Title:	The Black Widow
	Author:	Daniel Silva
	Published:	July 12, 2016, Harper
	No. of Pages:	544
	Cover Price:	$27.99 Hardcover, $14.99 Kindle

---

Anyone who thinks ISIS isn’t a real threat to the US, will certainly think again after reading The Black Widow by Daniel Silva. Although the book is fiction, Silva makes his characters come alive with enough facts and events that could (hopefully not) occur, and it makes readers pay attention. Those who have read the previous sixteen Gabriel Allon books (eighteen if you count the Michael Osborne novels that actually start the series) know that Silva’s imagination, combined with hundreds of hours of research, makes for extremely believable novels. Having read all of Silva’s previous novels, The Black Widow is possibly the best so far, and makes for a very scary world given the modern political environment.

Gabriel is finally set to take over as chief of The Office, but ISIS spreads terror in both Paris and Amsterdam; he has been coerced into carrying out the almost-impossible mission of identifying and eliminating the terrorist and mastermind of these hits, stopping him before he is able to carry out more, especially in America. So once again, the job he has been avoiding has been set aside. A Jewish doctor, Natalie Mizrahi has been chosen to infiltrate ISIS, and after agreeing, she goes through months of training and indoctrination before she is ready. She becomes Dr. Leila Hadawi, and a devout Muslim. Gabriel feels personally responsible for her safety as she gains information and trust among the terrorists. Leila is able to identify the terrorist, Saladin, and subsequently saves his life (against her better judgment) and gaining his trust.

The suspense in this book starts almost at the first page and doesn’t stop. This is the kind of novel that keeps readers up nights and surviving on two or three hours sleep until the book is finished. It is gripping, especially with what is happening in today’s world, and even though readers will remind themselves that it is fiction, it seems absolutely real.

Silva is an accomplished writer; his novels are a cut above the books of most of the bestselling suspense writers. There are few, if any, errors in the prose, the plots are well thought out, and the characters are believable to the extent that they are real in the minds of readers. After reading this and other Daniel Silva novels, readers feel that they have actually traveled to Israel and have seen the sights.

Highly recommended, The Black Widow is one of the best books of 2016. It is so good, in fact, that readers might think about taking a few days off to read it in one or two sittings. It’s also a good idea to read the previous novels in the series; no one will be disappointed.

This book was purchased with personal funds and no promotion of the book was solicited by the author or publisher.

This book may be purchased at Amazon:
The Black Widow