The Collector

★★★★★★★★☆☆ 8/10

311 pages

What’s it about?

Gabriel Allon lives peacefully in Venice with his beautiful wife Chiara and their two children.  He works in art restoration but his former life as an Israeli spy can sometimes catch up to him.  When Italian General Ferrari asks Gabriel to track down a stolen Vermeer painting he knows it will not be as simple as it seems.

What did it make me think about?

The nuclear threat we still face.

Should I read it?

This was a classic spy thriller- which Daniel Silva writes so well.  I am on vacation and discovered that I had already read the book I threw in my carry on.  So I grabbed this from the bookstore at O’Hare and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Who doesn’t love a book with international intrigue, especially when the world events are so current.  Maybe it hits a little closer to home than we would like.

A passage I marked

“ ‘Where is the painting now?’ ’In situ’ Where in situ’ ’Amalfi. If we leave now, you’ll be home for a late dinner with Chiara.’ ’Will I?’ ’Probably not. In fact, it might be wise to pack a bag.’ ’Gun or no gun?’ ’Gun,’ said General Ferrari. Definitely bring a gun.’ “