Moscow Rules
The Age
Saturday October 11, 2008
Moscow Rules
Daniel Silva Michael Joseph, $32.95 JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT was safe to go out and play, Daniel Silva's latest spy story strongly suggests that the Cold War is far from over. Clearly written from an Israeli-American perspective, Moscow Rules is based on the unscrupulous selling of arms to the Middle East by Moscow cowboys. In this case, the villain is a former KGB colonel who rakes in millions at the expense of Western security. The colonel and his mates are protected by the Kremlin and operate under "Moscow Rules". These are the operating principles of the Cold War, first referred to by the doyen of spy writers, John leCarre. The main rule is "Don't look back. You are never completely alone."If it weren't for the heroic efforts of secret agent Gabriel Allon apparently we'd all be blown to smithereens by terrorists. Lean and mean and an Israeli, Allon is a marvellously enigmatic character. Apart from getting the better of the devious Muscovites, Allon's allure is that he is an art restorer; that is when he's not interrupted by calls from Israel to source another intelligence rumour. The other theme running through Moscow Rules is the oppression of Russian journalists who dare to criticise their corrupt government.Silva has written other Allon books and I'll look them up. Well paced and with plenty of political and geographical information, this is a good read.
© 2008 The Age