There are not too many books dealing with World War II and German doings that I do not enjoy. The Paris Architect was no exception. A number of subplots and character development made the novel an enjoyable and interesting read.
The opening of the novel provides just the shock value to entice the reader to read on. A man witnesses the cold-blooded murder of a Jewish man by Nazi soldiers as he is on his way to a business meeting.
Lucien Bernard is an architect, living in Paris during the German Occupation with his wife Celeste. The two are merely going through the motions of a marriage as both are involved with other people. He is approached by an industrialist, Manet to aid in the hiding of Parisian Jews. His first reaction is to turn down the offer, but the idea of a lucrative reward for the job spurs him to take it. He has a very creative mind and finds after a couple of successful jobs of allowing Jewish people to avoid being discovered by the Nazis, that he actually enjoys thwarting the German soldiers.
His affair with Adele seems to be crumbling and he finds himself at a loss until Manet connects him a member of the Wehrmacht who employs Lucien to design munitions factories, which he agrees to do, although hie is accused by his wife on her departure from the home as a collaborator. Therein lies a conflict as Lucien knows that he is helping the Germans, but is convinced that the French will be able to use the factories after the war.
His world is shattered when he witnesses the death of a couple whom he believed to have hidden safely, his office is infiltrated by an intern whose uncle is connected, Adele sleeping with a Nazi officer. Belfoure builds the suspense as Bernard tries to walk a tightrope between his loyalty to France and keeping the Nazis at bay.
There are some very poignant scenes in The Paris Architect when a young Pierre enters his life and an affair with Adele's employee, Bette, commences. The novel builds to a conclusion, that until the last page the reader is kept on edge.
Belfoure includes a wonderful map of Paris with all the streets that are mentioned in the book referenced. The book is beautifully written and would entice me to read another one of his books.
Daniel Silva is a master of the art of storytelling. What is more amazing is that he is also a master of theart of prognostication. Originally begun in August, 2018, Silva comments in his forward that the novel was going to be about a young Arab prince who wanted to modernize Saudi Arabia. The model for the prince was Mohammed bin Salman who was implicated in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post. When the murder occurred Silva set aside his writing. It is clear from the resulting work that the influence of current events played a heavy hand in the plot development.
The New Girl is one of Silva's most fast-paced novels as he employs his art-restorer/Israeli intelligence leader, Gabriel Allon, to find the abducted daughter, Jihan. of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Khalid bin Mohammed. The princess is the "new girl" at her exclusive boarding school in Geneva. Throughout the novel the prince is referred to as KBM and he has been implicated in the brutal murder and dismemberment of Omar Nawwaf, a journalist who has been critical of the regime. KBM enlists the aid of former CIA operative, now art curator at The Metropolitan Museum, Sarah Bancroft, whom we have met in previous novels, because she had helped him in setting up a collection of precious art. She understands that there is only one person who can help her and KBM and that is Allon. When he doesn't answer her phone messages, she sets off for Tel Aviv to meet with him in person. He agrees to help her and to meet with KBM. The abductors have issued a ransom demand that is not for money, but for the abdication of KBM. At this point Allon and the team from the Israel Intelligence Office that includes Graham Seymour, Christopher Keller,
Mikhail Abramov, and, of course, Ari Shamron. In a carry over from The Other Woman, Rebecca Manning also returns with a major role in the plot that goes far beyond the recovery of Jihan. As the daughter of the legendary spy, Kim Philby, Rebecca had a
"long and successful career at MI6, and yet they did not quite trust her. At Moscow Center, where she reported for work each day, they derisively referred to her as novaya devushka: the new girl.
Silva's research into locality is one of the most captivating aspects of his books. Allon and the team travel from Tel Aviv to Geneva, to Berlin, to Paris, to London (10 Downing Street and Eaton Square), to Frinton-on-the-Sea, and to the Netherlands as they engage in a secret war to save the Middle East from the tyrannical rule of the man who would take KBM's place if he were to abdicate. The involvement of Russia and the cooperation of the United States hits very close to home of the current events of our day.
As a reader would expect there are twists along the way, a budding romance, and a well-crafted and surprising ending. The New Girl is a compelling and gripping novel for anyone who enjoys the craft of spy thrillers. It is one of Silva's best.
