The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva (2012)

I have only read one other Daniel Silva book, but I really like the Gabriel Allon character, and I should try reading about him in the right order. At this point I am going backwards. I really like the combination of art restorer and high level spy from Israel. This story starts out at the Vatican,as he is restoring a Caravaggio, and of course there is a murder. Then it evolves into a major international crisis taking us to Israel, France, Switzerland, U.S., Germany, Denmark, Austria and back to Israel, mostly Jerusalem.

The plot is a complex one involving illegal antiquities, money movers, spies, terrorists, old affairs, the pope and his entourage,  and Gabriel, who just wants to restore art and live peacefully with his wife, but he keeps getting pulled into these major international affairs that he seems to be the best person to solve.

Silva explains in a note after the novel what is based on truth and where he stretches it. I got a sense of the conflicts between the three main religions in Jerusalem and feel I need to read up more on this historical city. It mus be a treasure trove for archeologists and I really don't know what has and has not been found. I feel like I am filling in little pieces of my understanding of the Middle East conflicts. I am just finishing another book about the Holocaust, reminding me why Israel was created. Plus the confusing and terrifying events occurring in Iraq right now make me want to understand this area better.