The English Assassin

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: John Lee

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unlikely Spy, Daniel Silva, comes a taut, lightning-paced thriller rooted assuredly in fact: Switzerland's shameful World War II record of profiteering and collaboration with Nazi Germany.


When art restorer and occasional Israeli agent Gabriel Allon is sent to Zurich, Switzerland, to restore the painting of a reclusive millionaire banker, he arrives to find his would-be employer murdered at the foot of his Raphael. A secret collection of priceless, illicitly gained Impressionist masterpieces is missing. Gabriel's handlers step out of the shadows to admit the truth—the collector had been silenced—and Gabriel is put back in the high-stakes spy game, battling wits with the rogue assassin he helped to train.

The Unlikely Spy, Daniel Silva's extraordinary debut novel, was applauded by critics as it rocketed onto national bestseller lists. "Briskly suspenseful, tightly constructed . . . reminiscent of John le Carré's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," said the New York Times. "Silva has clearly done his homework mixing fact and fiction to delicious effect and building tension—with the breathtaking double and triple turns of plot—like a seasoned pro," praised People. Now, Silva brings his considerable talent to his latest tale of danger and deception. Tense, taut, expertly crafted, and brimming with unexpected reversals, The English Assassin is Daniel Silva at his storytelling best.©2002 Daniel Silva; (P)2002 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

Praise for Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon Novels

“An exceptionally readable, sophisticated thriller...Silva ranks...among the best of the younger American spy novelists.”—The Washington Post

“A cloak-and-dagger tale [that] moves at a brisk clip, with clean, lucid exposition and characters who are thoughtfully drawn.”—The New York Times

“The plot is rich, multilayered and compelling with issues as timely as the daily headlines and problems as old as humankind...Silva maintains tension and suspense.”—The Denver Post

“Enthralling...a thriller that entertains as well as enlightens.”—The Orlando Sentinel

“Smooth and compelling.”—Detroit Free Press

“Silva’s sophisticated treatment, polished prose, an edgy mood, and convincing research give his plot a crisp, almost urgent quality.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Silva knows how to plot...[he] will draw you in—and you’ll learn something at the same time.”—Rocky Mountain News

“Thrilling...a good, cinematic story.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Great story, performance not so much

Only my second Silva novel, but the story was every bit as good as the first. Unfortunately, the narration really hurt the experience for me.

The narrator was good at many of the European accents, especially German, but since some primary characters are Israeli I thought the story really suffered because the narrator kept imbuing their voices with a German twinge.

Excellent book, poor narrator

This is the second Gabriel Allon book of Daniel Silva's I've read, and even though I liked the storyline in this one better, the listen was not as enjoyable. John Lee seems to get his accents mixed up and it is often difficult to distinguish which characters are talking. His reading is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars.

I'm hooked on the Gabriel Allon series. One other reviewer said they didn't like the finish, but I liked it, found it very poignant, and had tears in my eyes at the end. I agree that I would have liked to have a little more detail in the wrapping up, but all in all a good novel. I listened every chance I got...couldn't put it down.

Unfortunately the next 2 Gabriel Allon books in the series are also narrated by John Lee, but the books are so good, I'm willing to put up with the weird narration. Hopefully his accents will not be too mixed up in the next one.

Wow. What a story.

Even better than the first book. I like that the author fleshes out his characters. Excellent plot and surprises along the way.

This is going to be a great series for me.

I like a series where you can watch the growth of the characters. This is a great read and I will purchase the rest of the series.

No matter the narrator these books are a must...

Along with Orphan X, Will Trent, and Cormoran Strike, Gabriel Alon is in the top 4 of my automatic downloads. The stories from all these characters do not disappoint and I won't miss one! This is how I give a listen a 5 star rating by comparing to these guys, very few make the cut.