Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Novel (Gabriel Allon, 22)

Julian Isherwood is in a bit of a quandary. His art gallery recently sold a painting titled “Portrait of an Unknown Woman” for a tidy sum. A letter addressed to him by a woman hints that the painting might not be genuine. While attempting to meet with his woman, he is accosted by two individuals and barely escapes with his life. He reaches out to an old friend, Gabriel Allon, for assistance. Gabriel possesses an impressive artistic acumen but is a retired spy from Israel’s Mossad. Gabriel is living with his wife and two young children in Italy, a healthy distance away from the cloak and dagger of his former life. Julian wants Gabriel to assess the painting’s authenticity and put Julian’s fears to rest. Unfortunately for both men, nothing involving the legendary picture is clear-cut. There is corruption afoot in the art world.

Portrait of an Unknown Woman” is the latest mesmerizing tale from author Daniel Silva (The Cellist). An intelligent and action-crammed thriller with the cunning protagonist matching wits against crafty villains in a high-stakes game involving greed and murder. An excellent inclusion to the consistently exemplary work of Daniel Silva.