The Order by Daniel Silva

#1 New York Times Bestseller • #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller From Daniel Silva, the internationally acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author, comes a riveting new thriller featuring art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon. It was nearly one a.m. by the time he crawled into bed. Chiara was reading a novel, oblivious to the television, which was muted. On the screen was a live shot of St. Peter's Basilica. Gabriel raised the volume and learned that an old friend had died ... Gabriel Allon has slipped quietly into Venice for a much-needed holiday with his wife and two young children. But when Pope Paul VII dies suddenly, Gabriel is summoned to Rome by the Holy Father's loyal private secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati. A billion Catholic faithful have been told that the pope died of a heart attack. Donati, however, has two good reasons to suspect his master was murdered. The Swiss Guard who was standing watch outside the papal apartments the night of the pope's death is missing. So, too, is the letter the Holy Father was writing during the final hours of his life. A letter that was addressed to Gabriel. While researching in the Vatican Secret Archives, I came upon a most remarkable book ... The book is a long-suppressed gospel that calls into question the accuracy of the New Testament's depiction of one of the most portentous events in human history. For that reason alone, the Order of St. Helena will stop at nothing to keep it out of Gabriel's hands. A shadowy Catholic society with ties to the European far right, the Order is plotting to seize control of the papacy. And it is only the beginning. As the cardinals gather in Rome for the start of the conclave, Gabriel sets out on a desperate search for proof of the Order's conspiracy, and for a long-lost gospel with the power to put an end to two thousand years of murderous hatred. His quest will take him from the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, to a monastery in Assisi, to the hidden depths of the Secret Archives, and finally to the Sistine Chapel, where he will witness an event no outsider has ever before seen-the sacred passing of the Keys of St. Peter to a newly elected pope. Swiftly paced and elegantly rendered, The Order will hold readers spellbound, from its opening passages to its breathtaking final twist of plot. It is a novel of friendship and faith in a perilous and uncertain world. And it is still more proof that Daniel Silva is his generation's finest writer of suspense and international intrigue. Editorial Reviews 08/03/2020 Bestseller Silva's improbable 20th thriller featuring Gabriel Allon (after 2019's The New Girl) opens with the unexpected death of Pope Paul VII, who succeeded John Paul II in the author's alternative universe. Allon, the director-general of Israeli intelligence, who once saved the pontiff's life, is on vacation in Venice when he gets a call from Archbishop Luigi Donati, Paul VII's closest confidante. Donati doesn't buy the Vatican's story that a heart attack was the cause of death, fearing that those opposed to the pope's liberal policies had him murdered. Shortly before his death, Paul VII had begun writing a letter to Allon about a discovery he made in the Vatican's secret archives that would ignite a global sensation. Allon and Donati believe that the Holy Father was killed to prevent him from sharing the find, and the pair set out to determine what it was and who was behind the murder. The wild plot includes cartoonish bad guys who belong to the evil Order of St. Helena and seek to manipulate the election of the next pontiff. Newcomers may find the contrivances too much to swallow; series fans will know to leave their disbelief behind. (July) - Publishers Weekly A refreshingly hopeful thriller for troubled times... Silva's latest broad-canvas thriller starring the much-loved Gabriel Allon will quickly take its reserved seat atop most best-seller lists. - starred review Booklist Can't put it down. Won't put it down. I'm fully captured and enthralled by Daniel Silva's The Order. - Bob Woodward *2020-07-01 A legendary spy takes a vacation--or tries to, anyway--in Silva's 20th Gabriel Allon novel. Gabriel is trying to enjoy some rest and relaxation with his family in Venice when he learns that an old friend has died. As it happens, this old friend was Pope Paul VII, and it's not long before Allon is summoned by the pontiff's personal secretary. Archbishop Luigi Donati has reason to believe that the Holy Father did not die a natural death. For each of the past several summers, Silva has delivered a thriller that seems to be ripped from the headlines. This latest book feels, at first, like something of a throwback. Palace intrigue at the Vatican might seem quaint compared to Islamist extremism or Russia's rise as an international influence, but Silva makes it relevant and compelling. Allon discovers that the most likely culprits in the death of the pope are connected to far-right leaders throughout Europe, and the rediscovery of a lost Gospel sheds new light on Christian anti-Semitism. The villains here are Catholic traditionalists--Silva's imaginary Paul VII looks a lot like the real-life Francis I--and populist politicians who appeal to nativist, anti-globalist sympathies. As Silva looks at European contempt for a new wave of immigrants from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, he finds a model for this xenophobia in ancient hatred of the Jewish people, an antipathy that has its roots in the New Testament. He interjects a few Bible studies lessons and offers a bit of history as background; these passages add depth without impeding the forward momentum of the plot. Readers familiar with this series may notice the evolution of a motif introduced a few novels ago: In the world of Gabriel Allon, the United States has receded from relevance on the world stage. Engaging and deftly paced, another thoughtfully entertaining summer read from Silva. - Kirkus Reviews Can't put it down. Won't put it down. I'm fully captured and enthralled by Daniel Silva's The Order. - Bob Woodward Part international espionage thriller and part head-scratching whodunit, this Allon adventure is a spy story that's as clever as it is action-packed. It's also absolutely loaded with intensively researched background on the fascinating history of Biblical scripture. With a mystery that spans centuries and a conspiracy that could destabilize half the world, The Order is like Jason Bourne meets The Da Vinci Code. - Apple Books A refreshingly hopeful thriller for troubled times... Silva's latest broad-canvas thriller starring the much-loved Gabriel Allon will quickly take its reserved seat atop most best-seller lists. - Booklist, starred review Relevant and compelling.... Engaging and deftly paced, another thoughtfully entertaining summer read from Silva. - Kirkus, starred review Timely, fast-paced, and impossible to put down, The Order makes one thing absolutely clear . . . if you're not reading Daniel Silva, you're missing out on one of the greatest, most prolific novelists the genre has ever known. - The Real Book Spy Pulse-pounding.... [Silva] proves to be a master weaver of tales of international espionage and assassinations. One cannot help but marvel at his uncanny prescient knowledge of events unfolding today and those of tomorrow. - The Times of Israel Silva's Gabriel Allon novels are always smart thrillers, mixing history and fiction, somewhere between John LeCarre and Ian Fleming. - Valdosta Daily Times - From the Publisher Silva's Gabriel Allon novels are always smart thrillers, mixing history and fiction, somewhere between John LeCarre and Ian Fleming. - Valdosta Daily Times Part international espionage thriller and part head-scratching whodunit, this Allon adventure is a spy story that's as clever as it is action-packed. It's also absolutely loaded with intensively researched background on the fascinating history of Biblical scripture. With a mystery that spans centuries and a conspiracy that could destabilize half the world, The Order is like Jason Bourne meets The Da Vinci Code. - Apple Books Pulse-pounding.... [Silva] proves to be a master weaver of tales of international espionage and assassinations. One cannot help but marvel at his uncanny prescient knowledge of events unfolding today and those of tomorrow. - The Times of Israel Timely, fast-paced, and impossible to put down, The Order makes one thing absolutely clear . . . if you're not reading Daniel Silva, you're missing out on one of the greatest, most prolific novelists the genre has ever known. - The Real Book Spy Narrator George Guidall brings back the key characters in Silva's Gabriel Allon series. Through a mystery reminiscent of THE DA VINCI CODE, listeners are taken into the world of Catholicism and its historic relation to Jews. Through tone and accent, Guidall differentiates the many characters-some regulars, some new, some good, some quite devious-all of whom move the story along at a steady pace. Guidall proves his mastery of narration with two challenges: First, he keeps listeners engaged throughout the lengthy passages of ancient history; second, he voices Allon's young children without sounding too childlike. Silva also provides listeners with a strong hint about what's next for Gabriel Allon. Once again, the Silva-Guidall partnership delivers an intelligent thriller that will keep listeners glued to their earbuds. E.Q. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award ¬© AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine - JULY 2020 - AudioFile