The Black Widow

An ISIS bomb kills twenty Americans in Paris, and the French government wants the man responsible eliminated before he can strike again. Gabriel Allon, on the eve of his elevation to chief of Israeli intelligence, is drawn back into the field for what his handlers insist will be his final operation. The target is a terrorist known only as Saladin, whose network is sophisticated enough to be invisible, which means Gabriel's only option is to send an agent directly into the Islamic State. Book sixteen of Daniel Silva's series took on the rawest contemporary material in the franchise.

George Guidall's narration gives the story the gravity it requires, his performance tracking both the operational tension and the human cost of what Gabriel sets in motion. The Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery and Thriller reflects a novel that resonated particularly strongly in its publication year, and Guidall ensures that the historical weight lands without overwhelming the thriller mechanics. At just under fourteen hours, The Black Widow is among the most politically charged and emotionally demanding entries in the Gabriel Allon series.