As a historical framework, the secrets of the Bahnhofstrasse are well-trod territory, yet Silva's sophisticated treatment-polished prose, an edgy mood, convincing research-gives his plot a crisp, almost urgent quality. The action unfolds in tightly focused scenes played out across a spectrum of European capitals and more pastoral settings. The so-called Council of Rütli contracts with a shadowy hit man, known only as the Englishman, to eliminate Allon and anyone else who threatens to expose Switzerland's past. Allon catches the attention of Switzerland's secretive power structure, which intends to stymie any further investigation into Rolfe's murder and the theft of his suspiciously acquired art collection. His first stop is Rolfe's daughter, Anna, one of the world's top violinists and a woman haunted by her family's heritage of wartime greed and cruelty. The charge doesn't stick, however, and when he is released from custody, he vows to find out who tried to frame him. When he arrives to restore a Raphael owned by reclusive Swiss banker Augustus Rolfe, Allon not only discovers the banker dead but finds himself the number one suspect. Just a few pages into this sequel, Allon finds himself the apparent victim of a double cross. Here, the former CNN correspondent also appears to have settled on a main character to propel his promising line-Gabriel Allon, the art restorer and Israeli hit man who starred in last year's acclaimed The Kill Artist. Switzerland's shameful behavior in WWII provides the backdrop for this superbly crafted thriller that puts Silva at the forefront of his generation of foreign intrigue specialists.

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