The Confessor

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's Summary

Detective Gabriel Allon returns in this stunning thriller of ancient and modern betrayal, long-buried secrets and unthinkable deeds. In Munich, writer Benjamin Stern enters his flat to find a man leafing through his research. When Stern confronts him, the man shoots him, murmurs a few words in Latin, gathers the papers and leaves. In Venice, art restorer and Israeli agent Gabriel Allon reads a message saying that Stern is dead; can he leave immediately? At the Vatican, a priest named Pietro paces in the garden, pondering the discoveries he has made, the enemies he will make, and the journey he must undertake. Silva weaves these three threads into a multilayered mystery peopled with memorable characters and distinguished by rich prose.

©2003 Daniel Silva (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Silva...writes with the atmospheric grace and whiplash tension of le Carre." (Booklist)

good story but over rated

I was influenced to listen to this book due to it's raving reviews and high stars. It was an entertaining story but it was not stellar.

It wasn't particuarly the best thriller I've read and the writting style was a bit clumsy.
the reader was excellent and brought what would have been a drab read to life.

Great characters

I like spy thrillers but so many of them are populated with unbelieveable characters in weak plots. The confessor had a very interesting story, with people I developed an affection for. It is definitely worth listening to.

Exciting, intriguing

If you like history, ancient cities, espionage, religious corruption and intrigue then this book is for you. The story dabbles a bit in art history and lots in world history, specific world war II and the catholic churches involvement in the holocaust. The Confessor is about two less than specific groups of people directory tied to the the Holy See (Vatican City) who have different points of view on what is right for the Roman Curia and the disposition of their involvement in the events of World War II. It's very exciting and worth a listen, without a doubt.

Silva's Consistant

Daniel Silva wraps action advenure, mystery and recent history into an entertaining listen. His Israeli Mossad characters expose the horror of the Holocaust using fictional modern day events. The narration is reserved and sets an excellent tone for the theme.

The Confessor (Unabridged)

A truly great book with John Lee doing a fantastic job of narrating. Well written with totally unexpected twists and turns and a story that spans from 1942 to the present that brings together cultures, religions, the inner workings of the Church in Rome, politics, intrigue and mystery. Don't miss this one.

Spy thriller

I have only recently begun to enjoy spy thrillers, and this one was among my favorites. John Lee's accent makes a skillful work of art even better. I also really, really enjoyed The Flight of the Tiger Moth, read by John Lee, and became a fan then. I also recommend The Company.

a woman's view

I enjoyed 2 of Silva's previous books "The English Assassin" and "Murder in Vienna". I thought this one was pretty good too until I read the 1st gent's review (forgot his name)and - being only half-way thru this one at that time - noticed he was right about the trite phrases and juvenile plot "twists." (I mean Katherine, come on, I know you guys liked it, but she's a Bond-barbie.)Sadly I gave it 4 stars b/c compared to everything else published, well...John Lee is to die for. Have him record the telephone book, it'd be wonderfullllllllllllllll.

the confessor

This audio book held my attention thru out the entire listening.
The author's depiction of details was amazing.. One felt they were in the Vatican and in Italy. The Narrator was also very fine

goes on, and on, and on, and on...

goes on, and on, and on, and on... stick with the latest books in series. skip this one for sure. I didnt do the research and thought this was a later offering.

Intrigue at its Finest!

First, I must admit that I didn't enjoy this novel "The Confessor" as much as I did his previous novel, "The Kill Artist." That being said, this audible book was definitely worth the credit and time invested. I'm sure to listen to this audible book again. John Lee's performance as narrator was superb.

This is the third book in the Gabriel Allon Series. The main character, Gabriel Allon restores fine art by day but is a Top Israeli Mossad Agent by night, who is always ready to go up against Arab terrorists. In "The Confessor" however, the pursuers of Jewish victims are Catholics operating outside of the Vatican's purview, in an effort to cover up the evidence of the Church's collaboration with the Nazis during World War II.

The plot is based on the silence of Pius XII during the Holocaust and upon a "supposed" secret wartime meeting between someone from the Vatican and someone from the German Foreign Office. I found the plot highly plausible and well researched, perhaps other listeners won't agree.

Thus the listenter is taken on a journey through fascinating Venice, Rome, the Italian Lake district, and other alluring locations. Daniel Silva's writing often reminds me of acclaimed international thriller writers like Federick Forsyth and Robert Ludlum. And seeing that I'm a lover of all things pertaining to art, espionage and the hunt to kill terrorists - well, this book is truly my cup of tea!

Highly recommended.