A DEATH IN VIENNA by Daniel Silva
Daniel Silva continues his stories about the aftermath of the Holocaust in A DEATH IN VIENNA. This is the last novel in a trilogy that included THE ENGLISH ASSASSIN and THE CONFESSOR. All three had Gabriel Allon as their lead character and he is back again in this story. Once again the evils of the Holocaust form the background for his latest adventure.
Allon works as an art restorer and is quite acclaimed for his accomplishments. In truth he is an Israeli agent who works to bring the Nazis of the Holocaust to justice. When one of his friends is injured in a bombing Allon is called to ferret out the criminals who are running lose. The most suspicious is a man named Ludwig Vogel.
Allon begins an investigation into Vogel's life and discovers that it leads him back to his own family. His mother was sent with her family to the internment camps. She was the only member who survived the war but her experiences were so horrendous that she never spoke to Gabriel of them. Now his investigation uncovers the horror of what she went through.
Silva writes with knowledge and understanding of the victims of the Holocaust. He creates a scenario of suffering that is almost impossible to digest through the printed word. It is this past that spurs Allon to hunt down and find out the truth about Vogel.
The story of Allon and his hunt is a readable one that maintains the readers' interest for the most part. There are moments of high suspense and adventure but there are also moments when the facts of the story bog down the interest.
There is also a lack of empathy formed for these main characters. Allon is what he is and little information is added to what has already been told. His love affair with his fellow agent, Chiara, is just an incidental part of this story and is never explored as it should be.
A hunt for a Nazi criminal has to be interesting but it doesn't have to be gripping. It is up to the author to make it so, and for some reason Silva never does. He gets all his facts and circumstances revealed but he never gets to the heart of the matter. This makes the book less than it should be.
Hopefully Silva can take on a new set of circumstances with his next book With a new arena to explore, perhaps he can inject more character study into the plot. His characters need to have more depth. That failing is the fatal weakness in A DEATH IN VIENNA.
A DEATH IN VIENNA is published by G P Putnam's Sons. It contains 416 pages and sells for $25.95.