The Collector by Daniel Silva

 

One of the things I like best about Silva's Gabriel Allon series is that they are always relevant. This book deals with the war in Ukraine and Russia's aggression. While that may seem like a downer, Silva's blend of fact and fiction is so good and plausible I had a hard time distinguishing between them.

Retired from the Israeli spy game and now restoring paintings full-time in Venice, Allon is approached by the head of Rome's Art Squad when a murder victim is found in his villa on the Amalfi Coast, and a long-lost van Gogh is also there. What's missing is another stolen painting, this one by Vermeer, and Gabriel is asked to track it down. How does he end up involved in the Russian/Ukrainian war? Well, that's at the heart of the novel, and even with side trips to Denmark and Finland,  it all ties together.

I always learn something from a Daniel Silva book--mostly art-related--but his focus on current world events is always enlightening. I do like the main character with his struggle to lead a quiet life after the everyday violence he seemed to face when he was an Israeli spy. No matter how hard he tries, he always gets pulled back into the game. Although the books are somewhat formulaic, they are always action-packed and entertaining. This latest book in the series is no exception. 4 Stars.

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The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

 I'm always searching for new authors and finding this debut novel by an Australian author piqued my interest even more. Based on this promising book, I will add Matlin to my list of authors to follow.

Sarah Slade is a therapist and best-selling self-help author whose own marriage is in shambles. When she and her husband buy a run-down Victorian house where a gruesome murder occurred 40 years ago, Sarah hopes to restore it and flip it for a profit. She doesn't count on the hostile neighbors who want the house demolished, not restored, and the creepy feeling the house emanates. When odd things begin happening both to her and the contractors working on her house, she begins to wonder if the stories about the house are true: is it haunted?

I found the story a bit uneven at times, but overall this was a satisfying read. Although Sarah increasingly is captivated, if not captured by the house, her personality begins to change--or maybe it's revealing her true self. In any event, she becomes an increasingly unlikeable character whose decisions become poorer as events spiral out of her control. I think this is a good atmospheric novel and I look forward to more from Matlin.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam publishers for an advance copy of this book n exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. The publication date is September 12, 2023.

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