An Inside Job

Daniel Silva is probably the only author who can imagine a newly found Leonardo da Vinci painting and not make it the center of a story and still make the novel work.

Gabriel Allon is happily retired, living in Venice with his wife and children and restoring old paintings. Until he finds the body of a young woman anyway (at this point I stopped to check the cover again to verify that it is not one of Donna Leon's Brunetti novels - that would not be an unusual way for one of them to start...).

Before long, it becomes clear that the dead woman is somehow connected to a painting that may be by da Vinci and that the painting had resurfaced in the Vatican before disappearing again. So the hunt is on - for a killer and for a missing canvas show more and as is often the case, for a pretty big chunk of money. For a retired spy, Gabriel is all too happy to run around Europe chasing after both - with the help of a lot of old friends of course. This deep into the series, seeing again old character is expected and Silva is good at getting back to people we had met (and possibly liked) including the pope. 80% into the novel I was getting ready to start this review with a note that unusually for an Allon novel, no shots were fired by anyone but then things changed so that's not true really.

Some of the story in the Vatican weaves parts of real history (and Silva's author note points both to sources and to what is real and what is invented) and the author's imagination. His Vatican is so alive that he found himself obligated to explain before the novel when and where it diverged from the real world and which real popes never got to hold the post. His pope is a mix of an invention and features of the ones that never got to be elected in the world of Gabriel Allon.

If you like art mysteries combined with a murder mystery, this may not be the worst book to get introduced to Silva's work. It is heavy on the art side and later in the novel deals more with finances than with a real murder investigation but that had started to become a norm in the later series novels. There are a lot of throwbacks to older novels and events in them but he is good at summarizing/reminding you what had happened (without it becoming too annoying for long time readers). But if you start here, it will spoil some of the earlier novels so there is that.

Overall a solid entry in a series which I was a bit worried about when Gabriel stepped away from being a spy. show less

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. I have read a few of the more recent instalments in this series and they follow more or less the same formula each time. Gabriel forges and/or helps steal an Old Master painting in the service of justice, tapping his extensive and highly-placed roster of contacts. Here for example he is BFFs with the pope...

I found the pacing a bit off here: there were two linked cases and one was resolved two-thirds of the way through, so the last part felt a little anti-climactic. I note that the good guys here were extremely supportive of economic migrants and Ukrainians, but silent on the crisis in the Middle East.

An Inside Job, Daniel Silva, author, Edoardo Ballerini, narrator
1-There is a daunting list of characters introduced immediately. Do not let it deter you from reading this story about organized crime, the art world, the Vatican, and a bit of politics. There are many who try, but few authors are able to succeed in writing a novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat, page after page, with wonderful wit and a smooth rolling dialogue, like Silva.
2-The charismatic and very talented Gabriel Allon has retired from his espionage work in Israel and is now restoring a Titian painting in Venice, Italy, where he lives contentedly with his wife and twins. His peaceful day is interrupted by his discovery of a decomposed body floating in the waters show more of Venice.
3-Soon it is discovered that the body is that of Penelope Radcliff, a young American woman who had only just ended her work as an art intern at the Vatican. She believed she had discovered a missing Leonardo Da Vinci in the storeroom of the Vatican Museums. Was this why she had died? Had she told anyone else about her discovery? Allon, fearful of another scandal erupting at the Vatican, contacts his dear friend Luigi Donati who is still reeling from a major Vatican scandal that was hidden at the time of his election to Pope.
4-When Allon realizes that someone has actually stolen the suspected valuable artwork from the storeroom at the Vatican, it is determined that it had to have been an inside job. Only someone at the very top of the ladder could have accessed the area and removed it. Could it really be a lost Leonardo? Had Penelope really made this enormous discovery? Pope Luigi Donati, an honorable and true symbol of the clergy gives Allon permission to investigate it thoroughly but hopes he can keep the Vatican scandal-free. That, however, may be impossible. Allon is also true to his established honorable character.
5-Soon, the plot thickens as threats and actual violence increase around those involved. The Camorra, a violent and vengeful part of the Italian mob seems to be very much involved with someone of high standing and great respect in the papacy. This person has not only helped them to steal the painting, but he has also “cooked” the books to hide his own accounting fraud and extraordinary need for money to repay his debts to the mob. He has endangered the very financial stability of the Holy See.
6-A plan is devised to steal the painting back from the criminals by switching it with a fake. When it succeeds, the corrupt Cardinal, now in deeper financial and criminal trouble, informs the Camorra. They do not forgive or forget, and they take revenge and attempt to murder Donati, Allon and others who were involved.
7-Pope Donati and a dear friend from his former life, Veronica Marchese, are both shot at a celebratory sermon in St. Peter’s Square. The news about this event is broadly interpreted in what has become the exaggerated standard of the media that is justified and used in order to gain attention regardless of the veracity of the reporting.
8-Soon, the solution is to go after and arrest the members of the Camorra and to steal the fake painting back from the mobster who has it. Hopefully, the arrests and this theft, if it succeeds, will bring an end to the mob violence and need for vengeance.
9-Will they be able to keep the multiple scandals from reaching the Vatican? Will the debt incurred by the rogue Cardinal Matteo Bertoli, sostituto for the Secretariat of State, destroy the Church? What changes will have to take place?
10-The ending is a bit thin. In addition, departing from custom in the past, Silva has inserted more political views into this novel with references to the far right, Ukraine, immigration, the oligarchs, and climate. Some readers may object to this inclusion and the inferences about church corruption. Sometimes, it does detract from the simple enjoyment of Gabriel Allon’s always exciting and interesting life, with its familiar cast of characters that entertain us. In this book, as in all the books of this series, it is still a pleasure to read. show less

Silva writes intense suspense stories and An Inside Job is one of his finest. It is impossible to take a break from reading the book as each chapter ends with suspense. Silva thoroughly researched the politics of the countries involved in the story, historical facts, the art of the old masters, as well as the restoration of oil paintings before beginning to write. This spy thriller series features Israeli spy Gabriel Allon. He has retired and is working as an art restorer. I learned alot about the art world from reading the book. The information about the restoration of paintings went over my head because Silva was quite technical in the description of the materials that his character Allon used.

This installment of the series had the show more most character development. With the spy business put aside, Allon could concentrate on his relationships with his wife and kids. It was cute to see the brash Gabriel Allon playing with his kids and even attempting to cook. He is not domestic but is growing in that regard. Wife Chiara is seen as the main breadwinner which I thought was about time. Chiara manages the art restoration business for Gabriel.

The pace is fast from the first page but it speeds up during the final third of the book. Resolving the mystery surrounding the stolen artwork seemed similar to Allon's spy escapades. He used his connections from that part of his life to find and return the art. show less

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An Inside Job by Daniel Silva follows Gabriel Allon while he navigates the treacherous waters of Vatican politics, Italian criminals, and the cutthroat world of art. This is the 25th book in the Gabriel Allon series, following the Israeli spy and master art restorer's adventures.

Gabriel Allon, once again, must help friend in high places when a painting which might be attributed to Leonardo da Vinci has been discovered in the Vatican. Allon discovers the crime white investigating the death of a Vatican intern who's working with their art restoration department.

Through his investigation, Allon discovers a web of coverups from the highest echelons of the Vatican to show more multi-billionaires, and the Italian mafia. Through it all, he must juggle his family life as well as the friends, and frenemies who are risking everything to help him.

This book was formulaic, the twists were expected, ex-Spy/art restorer Gabriel Allon seems to love not evolving, but it was a ton of fun. Like other books by Daniel Silva, An Inside Job is written with wit and a wink, allowing readers to go along with the ride.

I enjoyed this book much more than I enjoyed the previous one, it's a good art thriller with the feel of a cozy mystery. I appreciate Allon's post-espionage career, but he doesn't seem to get old.

I've been a fan of the series for a very long time, and I think it's good that Mr. Silva concentrates more on Allon's expanded universe than on the art restorer himself. At this point the supporting cast is much more interesting than the main character and that's fine since it keeps the book feeling like the ones I liked but keeps it fresh.

The book is more of a financial thriller than an art heist. I found that aspect to be more interesting and fascinating, as I know as much about financial shenanigans as I do about fine art-which is not much at all.

This is a fast-paced ride and a tight mystery. The locals are cinematic, the food sounds delicious, and it's always comforting to spend some time with a familiar cast of characters. show less

An Inside Job by Daniel Silva begins with a mysterious death linked to an art museum in Venice, but what appears to be a simple crime quickly unravels into a web of art theft, espionage, and betrayal from within. Gabriel Allon—legendary spy and master art restorer—leads the investigation, moving seamlessly between the worlds of intelligence and fine art. Fast-paced and elegant, the novel blends international intrigue with the high-end art world, delivering suspense, sharp twists, and Silva’s trademark sophistication.

While Gabriel Allon goes to Venice to restore a major painting, he finds the body of a young woman in the lagoon.
He soon finds himself involved in the disappearance of a major piece of work, possibly a previously unknown signed artwork by da Vinci.
In AN INSIDE JOB, Daniel Silva weaves a story that leads to him finding another body, working with the Pope, and illegal affairs affecting the Vatican. The relatively new Pope, Luigi Donati, has made enemies because of his effort to focus on the common people, not the rich and powerful, including moving out of Vatican into a very modest apartment.
I have enthusiastically read all of Daniel Silva‘s books. This one is no exception. Well written, intricate, engrossing, and informative.