Moscow Rules (Gabriel Allon) | 
 enlarge | Author: Daniel Silva
Creator: Phil Gigante
Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged
Category: Book
List Price: $36.95
Buy New: $22.69
You Save: $14.26 (39%)
New (14) from $22.69
Avg. Customer Rating:  63 reviews
Sales Rank: 11231
Format: Audiobook, Cd, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 9
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 5.2 x 1.4
ISBN: 1423327977
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9781423327974
ASIN: 1423327977
Publication Date: July 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new and sealed!
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Product Description
Over the course of ten previous novels, Daniel Silva has established himself as one of the world’s finest writers of international intrigue and espionage— “a worthy successor to such legends as Frederick Forsyth and John le Carre” (Chicago Sun-Times)—and Gabriel Allon as “one of the most intriguing heroes of any thriller series” (The Philadelphia Inquirer).
Now the death of a journalist leads Allon to Russia, where he finds that, in terms of spycraft, even he has something to learn. He’s playing by Moscow rules now.
It is not the grim, gray Moscow of Soviet times but a new Moscow, awash in oil wealth and choked with bulletproof Bentleys. A Moscow where power resides once more behind the walls of the Kremlin and where critics of the ruling class are ruthlessly silenced. A Moscow where a new generation of Stalinists is plotting to reclaim an empire lost and to challenge the global dominance of its old enemy, the United States.
One such man is Ivan Kharkov, a former KGB colonel who built a global investment empire on the rubble of the Soviet Union. Hidden within that empire, however, is a more lucrative and deadly business. Kharkov is an arms dealer—and he is about to deliver Russia’s most sophisticated weapons to al-Qaeda. Unless Allon can learn the time and place of the delivery, the world will see the deadliest terror attacks since 9/11—and the clock is ticking fast.
Filled with rich prose and breathtaking turns of plot, Moscow Rules is at once superior entertainment and a searing cautionary tale about the new threats rising to the East—and Silva’s finest novel yet.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 58 more reviews...
 Another Good Silva August 29, 2008
The characters are still compelling and the plot moves right along to the usual ending for this gendre.
 Formulaic, tedious, and tied up quickly with a neat bow August 29, 2008
I really thought Silva would develop his Allon character in this outing, but it was not to be. I had a feeling of deja vu throughout most of the book. "Been there, read that," the script was often repeated verbatim from previous novels. How many times must we read that Shamron "fingers his old Bic lighter?" This is a small thing, but it's repeated in a multitude of ways. I could have lived with these irritations (and skimmed) perhaps, but larger issues were present.
I thought perhaps my copy was missing a chapter at the end of the book. But no, the pages were intact. It seems that Silva met his quota of necessary pages and decided to tie the story up with a brief summation, much like a bad movie. He gave us the "what," and then cheated us out of the "how."
The other issue that I couldn't get past was that Allon was warned of multiple death threats at the beginning and again at the end of the book--all for naught. The only reason for these mentions are very obviously to set the stage for the next book. It wasn't necessary for the content of this story and it never evolved--what's the point???
I'll buy the next book, though, still hopeful that the character will evolve. He has to eventually, right???
 Once again, Gabriel saves the world as we know it August 28, 2008
In MOSCOW RULES, Israeli secret agent extraordinaire Gabriel Allon is minding his own business at an Italian villa restoring one of the Vatican's old painting masterpieces when his former boss at the Office, grouchy Ari Shamron, persuades him to drop his brushes and make contact with a Russian journalist who ostensibly has vital information to share regarding yet another threat to the West and Israel. In short order, Allon finds himself pitted against the Russian Federation's most unscrupulous arm dealer, Ivan Kharkov. (Ivan Kharkov? Is there a book that authors, just as expectant parents, consult to get unimaginative ideas for naming a new creation?)
The first half of this pot boiler fabricates the plot at a pedestrian pace to set up the second half, during which the novel becomes an engrossing nail-biter worth the reader's time. Indeed, I finished off the final two-hundred-plus pages in a single marathon session that left my wife feeling ignored. That's what you risk when marrying a bibliophile.
As Allon's ticklish maneuvering to neutralize Ivan's scheming played out, I was reminded of Smiley's operation to bring down Karla, his Soviet nemesis, in SMILEY'S PEOPLE (the novel, Smiley's People, and the film, Smiley's People) as well as Phelps' elaborately staged ploys in Mission Impossible - The Complete First TV Season. (Mind you, I don't mean to suggest that author Daniel Silva is yet in the same league as Smiley's creator, John Le Carre. But he's definitely on a par with or better than the MI screenwriters.)
In the opinions of some, MOSCOW RULES is arguably five-star entertainment. The reason I'm giving four is that, after five decades of reading examples of the espionage genre, it's too formulaic. I suspect that the undercover victories against the bad guys at the world's frayed edges are much messier and not so clear-cut in real life. That's why I prefer the thrillers by Gerald Seymour, which, if you want to do yourself a favor, you should check out.
Moscow Rules August 28, 2008
If u are a fan of Daniel Silva, u would have read it by now and enjoyed every minute of it. If u have never read Daniel Silva, what are u waiting for?
Dan Silva Rules, Moscow gambit August 27, 2008
The long awaited new novel by Dan Silva arrived at my door. I tore off the wrapping and then tore into the book. I have come to expect a certain level of sophistication and detail in his work. I was not disappointed, at all. It seems that our peerless art restorer has begun to slow down a bit with the years. That's OK because his mind and ability to think his way thru tight situations remains unchanged. Its great to read a novel with a middle aged hero, who has all the foibles and drawbacks caused by his "active" life. Has them, ignores them and keeps on keepin on. I have reached a certain comfort level with Silva and Alain, I expect certain plot twists and turns. Expecting them, appreciating them. Great read.
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