BOOK BITES | Daniel Silva, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, David Koepp

Portrait of an Unknown Woman ★★★★
Daniel Silva
HarperCollins

In Judaism, Gabriel is a guardian angel of Israel. It is an apt name for the hero of 22 Daniel Silva spy thrillers, renowned head of Israeli intelligence Gabriel Allon. In the newest title, Allon finally retires and moves to Venice, Italy, planning to develop his exceptional talent as an art restorer. This is not as exciting as being a spook, but Allon is persuaded to investigate the “discovery” of a centuries-old portrait, attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyck. Thus begins a perilous venture into the dark side of the art world, where unscrupulous dealers, forgers and investors trade in hard-to-detect fakes and stop at nothing — not even murder — to earn billions. Silva’s writing is witty and polished. The pace never lets up, the interest never wanes. My only gripe is that the characters are one-dimensionally super-wealthy and uber-talented. Rather than pander to the modern obsession with wealth and celebrity, Portrait might be enriched by a touch of reality. — William Saunderson-Meyer @TheJaundicedEye

Click here to buy Portrait of an Unknown Woman.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau ★★★★
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Jo FletcherBooks

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest is a Mexican-Gothic reimagining of HG Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau. It is set on Yucatán, a peninsula that often feels isolated from the rest of the country. Here the doctor is king, ruling over Carlota, his daughter, and the hybrids he has made in his lab. His assistant Montgomery Laughton is an alcoholic owned through debt. Yet the fiefdom is stable until the son of Moreau’s benefactor visits, cracking open secrets and exposing the lies. Set against the backdrop of real historical conflict, this thought-provoking read follows the meek and the mild as they claim their voices. — Tiah Beautement @ms_tiahmarie

Click here to buy The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.

Aurora ★★★★
David Koepp
HarperCollins

The irony is not lost on me that I spent a large chunk reading Aurora in load-shedding-induced darkness. From the opening scene of David Koepp's latest novel, you can tell he’s a screenplay writer of the likes of Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible and Angels and Demons. The reader dives headfirst into the unfolding of a global emergency when it’s discovered that a blackout event is soon to engulf Earth, the result of a sun flare. As the characters battle the ensuing catastrophe, their paths soon converge as they head to a dramatic conclusion. Once you put down the book and settle in for a well-deserved few hours of sleep, you’ll find that — more than the thought exercise in global catastrophe and a comment on society’s failings and social ills — it’s a story of hope and human connection. — Sanet Oberholzer

Click here to buy Aurora.