Portrait of a Spy - Book Review

I was disappointed with the latest Gabriel Allon spy novel. The action was slow compared to previous novels in the series and my attention waned on and off. It took me a month to read, which is unusual for a Silva novel. I would not describe it as a thriller because of the lack of action. As a straight mystery though, it was a good book. Because my expectations for the book were so high I could not help but be disappointed.

I think that the characters and their relationships need to mature some. They have not changed in the 30 years in which the series has taken place. I am not sure how this can be done without hurting the plot so perhaps Silva should start a new spy thriller series to keep his writing fresh. These are merely musings of mine. My real problem with Portrait of a Spy was the reduction in the level of action. Silva's writing in general is superb and if this was the first book someone read of Silva, he or she would be thrilled with it. Us regular readers have been spoiled by 10+ dynamite Allon thrillers and are hard to please.