Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva (2008, Hardcover)

This book is excellently written and definitely holds your attention but as the EIGHTH! book in the Allon series it seems, to me at least, that the books have become less about Allon, Shamron and a slew of memorable secondary characters and enemies and more about Silva's own personal beliefs. This book can easily be deemed an allegorical warning of the threat of Russia, a threat Silva clearly agrees with as he spends several pages expounding on in the afterward. The tide in the Allon books has been a long time coming but before this they had all been extremely enjoyable and thrilling but this one was just more of the same, and, startlingly, put the beloved assassin hero as a mere backdrop to Silva's agenda. Even Gabriel seems tired of it toward the end as there is absolutely nothing new to stir him as Ivan, try as Silva might, never quite connects as past villains have as dangerous and gripping sociopaths. That said, it is a fine quick read but if you haven't read any of the other seven books or have read most but not all of them you'd do much better starting somewhere else. Or even in Silva's other excellent series about Michael Osbourne. The English Assassin is still my favorite work by Silva.