The Collector: A Novel | 
pickI enjoyed this but I don‘t think it‘s my favourite genre. The pace was a little slow & lacked tension (the author doesn‘t plan his novels so it felt more episodic than a tightly plotted thriller). Gabriel Allen is a sympathetic, wry character, cartoonish in his abilities (as they all are). It became a WW3 story across many countries, with a not unrealistic premise. Rich with art & music, I enjoyed the more grounded scenes in Venice & Denmark.
pickWhat a magnificent book. Even in the backdrops of Europe, Gabriel Allon finds his way back. His stories are like poetry. 5 ⭐️
pickI love the Gabriel Allon series but the last few books have become more political in nature. This one deals with the Russian/ Ukrainian War. I don‘t disagree with Silva that Putin is the bad guy but this book, though VERY entertaining also felt very cartoonish. I enjoyed the first half of the story more than the second half and hope we‘ll see more of Ingrid in future stories. Still a fun outing with Gabriel & his crew!
