I found Daniel Silva on amazon as I find most of the authors that I end up reading; by perusing what other people who are reading the same book as I are reading. Anyway, this was an above-average spy thriller that pitted a retired Israeli agent against a militant Palestinian who was/is bent on destroying the Middle East peace process. Since this book was written almost 8 years ago and there is still no "peace" in the Middle East this book is just as interesting today as it was when it was written.
Recommended - and can't wait to read the next books in the series.

I had previously read two of the books in this series so I was familiar with most of the characters. One of those previous books was The Messenger which was a real five star thriller.

Silva does an outstanding job in painting his characters so that it is easy for the reader to feel like he/she knows them. This and his writing style makes for an easy read where you don't have to turn back to earlier pages to relate anything . . . you can just keep reading.

Things really get suspenseful when both the Mossad agents and the terrorists are sure that they had outsmarted the other and both are ready for a far different bloody finish. This is when you have your finger under the edge of the page so that you can turn it as you are reading the last few words. This is no time for a coffee break or anything else except reading!

I did not give this book five stars because there were a few places where a character acted different than he had been portrayed and the ending was not as complete as I would have liked!

Hello, Gabriel Allon, you've become a welcome addition to my life.

You really need to get married, though. No spy females, please.

Your creator is as smooth as a vodka gimlet made of France's Grey Goose vodka.

I love this review by Christine Cunningham:[...]

Following the standard rule of rounding, four and a half stars becomes five.

And who says we need to forgive the murderers of our son, the maimers of our wife? Gabriel does in Tariq in the end, as it should be.

An exquisite master art restorer living on the sea shore in Cornwall, England, Gabriel Allon, a lone wolf Mossad assassin, learns to live day by day by meticulous work and sailing a sailboat he restored. The spy is spied on by a young, lonely boy named Peel, whose is a narrative piece of thread I wished had been worked on more.

Allon is pulled back by Amri Shamron, a high level apparatchik Mossad operative and rejoins the hunt. Of humans.

He develops a romantic relationship with a closet Jewess, who is improbably a famous model, Jacqueline. Sarah's her real name. She is used to ferret out the most elusive Palestinian spy Tariq, who was responsible for blowing up Allon's wife's car in Vienna, landing her in an asylum and killing his son.

The intricate, chess-like narrative ends in New York City. Guns are involved, as is that odious former human, Yasser Arafat, who's presented almost nobly.

This is a very welcome beginning of the series staring Gabriel Allon. I have spent many enjoyable hours with him.

Thank you, Daniel Silva!

Full of superfluous description, which impedes the flow of the narrative. Dreary and fake.

Reading your first Daniel Silva book will compel you to buy another and another.......which I have done.

Let me start by saying that I did not finish the book. I made it about 2/3s of the way through before I put it down. It was not that the book was boring; the story about terrorism and counterterrorism was somewhat compelling. The problem was with the characterizations, especially of the protagonist, Gabrielle Allon. I read this book based on a recommendation of the author by an online pundit. I think I know why he recommended the author; his worldview, at least as it comes across in his blog, is pragmatic. This is a pragmatic book. There were no "good guys" in this book; there were no heroes. The message of this book is that to beat the "bad guys" we have to become like them; we have to become "bad guys" as well. This is a thoroughly pragmatic worldview, and it left me feeling "slimed". Perhaps if I had finished it I would have discovered something uplifting. But life is too short sometimes, and I have other books to read.

Sorry, folks. I wanted to like it. I gave it a chance. But it just goes on and on and on ... hardly a page-turner! Too much like Tom Clancy's later books!

Silva writes a past-paced, ferocious opening to his Gabriel Allon series of books with this excellent thriller. He goes a step beyond other thriller writers -- including Le Carre -- with compelling action and authentic characters. He paints his assassins as humans with "issues" stemming from their bloody occupation. Silva is not reluctant to get into issues of morality, especially the endless bitterness between Jew and Palestinian. And always, his plots spin and turn and what you think is real isn't always...but sometimes it is. Once you start this book, you'll not set it down easily (I'm writing this at 4:30 a.m., if that gives you a clue...) All in all, a very good read.

In the murky world of Islamic terror, Tariq is one of the few people that Israel actually fears. This book is set against the backdrop of the Middle East peace talks and the possibility that Tariq needs to be stopped before he does something terrible to derail the process. I had thoroughly enjoyed reading "The Unlikely Spy" and this book was "un-put-downable". The contrast of the quiet art restorer's life in Cornwall with the action-packed lifestyle of the man chosen to put down Tariq is incredible. His character is given enough pain through the loss of a wife and child a decade earlier. All-in-all a terrific book!

I thought "The Kill Artist" was a good blend of fast paced action, a decent level of historical/political intrigue, and engaging characters. Though stylistically not the level of Le Carre or Greene, "The Kill Artist" reaches the level of works by those writers due to the pathos and world weariness of the characters. I enjoyed it more than enough to want to start the second in the series without delay.

I strongly recommend this book. If you enjoy the assassination novel genre you would be well advised to read "The Kill Artist." Author Daniel Silva brings to life Gabriel Allon a master Mossad assassin and the Mossad's go to guy in the clutch. He is accompanied on much of his journey by Jacqueline a highly attractive Mossad operative. Silva infuses in his novel a certain amount of realism that you will not find in other. This novel was the first by Silva that I read and it made me such a fan that I am presently in the process of reading the entire trilogy.

This was a great read! If you like this you should check out The Trigger Event. It's an excellent political thriller.

I listened to the The Kill Artist on tape. Totally enjoyed it. Loved the book. The author's brilliant writing style comes through clearly even when listened to, rather than read. The plot is not totally original but the characterization is so excellent and the writing style so clear and engaging that the same old spy vs spy story rings fresh and true. There is also a very intriguing twist at the end. I am looking forward to reading or listening to the other works in this series.

Gabriel Allon, master art restorer and sometimes Israeli spy, is first introduced in this book. I couldn't put it down. This is a compelling, fascinating, and fast paced thriller. Gabriel and all the other characters in the book are so skillfully drawn that you forget they are not real people. I highly recommend this excellent series...it will keep you up reading well past your bedtime.

Silva repeats basically the same formula in all his books. Not that it is not a good one, but I think Gabriel Allon could do better.

In "The Kill Artist" Daniel Silva introduces readers to Gabriel Allon, a retired Mossad Secret agent. I admit I have read Gabriel Allon books out of order. This was my third Gabriel Allon book, but "The Kill Artist" is the first in the series. Silva is worth reading for several reasons. His European and Middle Eastern settings are extremely well researched an accurate. He does not just set his scenes in the most well known and popular areas of Israel, London, or Germany, but in the ethnic suburbs, run-down areas, and other lesser known regions. This gives the book a real authentic feel.

The author appears to have more than a passing knowledge of Israeli intelligence operations. My guess is that he has several friends/contacts who "advice" him on tactical details. The story of the reluctant Jewish fashion model turned operative was interesting enough to be spun off into its own novel.

Gabriel Allon is a deep and very human character, despite being an assassin. The art restorer/master assassin combination is great. My only complaint is that I wish we could see a plot line that does not just end up in an epic showdown between two master assassins fighting to the death. There is more to intelligence operations that just assassinations. Despite this minor issue, I look forward to working my way through Silva's other Gabriel Allon novels.

Having read a few other books by Silva I figured this would be good. No mistake, it was very good. I enjoyed his walking you through all the steps in the tracking of a Terrorist. What has to be done and sometimes hurting your own to accomplish the capture. All in all a very well written book. I recommend it highly.

I have become a Daniel Silva fan and I enjoyed this book, but it was not one of those books that you feel like you can't put down/stay up all night types. His more recent books are better.

The first book in the Gabriel Allon series is right on the mark. Daniel Silva maintains a good balance of character background building with fast paced action.

Allon must come out of retirement to take revenge on his wife's killer; a terrorist who knows Allon is coming, and is waiting for him...

This was an interesting and informative spy novel involving Israelis and Palestinians. Not a new topic. The main issue I have with this book is that even though entertaining it is predictable all the way thru. This creates an anticlimactic feeling when you are reading because you always know what is going to happen next.

It does introduce Gabriel Allon, a very interesting character that comes back in many of Silva's other books. This is one reason why I will give Silva another try, the other reason is his fantastic debut novel "The Unlikely Spy", the talent is there, it just did not quite worked this time.

I really enjoyed this book, I think it had the right amount of suspense, romance and likable characters. I'm always impressed with an author that can make likable characters out of cold blooded killers. It's a page turner. I haven't read any other of his books, but I will after having read this one.

This book was a wonderful discovery. A touch of Le Carre, an echo of Ludlum, but a lot of something of its own as well. Silva's fourth book, and his first of several set against the backdrop of the Middle East-Palistinian conflict and the holocaust. Silva introduces a fascinitating character in Gabriel Allon, and weaves a wonderful network of intriguing relationships with equally intriguing characters, most notably Ari Shamron and Tariq. Allon, a "retired" assassin formerly in the employ of Mossad is brought out of retirement when a former arch-rival, in the form of Tariq, is plotting the assassination of a major head of state. The plot is exciting and fast paced, and takes the reader to some fascinating locations. Silva's "art restorer" background for Allon is a gem. This book gets 4 and 1/2 stars from me! I thoroughly enjoyed it, and wholeheartedly recommend it.

Daniel Silva's Kill Artist is an excellent introduction to his series of spy thrillers starring Gabriel Allon. Allon is a unique character; a former assassin and spy for the Mossad (Israeli Intelligence) he retires after his wife and son are killed and takes up a successful career as an art restorer. Allon is an enigmatic, fascinating, and utterly likeable character, which makes the fact that he's a sociopath a bit troubling.

In the Kill Artist Allon is called out of retirement when a terrorist named Tariq comes out of hiding and kills an Israeli Ambassador in Paris. Allon's former boss, the calculating Ari Shamron, uses this to manipulate Allon back into the field--Tariq was the man who murdered Allon's family. Joining Allon in the hunt for Tariq is Jacqueline Delacroix, sometimes fashion model and sometimes spy, who uses her body to seduce information out of enemies.

The Kill Artist is well-plotted and full of suspense, making it a great read for anyone looking for a good thriller. Allon is a new breed of spy, filled with more shades of gray than James Bond or Jason Bourne. He's clearly meant to be the good guy, but the fact that he's a cold-blooded killer can't escape the reader.

The only flaw with this novel is the fact that Allon and the other "heroes" are clearly sympathetic to the Israeli cause. While I can't speak for Silva's politics, it makes the novel seem one-sided. Taking that with a grain of salt, the novel is still entirely enjoyable

The first book in Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon series is a good one. As Silva's fourth book, the references to the prior two books (Mark of the Assassin and Marching Season) are few, but they are there. It was more a pleasant surprise to me after having read those already. However, it's certainly not necessary to have read those before starting this one.

Gabriel Allon has left the Office (Israeli Intelligence) and is working as an art restorer. A job he loves. However, his former mentor beckons and convinces him to get back into the game to eliminate a Palestinian radical who played a dark role in Allon's past.

The plot is intelligent and engaging. I find Silva's writing to be fantastic. His style is great. He keeps you guessing, and keeps those pages turning. The chapters seem to just fly by.

My only gripe with this is that it's not as good as "The Mark of the Assassin." However, that is not enough to deter me from heading straight into his next book in this series "The English Assassin."

****1/2!!!!

This is the first book in the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva. Allon is the reluctant part time spy working for Israeli Intelligence whose covert skills are the stuff of legend within the small community of "secret agents". His cover skills are those of professional art restoration, primarily "old masters" paintings and sculpture, for which his talents in that field are world renown.

While this may be the first book (as of this review there are 5) in the series, it is not necessary to read this book first, since the book takes place at a time in the life of Gabriel Allon when he has already forsaken his work as a spy. We learn about Allon's past and his initiation into the world of spying through flashback and his past is not necessarily central to the story. Other books in the series take the reader into Gabriel's past just as effectively and therefore you don't really have to start with this book to understand what Gabriel is all about.

Daniel Silva has a true gift for captivating plot and character development. The characters in his books are self reflecting and you really begin to understand the emotional turmoil that goes with the work of tracking down punishing international terrorists. This book is an exciting weekend read! Silva has Gabriel on the trail of Tariq the Palestinian terrorist bent on derailing the peace process. Tariq and Gabriel are not strangers to one another, as Gabriel is the man who mercilessly killed Tariq's older brother and as revenge Tariq exploded a car that contained Gabriel's wife and only son. The "bad blood" between these two enemies plays out across Europe and North America in a fast paced thriller that both memorable and very enjoyable. The surprises and betrayals extend beyond the exciting climatic confrontation between Gabriel and Tariq, and are just part of what makes this book so entertaining.

Good stories, easy to read, keeps you on the edge of your seat....

Daniel Silva's "The Kill Artist" in many respects is a by-the-numbers thriller. A world-class Palestianian assassin has undertaken a daring plot to bring down the Middle East Peace Process. A lethal Israeli assassin is called out of retirement to pursue the Palestinian assassin, who destroyed his family.

For many fans of the genre, this plot description would be enough, and Silva has mastered the trade of writing this kind of classic airplane fiction (you know, the kind that you need to distract you from the glories of flying coach class from Seattle to Atlanta).

But fortunately, Silva has the patience and the talent to bring the reader deep within the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a conflict where wheels turn within wheels and the left hand isn't much aware of what its own fingers are doing, much less the right hand. We also meet Gabriel Allon, one of the great tragic heroes of the genre, who bears more burdens than your average assassin and does so with a quiet dignity that is quite moving.

For fans of the genre, you'll be happy to note that all the right tunes are played, and played well. Plenty of action, a bevy of female characters straight out of a James Bond thriller -- beautiful, intelligent, and bearing deep secrets and even deeper emotions - and above all, a fine appreciation of the deep-rooted hatred that moves both sides.

A must-read for the fan of the spy novel!