The Order

A Novel

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

From Daniel Silva, the internationally acclaimed number-one New York Times best-selling author, comes a riveting new thriller featuring art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon.

It was nearly one a.m. by the time he crawled into bed. Chiara was reading a novel, oblivious to the television, which was muted. On the screen was a live shot of St. Peter’s Basilica. Gabriel raised the volume and learned that an old friend had died....

Gabriel Allon has slipped quietly into Venice for a much-needed holiday with his wife and two young children. But when Pope Paul VII dies suddenly, Gabriel is summoned to Rome by the Holy Father’s loyal private secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati. A billion Catholic faithful have been told that the pope died of a heart attack. Donati, however, has two good reasons to suspect his master was murdered. The Swiss Guard who was standing watch outside the papal apartments the night of the pope’s death is missing. So, too, is the letter the Holy Father was writing during the final hours of his life. A letter that was addressed to Gabriel.

While researching in the Vatican Secret Archives, I came upon a most remarkable book....

The book is a long-suppressed gospel that calls into question the accuracy of the New Testament’s depiction of one of the most portentous events in human history. For that reason alone, the Order of St. Helena will stop at nothing to keep it out of Gabriel’s hands. A shadowy Catholic society with ties to the European far right, the Order is plotting to seize control of the papacy. And it is only the beginning.

As the cardinals gather in Rome for the start of the conclave, Gabriel sets out on a desperate search for proof of the Order’s conspiracy and for a long-lost gospel with the power to put an end to 2,000 years of murderous hatred. His quest will take him from the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, to a monastery in Assisi, to the hidden depths of the Secret Archives, and finally to the Sistine Chapel, where he will witness an event no outsider has ever before seen - the sacred passing of the Keys of St. Peter to a newly elected pope.

Swiftly paced and elegantly rendered, The Order will hold listeners spellbound, from its opening passages to its breathtaking final twist of plot. It is a novel of friendship and faith in a perilous and uncertain world. And it is still more proof that Daniel Silva is his generation’s finest writer of suspense and international intrigue.

©2020 Daniel Silva (P)2020 HarperAudio

Critic reviews

"Narrator George Guidall brings back the key characters in Silva's Gabriel Allon series.... Through tone and accent, Guidall differentiates the many characters - some regulars, some new, some good, some quite devious - all of whom move the story along at a steady pace. Guidall proves his mastery of narration with two challenges: First, he keeps listeners engaged throughout the lengthy passages of ancient history; second, he voices Allon's young children without sounding too childlike.... Once again, the Silva-Guidall partnership delivers an intelligent thriller that will keep listeners glued to their earbuds." (AudioFile magazine)

Daniel Silva never disappoints

The Order is book 20 in the great Gabriel Allon series of thrillers by Best-selling and award-winning author Daniel Silva and it's another unputdownable novel, filled with action, thrills and adventure. With this latest release, Daniel Silva shows us once more why he is one of the best action writers out there and why he is the master of Summer Blockbusters!

I never read the Publisher Summary for MR. Silva's novels and that's what I suggest you do as well, but, if you are interested about the plot, I can tell you without spoiling anything, that our hero, the spy-master and master of spies, the Israeli Intelligence Officer Gabriel Allon is forced to take some free time from the covert life in order to go in a vacation with his family to a beautiful city by the sea. There, his rest and relaxation are cut short when he learns that an old friend has died... I won't say anything else, but I hope that your curiosity has been tickled.

Longtime series veteran and renowned actor, voice-over artist and narrator George Guidall brings once again all our beloved characters to life with unparalleled talent and devotion. You'll be swapped away into this world of dark secrets, filled with lifelike characters and vivid descriptions thanks to his heavenly performance and of course, to the author's flowingly beautiful and I can say, at times, poetic, writing style.

Fans of the series will reunite with old favorites, will keep their breath in many occasions, and will cheer our heroes on in their journey. Newcomers will surely be impressed by such a rich cast of characters and world-altering events that after they are done with The Order, they'll quickly go back and start this awesome series from the beginning.

The Order is a treat to any action lover, but at the same time, is full of interesting, important and very deep messages. If you are a Daniel Silva fan, you can't miss this and if you are not a fan yet, and pick up The Order, you'll become one fore sure! Now, all I need to do is to kill the time with other great listens for one more year, until book 21 comes out!

If you liked this review please vote Helpful below and find more of them here and on theAudiobookBlog.
I also post honest reviews at the author, narrator, or publisher's request, you can get in touch with me for more details.

Thank you & stay safe,
Victor

Entertaining story, didn’t care for narration.

As usual, Silva has crafted a story which is very current. The afterword is particularly informative and was quite interesting itself, as it allowed a look into the research done by Silva when creating new characters. I could see the story unfolding on an alternate timeline, were that to be a real thing!

However, not a big fan of the narration, as the narrator was not very clear on his enunciation of consonants, and I needed clarity to easily understand the Italian place names. I actually slowed it down a bit to more easily understand him.

I would recommend this book to Allon fans, but I think it would also appeal to people with an interest in the Catholic Church. I have been to Rome, Florence, and Munich, and toured the Vatican. This book took me back to my time there!

A little disappointing

Narrator was great as usual but I found this story anticlimactic compared to past Gabriel Allon books.

Absolutely wonderful

A wonderful fast listen. Would recommend to any fan of the series. It helps if you have read the other books in the series
.

Worthy of the read/listen

As with the Daniel Silva books I have read The Order has left me thoroughly entertained.
This book in particular made me, as a Christian, think about Christian values past and present. Although a work of fiction, there are factions in our society today, that would have entire religions, or factions within that same religion eliminated completely. So this book is certainly believable.
George Guidall's narration is easy to follow and understand. Enjoy!

Distraction

The reader placed arbitrary pauses in his narrative. I was so distracted and irritated, I had to stop listening. Too bad because I enjoy Silva’s novels.

Missable

Sadly, this story feels like it’s one of those stories that Rader keeps in his or her bag when she’s run out of other ideas… The weakest in the series so far… Felt more like it was Dan Brown da Vinci Code meets Gabriel Alon. Definitely disappointed

Worst.Narrator.Ever.

The story would have been pretty good were it not for the narrator. Seriously, why does anyone hire this guy anymore? I wanted to hear the story so l bought the book despite not liking this narrator. I will now permanently reinstate my policy of not buying any book narrated by George Guidall.

Another fine Gabriel Allon Series Thriller

Wonderfully imagined like all of Silva’s Allon Series. His work sticks so closely to Current Events that he has to include an Author’s Note stating that the Book is not Non-Fiction.

Some Readers will be offended by some of his Editorializing but his views about some of the World Leaders and events line up closely enough with mine that I have no problem with his opinions. Enjoyable read. Four Stars.

Good but not Great

While the humorous prose, exquisite detail & well developed plot was all here, this book was still slightly disappointing mostly because I didn’t enjoy the narration & partially because this book felt heavy handed. I’m all for highlighting the rise of Anti-Semitism, especially in these current times, but I felt Silva came across as a conspiracist which to me belittles the message.
Silva asks, what if the Roman Catholic Church intentionally manufactured & perpetuated a lie for thousands of years attributing to the hatred of the Jewish people. Additionally he draws attention to the racism facing Muslim refugees in today’s Europe. This was a solid 3.5 read but I’m ready for another 5 star Silva.