The Order
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4.2 • 322 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
The stunning new thriller from the master of modern espionage
When Pope Paul VII dies suddenly, apparently of a heart attack, legendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon is quickly summoned to Rome. The Holy Father's loyal private secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati, suspects his master was murdered. The Swiss Guard who was standing watch the night of the pope's death is missing. So, too, is the letter the Holy Father was writing during the final hours of his life. A letter addressed to an old friend: Gabriel.
While researching in the Vatican Secret Archives, I came upon a most remarkable book ...
The book is a long-suppressed gospel that calls into question the accuracy of the New Testament's depiction of one of the most portentous events in human history. For that reason alone, the Order of St. Helena will stop at nothing to keep it out of Gabriel's hands. A shadowy Catholic society with ties to the European far right, the Order is plotting to seize control of the papacy. And it is only the beginning ...
Praise for Daniel Silva:
'A spy-fiction master ... Silva builds suspense like a symphony conductor' Booklist
'One of the greatest spy novelists the genre has ever known' CrimeReads
'If you like Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher, get to know Gabriel Allon' Australian Women's Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Silva's improbable 20th thriller featuring Gabriel Allon (after 2019's The New Girl) opens with the unexpected death of Pope Paul VII, who succeeded John Paul II in the author's alternative universe. Allon, the director-general of Israeli intelligence, who once saved the pontiff's life, is on vacation in Venice when he gets a call from Archbishop Luigi Donati, Paul VII's closest confidante. Donati doesn't buy the Vatican's story that a heart attack was the cause of death, fearing that those opposed to the pope's liberal policies had him murdered. Shortly before his death, Paul VII had begun writing a letter to Allon about a discovery he made in the Vatican's secret archives that would "ignite a global sensation." Allon and Donati believe that the Holy Father was killed to prevent him from sharing the find, and the pair set out to determine what it was and who was behind the murder. The wild plot includes cartoonish bad guys who belong to the evil Order of St. Helena and seek to manipulate the election of the next pontiff. Newcomers may find the contrivances too much to swallow; series fans will know to leave their disbelief behind.
Customer Reviews
Not one of my favourite Allon books
Not as suspenseful or adventurous as previous Allon books. But still worth a read
Not his best
This is a disappointing novel. I have enjoyed Daniel's work to date but this is pedestrian and uninteresting. The plot is wholly silly and predictable.
The best bit is the explanatory notes at the end which are written with energy as they give the reader an inkling as to the real motive behind the work.
Hopefully his next work is better.
The order
I was somewhat disappointed I thought I was reading Dan Brown!