The Collector
Daniel Silva
Harper
Review: Karen Watkins
Pure escapism is at the heart of this racy story after General Cesare Ferrari of the Italian Art Squad calls in the once wayward son of Israeli intelligence, Gabriel Allon.
This story marks his 23rd appearance in the series but does not mean the others must be read before.
All that remains of the world’s most valuable missing painting is an empty frame and stretcher in a secret vault in a villa on the Amalfi coast in Italy. The Concert by Johannes Vermeer is one of 13 works of art that were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in March 1990.
The owner of the villa is murdered South African shipping tycoon and art collector, Lukas van Damme.
The star of the story is Ingrid Johansen who keeps the pace going. This multifaceted freelance cyber security expert, renowned thief, and brilliant hacker adds depth and pace to the complex plot that moves beyond a mere art recovery mission as it gradually reveals a larger conspiracy that threatens to spark a nuclear war between Russia and America.
Silva skilfully navigates current events as the story unfolds progressively, building tension until it reaches a climax while incorporating the war in Ukraine, tensions in Russia and its accompanying geopolitical friction.
The story prompts reflection on the power dynamics of wealth, the underground art economy and the consequences of unbridled ambition.
This spy thriller is a masterpiece with current political themes and compelling characters and is well worth a read.