The Order by Daniel Silva

It is definitely an unusual situation here that I have actually caught up on all the Daniel Silva books. This was Silva's 20th book in the Gabriel Allon series and it really took a different tack than most. Allon is the art restorer, but also head of the Office for Israeli intelligence. In that position, he really misses the field work. 

As the novel begins, Chiara, his wife, arranges for Allon to take some time off and accompany the family to Venice for some R & R. The reader knows that this won't last long and it doesn't as he is summoned to Rome by his friend Archbishop Luigi Donati after the death of the Pope Paul VII. Silva's fictious pope had previously appeared in 3 of his books and owed his live to Allon. What ensues is the mystery surrounding his death, the disappearance of a Swiss Guard, the uncovering of a new Gospel, and the influence that a new organization will have on the conclave of cardinals. 

 Of course Allon leaves Venice and finds himself teaming up with Donati in solving a complicated plot and what, eventually, is discovered as a series of murders. The action, which is very unusual for an Allon novel, is concentrated between Rome, Obersalzberg, Munich, and Assisi. Having been fortunate to travel to all those places, I was able to visualize the settings. This book was a page turner and presented some incredibly intricate alternative historical scenarios. The description of Rome and the convening of the Cardinals in the chapel were particularly interesting and brought back the memories of being in Rome following the death of Pope John Paul II in 2005 and hearing the bells when Pope Benedict XVI was elected. 

 Silva loves to bring back his favorites for his novels and The Order is no exception. His children are growing up, Carlo and Veronica Marchese whose tragedy is recollected, and one who figures significantly in the plot line, Eli Lavon. For once, though, Ari Shamron is not among them. In Munich, Gabriel returns to the spot where his son was killed and where his wife was severely injured by a bomb exploding. Obviously edited after the onset of the pandemic, Silva introduces it as an aside in the novel. There is much foreshadowing about Gabriel Allon's retirement from The Office and it saddens me that Silva might be set to end this series.

The role of the Catholic Church in the Holocaust is the major them of the novel and throughout it and antisemitism are addressed. It was interesting to read the Author's Notes and find mention of the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Squirrel Hill

The majority of reviews on The Order have been critical, protesting the heresy that it promulgates against the religious tenets of the Catholic religion. In fact many have compared it to a Dan Brown novel such as The DaVinci Code or Angels and Demons. That isn't a bad thing for me. There is a place in my reading for both and I enjoyed the "on vacation" Gabriel Allon and his escapades just fine. Just, please don't let him retire.

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

It is always wonderful to read a book that gives you an insight into events or people that you only know on the surface. Such was my knowledge of Hedy Lamarr - she was a glamorous movie star and that was the extent of it. I am appreciative of this fictionalized biography by Benedict to give much more appreciation of the life of a complex and intelligent woman. 

Born Hedwig Kiesler in Vienna, Austria in 1914 to a Jewish father and Catholic mother, she was always intrigued by the theatre and acting. when The Only Woman in the Room, opens, Hedy is finishing a performance of Sissy, a play about Empress Elisabeth of Austria. In the audience was Fritz Mandl who for one reason or another became enamored of her. He asks for her hand in marriage, an action which her father cautiously approves. 

The marriage in which Hedy found herself was a nightmare. Although Mandl was a rich and powerful person in Austria and he lavished gifts and gowns on her and they lived in stately homes and castles, he kept her as a prisoner. She was privy to confidential meetings with the likes of Mussolini and Hitler and at once realized the political leanings of Mandl. She methodically planned an escape, which failed. But she was not easily defeated and eventually managed to flee to London and then the United States. A fortuitous meeting with Louis B. Mayer brings her a contract with MGM and to the movie star with whom we are all familiar. 

As tensions in Europe grow and World War II ensues, she feels for the people that she left behind. Reading of the sinking of the SS City of Benares, she vowed that she needed to make a difference in the world. The steamship was used to evacuate children from Germany to Canada and was sunk by a German torpedo. Remembering the discussions from her days with Fritz Mandl she and pianist, George Antheil developed a device that could potentially jam the radio frequencies that controlled the torpedoes. They were granted the patent, but the Navy refused to adopt it, mainly because of its invention by a woman. It is interesting to note that it was adopted and eventually used during the cold war on U.S. ships. 

The fact that Lamarr was such an inventive and scientifically minded person has been so overlooked is deplorable. Benedict's novel will do a lot to rectify that and also bring to the fore that women can be both beautiful and bright. The ending of the novel brings home the dilemma which she faced

Had I, in the end, become who they already thought I was? To everyone else, I was Hedy Lamarr, only a beautiful face and lissome body. I was never Hedy Kiesler, aspiring inventor, curious thinker, and Jew. Never the self I really was underneath the many roles I’d played on- and off-screen. Or had I used the world’s perception of me as a disguise, a sort of smoke screen to distract them while I achieved my ends? Had I taken the persona to which I’d been relegated and made myself into a weapon against the Third Reich after all, just not the instrument of destruction I’d intended? I wondered if it even mattered what—or who—they thought I was, if I’d gotten my revenge against the European suppressors by funding the Allies tonight and perhaps, along with it, the redemption I’d sought. I had always been alone under my mask, the only woman in the room.

A thoroughly enjoyable read and an appreciation of a woman whose place in history should be recognized for her contributions beyond the acting world. 

The Heist by Daniel Silva

With a lull in book club book reading, it was time to turn to one of my favorite authors, Daniel Silva. I look forward each year to his new spy, mystery, and art history novel. The Heist was 2014's addition to his collection and was, as usual, a good and entertaining read.

Gabriel Allon is in Venice restoring a painting and awaiting the birth of his twin children with wife Chiara. It is not a surprise to his faithful followers that this work is interrupted by a crime committed for which his help is needed to solve. A notorious vendor of stolen art thief is found dead and according to General Ferrari, the Italian chief of police for art theft, all leads point to Allon's friend, Julian Isherwood. The murder leads to the question that the very famous  Nativity with St. Francis and St. Lawrence by Caravaggio has been stolen. In his quest to find this,  Allon uncovers another series of murders directly connected to the art world. In his typical fashion, he finds that the murders and art thefts were connected to the Middle East and the ongoing crises there. In this novel, the reader is transported to Syria and the war it has waged with Israel. 

In a cleverly designed guise, Allon enlists the aid of a young woman, Jihan Nawaz, who works for a Syrian banker, but who witnessed the 1982 Hama massacre in which her parents were murdered. Allon plays on her hatred to aid him in recovering money stolen by the Syrian government. Jihan figures to be a new player in the Gabriel Allon novels and is one that the reader hopes will resurface in another book. 

As Gabriel is preparing to take control of the intelligence office in Israel, familiar characters make their appearance to support his scheme. One of the most poignant scenes is when Gabriel visits his first wife, Leah, who is in an institution as a result of the trauma she experienced in the auto accident that killed their son. Her comments hearken back to that time and elicit sympathy and empathy for their lives.  Uzi Navot is enlisted as well as his wife Bella, who feels that Uzi is being pushed out of his job. Allon also calls on Yaakov Rossman to bring his talents to the case. The twists, turns, and suspenseful action keep the reader turning the pages. 

One surprise in the book is when Silva mentions The Sybille of Cleves by Lucas Cranach. Cranach is my 12th great grandfather and a well known artist in the medieval world. 

Already announced for the summer of 2015 is Silva's new book, The English Spy. Here's hoping the English Girl will make another appearance. Can't wait.