The Rembrant Affair by Daniel Silva
Before I begin this review I want to tell you that this the 10th book in Daniel Silva's Gabriel
Allon series. Few series remain as fresh and exciting as the series continues. Actually I think that this is the best one that I have read, reading about seven books in the series.
The Rembrandt Affair is fascinating fiction, a blend of international espionage, art theft and murder that is well-written, fast-paced and populated with a remarkable cast of characters. Gabriel Allon, the protagonist, is an accomplished art restorer and a skilled Israeli spy and assassin who had retired after a long career.
The plot opens with Gabriel and his wife Chiara enjoying time in the scenic town of Glastonbury, England (a town I liked). They are recovering from the traumatic aftereffects of their heroic rescue from the murderous hands of a Russian oligarch (the previous novel "The Defector"). When Gabriel learns an art restorer has been found murdered and a priceless painting by Rembrandt is missing, he is unable to stand by and do nothing.
The storyline is sad, emotional, and heart wrenching at times but this novel is well written and engaging. The sub-plots are also very interesting on their own; they mirror some of the information that sufficed about the role Swiss banks and the Catholic Church played during World War II and the looting of art by the Nazi elite. I recommend that you read this book after some of the previous Gabriel Allon books by Silva.