Portrait of an Unknown Woman

A Novel (Gabriel Allon)

By: Daniel Silva

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

In a spellbinding new masterpiece by #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva, Gabriel Allon undertakes a high-stakes search for the greatest art forger who ever lived

Legendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon has at long last severed ties with Israeli intelligence and settled quietly in Venice, the only place where he has ever truly known peace. His beautiful wife, Chiara, has taken over the day-to-day management of the Tiepolo Restoration Company, and their two young children are discreetly enrolled in a neighborhood scuola elementare. For his part, Gabriel spends his days wandering the streets and canals of the watery city, bidding farewell to the demons of his tragic, violent past.

But when the eccentric London art dealer Julian Isherwood asks Gabriel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the rediscovery and lucrative sale of a centuries-old painting, he is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse where nothing is as it seems.

Gabriel soon discovers that the work in question, a portrait of an unidentified woman attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyck, is almost certainly a fiendishly clever fake. To find the mysterious figure who painted it—and uncover a multibillion-dollar fraud at the pinnacle of the art world—Gabriel conceives one of the most elaborate deceptions of his career. If it is to succeed, he must become the very mirror image of the man he seeks: the greatest art forger the world has ever known.

Stylish, sophisticated, and ingeniously plotted, Portrait of an Unknown Woman is a wildly entertaining journey through the dark side of the art world—a place where unscrupulous dealers routinely deceive their customers and deep-pocketed investors treat great paintings as though they were just another asset class to be bought and sold at a profit. From its elegant opening to the shocking twists of its climax, the novel is a tour de force of storytelling and one of the finest pieces of heist fiction ever written. And it is still more proof that, when it comes to international intrigue and suspense, Daniel Silva has no equal.

BACK ON TRACK

After the last novel and exhibition of Trump Dysfunction syndrome I was not sure I wanted to get this book, but my fears were groundless. I gave him 1 star less because he defined Woke--and defined it incorrectly. But hs political excursion was thankfully limited. I have a friend in Israel whose politics are rather liberal so I let it pass. By now I hope Silva is aware that the election of Biden was indeed fraudulent, as certified in the courts. Meantime, I enjoyed renewing acquaintance with Julian Isherwood and other familiar characters. A good story provides new friends and information and despite the final disclaimer, I was aware this was a work of fiction. .

Meh

Silva is slipping. This is better than the last one, but the characters are increasingly more difficult to like. Silva would probably be better served to write a brief foreword telling us his political views and how virtuous he is rather than clumsily shoehorning the narrative of The Party into his stories. On the bright side, nice performance by the narrator.

Redemption?

Vowing never to pick up another by Daniel Silva because of his last piece of forged artistry belied by his Trump Derangement Syndrome, I couldn’t help renig on that promise and try this one. No forgery this time - a masterpiece marred only by small smudges of His toxic, broad brush PC paint brush. I’m glad I was able to put aside my own pre-judgments to see pass his and enjoy the underlying genius of the story he tells. The price, I suppose, of a kind of redemption.

Wish I had not spent money and time on this very boring Audio

Very long and boring audio. I have listened and enjoyed several of Silvia’s audio but not this one!!!?

It’s different, but I Loved it

The story has Gabriel in a detective role more than a spy - after all, he has retired! But it’s still a good, fast pasted Silva story.