I have enjoyed all six of the Silva books I have read--especially the Gabriel Allon stories. "The Messenger," however, is the best of an excellent lot!! It is fast paced and tightly written. Not a word is wasted. The action and the characters are believable, and the concept (Saudi financing of Islamic terrorism) is most timely. Silva does a very good job of reminding the veteran reader of (or acquainting the first time reader with) Allon and how he became what he is. There is no real need to read the series in order.

The book moves smoothly between Israel, the Vatican, London, Paris, Washington, the Carribean and Switzerland. The characters are nicely developed, and the reader gets an exposure to the worlds of art, espionage and international terror. The discussions about Impressionism and Van Gogh were particularly enjoyable.

"The Messenger" is superb. It is Silva's best, and it stands at the top of the heap along with the best of Nelson DeMille and Michael Connelly. Strong praise from where I sit.

Silva is at the top of the heap when it comes to the modern day spy novel. His novels feature interesting and compelling characters and the storylines seem realistic and current. "The Messenger" tackles the challenges of fighting against global jihad. In the book, the characters fight against Jihad Inc. in a way that you wish our intelligence agencies could fight against it--call it the Jack Bauer approach. I've read two of Silva's novels so far and have not been disappointed.

Consistency is something that is highly overlooked these days. And if Daniel Silva is anything these days with his work, it is highly consistent. He is consistent in giving us high caliber reads, with great suspense, and he takes it up a level each time! That's what I really enjoy in an author, and he has Gabriel Allon to weave us through each time. "Prince of Fire" was by far his greatest work with Gabriel. But that doesn't mean that "The Messenger" is a bad read. It is nothing short of a GREAT read. If you've thought about doubting Daniel Silva, I've got a message for you. There is an edge that he has that he hasn't lost! That's what makes him great!

Gabriel is needed once again. He had a great showing his last time, so lets make this one even better! Right? And things immediately get crazy. From the pope, to malicious behavior from al-qaeda, this man of Israeli intelligence is on a mission. And he's going to employ the help of Sarah Bancroft, who's already had a hard lesson from the 9/11 attack. A sneaky billionaire is teamed up with a lethal terrorist, and they can't be caught. But with a team led by Gabriel Allon, they just might watch out.

This is spy fiction, and this is great stuff! Daniel Silva walks you through this, he sometimes runs you through this, blow by blow. The suspense is high level. Its so good, you almost hate to see it end when that final page is read.

What can I say? I really like Silva. And I REALLY like his work! That means that I have more books to check out!!

... because you'll have to be a fan to get through this one.

The author no longer recounts in detail scenes from earlier stories or extensive character descriptions. This was a welcome change, but it did seem a bit ridiculous to find Gabriel Allon striding into the audience of the Pope without a little back story.

"The Messenger" was a disappointment after the cultural insight and emotional depths reached by Silva's writing in previous installments, "The Prince of Fire" and "A Death in Vienna." It felt like the sort of installment that's just meant to get the characters in position for the next (usually much better) volume.

That said, it did not make me any less likely to read the next volume.

Mr. Silva is a direct cross between John LeCarre (the early) and Lee Child. He has brought action to his cerebral character as if Jack Reacher gave George Smiley some courses in spy field work.

What separates Mr. Silva from almost all the authors of the spy/thriller genre is the genuineness of his characters, particularly Gabriel Allon, his main character. Allon has very real human emotions to go with his spycraft expertise and relationships with other characters, all of whom also have depth. There are no cardboard cut-out characters.

In "The Messenger", Allon is onto the Saudis who bankroll and mastermind anti-western terrorism, espcially anti-Israeli and American. There is an unnerving realism to the scenario that is underscored by the Afterword. After a strike against the Vatican, Allon is on the mission and brings in an amateur to make life even more difficult in the anti-terrorist fight. The plot travels the world, illustrative of the reach of the rich who bankroll the suicide bombers and martyrs.

From the outset, the tension builds. It is a credit to the author that the tension never wanes. It may change shape and venue, but it is always there - what better complimnet for a thriller? One never gets the feeling that everyone will live happily everafter at the end.

This novel can stand alone, although I have some passing familiarity with Allon, having read one or two predecessors. Reading this installment inspires me to go back to the ones I missed. This is as good as this genre can get.

This is an incredible book, thrilling and keeps you on the edge till the end.