic. The sermon Daniel gave at the end of the book belongs more to NYT or Washington Post progressive opinion pieces. Daniel cherry picked commentary from others and spoilt the entire read. If you want a good story, this had potential. We have lived and breathed Covid on our news and in our community, our ëscape”hatch into an alternative world via fiction did not happen here and it was overdone and over intrusive.a very poor author and editor choice. Daniel did not mention the USA recognition of Jerusalem as Isreal’s capital and its Embassy move nor did he mention the Abraham Accords nor did he mention the strict sanctions placed on Russia in the 2nd half of his Presidency. I also really did not enjoy the reader after having had George read his previous books.This readers attempt at Israeli accents was overdone and stereotypical and would have been more suited to a bad sketch on Saturday Night Live.

One of the best books I have listen to

I was a little worried with the chains in narrator but this was a wonderful story from start to end bringing all the best bits of Gabriel Allon and the Office to life

Exceptional writing and presentation.

This is a high water mark in espionage story telling. Every detail in the credible story is well researched - from art, music, wine, to recent US politics and Mossad activity etc. Top shelf story telling - and superb narration. The narrator has the full range of accents to present - and does a very fine job. Overall - an enjoyable story, and has my highest recommendation.

Disappointed.

Author has done much better. Decent until part 4 then book derailed by author's TDS. Has the Gabriel Alon series jumped the shark? Have always pre-ordered books in this series but not any more.