Series
Genres
Publication
Harper Collins Publ. UK (2019), 475 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: #1 New York Times Bestseller #1 USA Today Bestseller #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller Now you see her. Now you don't. THE NEW GIRL. A thriller of deception, betrayal, and vengeance. She was covered from head to toe in expensive wool and plaid, the sort of stuff one saw at the Burberry boutique in Harrods. She carried a leather bookbag rather than a nylon backpack. Her patent leather ballet slippers were glossy and bright. She was proper, the new girl, modest. But there was something else about her ... At an exclusive private school in Switzerland, mystery surrounds the identity of the beautiful raven-haired girl who arrives each morning in a motorcade fit for a head of state. She is said to be the daughter of a wealthy international businessman. In truth, her father is Khalid bin Mohammed, the much-maligned crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Once celebrated for his daring social and religious reforms, he is now reviled for his role in the murder of a dissident journalist. And when his only child is brutally kidnapped, he turns to the one man he can trust to find her before it is too late. What's done cannot be undone ... Gabriel Allon, the legendary chief of Israeli intelligence, has spent most of his life fighting terrorists, including the murderous jihadists financed by Saudi Arabia. Prince Khalid�??or KBM, as he is known�??has pledged to finally break the bond between the Kingdom and radical Islam. For that reason alone, Gabriel regards him as a valuable if flawed partner. Together they will become unlikely allies in a deadly secret war for control of the Middle East. The life of a child, and the throne of Saudi Arabia, hang in the balance. Both men have made their share of enemies. And both have everything to lose. Filled with dark humor, breathtaking twists of plot, and an unforgettable cast of characters, The New Girl is both a thrilling, page-turning tale of entertainment and a sophisticated study of political alliances and great-power rivalries in a dangerous world. And it is once again proof that Gabriel Allon is "one of fiction's greatest spies" (Kirkus) and Daniel Silva is "quite simply the best" (Kansas City Star) writer of foreign intrigue and suspense at work today.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member HandelmanLibraryTINR
The New Girl is both a thrilling, page-turning tale of entertainment and a sophisticated study of political alliances and great-power rivalries in a dangerous world. At an exclusive school in Switzerland, mystery surrounds the identity of the beautiful girl who arrives each morning in a motorcade
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fit for a head of state. She is said to be the daughter of a wealthy international businessman. In truth, her father is Khalid bin Mohammed, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Once celebrated for his daring reforms, he is now reviled for his role in the murder of a dissident journalist. And when his only child is brutally kidnapped, he turns to the one man he can trust to find her before it is too late. Show Less
LibraryThing member Judiex
Daniel Silva’s Gideon Allon series is addictive. As usual, THE NEW GIRL is loosely based on recent events and moves into what could happen later on.
While Allon is now older than 65 and heads Mossad, he still finds himself in the center of action. In THE NEW GIRL, he gets pulled in by the future
But he found he could not refuse to help him try to locate his daughter and save her life.
Allon forms a team of agents with whom he has previously worked and also has to work with intelligence agencies of other countries. It’s no surprise that they are able to locate her after a lot of work. After that, the story continues to expand. Changes in the Saudi government and society continue, some going forward, some backward. Russia becomes a prime player as it tries to gain influence in the Middle East and assume America’s position as world leader.
Daniel Silva explains how Wahhabism became the dominate religion in a new country, Saudi Arabia, in the 1700s when Mohamed Abdul Wahhab believed that Moslems had lost their traditional beliefs and practices and adopted the ways of other nations. By the second decade in the twenty first century, the descendants of the founders of Saudi Arabia had become very wealthy. They continued to reap millions of dollars based on their relationship and splurged on their own over-the-top desires. Khalid realized that with the declining use of oil, the country would revert to its days as a desert occupied by warring nomads.
The future king knew that this country’s wealth was largely a mirage; the family had squandered a mountain of money on palaces and trinkets; that in 20 years, when the transformation from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy was complete, the oil beneath Saudi Arabia would be as worthless as the sand that covered it. Extremists felt that the US was losing its influence and the future lie in Russia and Eurasia, especially since Russia was sowing discord where ever it could.
Tidbit: While like the Jews, the Palestinians have been scattered, they have never been the target of an organized campaign of physical annihilation like the Shoah. That’s why the Jewish people must have a state of their own since they can not depend on anyone else to protect them.
THE NEW GIRL keeps moving. When one problem is resolved, another pops up. There are a lot of killings, which are not detailed. There are also too many unnecessarily short chapters. References are made to previous books in the series but it is not necessary to have read them first. The book is well written and edited. As always, I’m looking forward to next year’s story.
While Allon is now older than 65 and heads Mossad, he still finds himself in the center of action. In THE NEW GIRL, he gets pulled in by the future
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king of Saudi Arabia, Prince Khalid, when Khalid’s twelve-year-old daughter, his only child, is kidnaped in Switzerland. Allon had great expectations for Khalid to modernize Saudi Arabia For example, women gained more rights. But then Khalid began getting rid of his opponents, sometimes by imprisonment, sometimes by murder, and appropriating their money and property. When a Saudi ex-pat journalist and dissident was lured to the Istanbul Saudi consulate and brutally murdered, Allon gave up on the Khalid. But he found he could not refuse to help him try to locate his daughter and save her life.
Allon forms a team of agents with whom he has previously worked and also has to work with intelligence agencies of other countries. It’s no surprise that they are able to locate her after a lot of work. After that, the story continues to expand. Changes in the Saudi government and society continue, some going forward, some backward. Russia becomes a prime player as it tries to gain influence in the Middle East and assume America’s position as world leader.
Daniel Silva explains how Wahhabism became the dominate religion in a new country, Saudi Arabia, in the 1700s when Mohamed Abdul Wahhab believed that Moslems had lost their traditional beliefs and practices and adopted the ways of other nations. By the second decade in the twenty first century, the descendants of the founders of Saudi Arabia had become very wealthy. They continued to reap millions of dollars based on their relationship and splurged on their own over-the-top desires. Khalid realized that with the declining use of oil, the country would revert to its days as a desert occupied by warring nomads.
The future king knew that this country’s wealth was largely a mirage; the family had squandered a mountain of money on palaces and trinkets; that in 20 years, when the transformation from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy was complete, the oil beneath Saudi Arabia would be as worthless as the sand that covered it. Extremists felt that the US was losing its influence and the future lie in Russia and Eurasia, especially since Russia was sowing discord where ever it could.
Tidbit: While like the Jews, the Palestinians have been scattered, they have never been the target of an organized campaign of physical annihilation like the Shoah. That’s why the Jewish people must have a state of their own since they can not depend on anyone else to protect them.
THE NEW GIRL keeps moving. When one problem is resolved, another pops up. There are a lot of killings, which are not detailed. There are also too many unnecessarily short chapters. References are made to previous books in the series but it is not necessary to have read them first. The book is well written and edited. As always, I’m looking forward to next year’s story.
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LibraryThing member diana.hauser
THE NEW GIRL is Daniel Silva’s latest book featuring Gabriel Allon.
Fast-paced; full of very unexpected plot twists; betrayal; vengeance; intrigue.
All I can say is Wow. Double Wow. Triple Wow.
My only comment is a question. Does art imitate life? Or does life imitate art?
Fast-paced; full of very unexpected plot twists; betrayal; vengeance; intrigue.
All I can say is Wow. Double Wow. Triple Wow.
My only comment is a question. Does art imitate life? Or does life imitate art?
LibraryThing member labdaddy4
Another excellent book to add to Silva’s long series of Gabriel Allon thrillers. This one seemed so current it read as if from the latest news. Fast paced and absorbing - highly recommended !
LibraryThing member norinrad10
Few things are more reliable then a new Daniel Silva novel featuring the legendary Gabriel Allon. While some authors of long running series lose focus on their primary protagonist - bending as the political climate changes - Silva seems to get a tighter handle on his with every outing. The older
Equally impressive is the growth in Allon's supporting cast. Their stories become richer and deeper with every outing. Some even beginning to rival their boss in intrigue.
This years outing involves Saudi Arabia, Russia,a kidnapping, political intrigue and manipulations,and old nemesis. That's about all you need to know.
This years adventure was quite satisfying I eagerly await next years visit with old friends created by the formiable Danial Silva.
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and wiser Allon remains consistant with the younger version created almost 3 decades ago.Equally impressive is the growth in Allon's supporting cast. Their stories become richer and deeper with every outing. Some even beginning to rival their boss in intrigue.
This years outing involves Saudi Arabia, Russia,a kidnapping, political intrigue and manipulations,and old nemesis. That's about all you need to know.
This years adventure was quite satisfying I eagerly await next years visit with old friends created by the formiable Danial Silva.
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LibraryThing member kimkimkim
I was reading the July edition of the Costco Connection and unsurprisingly The New Girl was a “Buyer’s Pick.” Among the interesting quotes from Silva: “I fill up the tank with as many facts and as much history and analysis of the subject as possible, and then I try to walk through a door
Silva admits to looking for a “factual underpinning” and The New Girl is everything and more that recently transpired between the Saudis and a dismembered Saudi journalist. Suffice it to say that I rely on Daniel Silva to keep me current on not just what has happened in the real world but the possibilities for intrigue, murder, mayhem and clandestine operations with all the world players making appearances. Entertainment? Reality? I think the lines blur and everything he writes is within the realm of possibility.
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and create something that’s pure entertainment and fun to read…” He is a great writer and is a consummate spy master. He can defuse an impossibly tense situation with subtle humor. He has created scenarios that are credible. When Gabriel Allon stands back and tilts his head to the side to consider the painting, Silver tilts his head and offers the reader the opportunity to envision the probabilities of the story he is about to tell. His stories are a whole lot more than historical fiction. Silva admits to looking for a “factual underpinning” and The New Girl is everything and more that recently transpired between the Saudis and a dismembered Saudi journalist. Suffice it to say that I rely on Daniel Silva to keep me current on not just what has happened in the real world but the possibilities for intrigue, murder, mayhem and clandestine operations with all the world players making appearances. Entertainment? Reality? I think the lines blur and everything he writes is within the realm of possibility.
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LibraryThing member RowingRabbit
As with all series, you'll enjoy some instalments more than others. But I don't think Silva is capable of writing a bad book & for me, his novels are an annual must-read. He's a master story teller & this was one of the best of recent years.
The real time politics & thinly veiled versions of actual
All the old gang is back as the plot unfolds across multiple countries. The author's extensive knowledge of the Middle East & spycraft is general provides the backdrop for a perfectly paced & absorbing read that not only entertains but shines a light on the state of current events.
The real time politics & thinly veiled versions of actual
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world figures make this a gripping & timely read. But at the bottom of it all is a poignant & personal story line that reminds us innocent people end up being collateral damage as presidents, kings & prime ministers play their games.All the old gang is back as the plot unfolds across multiple countries. The author's extensive knowledge of the Middle East & spycraft is general provides the backdrop for a perfectly paced & absorbing read that not only entertains but shines a light on the state of current events.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
Always a great read. Me of my favorite characters.
LibraryThing member breic
Pretty standard Silva. I read it partly for the opportunity to laugh at Silva, to see a pro-Trump writer humbled by his own political blindness. I was not disappointed; there's plenty of crow here. Even better, Silva apparently wrote most of the book, if not all of it, before Saudi Arabia murdered
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journalist Jamal Khashoggi in their Istanbul consulate. He didn't start over; instead he just went back and inserted dialog fragments condemning the murder and Crown Prince MBS. This is rather awkward, because MBS is one of the heros! Like action-hero spy Allon, MBS gets his hands dirty … er, dirtier … racing his car through the streets to catch the evil … er, more evil … kidnappers. The story itself is bland, but the context makes it all very amusing. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The New Girl, Daniel Silva, author; George Guidall, narrator
Gabriel Allon and Sarah Bancroft find themselves working together again in an espionage investigation. Sarah still carries a torch for Allon, but he loves and is married to Chiara. Sarah, on the rebound, had an affair with Mikhail Abramov,
Sarah, once a CIA agent, now in charge of a New York City museum’s art collection, is incongruously asked by the spoiled Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Khalid bin Mohammed, to help him get in touch with Gabriel Allon. She doesn’t want to, but eventually, learning about his reasons, she assents. Gabriel also agrees to help the future Saudi King. The novel is loosely connected to the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Twelve year old Jihan, as she is called in her Swiss private school, is Khalid’s daughter and the love of his life. She has been kidnapped. The Crown Prince believes that the Israeli head of intelligence is his best hope for getting her back safely and Allon agrees to help. He abdicates the throne as a condition to free her. After the rescue effort goes awry, the Crown Prince, now an ordinary citizen, discovers that a trusted uncle, Abdullah, had deliberately and cold bloodedly engineered the tragic consequences in order to steal the throne from him.
When Allon is once again engaged to help the Crown Prince extract revenge against the uncle who engineered the tragedy, he agrees. His Uncle Abdullah conspired with the Russians to ascend to the throne. They wanted a puppet on the throne to give them power in the Middle East, and in Abdullah, they had one. Abdullah is now in their debt. He must also satisfy the radical fringe in his country and is returning the country to the Wahabi traditions, turning back the reforms Khalid had instituted, especially for women. Khalid wants vengeance. Allon wants justice. All are hoping that the actions now being planned will lead to better Middle East relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and in the process, reduce Russian influence in the region.
The novel bounces from country to country as the mystery unravels and the crimes are solved. Silva writes a book that keeps you completely engaged. It has moments of jocular sarcasm and subtle humorous bantering between friends and enemies; it is fast moving, action packed and interesting. The intrigue and animus between some of the countries is factual. Although names are changed, it is possible to assume the identity of some that resemble real life heads of state and spymasters. Silva intermingles the facts with the fiction.
Gabriel Allon and Sarah Bancroft find themselves working together again in an espionage investigation. Sarah still carries a torch for Allon, but he loves and is married to Chiara. Sarah, on the rebound, had an affair with Mikhail Abramov,
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but he too, married someone else. Now they are also thrown together again in this tense spy mystery. Sarah, once a CIA agent, now in charge of a New York City museum’s art collection, is incongruously asked by the spoiled Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Khalid bin Mohammed, to help him get in touch with Gabriel Allon. She doesn’t want to, but eventually, learning about his reasons, she assents. Gabriel also agrees to help the future Saudi King. The novel is loosely connected to the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Twelve year old Jihan, as she is called in her Swiss private school, is Khalid’s daughter and the love of his life. She has been kidnapped. The Crown Prince believes that the Israeli head of intelligence is his best hope for getting her back safely and Allon agrees to help. He abdicates the throne as a condition to free her. After the rescue effort goes awry, the Crown Prince, now an ordinary citizen, discovers that a trusted uncle, Abdullah, had deliberately and cold bloodedly engineered the tragic consequences in order to steal the throne from him.
When Allon is once again engaged to help the Crown Prince extract revenge against the uncle who engineered the tragedy, he agrees. His Uncle Abdullah conspired with the Russians to ascend to the throne. They wanted a puppet on the throne to give them power in the Middle East, and in Abdullah, they had one. Abdullah is now in their debt. He must also satisfy the radical fringe in his country and is returning the country to the Wahabi traditions, turning back the reforms Khalid had instituted, especially for women. Khalid wants vengeance. Allon wants justice. All are hoping that the actions now being planned will lead to better Middle East relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, and in the process, reduce Russian influence in the region.
The novel bounces from country to country as the mystery unravels and the crimes are solved. Silva writes a book that keeps you completely engaged. It has moments of jocular sarcasm and subtle humorous bantering between friends and enemies; it is fast moving, action packed and interesting. The intrigue and animus between some of the countries is factual. Although names are changed, it is possible to assume the identity of some that resemble real life heads of state and spymasters. Silva intermingles the facts with the fiction.
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LibraryThing member buffalogr
Silva's Gabriel Allon series remains one of the best as is Silva's understanding of Middle Eastern. Allon forms a team of agents with whom he has previously worked and also has to work with intelligence agencies of other countries. Rapid-fire pacing, shifting locations, international intrigue,
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clearly defined characters, and crisp dialogue. Overall, a pretty good book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Andy_DiMartino
I believe I may have read another of his books but am not sure. Really enjoyed this novel and liked how he used recent events as a backdrop for his plot with a few twists thrown in.
LibraryThing member lbswiener
The New Girl is a spy novel involving the Israel, Saudi Arabia, England and the United States agents. There were many people involved, many scenes seeming to have been inspired by real world incidents but for the most part very difficult to follow. The question becomes why can't we just all get
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along? Because of the many characters involved and individual plots and murders The New Girl received three stars in this review. Show Less
LibraryThing member RonWelton
Silva in The New Girl creates Khalid bin Mohammed modeled after Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who was implicated in the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and columnist for the Washington Post. He also creates Hanifa Khoury modeled on Khashoggi's Fiancé, Hatice Cengiz, who
The novel has two "new girls:" Reema who is new to her school and Rebecca Philby, former MI6 director who, having defected, is new to her position at Moscow Center, headquarters of the SVR, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.
Sarah Bancroft also features in the novel although it is not clear whether she has an official capacity she does bring a touch of romance.
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is also central to the plot of the novel. Silva describes Khalid as a spoiled prince unable to fend for himself in the simplest of tasks, a ruthless despot who murders without remorse when it suits his convenience, but also a charming companion, and a man of great affection for his child. Despite all his failings it's a cold-hearted reader who isn't moved when Khalid's daughter, Princess Reema is killed by her kidnappers in front of him: "A flash of searing light illuminated the field in all directions, ... Reema was gone. What remained of her was strewn along both sides of the pathway. ... He (Khalid) was covered in Reema's blood, ... terrible screams of agony poured from Khalid's lungs. ... he ... saw Khalid desperately collecting his daughter's limbs. 'Call an ambulance,' he was saying. 'Please, we must get her to a hospital.' "The novel has two "new girls:" Reema who is new to her school and Rebecca Philby, former MI6 director who, having defected, is new to her position at Moscow Center, headquarters of the SVR, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.
Sarah Bancroft also features in the novel although it is not clear whether she has an official capacity she does bring a touch of romance.
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LibraryThing member robeik
Another in the Gabriel Allon series of international espionage. Some regular, some new and some returning characters. Easy reading, with some background information on international politics thrown in for free. The ending is... well, let's say it doesn't end.
Language
Original publication date
2019
ISBN
0008280886 / 9780008280888