Gabriel Allon Books In Order: All of Daniel Silva’s 23 Books

Daniel Silva’s series of espionage books about Gabriel Allon, a former Israeli spy, have proved immensely popular with readers all around the world thanks to their gripping mysteries and thrilling twists.

Gabriel Allon Books In Order: Complete Guide To Daniel Silva’s 23 Books

Each story offers a fresh adventure, with Allon combining his ruthless spy skills and passion for art into a skillset that can always save the day.

The author, Daniel Silva, began his career as a journalist and worked at it for more than a decade before publishing his first book.

Unsurprisingly, that job gave Silva a very unique angle as an author, allowing him to fill his books with all kinds of news-related details and an authenticity that makes the stories far richer. 

The series has proved incredibly popular, with 23 entries and counting, and there’s also been news of a Gabriel Allon TV adaptation that’s long been in the works.

With so many books in the series, it can be difficult for new readers to know where to start. Thankfully, we’ve got the answers! Below, we’ve got the complete guide to the Gabriel Allon books in order.

About Gabriel Allon

Gabriel Allon is an art restorer, following in the footsteps of a family love for art. He has made quite a name for himself on the global art restoration stage, but there’s more to Allon than meets the eye.

You see, Allon was an Israeli intelligence operative in the past, and it’s a past that he wishes to stay hidden. His career as a spy began against his will when he and several other men were taken from civilian life and made to take part in the real-life “Operation Wrath of God”.

A covert operation led by Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency, it was a response of vengeance to track down the people who killed Israeli athletes in Munich in 1972.

Allon picked up certain skills from his time as a spy, and he’s got a ruthlessness to him that’s very effective in helping things get done. Unfortunately, he isn’t able to outrun his past as much as he’d like, and he’s got to put his skill back into action.

Gabriel Allon Books In Order

The Kill Artist (2000)

The Kill Artist

In the first book of the Gabriel Allon series, author Daniel Silva introduces us to our complex hero with a mysterious past. Allon is living a quiet life as a successful art restorer.

However, his past as an Israeli intelligence operative is coming back to haunt him, as Allon is forced back into a world he deliberately left long ago.

Paired with an agent posing as a fashion model, the two must hurry to stop a ruthless terrorist embarking on their final killing spree. However, this terrorist is no stranger, because they had a role in Gabriel’s past.

It isn’t long before Allon and his partner are thrust into a globe-trotting mission to catch a threat both personal and political – and stop them before it’s too late.

Pros

  • It’s the first Gabriel Allon novel!

Cons

  • Too violent for some.

The English Assassin (2002)

The English Assassin (Gabriel Allon)

In the second thrilling book, Gabriel Allon is on his way to Zurich. Hired by a millionaire banker, Allon is supposed to be restoring an artwork by a famous painter. However, no sooner has Allon arrived that he is framed for the banker’s murder.

Who is framing him? And why was the banker murdered? Allon must now put all his spy skills to work in order to prove his innocence. As he does so, he finds himself thrust into a deep and mysterious conspiracy, full of old deaths and Nazi art theft.

Harder still, Allon is being hunted by a ruthless assassin – one that Allon originally trained himself. In a race against time, and surrounded by danger, Allon must retreat once more into the world of espionage that he has so desperately tried to leave.

Pros

  • Full of involving detail.

Cons

  • Some find it slow in parts.

The Confessor (2003)

The Confessor (Gabriel Allon)

Somewhere in Munich, the assassination of a Jewish scholar takes place. The news is soon heard by Gabriel Allon in Venice, who is asked to investigate the murder. Naturally, Allon puts away his art restoration gear and sets off to uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, the new Pope is determined to investigate the truth about the Catholic Church’s response to the Holocaust, while a mystery cardinal is plotting moves…

Somehow, the stories are all connected, and Gabriel Allon finds himself following a trail of secrecy that’s heading straight into a labyrinthine mystery with massive repercussions.

Pros

  • Full of historical facts.

Cons

  • Some parts seem far-fetched.

A Death In Vienna (2004)

A Death in Vienna (Gabriel Allon, Bk 4)

Events take a personal turn as Gabriel Allon is asked to investigate a bombing that killed an old friend of his. To dig deeper and find the truth, Allon abandons his quiet life of art restoration once more, this time heading to Vienna.

However, while there, he comes across a face that seems all too familiar and chills Allon to his core. As Allon tries to find the truth behind his friend’s bombing, he will uncover a history of crime spanning sixty years and countless lives.

Nothing is ever as it seems, and Allon will have to make ruthless use of his skills as a former spy if he’s to solve this mystery.

Pros

  • A great cast of characters.

Cons

  • Not as suspenseful as other entries.

Prince Of Fire (2005)

Prince of Fire (Gabriel Allon)

The Israeli embassy in Rome has just suffered a terrorist bombing, apparently without motive. However, it’s soon found that the terrorists now have their hands on a CD dossier full of covert information about none other than Gabriel Allon.

With that dossier in the hands of the enemy, Allon is no longer safe outside Israel, so reluctantly must return to the homeland. As he does so, he must stalk the master terrorist and try to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Who are they?

Why did they take the dossier? Soon, it appears that it’s not only Allon’s history that has become exposed, and Allon must use his skills to save the day.

Pros

  • It’s very exciting.

Cons

  • A little formulaic.

The Messenger (2006)

The Messenger (Gabriel Allon)

In London, an al-Qaeda suspect has just been killed. However, their laptop is soon found to be filled with evidence and photographs that suggest al-Qaeda is planning an enormous terrorist attack aimed directly at the Vatican.

Gabriel Allon’s employer, the Office, comes into possession of the laptop, prompting Allon and his colleagues into action to hunt down the terrorists and stop them from launching their attack.

In a globe-trotting hunt that will take them all over Europe and the Caribbean, Allon and co. are engaged in a desperate race against time.

Pros

  • Moving and thrilling.

Cons

  • The ending disappoints some.

The Secret Servant (2007)

The Secret Servant (Gabriel Allon)

The seventh Gabriel Allon book sees our hero in Amsterdam, where he happens upon a threatening plot set to explode in London.

Allon learns that the American ambassador’s daughter is going to be kidnapped, but he arrives too late to rescue her, forcing him into a desperate search for the woman before it’s too late.

Why too late? Well, the daughter is going to be executed if he doesn’t get to her in time. Once again torn away from his world of art restoration, Allon must adopt his spy skills again and hunt down the kidnappers.

Accompanying him on the journey is a most unlikely alliance, being a man who has lost everything due to an intense devotion to Islam.

The alliance causes Allon to question the morality of his own trade, while at the same time having to embrace them in order to stop the ruthless villains.

Pros

  • Packed with intrigue.

Cons

  • Some won’t like the gore.

Moscow Rules (2008)

Moscow Rules (Gabriel Allon)

After a journalist is killed, Gabriel Allon travels to Russia on a hunt for the truth. However, he finds a Russia teeming with corruption and danger.

A far cry from the gray Soviet days, Moscow is now filled with oil millionaires and the immense power and control of the Kremlin. It’s a land where critics of the ruling class are squashed, and the threats don’t stop there…

Allon happens across the plot of a new generation of Stalinists who wish to reclaim the empire and go up against the United States.

Their most powerful candidate is an ex-KGB member who now deals arms, and he’s about to send Russia’s most sophisticated and powerful weapons to the USA’s biggest enemy. In a desperate race to prevent the sale, Allon is thrust into a globe-trotting journey.

Pros

  • Edge-of-your-seat thrills.

Cons

  • Some details are poorly researched.

The Defector (2009)

The Defector (Gabriel Allon)

Once upon a time, former Russian intelligence officer Grigori Bulganov saved Gabriel Allon’s life. It’s a debt that Allon has never forgotten, and now it’s time to repay it. Why? Well, Bulganov has disappeared.

In order to rescue him, Allon gathers up a trustworthy team and sets off to find those responsible for the disappearance.

However, as they embark on a globe-trotting mission, Allon soon finds that the enemy is far more powerful – and far more familiar – than he had imagined. What limits will his team go to in order to save Bulganov? And what will it cost them?

Pros

  • Packed with action.

Cons

  • Some twists are predictable.

The Rembrandt Affair (2010)

The Rembrandt Affair (Gabriel Allon)

In the landmark tenth Gabriel Allon novel, Allon has retired to a more peaceful life with his wife. Living by the gorgeous cliffs of Cornwall, Allon is as far from his adventurous past life as it’s possible to be.

However, his seclusion is short-lived. A London art dealer visits Allon with a problem: an art restorer has been killed and a portrait by famous painter Rembrandt has been stolen.

It’s a nice change of pace for the series because Gabriel Allon is getting to investigate an art-related crime for once.

However, no case is ever as straightforward as it first seems, and Allon soon finds himself entrenched in a web of secrets and conspiracies all connected to the missing painting.

Utilizing both his art skills and his spy skills, Allon must dig deeper and deeper to find the truth.

Pros

  • Tense and thrilling.

Cons

  • Repeats plot points from past books.

Portrait Of A Spy (2011)

Portrait of a Spy (Gabriel Allon, 11)

Gabriel Allon’s marital peace is disrupted once more when he and his wife find themselves near a London bombing. With Allon unable to stop the attack, he is once more thrust into a world of adventure, intrigue, and espionage on a hunt for the truth.

Hot on the trail of a deadly terrorist network, Allon finds himself on a globe-trotting tour that stops everywhere from New York to harsh Middle Eastern deserts.

With the network responsible for a series of massacres across Europe, it’s down to Allon to prevent their list of attacks from growing. Will he prevent them in time?

Pros

  • Interesting real-world politics and detail.

Cons

  • Some dialog is lacking.

The Fallen Angel (2012)

The Fallen Angel (Gabriel Allon, 12)

The next entry sees Allon working at the Vatican, where he’s restoring a Caravaggio masterpiece. However, he finds himself summoned one morning by the Pope’s private secretary to investigate a woman’s death in the Vatican.

The police aren’t treating it as a suspicious death, but Allon feels there’s more to it. However, the Vatican wants to avoid another scandal, so Allon must be discreet.

Allon soon learns the victim had unearthed a secret about a global criminal organization that’s been selling timeless treasures. However, it isn’t just money that’s fuelling such operations, because there’s also plotting for a massive act of globe-shattering sabotage…

Pros

  • Vivid descriptions.

Cons

  • The series can get repetitive.

The English Girl (2013)

The English Girl (Gabriel Allon, 13)

On the French island of Corsica, a young British woman has been kidnapped. Identified as Madeline Hart, she’s a beautiful rising star in the governing party of Britain. However, she holds a secret: she’s the secret love of the Prime Minister.

The kidnappers know this, and they’re making use of it, and they give him a seven day ultimatum – or the girl will die.

Desperate to save his career, the Prime Minister decides to hire somebody privately for the matter, rather than get the police (and potentially the public) involved.Who does he hire? None other than Gabriel Allon.

With just seven days to rescue the young woman, Allon must travel to various exciting locations in an effort to complete his assignment.

Pros

  • Different kind of story from previous entries.

Cons

  • Second half is inconsistent.

The Heist (2014)

The Heist (Gabriel Allon, 14)

In Venice, Gabriel Allon receives a call with some urgent news: an art dealer friend of his has happened on a murder scene, and now they’re being kept as a suspect. The murder victim? A spy with a history of trafficking stolen paintings.

In order to prove his friend’s innocence, Allon must travel all around the world, from Corsica to Paris, trying to track down the most famous missing painting in the world.

Pros

  • Globe-trotting thrills.

Cons

  • Too much rehashing past events.

The English Spy (2015)

The English Spy (Gabriel Allon, 15)

A beloved member of the British Royal Family, famous for being charitable, is enjoying a vacation. However, it isn’t long before her yacht is bombed and the woman is dead. Desperate to find the bomber, British intelligence services hire Gabriel Allon.

Paired with former commando, now assassin, Christopher Keller, the two set off after Eamon Quinn, an elusive bomb maker. Stalking him through exciting locations, Allon disappears down a rabbit hole, realizing that an old enemy cabal might be at play too…

Pros

  • Realistic and engaging.

Cons

  • Some poor dialog.

The Black Widow (2016)

The Black Widow (Gabriel Allon, 16)

Gabriel Allon is moving up in the world: he’s about to be promoted to the position of chief of Israel’s secret intelligence service. However, the day before his promotion, Allon finds himself lured into the field for an unexpected operation.

There’s been a bombing in a district of Paris, and ISIS is responsible. Desperate not to let another attack happen, the French government has come to the best – Allon – and asked him to get rid of the terrorist responsible.

Allon must enter into one last operation before he can secure that all-exclusive promotion – but will he make it out alive?

Pros

  • Suspenseful.

Cons

  • A little formulaic.

House Of Spies (2017)

House of Spies: A Novel (Gabriel Allon, 17)

In the next Gabriel Allon novel, Allon finds himself on the trail of ISIS once more. Months after a devastating terrorist attack in America, another attack happens in London. Meticulously planned, it seems a perfect crime.

However, they left one loose thread, and that’s all that Gabriel Allon needs. The thread will take Allon and his team to France, where they are able to make use of a married couple with connections to the bombers.

With these invaluable insiders, Allon is able to hunt the terrorists, particularly the secretive, mysterious ISIS mastermind that goes by the name “Saladin”.

Pros

  • Vivid settings.

Cons

  • Some repeated sentences.

The Other Woman (2018)

The Other Woman: A Novel (Gabriel Allon, 18)

In remote Andalusia, a mysterious woman is about to write a memoir with massive ramifications. A tale of an old lover, the memoir will unveil the Kremlin’s biggest secret: the fact that they’ve had a mole right in the heart of the West’s power.

Gabriel Allon is thrust into the mystery when a vital asset in Russian intelligence is killed, sending the spy into a dizzying fight against “new Russia” and a race to uncover the greatest piece of treason of the 20th century.

Pros

  • Richly detailed.

Cons

  • A little predictable.

The New Girl (2019)

The New Girl: A Novel (Gabriel Allon, 19)

At a Swiss private school for the elite, a mysterious girl arrived in a fancy motorcade each morning. Whose daughter is she? Nobody knows, but she’s the offspring of Saudi Arabia’s maligned crown prince.

However, somebody must know her identity, because she’s soon kidnapped. Desperate, the father turns to Gabriel Allon for help.

Allon has a history of fighting terrorists financed by Saudi Arabia but is intrigued by this prince’s pledge to separate the bond between their Kingdom and radical Islam.

The spy agrees to help, and the pair must race against time not only to save the young girl, but also the Saudi throne.

Pros

  • Rapid pacing.

Cons

  • Some parts seem like filler.

The Order (2020)

The Order: A Novel (Gabriel Allon, 20)

In the twentieth Gabriel Allon novel, Allon’s family vacation is interrupted by the death of an old friend: the Pope. Though said to be a heart attack, the Archbishop tells Allon that he suspects murder. Why?

Well, the Pope’s guards are missing, and so is a letter that the Pope was writing. A letter addressed to Gabriel… The letter spoke of a book the Pope had found in the Vatican’s secret archives – a book that questions a key New Testament tale.

As a result, the shadowy Order of St. Helena will do anything to stop the booking from seeing the light of day.

Pros

  • Gripping.

Cons

  • Too many names to keep track of.

The Cellist (2021)

The Cellist: A Novel (Gabriel Allon, 21)

In a highly protected London house, the once-richest man in Russia has been living in exile, waging a war against the Kremlin. However, despite all his security, the man is killed.

The blame is firmly laid on a reporter, believed to have given him poisoned documents. MI6 believes the reporter to be a Moscow Center assassin, but Gabriel Allon (once great friends with the dead Russian) believes they’re mistaken.

He must dive into a dangerous mystery that takes him all over the world, uncovering shadowy plots and organizations.

Pros

  • Rich with musical references.

Cons

  • Some find the plot lacking.

Portrait Of An Unknown Woman (2022)

Portrait of an Unknown Woman: A Novel

Now retired, Gabriel Allon enjoys a peaceful family life. However, when an art dealer asks him to investigate the recent rediscovery of an old painting, Allon finds that the work is a fake.

It’s a revelation that will send him on a hunt for the forger – potentially the greatest art forger in the world.

Pros

  • Incredibly intense.

Cons

  • Some details aren’t necessary.

The Collector (2023)

The Collector: A Novel

In the latest Gabriel Allon book, Allon is hunting down a master thief and the most valuable painting in the world. However, he soon uncovers a potential conflict between the West and Russia…

Pros

  • It’s always nice to have the art angle more to the forefront.

Cons

  • There’s always a risk of a series becoming tired after this many entries.

Final Thoughts

The Gabriel Allon series is full of thrilling, political mysteries. Allon is a ruthless, intelligent spy with a troubled past, and the art restoration angle makes these espionage books truly like no other. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s The Best Gabriel Allon Book?

Many find “A Death In Vienna” to be the best, thanks to its personal story and thrilling mystery.

YouTube video
Noah Burton