The House of Spies, Daniel Silva, author; George Guidall, narrator
Daniel Silva writes great spy novels filled with suspense and tension. He creates excitement with ease, and this book is no exception. At times, though, it is too wordy. In addition, there are an awful lot of characters to keep track of, and some have similar names which adds to the confusion that is sometimes created. Although the subject of the novel is not funny, the dialogue between the characters often contains humor which diffuses the tension created by the story. Gabriel Allon, the head of Israeli Intelligence, is one of my favorite characters in a novel. This is the 17th in this series, and I am not bored yet.
After a series of terrorist attacks in varied worldwide locations, Gabriel Allon has identified the mastermind behind them, and he is determined to find and eliminate him. He secretly engages the help of Great Britain and France to track the terrorist down. Saladin must be stopped from causing further violence. He is evil. Allon devises a scheme using false identities, subterfuge and betrayal. The elaborate plan that is hatched involves role playing and great danger. The world becomes the stage for the search to find the terrorist.
Isis is buying drugs from a big dealer who masquerades as a legitimate entrepreneur. They are then sold and the money raised is used to fund the purchase of weapons for the terrorist group. That is not the goal for the mastermind, however. He wants to wreak as much havoc and destruction as possible. He wants no ordinary weapons. He wants to bring about the Caliphate and will do anything necessary to accomplish his evil plans. He wants material for a dirty bomb. He must be stopped and so must his plot. Can the violence be prevented before more deaths occur, before a city is rendered uninhabitable? Will Allon and his allies be successful?