The New Girl

Written by Daniel Silva

Narrated by George Guidall

From No.1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva comes a stunning new thriller of vengeance, deception, and betrayal.

‘Allon is the 21st century Bond’ Daily Mail

What’s done cannot be undone…

At an exclusive school in Switzerland, mystery surrounds the identity of the beautiful girl who arrives each morning in a motorcade fit for a head of state. She is said to be the daughter of a wealthy international businessman. In truth, her father is Khalid bin Mohammed, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Once celebrated for his daring reforms, he is now reviled for his role in the murder of a dissident journalist. And when his child is brutally kidnapped, he turns to the one man he can trust to find her before it is too late.

Gabriel Allon, the legendary chief of Israeli intelligence, has spent his life fighting terrorists, including the murderous jihadists financed by Saudi Arabia. Prince Khalid has pledged to break the bond between the Kingdom and radical Islam. For that reason alone, Gabriel regards him as a valuable if flawed partner. Together they will become unlikely allies in a deadly secret war for control of the Middle East. Both men have made their share of enemies. And both have everything to lose.

Praise for Daniel Silva:

‘A taut, intelligent thriller’ Sun

‘As enjoyable as ever. Allon is a smart creation’ Financial Times

‘A tense, thrilling adventure’ Huffington Post

‘Fascinating, suspenseful, and bated-breath exciting’ Publishers Weekly

‘It is Silva’s creative genius that keeps it all moving, as well as his mastery of storytelling that keeps the intense momentum of the plot ever pushing forward’ Huffington Post

‘A truly talented writer’ Sun

‘elegantly paced, subtle and well-informed.’ Daily Mail

‘Silva builds tension with breathtaking double and triple turns of the plot’ People

‘A world class practitioner of spy fiction’ Washington Post

‘Silva is a master of suspense’ Barbara Taylor Bradford, The Week

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9780008280840

Daniel Silva

Daniel Silva is the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Gabriel Allon novels, including The Black Widow and The Cellist. His books are critically acclaimed bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than thirty languages. He resides in Florida with his wife, television journalist Jamie Gangel, and their twins, Lily and Nicholas.

Reviews for The New Girl

[judygibson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was conflicted as I gobbled this book down: frantically turning pages while fighting "shades of Da Vinci Code" complaints of a plot driven by a shadowy Catholic secret society/Vatican conspiracy to suppress an inconvenient historical truth. Well, the story and the characters won out and I stayed up past my bedtime to finish the book.

This was the first I have read of Silva's works and clearly I should have started sooner. The main character, an operative in Israel's secret service and incidentally a professional art restorer, is approaching retirement and a happy family life. I wonder how he got there, and plan to find out.

[atomic1964 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant thriller with a real punch and literary flair. Perfectly crafter story.

[raizel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As the series has progressed, Silva has moved farther away from what is actually part of our world. Finding columns from King Solomon's Temple would have been newsworthy if it happened, as would many of the terrorist attacks that Gabriel Allon was not able to thwart. But not it seems that Jesus aka Father Joshua has appeared to Allon and the man who becomes Pope and given them a page from what is, according to the author's note at the end of the book, a nonexistent codex. Nonetheless, the book engaged my interest and felt less formulaic than some of the previous ones. Gabriel is in Venice with his family on vacation when an old friend asks for his help. This requires many trips to many western European locations, Venice, Rome, Florence, Germany, Switzerland and many brief history lessons about the Catholic church's actions regarding the Holocaust (lack thereof), European right-wing politicians, secretive Catholic religious orders, and the religious history and causes of antisemitism. No paintings are restored, but there is a lightness to the story that is refreshing.

[bblum_10 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Israeli intelligence director and art restorer now married with children in this 20th book of a popular series once again uses his skills to stop the fascist leaning catholic organization from taking over the papacy in Rome. There are not so subtle bits about Trump and right leaning democracies in Western Europe and the long hatred of Jews attributed to Pontius Pilot. Great plot, lots of twists and I do like the more senior Gabriel Allon.

[josephking6602 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Gospel of pontius pilate is a clever storyline; but too many characters made the story too complicated

[buffalogr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Allon has friends in high places because of the nature of his job as head of security in Israel. When he receives a request to come to the Vatican, from his friend, the personal secretary to the Pope, he answers his call. One wonders how the chief Israeli spy can take two weeks off in Italy? Silva spends a great deal of time focused on the history of the Catholic church and the Jewish people--not a little bible study. There are characters--mostly Vatican characters--some villains, some heroes....not too many. Good read...wondering if there's a #21

[shazjhb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. Not sure if there are any more Allon books worth writing. I don’t want to read about the characters I like dying.

[norinrad10 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really like this book, until I really didn't. And once ai started to dislike it, I really hated it. In his latest adventure protagonist Gabriel Allon, Israel's chief spy is on forced vacation in Venice with wifie Chiara and their children. Unfortunately, dastardly deeds are afoot at the Vatican and his services are quickly employed. Silva spends a great deal of time focused on the history of the Catholic church and the Jewish people. Fascinating reading and this is the part of the book that I really became engrossed in. But, Silva isn't a historical writer, he's a spy novelist, so it was time to get on with the adventure. Simple math tells you that Allon is now a man nearing 70. His first adventure came in the wake of the Munich killings in 1972, he was 21. Surprisingly despite having been oft-injured and having lived a life fraught with stress, the elderly Allallon has shown little wear and tear. He's as physically adept as a much younger man.Events involving the Vatican wrap up fairly quickly, as the current batch of villains are little match for the Israeli spymaster. Unfortunately, they prove to be about as interesting as they are adept. Equally unfortunate is that Allon dispatching them doesn't signify the end of the book. This one goes on for another 100 pages after things by all indications are wrapped up.Silva is one of my favorite writers and Gabriel one of my favorite characters. But if this book is any indication, it may be time to put the legend to bed. Perhaps Silva could create a younger protagonist, who is mentored by his aged protagonist in the way he was mentored by the equally legendary Ari Shamron. Now that would be some interesting reading.

[judiex · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I see the name Daniel Silva as the author and Gabriel Allon as the main character, I know I am in for a wonderful read. Silva’s latest book, THE ORDER, definitely met my expectations.For those who haven’t read the previous books in the series, Allon trained to be an artist and art restorer. Life got in the way and he became a Mossad agent. Over the years, his artistic talent has introduced him to a wide assortment of people. One of them was Pope Paul VII, with whom he developed a very warm relationship. In THE ORDER, Gabriel, his wife, and their children decided to take a vacation in Venice. While there, he is called by Archbishop Luigi Donati, the Pope’s private secretary, to come to Rome. The Pope has died very suddenly, during the couple of hours that Donati was away from the Vatican. For various reasons, including the disappearance of the Swiss Guard on duty outside the apartment and a missing letter to Gabriel, Donati does not believe the death was of natural causes.Gabriel calls in help from Mossad to try to determine what really happened. They discover a secret group, called The Order, that was begun in the 1930s in Germany. The founder , Father Schiller, was anti-Semitic and friendly to Hitler. He and his followers became very wealthy by promising to rescue Jews from the Nazis by giving them fake certificates in return for money and valuables. Most of the Jews ended up dead. Today, the members of the group were concerned about the Arab immigrants coming into Germany and changing the society. Many cardinals, were part of the group. They were the ones who would select the new pope.Part of the story is about writing regarding Jesus’s life and early Christianity. It discusses contradictions among the four primary gospels and suggests other writing from that time, written by contemporaries, that have disappeared. It talks about Pontius Pilate and It explains how the meeting of the Sanhedrin before Jesus’s death could not have happened. It details how anti-Semitism was built into the Catholic religion by nine words and the results of those words, which reverberate today. While many of Gabriel’s previous involvements are mentioned in THE ORDER, it is not necessary to have read them first, but do go back and catch up.Silva’s characters are realistic. Living in the US during the Trump administration proves that what seems excessive can actually occur. Silva’s THE ORDER is a must-read.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This has all the elements of a best selling spy thriller -- political intrigue, international espionage and the death of a pope -- what more could you want? But somehow this book felt like there was an agenda about politics and religion. Unlike some other reviewers, I actually like that he pulled in some of today's current events -- a racist president and the rise of neo-Naziism in Germany -- but when the preaching becomes obviously preaching instead of a subtlety of plot or character, then I feel like I'm reading a blog post. So still entertaining, but not his best.

[thewanderingjew_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gabriel  Allon is one of my favorite characters, and in this book he outdoes himself. As usual, Silva has created a murder mystery that is both entertaining and interesting. His writing style is creative and leaves the reader waiting for more. There is subtle humor and a slow buildup of tension as the threads of the mystery are revealed, unraveled and solved.Allon has friends in high places because of the nature of his job as head of security in Israel. When he receives a request to come to the Vatican, from his friend, the personal secretary to the Pope, he answers his call. The Pope had recently died, and he wonders why he has been summoned. Since his wife had already made arrangements for a vacation in Italy, it coincided well with her plan. However, his vacation did not turn out as planned.There are several questions surrounding the death of the Pope. The Pope had recently discovered a book in the Papal archives. What secrets did it reveal that might impact the church profoundly? Why has the Swiss Guard who was stationed outside the Pope’s apartments disappeared? Why was the Pope writing a letter to Gabriel Allon, which seems to have disappeared, as well? Did the Pope die of natural causes? Is there a secret group plotting to change the very structure of the church? Who is actually endangering the church, the powerful order of St. Helena, or the Pope with the information he was trying to send to Allon. Gabriel is intrigued by the questions raised, but doubts foul play.In the solving of the mystery, the reader is immersed into the history of the Jews and their supposed involvement in the death of Christ. The history of anti-Semitism and its origins is explored. Corruption in ancient Rome and the attitude of the Pope during WWII is examined also, both in the body of the novel and in the notes of the author, at the end, in which he explains a good deal of the subject matter covered in the book concerning the history. He admirably attempts to answer any questions that might have arisen about several of the events in the book, about some of the characters, and about the historic influence of certain acts with regard to the behavior of the church and the Jewish people.I recommend the book especially to those that love this series or to those students of history that question the source of anti-Semitism and the church’s involvement, and to those who question some of the recent revelations about the church, as well. They will find the theories put forth very thought provoking.

[diana.hauser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THE ORDER by Daniel Silva.From one of my favorite authors, Daniel Silva’s newest book does not disappoint.It is a tense thriller with one of my favorite literary characters, Gabriel Allon.Gabriel, Chiara and the children are spending a few days in Venice - a rest and relaxation getaway (planned by Chiara) away from the pressures of King Saul Blvd. Gabriel’s ‘rest’ is cut short by a request from old friend, Luigi Donati (private secretary to the current pope) to help in a crisis situation.The tense plot; the very disturbing portrayals of prominent Roman Catholic Church dignitaries; locations in Venice, Rome, Switzerland and Bavaria; the ‘team’ in action; the power, always the power of money; WW II Nazi atrocities; pandemics; the rise of xenophobic, intolerant ultra right-wing figures with no patience or tolerance for the rule of law or democracy - THE ORDER is a breathless read.I liked the inclusion of a map of Vatican City. The author’s notes and acknowledgements were very interesting and informative. I know and understand that this is a work of fiction, but many of the plots or incidents are based on historical manuscripts, current(and ancient) biographies and non-fiction works. The inclusion of these references helps the reader to find more information about the topics., if they choose. I did read Reza Aslan’s biography of Jesus, ZEALOT: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JESUS OF NAZARETH. I also liked the discussion of the ancient Christian charge of deicide that “is universally regarded by scholars as the foundation of anti-Semitism.”A Five Star read. *****

[labdaddy4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another excellent book in this series- fast paced and easily read. The author weaves a tale of murder, history, and conspiracy within the backdrop of the Catholic Church and the rise of neo-fascism. Some of the normal “support cast” was missing from this novel.

[swibells · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The New Girl was a chilling read, and I'd expected a lot from it. A lot.

The start was pretty awesome, it built up just enough suspense to bring me to the edge of my seat, but then things started spiraling downwards.

It was pretty clear just after a few chapters—to me, atleast—what was going on. The truth about who Sophie was, was pretty much told when Cat gets worried about Mary seeing the letter that arrived for Sophie.

On the other hand, the suspense about what happened on The Night and what Mark was going to do, kept me reading. And the end might have been a tad anticlimactic.

Read my full review on my blog! Link in bio!