Spy-Mystery-Thriller writers all have their favorite characters. John Le Carré gave us George Smiley, William F. Buckley introduced us to Blackford Oakes, Jack Higgins writes about Sean Dillon, and of course, there’s Vince Flynn’s creation, Mitch Rapp. But in art restorer-Israeli spy Gabriel Allon, novelist Daniel Silva has a hero for all seasons, shapes, and sizes—a man who is intensely human, fiercely intelligent, and quite good at what he does.
He’s even aging well.
In Silva’s latest book, The Rembrandt Affair, Mr. Allon is wrested from exilic retirement in scenic coastal England and tasked with chasing down a famous portrait—one created on canvas by Rembrandt himself—that has been stolen. In fact, its very theft points to something far more important and sinister than the simple case of a purloined painting—the portrait’s fading image is splattered with fresh blood. Not only that, but the painting is somehow connected to the most egregious evil of the 20th century—the Holocaust.
Along the way, we learn about the dark details of Swiss banking practices and meet a sordid ensemble of profiteers and miscreants and, greed being what it is, there are always those willing to sell out people and nations if the price is right. It has long since been demonstrated that Switzerland’s boast of neutrality while war engulfed the nations of the world in a conflict that ended 65 years ago was specious, to say the least, but penetrating the storied veil of secrecy surrounding financial transactions in places like Zurich remains a daunting task—even for Allon and company.
The Rembrandt Affair details the activities of an eclectic and multi-national group of intelligence theorists and operatives—people who combine classic tradecraft with state of the art techno-savvy. And as the bodies along the trail begin to pile up, evidence points to the involvement, if not leadership of a charismatic and wealthy celebrity—someone who is seen by the masses as a virtual saint. However, Allon and his team uncover information that tells a different story—one of shady deals and past crimes against humanity. They then run against the clock to prevent another potential Holocaust.
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