The Collector

By Daniel Silva,

Book cover of The Collector

Book description

#1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva is back with an electrifying new thriller.

Legendary art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon joins forces with a brilliant and beautiful master-thief to track down the world's most valuable missing painting but soon finds himself in a desperate race to prevent an…

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Why read it?

4 authors picked The Collector as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

It is a believable storyline.

I eagerly anticipate every next book in the Gabriel Allon series. Silva's writing is excellent - he puts you in the moment with this characters, and I have to force myself to slow down and not devour the entire book in a few days.

Silva’s protagonist Gabriel Allon is an art restorer and master spy.

His adventures are thrilling and keep you turning pages late to see what’s next. I try to go slowly to savor the experience of each new book, but I find myself furiously reading and loving every minute of the thrill ride. Start with number 1 and you’ll have a wonderful time getting to this one, number 23 in the Allon series.

Defection in Prague

By Ray C Doyle,

Book cover of Defection in Prague

Ray C Doyle Author Of Lara's Secret

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been writing for many years, and my main preference is political thrillers with criminal overtones. I first became interested in politics when I worked at several political conferences in the 60’s and 70’s. I have been involved in several criminal cases, including my own, and within my family, I have a nephew in the police force. For many years I have had the opportunity to mix with the upper tiers of society as well as the criminal classes and this has given me great insight into creating my characters and plots.

Ray's book list on mysteries with complicated plots and risky characters

What is my book about?

Pete West, a political columnist, travels to Prague to find a missing diplomat, later found murdered. He attempts to discover more about a cryptic note received from the diplomat and is immediately entangled in the secret Bilderberg Club’s strategy to form a world federation.

Pete meets a Czechian agent who wants asylum. She has a murdered EU Commissioner’s diary containing clues to the civil unrest planned by the club, encrypted in algebraic chess notations. West seeks answers and links up with retired MI6 officer Tosh. While escaping would-be captors, they decode enough chess moves to reveal the anarchy of the…

Defection in Prague

By Ray C Doyle,

What is this book about?

Pete West, a political columnist, travels to Prague to find a missing diplomat, later found murdered. He attempts to discover more about a cryptic note received from the diplomat and is immediately entangled in the secret Bilderberg Club’s strategy to form a world federation.

Pete meets a Czechian agent who wants asylum. She has a murdered EU Commissioner’s diary containing clues to the civil unrest planned by the club, encrypted in algebraic chess notations. West seeks answers and links up with retired MI6 officer Tosh. While escaping would-be captors, they decode enough chess moves to reveal the anarchy of the…


The main character, Gabriel Allon, is an art restorer but also a retired master spy for Israel. Italian police pull him out of retirement to track down one of the world’s most valuable missing paintings. 

Soon Allon finds himself in a more serious race to prevent an unthinkable nuclear conflict between Russia and the West--already brewing in Ukraine.

Silva’s writing contains nothing wasted. The details and dialogue are crisp. His characters, from Allon to a beautiful female master thief and Russian big shots all ring true. His settings transport readers to unusual places. All of this is wrapped in page-turning…

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