Moscow Rules - Large Print Edition | Thriller Novel by John le Carré | Perfect for Book Clubs & Reading Comfort

We have no trouble spotting the bad guy in this book: Ivan Kharkov is ex-KGB and is now engaged in supplying weapons to the absolutely wrong countries. In short order, Israeli foreign intelligent agent Gabriel Allon is on the hunt for Kharkov. Allon’s travels take him to various countries such as Italy, France, Russia and the American capitol. Author Silva has a keen appreciation of the different cities visited by Allon, his fellow agents and the unsavory associates of Kharkov; he paints some very attractive pictures with his words while also making sure the plot moves ahead smoothly. Ivan Kharkov has a wife, Elena, and two small children. He’s also carrying on an affair with another Russian woman and hasn’t much interest these days in Elena. But watching out for his children is another matter entirely. Elena’s hoodlum bodyguards are looking after Ivan’s family with two missions: making sure Elena behaves herself and that no harm comes to his children. Allon’s mission is to gain detailed information on Kharkov’s subversive dealings and he starts by conjuring up a meeting with Elena. She’s both an art collector and expert so Allon makes sure that a painting which he has worked on comes to Elena’s attention. They meet and are soon linked together in an attempt for Elena to retrieve sensitive information from her Moscow apartment. What could possibly go wrong? In a word, plenty. The plot builds steadily and you’ll have a hard time putting it down until you reach the exciting ending. All things considered, I think it’s one of the best Silva novels that I’ve read. A comment about Silva’s writing: One of the rules for writers is not to draw attention to the writing itself but, in this particular book, I couldn’t help but notice. The scene is Geneva, Switzerland, and Silva remarks that travelers who approach Geneva by train from Zurich are frequently so overcome by its beauty that they hurl their return tickets out the window and vow never to leave again. He then gives us Allon’s thoughts on Geneva: he found it to be a charming but intensely boring city. Once a place of Calvinistic fervor but finance was now the city’s only religion, and bankers and moneymen were its new priests and archbishops. Nevertheless, Silva paints quite a nice word picture.