The Rembrandt Affair (Gabriel Allon #10) (edition 2011)

A Rembrandt painting is stolen while being restored by Christopher Liddell and he is killed during the theft. Julian Issherwood had contracted to have the masterpiece restored and had failed to get any insurance for it. He asks Gabriel Allon to find the painting. Gabriel and wife Chiara are currently in retirement living in Cornwall near the sea. Gabriel's hunt takes him to Amsterdam, France, Argentina, and Switzerland. He discovers that the painting had been stolen by Kurt Voss, a Nazi, during the purge of Jews in the Netherlands and that many people had been killed over this painting. This is the tenth book in the series and the plot is beginning to seem like a formula--murder, contact Allon, find a beautiful woman to infiltrate the bad person's organization, beautiful woman is captured, Allon must rescue. ( )

Fiction

Gabriel Allon, retired spy, is coerced by his long-time friend Julian Isherwood to retrieve a undiscovered, stolen Rembrandt, being prepared for sale to a NY museum. As he delves into the history, he uncovers a twisted tale of Nazi theft and Swiss complicity, bringing his back to his old alliances and role. Enlisting the assistance of a British TV personality, Gabriel battles a deified Swiss philanthropist, who is as dirty as they come. ( )

I believe that this is my 8th Daniel Sliva, and without a doubt the best I have read so far. I liked this story immensely, and it bordered on Stieg Larsson-esque in complexity.

My only complaint with the Gabriel Allon novels is knowing that at some point everything is going to go to hell, and Allon is going to have to achieve the impossible. In this book it comes near the end of the story. The countdown has run a few seconds past zero, it's curtains for Allon, his team and his operation... but viola, another miracle and the clock and operation are up and running again, and I sense that Gabriel and his team are about to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat! It makes for great suspense and all, but that seems to be the working element in every story. Still, a really good read. ( )

Enjoyed this immensely!!! Like the factoids at the end of his books. ( )