- Hardcover: 448 pages
- Publisher: Michael Joseph; First Edition; 1st printing. edition (31 July 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0718153553
- ISBN-13: 978-0718153557
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.7 x 4.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 262,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
In true Bauer fashion, shootouts, kidnappings and international terror plots follow him wherever he goes (USA Today )
'It is an exciting, entertaining novel with a terrifying message' Literary Review on Secret Servant
Nerve-searing and painfully brilliant (Patricia Cornwell On Death in Vienna )
'It is an exciting, entertaining novel with a terrifying message' Literary Review on Secret Servant
Nerve-searing and painfully brilliant (Patricia Cornwell On Death in Vienna )
Product Description
The extraordinary new Gabriel Allon thriller from one of the world's finest writers of international intrigue and espionage. The violent death of a journalist leads agent turned art-restorer, Gabriel Allon, to Russia. Here he finds that in terms of spycraft, the stakes are the highest they've ever been. He's playing by Moscow Rules now. It is not the grim Moscow of Soviet times, but a new Moscow, awash in oil wealth and bulletproof Bentleys.A Moscow where a new generation of Stalinists is plotting to reclaim an empire lost and to challenge the global dominance of the old enemy, the United States. One such man is Ivan Kharkov, a former KGB colonel who built a global investment empire on the rubble of the Soviet Union. Hidden within that empire is a lucrative and deadly business. Kharkov is an arms dealer - and he is about to deliver Russia's most sophisticated weapons to al-Qaeda. Unless Allon can learn the time and place of the delivery, the world will see the deadliest terror attacks since 9/11 - and the clock is ticking fast. Filled with rich prose and breathtaking turns of plot, "Moscow Rules" is at once superior entertainment and a searing cautionary tale about the new threats rising to the East - and Silva's finest novel yet.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
(4.5 stars) In his eighth Gabriel Allon espionage thriller, Daniel Silva moves from investigating the historical crimes of the past, often related to the Holocaust, and their effects on the present, to crimes of the present and their possibly catastrophic effects on the future. In this intense and absorbing novel about uncontrolled arms sales, the biggest threat to the future comes from Russian arms dealers, aided by Russia's president and former KGB operatives who are now unimaginably wealthy independent brokers and contractors. These arms merchants operate with impunity, selling all manner of weapons to terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East and Africa.
Gabriel Allon, formerly with the Israeli Mossad, is on his honeymoon in Italy when he is contacted by Ari Shamron, the grand old man of Israeli security. Allon, a trained art restorer, has been working for the Pope, but the recent assassination of a Russian journalist who may have had information he wanted to reveal to the West brings him out of retirement and back into action. When the murdered man's Russian editor-in-chief is also murdered, Allon travels to Russia, where he learns the name of a Russian arms dealer, Ivan Kharkov, who has been supplying Hezbollah, and who now appears close to selling sophisticated weapons to al-Quaeda.
Kharkov and his wife are collectors of Mary Cassatt paintings, and the fascinating art world which has added so much life to other Gabriel Allon thrillers in the past is also a major aspect of this novel. Art dealers, down-in-their-luck gentry who own prized artwork, and, in the case, of Allon, restorers, all play unexpectedly major roles in this effort to prevent Kharkov from selling advanced weapons to al-Quaeda. As the high-stakes plotting by the conjoined security services of England, the US, Italy, and France builds to a crescendo, Allon follows the action through various countries leaving multiple murders, beatings, car crashes, and betrayals in his wake. Always, the fine hand of the Russian mafia is pulling the strings, purportedly with the aid of the Russian president.
Silva keeps the action moving briskly, and his ability to convey the atmosphere of disparate locations adds depth and drama to the plot. The characterThe Marching Season: A Novels, even the minor ones, are paradigms of the countries they represent, imbued with the cultures of their homelands, rather than mere stereotypes. His major characters are complex and carefully drawn, and the action and underlying themes of the novel are intelligent and thought-provoking. As always, Silva creates a complex and exciting story, but this time the focus is on contemporary politics, rather than on the past. Providing evidence that future catastrophes are shockingly easy to inspire, given the venal nature of unscrupulous international arms dealers, Silva employs his formidable talents to create a terrifying picture of a cynical world--and a warning for the future. Mary Whipple
Gabriel Allon, formerly with the Israeli Mossad, is on his honeymoon in Italy when he is contacted by Ari Shamron, the grand old man of Israeli security. Allon, a trained art restorer, has been working for the Pope, but the recent assassination of a Russian journalist who may have had information he wanted to reveal to the West brings him out of retirement and back into action. When the murdered man's Russian editor-in-chief is also murdered, Allon travels to Russia, where he learns the name of a Russian arms dealer, Ivan Kharkov, who has been supplying Hezbollah, and who now appears close to selling sophisticated weapons to al-Quaeda.
Kharkov and his wife are collectors of Mary Cassatt paintings, and the fascinating art world which has added so much life to other Gabriel Allon thrillers in the past is also a major aspect of this novel. Art dealers, down-in-their-luck gentry who own prized artwork, and, in the case, of Allon, restorers, all play unexpectedly major roles in this effort to prevent Kharkov from selling advanced weapons to al-Quaeda. As the high-stakes plotting by the conjoined security services of England, the US, Italy, and France builds to a crescendo, Allon follows the action through various countries leaving multiple murders, beatings, car crashes, and betrayals in his wake. Always, the fine hand of the Russian mafia is pulling the strings, purportedly with the aid of the Russian president.
Silva keeps the action moving briskly, and his ability to convey the atmosphere of disparate locations adds depth and drama to the plot. The characterThe Marching Season: A Novels, even the minor ones, are paradigms of the countries they represent, imbued with the cultures of their homelands, rather than mere stereotypes. His major characters are complex and carefully drawn, and the action and underlying themes of the novel are intelligent and thought-provoking. As always, Silva creates a complex and exciting story, but this time the focus is on contemporary politics, rather than on the past. Providing evidence that future catastrophes are shockingly easy to inspire, given the venal nature of unscrupulous international arms dealers, Silva employs his formidable talents to create a terrifying picture of a cynical world--and a warning for the future. Mary Whipple
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Daniel Silva is an undeniably talented writer of intelligent, contemporary thrillers. I might not always agree with his politics (he's a bit too far to the right for me) but his books are usually exciting yet retain an air of realism that sets them apart from more overblown adventures. For the first three quarters of its length Moscow Rules continues this trend.
Featuring Silva's long time hero, Israeli agent Gabriel Allon, along with his usual colleagues and allies, Moscow Rules takes as its central themes the politics of modern Russia and specifically the activities of the oligarchs and former KGB agents who have risen to prominence in the former Soviet Union. When Allon and his crew come across evidence that one of the most powerful men in Russia poses a threat to Israel and the West they are forced to make unpalatable choices in order to bring him down.
As is usual a Silva thriller, the events that unfold in Moscow Rules do so without resorting to flashy, OTT action or gadgets. You get the feeling that were any of the events portrayed real, they would occur as Silva describes them. He also takes time give his characters real depth. Some, like Allon and other recurring figures, already have that, but even those who are new to Gabriel's world and may not last the length of the book are given qualities and traits that make them more than plot devices or ciphers. Silva also manages to deftly avoid falling back on cliches. The Russian millionaire bad-guy has been done before, but in Silva's book he's not some snarling bad guy with plans for world domination; he just a very dangerous crook who exudes menace from the page without resorting to histrionics.
All these factors, combined with some tense, taught plotting, serve to make Moscow Rules an enjoyable, if slightly humourless, read for the first three quarters of its length. The final quarter however, is a different matter.
Most of Silva's strengths are still on display as the book reaches its conclusion, but what seems to desert him almost entirely is his skill with compelling plotting. Put simply Moscow Mules lacks any sort of satisfying ending and left me feeling let down.
Rather than finish on a high note, the story that the author has spent so long establishing and crafting simply peters out ten or so pages before the end, leaving the fates of some key characters open or at worst unknown. After so much build up and tension this lack of a pay off is very disappointing. Moreover Silva relies on a totally unexpected shift in loyalty by one minor character to save Allon from a potentially fatal situation and provide what little resolution is on offer. This volt-face, which comes with no warning, overt or otherwise, just feels like lazy plotting on the author's part and adds to the general sense of disappointment.
Overall you walk away from Moscow Rules with a sense that what could have been a great spy thriller was let down by an author who, having set up his story, either didn't know where to take it or wanted to leave to much open ended with an eye to the next novel in the series. For this reason alone I cannot give Moscow Rules more than three stars, even if for most of its length it deserves four or possibly five.
Featuring Silva's long time hero, Israeli agent Gabriel Allon, along with his usual colleagues and allies, Moscow Rules takes as its central themes the politics of modern Russia and specifically the activities of the oligarchs and former KGB agents who have risen to prominence in the former Soviet Union. When Allon and his crew come across evidence that one of the most powerful men in Russia poses a threat to Israel and the West they are forced to make unpalatable choices in order to bring him down.
As is usual a Silva thriller, the events that unfold in Moscow Rules do so without resorting to flashy, OTT action or gadgets. You get the feeling that were any of the events portrayed real, they would occur as Silva describes them. He also takes time give his characters real depth. Some, like Allon and other recurring figures, already have that, but even those who are new to Gabriel's world and may not last the length of the book are given qualities and traits that make them more than plot devices or ciphers. Silva also manages to deftly avoid falling back on cliches. The Russian millionaire bad-guy has been done before, but in Silva's book he's not some snarling bad guy with plans for world domination; he just a very dangerous crook who exudes menace from the page without resorting to histrionics.
All these factors, combined with some tense, taught plotting, serve to make Moscow Rules an enjoyable, if slightly humourless, read for the first three quarters of its length. The final quarter however, is a different matter.
Most of Silva's strengths are still on display as the book reaches its conclusion, but what seems to desert him almost entirely is his skill with compelling plotting. Put simply Moscow Mules lacks any sort of satisfying ending and left me feeling let down.
Rather than finish on a high note, the story that the author has spent so long establishing and crafting simply peters out ten or so pages before the end, leaving the fates of some key characters open or at worst unknown. After so much build up and tension this lack of a pay off is very disappointing. Moreover Silva relies on a totally unexpected shift in loyalty by one minor character to save Allon from a potentially fatal situation and provide what little resolution is on offer. This volt-face, which comes with no warning, overt or otherwise, just feels like lazy plotting on the author's part and adds to the general sense of disappointment.
Overall you walk away from Moscow Rules with a sense that what could have been a great spy thriller was let down by an author who, having set up his story, either didn't know where to take it or wanted to leave to much open ended with an eye to the next novel in the series. For this reason alone I cannot give Moscow Rules more than three stars, even if for most of its length it deserves four or possibly five.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I really liked the previous Allon book, The Secret Servant, as I thought it took a detour from the usual outline of Silva's previous books.
With Moscow Rules we are back to a familiar style from the previous novels which made me feel I'd read this before (I haven't!). Certainly the middle section of the book could have been lifted from another of the Allon series.
Despite this, I find the series strangely compelling. Gabriel Allon is a great character, not so much Bourne-like, rather vulnerable yet seemingly invincible all at the same time. And the story lines, dealing with anti-semitism, Holocaust, and now this one, with Moscow money men indifferent to where they ply their trade (so contemporary), that I can't put the book down.
With Moscow Rules we are back to a familiar style from the previous novels which made me feel I'd read this before (I haven't!). Certainly the middle section of the book could have been lifted from another of the Allon series.
Despite this, I find the series strangely compelling. Gabriel Allon is a great character, not so much Bourne-like, rather vulnerable yet seemingly invincible all at the same time. And the story lines, dealing with anti-semitism, Holocaust, and now this one, with Moscow money men indifferent to where they ply their trade (so contemporary), that I can't put the book down.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Moscow Rules
An excellent read. Well up to the usual high standards of this author. Gripping plausible plot with tight narrative and well developed characters.
Published 8 months ago by T. Wolstencroft
I think he deserves a gold
I am gradually going through all the Daniel Silver books and what a delight they are, but I think I may be the only person in the UK to have discovered him. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mr. R. S. Young
Somewhat bemused
There is a lot that is good about this, my first Gabriel Allon book.
It's a well-written, pacey tale about Allon who is drawn back into intelligence work again after a... Read more
It's a well-written, pacey tale about Allon who is drawn back into intelligence work again after a... Read more
Published 17 months ago by catsatcastle
Back to the present
I was taken to task by another reader when I suggested that, lately, the Gabriel Allon stories were all pretty much the same - dealing with the aftermath of the Holocaust and... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Michael Watson
Still cutting the mustard
In MOSCOW RULES Israeli super-spy Gabriel Allon is up against Ivan Kharkov, a billionaire Russian arms dealer who is planning to sell some deadly new missiles to a corrupt African... Read more
Published 22 months ago by David Gee
Strong and competent but not unmissable
I've never read any Daniel Silva before but while I don't think it's a problem to start here (number 8, I think? Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2009 by Roman Clodia
a real page turner
If you want a book that you find difficult to put down, this is a good one! The protagonist is an Israeli spy/assasin. Read more
Published on 17 Oct 2009 by R. Martin
Daniel Silva at his best
I have read and thoroughly enjoyed all of the previous Daniel Silva Gabriel Allon books so buying this was an easy decision to make. Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2009 by J. H. R. Cornell
Moscow Rules
I knew of the author before and was informed by Amazon of his new book. I ordered it and it was sent immediately. I appreciate the efficient service.
Published on 3 Aug 2009 by Mr. N. Frith
A good story let down by its ending....
An Israeli agent (Gabriel Allon) hunts a Russian oligarch who is thought to be selling weapons to terrorists. Read more
Published on 17 Nov 2008 by johnverp
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