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| Moscow Rules | 
 enlarge | Author: Daniel Silva
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $12.98
You Save: $13.97 (52%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  70 reviews
Sales Rank: 147
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 1.7
ISBN: 0399155015
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780399155017
ASIN: 0399155015
Publication Date: July 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The extraordinary new Gabriel Allon novel from the gold standard (The Dallas Morning News) of thriller writers.
Over the course of ten previous novels, Daniel Silva has established himself as one of the worlds 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. Hes playing by Moscow rules now.
This 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 dealerand he is about to deliver Russias 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 9/11and 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 Eastand Silvas finest novel yet.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 65 more reviews...
 Moscow Rule: "Death solves all problems. No man, no problem July 22, 2008
61 out of 68 found this review helpful
(4.5 stars) In his eighth Gabriel Allon espionage thriller, Daniel Silva moves from investigating the historical crimes of the past, often related to the Holocaust, and their effects on the present, to crimes of the present and their possibly catastrophic effects on the future. In this intense and absorbing novel about uncontrolled arms sales, the biggest threat to the future comes from Russian arms dealers, aided by Russia's president and former KGB operatives who are now unimaginably wealthy independent brokers and contractors. These arms merchants operate with impunity, selling all manner of weapons to terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East and Africa.
Gabriel Allon, formerly with the Israeli Mossad, is on his honeymoon in Italy when he is contacted by Ari Shamron, the grand old man of Israeli security. Allon, a trained art restorer, has been working for the Pope, but the recent assassination of a Russian journalist who may have had information he wanted to reveal to the West brings him out of retirement and back into action. When the murdered man's Russian editor-in-chief is also murdered, Allon travels to Russia, where he learns the name of a Russian arms dealer, Ivan Kharkov, who has been supplying Hezbollah, and who now appears close to selling sophisticated weapons to al-Quaeda.
Kharkov and his wife are collectors of Mary Cassatt paintings, and the fascinating art world which has added so much life to other Gabriel Allon thrillers in the past is also a major aspect of this novel. Art dealers, down-in-their-luck gentry who own prized artwork, and, in the case, of Allon, restorers, all play unexpectedly major roles in this effort to prevent Kharkov from selling advanced weapons to al-Quaeda. As the high-stakes plotting by the conjoined security services of England, the US, Italy, and France builds to a crescendo, Allon follows the action through various countries leaving multiple murders, beatings, car crashes, and betrayals in his wake. Always, the fine hand of the Russian mafia is pulling the strings, purportedly with the aid of the Russian president.
Silva keeps the action moving briskly, and his ability to convey the atmosphere of disparate locations adds depth and drama to the plot. The characters, even the minor ones, are paradigms of the countries they represent, imbued with the cultures of their homelands, rather than mere stereotypes. His major characters are complex and carefully drawn, and the action and underlying themes of the novel are intelligent and thought-provoking. As always, Silva creates a complex and exciting story, but this time the focus is on contemporary politics, rather than on the past. Providing evidence that future catastrophes are shockingly easy to inspire, given the venal nature of unscrupulous international arms dealers, Silva employs his formidable talents to create a terrifying picture of a cynical world--and a warning for the future. n Mary Whipple
The Marching Season: A Novel
The English Assassin
A Death in Vienna
Prince of Fire
 I hoped for something more July 26, 2008
29 out of 40 found this review helpful
Being a former Soviet I had high hopes for this book as I am used to the large amount of research Daniel Silva usually goes through for his novels. Having read most, if not all, of the Gabriel Allon series, and, at the same time, having read about some of the operations described in Silva's books (operation Wrath of God, etc) I was looking for an accurate assessment of today's Russia. Sadly, while the story was good enough and moved at the usual pace that Allon novels do, I was very much let down by the author/editors of this book in a variety of ways.
First, the Russian newspaper represented in the book is entitled "Moskovsky Gazeta", it should be "Moskovskaya Gazeta." The character Olga Sukhova has a grandfather with the same last name, Sukhova. Sukhova is the feminine form, if it is a man, it should have been Sukhov. I also noticed that the AK-47 is purported to have been one of the reasons the Soviets won against the Germans. I could only interpret this as a reference to WWII, yet, the AK-47 was not developed until after WWII. These are just a few of the errors I found, there weren't many more, but they did take away from the usual interest I have when delving into the world the author is trying to create.
The major "mistakes" that I noticed, and to a degree, one might not be a mistake per se but rather something I do not agree with the author on. Russian journalists feature highly in this book and to a large degree there have been a large number of journalists killed, from a variety of causes. Yet, I cannot agree that all the journalists killed, Silva claims 14 have died during Putin's time as President, died because of the work they have been doing (be it against the government or a government agency). In truth, few have been killed in such a way as to raise suspicion that they might have died under "professional" hands. Others have been made to seem that way for a variety of propaganda purposes. What I vehemently disagree with the author on is the idea that a character like Ivan Kharkov, a gun runner and former KGB operative, could be one and the same and an oligarch to boot. The oligarch's in today's Russia (and of the 90's) are not former KGB (Berezhovsky, Gusinsky, Abramovich, Khodorkovsky, Smolensky, Luzhkov, Chubais, etc) but they do have former KGB and spetsnaz forces as their security. These men made their money through banks, speculation, natural resources (gas, oil, etc), TV channels, real estate, etc. I'm more than sure that all of them took illegal steps in one way or another, but that is the natural order of things in capitalism.
Lastly, I resent the fact that just because Russia is using her resources as a bargaining chip means she wants to become a super power once more. Russia has a sphere of influence just like the US does, their actions in foreign policy are dictated by self interest just like every other country in this world. While it is true that they helped arm the Middle East during the cold war when the Soviet Union was in existence it was the US that helped arm Islamic extremists the world over (especially those who flooded Afghanisan during the 80's to take up the war against the USSR, this of course doesn't take into account all the other covert operations undertaken by the US). I am not here to preach if what either country did/does is right or wrong, I just hate seeing a double standard at work.
My apologies if this review didn't cover the book as others have, I figure they did a good enough job and there was little I could add as to what the book was about/encompasses. But I do feel that what I mentioned above will take away from the usual accuracy Silva tries to delivery in his books. Russians can and want to live normal lives, otherwise how do you explain the millions living around the world? But it won't happen so soon in a nation which has been around for less than two decades and has been living off of perverted capitalistic ideals that the west helped usher in.
 Turning current events into thrillers... July 25, 2008
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
Daniel Silva is very proficient when it when it comes to taking current events and incorporating them into his thrillers. Moscow Rules, another Gabriel Allon mystery, follows this same pattern in this page-turning book.
Several Russian journalists are murdered when they try to uncover the truth about Ivan Kharkov, a former KGB agent turned "real estate developer, venture capitalist, and international arms trafficker." Kharkov is suspected of selling arms to African nations, knowing that they will in turn sell them to Al-Qaeda. One Russian journalist demands to speak with Gabriel Allon, an agent with the Israeli Secret Service. The only way to get proof of Kharkov's actions is to get information from someone close to him. But that is almost impossible as his entourage never goes anywhere without well-trained security. This mission will take Allon from Italy to Israel, France, Switzerland, and Russia. This mission also involves not just the Israeli Secret Service, but the CIA, MI5 and the French intelligence network. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Silva threw a real curve.
Silva obviously has friends in the intelligence business as he writes so convincingly about their jobs. When Allon is dining in a fine restaurant with a colleague, he thinks that "they did know all the best restaurants, but they also knew all the dreary airport lounges, all the stinking rail platforms, and all the moth-eaten transit hotels. The supposedly glamorous life of an Israeli intelligence agent was actually one of near-constant travel and mind-numbing boredom broken by brief interludes of sheer terror." Many of Allon's colleagues and associates make return appearances including Ari Shamron, Uzi Navot,
Chiara, Eli Lavon, Adrian Carter, Graham Seymour and Sarah Bancroft.
Moscow Rules is another entertaining book by Silva and unlike some authors, the quality of his work remains consistent.
BEST SILVA YET!!!! July 23, 2008
11 out of 14 found this review helpful
Thrilling and entertaining! I read it in one sitting. It is my favorite Gabriel Allon book yet. Love the Russia setting. Love the return of Cold War intrigue and the female heroine of this book [...] is irrestible! I feel as if I really know these characters and thats what set these books apart.
The good news is I read it in one sitting, the bad news is I cant wait another year for the next book. There has to be a sequel to this book! Please also write more Michael Osbourne books! Please write faster.
Your #1 Fan from NYC!
Loved you on Glen Beck tonight! The pitchfork was hysterical!
engaging spy thriller July 24, 2008
10 out of 17 found this review helpful
Art restorer Alessio Vianelli also known in some secretive circles as Israeli master-spy Gabriel Allon is on his honeymoon with his second wife Chiara in Umbria when his friend and undercover associate Uzi Navot meets with him at an Assisi, Italy restaurant. Uzi, a senior official for the Israel secret intelligence service, informs Gabriel that Russian arms dealer Ivan Kharkov is selling weapons to al-Qaeda. The assumption is obvious that a planned major terrorist attack is forthcoming, but none of the western espionage agents knows which cell or where. Gabriel insists on investigating.
The tip came from inside Moscow as Ivan's wife Elena warned the west. Gabriel believes she is the only avenue to who specifically her spouse is selling the weapons to; she must be recruited in order for her to obtain Kharkov's ledger sheet. Unknown to Gabriel and his associates is that the former Russian Colonel and his associates have grandiose schemes to return Russia to its Soviet Empire glory days and thanks to western, Chinese, and Indian thirst for oil, money is no longer an obstacle.
The Allon counterespionage series is one of the best spy thriller sagas on the market today; however his latest escapades in Moscow is fast-paced, but lacks the moral underpinnings that make the enemy seem human. Perhaps it is because MOSCOW RULES follows the fantastic THE SECRET SERVANT, which placed the spy thriller quality bar at stratospheric levels especially with the extraordinary explanation on how a person metamorphosis into a terrorist. In spite a shaky ending, Daniel Silva's tale showcases a different no longer bleak Moscow in which oil money and America's economic woes has made many think they can revisit and win the Cold War especially influential ruthless former military colonels.
Harriet Klausner
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