Let me start this by saying I love thrillers and spy thrillers especially. I just prefer my thrillers more... thrilling? More fast paced... This was a slow read to me and I was never dying to find out what happened next. This is not a knock on the book or the author as it's a well written book and the detail contained within is great. If you love a slower paced thriller that isn't full of high octane action or twists and turns then this may well be the book for you.

I haven't read the other books in the series but you can see the call backs to previous storylines which I think will please fans of this series.

This is heavy on detail of the vatican, art, art history, money laundering etc. Which all sound right up my street. But I found myself skimming some of the details as it just felt too heavy on that part and not enough about moving the story forward so much. I held high hopes for a twist at the end as the pope had so much potential but alas it never came to fruition as I think it could have.

A decent read but I won't read again or reach for other books in the series unfortunately.
3.4/5

Another winner from Daniel Silva! I’ve read all of his books, and this is one of the best in my opinion. I always learn something about art, and in this book there are lots of fascinating details behind the scenes at the Vatican. This book is one of the best in the series in my opinion, Gabriel has to solve a murder and find a lost masterpiece that was painted over. The action never stops.

I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received at a complimentary Dr copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am glad Daniel Silva has resurrected Gabriel Allon as an art restorer, now residing in Venice,  with connections to the Vatican and the pope. It is precisely that connection that gets him involved when the body of a young female student restorer working in the vatican is discovered floating in a lagoon. Of course this being Silva one thing leads to another with Leonardo da Vinci playing a major role and corrupt Vatican bankers and cardinals. Solid thriller,  atmospheric, with some factual background. Perfect for summer

My thanks to the publishers HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for approving my request for a review copy of the book after the published date. This was both a high for me and a ratification of sorts for book reviewing journey. I also thank NetGalley and Daniel Silva of whom I've been a longtime fan (an Allon fan to be precise) and I've read all the books in the series from 1-21 and have also hoarded 22,23 and 24 to read sparingly. Seeing an outside chance to access the latest volume as a review copy, I threw my hat into the ring not expecting a prompt approval. It happened and here we are at the end of this book.

As a long-time Allon addict and knowing that most if not all the books in the series can be read as standalones, I approached the Inside Job expecting the usual mix of elegance, danger and moral complexity which Daniel Silva delivered while throwing in some aspects of Vatican intrigue into the mix while bringing da vinci into the story as a central character.

This time, Allon is drawn into a web of betrayal that feels uncomfortably close to home. The villain? Nice. The stakes? Personal. And the pacing, as is usual was mostly razor-sharp, with only a brief lull in the middle where Daniel lets the investigation breathe a little too much.

What I loved most is the way Gabriel’s personal life and professional obligations keep colliding, making him as human and compelling as ever. Daniels prose is back in its element and still feels like slipping into a well-tailored suit: smooth, precise, and never overdone. Gabriel's foray outside the sphere of Israels's political sphere reads butter smooth and with no withdrawal symptoms, the break is never in question. His equation with various series regulars across Europe are excellent and the celebration of art here in this volume is voluminous and intoxicating.

This is more than a 4-star read for me, and for a series that has turned 25 is fantastic celebration of Daniel and his creation and is not because it falls short but because I know Daniel still can go higher. Still, this is a polished, thoughtful, and thoroughly enjoyable chapter in the Gabriel Allon saga.

Recommended reading it if you love spies with a soul, villains with bite, and plots that make you glance over your shoulder.

This latest in the long running series sees Silva step away once again from geopolitics and Mossad and into the world of stolen art. And murder. Gabriel Allon is living happily in Venice, working as a restorer and much to his surprise happily teaching art one afternoon a week at his children's school. But then he finds the body of a young art restorer who believed she had found a Leonardo daVinci hiding under another painting among the treasures of the Vatican and we're off. It's a twisty return visit with Pope Donati, Julian Isherwood, Sarah, Veronica, the art squad, and the delightful Ingrid after Gabriel decides he's going to get the painting, which has been stolen, back. This careens around Europe and spends some delightful time inside the Vatican. Who stole the painting? Well, it was indeed an inside job but why? I'm a fan of Silva because he keeps you guessing, you (or at least I) learn something, and the characters are just wonderful. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is a real page turner that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. 3.5* rounded up. I have read a few of the more recent instalments in this series and they follow more or less the same formula each time. Gabriel forges and/or helps steal an Old Master painting in the service of justice, tapping his extensive and highly-placed roster of contacts. Here for example he is BFFs with the pope...

I found the pacing a bit off here: there were two linked cases and one was resolved two-thirds of the way through, so the last part felt a little anti-climactic. I note that the good guys here were extremely supportive of economic migrants and Ukrainians, but silent on the crisis in the Middle East.

My annual Summer read has not disappointed-An Inside Job- featuring retired spy and art restorer, Gabriel Allon, was one of those books I couldn’t put down.
This one featured a criminal conspiracy in the Vatican and a rediscovered stolen Leonardo. What can I say other than you must read it, whether on the beach or as in my case, on an extended road trip; this is a book that you will not want to miss- in fact the whole series is amazing and has ensured that Daniel Silva is one of my favourite authors!
When Gabriel discovers a body in the Venice canal near his home he is determined to find out who the person is and why they have ended up dead in a Venetian waterway.
This leads Gabriel to London and Rome. With the help of a few regular characters, both old and more recent - in fact thief and hacker, Ingrid who is a newer one is a great addition to Gabriel’s gang!
When he retired as a spy , I wasn’t quite sure where the subsequent books would go but Mr Silva has succeeded in moving his legendary spy into a new career- carrying on his art restorations and helping the art squad find stolen paintings.
The books are meticulously researched and there is a lot about restoration, art and especially in this one, Leonardo da Vinci.
I was particularly interested as I recently visited the “Last Supper” in Milan although I had to book several months in advance unlike Gabriel who walked straight in!
Anyway, I highly recommend this book and the whole series and am now eagerly awaiting Mr Allon’s next adventure in 2026!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

Things change and evolve and authors are no different to anyone else. Michael Connelly wrote an acclaimed series of Harry Bosch novels and then introduced major new characters in The Lincoln Lawyer and Ballard and his books retain their force and widespread appeal.

Daniel Silva has retired Gabriel Allon from The Office and now concentrates on his role as art restorer extraordinaire solving a series of thefts and murders taking place in the rarified world of fine art.

Many of the old characters remain and we love to see them reappear. This too is a high class thriller, impeccably plotted and written which requires Gabriel to demonstrate his unfading talents (even at the age of, it must be, around 73).

I enjoyed it immensely - how can you not love anything written by such a wonderful writer and I will continue to read his novels which amazingly and impressively appear like clockwork every July.

I have to say that I miss The Office and the author's sharp analysis of the geo-political situation in the Middle East which he incorporated so brilliantly and presciently into his novels which read more like fact than fiction.

That was then and this is now and I give thanks for what we receive now but have wistful memories too of the earlier books in this glorious series.

An Inside Job, in this latest thriller by the popular author Daniel Silva, we follow the latest adventures of ex spymaster Gabriel Allon.

This time around a dead body discovered by Gabriel leads to the discovery of a lost Leonardo Da Vinci paintingwhich is at least 5 centuries old. The painting which emerges from the depths of the Vatican Museum's storage embroils the Vatican, the supreme pontiff, the conservation intern who accidentally discovers it and just about everyone in between and then some more.
Spanning from Venice, around Italy, London, Denmark, Switzerland the ex spy moves between cities and countries in pursuit of the painting. The game this time is one of practiced non chalance and ease the characters of a Gabriel Allon are known for.

I enjoyed the thrill which was brought by the painting and the lengths everyone went to possess it. It made for an exciting read where money, mafia, art and men of God collide to produce a work of art which thrills and satisfies it's viewer.

In An Inside Job, Daniel Silva delivers another elegant and suspenseful entry in the Gabriel Allon series. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Venice and the Vatican, the novel follows Allon as he uncovers a long-lost Leonardo da Vinci painting—hidden for over a century—only to be drawn into a shadowy conspiracy of art theft, murder, and corruption.
Silva’s signature blend of art, espionage, and international intrigue is on full display, as Allon navigates a tangled web of mobsters, money men, and Vatican politics. While the plot moves briskly and the settings are richly rendered, this installment leans more on mood and mystery than political tension. An Inside Job is a refined, intelligent thriller—perfect for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

There is little need to review anything by Daniel Silva, as he never disappoints. The only real need for a review is to introduce him to those who have yet to stumble upon him. I am certainly glad I did, as his books are in that can’t put down category.
Roll on the next one.
Highly recommended

There's life in the old spy yet.

"An Inside Job" opens in Venice, where former spy Gabriel Allon and his family now live. Allon has been commissioned to restore another Venetian masterpiece, and in his usual style, is taking his own time to clean and repair it. On his way home one evening, he is asked to take a photograph of some tourists. In doing so, he notices a bundle in the canal behind them . It turns out to be a body and as is normal for Allon, he takes it upon himself to uncover her identity.

And so, as the story unfolds Allon embarks on his self-appointed mission, discovering the woman was an apprentice art restorer who just happened to uncover an unknown da Vinci painting in the Vatican collection. Which is now missing. Before we know it, our intrepid hero is crossing the globe in search of answers, all the while avoiding the local authorities, the Vatican, and assorted criminal gangs. Along the way we meet the usual cast of regulars - the newly-appointed Pope (a personal friend), Julian Isherwood, Sarah Bancroft and others - so fans of the series will not be disappointed. There's the usual interludes featuring Chiara and their gifted twins (surely there's a novel in there) plus Allon's enviable longevity and his razor-sharp skills.

There's not much more to say really. On the one hand, author Daniel Silva has proved there is life after the Office for Gabriel. He has successfully transformed the aging spy into a global trouble-shooter, and the books from spy novels into simple, albeit formulaic heist thrillers based in the art world. Fans will lap this up, and it is enjoyable, with keen observations of the corrupt world of art dealing and corruption, but I am left wondering just how much life is left in Gabriel Allon.