Novel Whore

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Another “different” review for you this week. The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva is a another in the Gabriel Allon series. This is the first Gabriel Allon series I’ve read, so keep that in mind. Sometimes a series can repeat things about characters that are returning in order to help you remember, and from what I’ve heard there is a bit of that in The Rembrandt Affair, but I enjoyed the background on each of the characters. The combination of historical and political events both past and current were interesting, and of course the art history. Before I head into the questions, this is a great beach read to close out the summer!

If you were to write a blurb in fewer than three sentences for THE REMBRANDT AFFAIR, what would it be? Behind every fortune is a crime. Gabriel Allon returns to trace a missing painting through Switzerland, Buenos Aires, and Nazi Germany in order to find the truth and return the painting to it’s rightful owner from one of the most powerful men in the World.

Gabriel Allon is a talented spy and assassin, but also a master art restorer. If you could have two careers that seem to be complete opposites, what would they be? I’m really not making this up, but a spy and a dancer. I’ve always been good at playing parts, and trying new situations, so being a spy has always intrigued me. Being a dancer just seems like such a different world where you have to be more introverted and in tune with your feelings. (more…)

I adore Michael Crichton, and I’m not ashamed to admit it, he’s hot. I especially adore how he combines technology and history in Timeline, well that and his laugh lines.

Timeline is set in the twenty-first century and focuses on a group of archeologists that are working on a historical site that includes Castelgard and La Roque, two ancient towns separated by the Dordogne River. Like many historical and sporting sites these days, the site is sponsored by a corporation which is rumored to be buying the surrounding land for what appears to be nefarious plans.

As the plot unfolds, it comes to light that the corporation has knowledge of the architecture of the site that seems impossible, unless they’ve actually seen the towns when they were occupied, in the 1300’s. (more…)