Book Review – The Black Widow

by Daniel Silva (Harper Collins) ISBN: 978-0-00-755236-8

With the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, global terrorism, and ISIS, it is not surprising that there is a plethora of novels that orbit this phenomenon. So after finishing one book on terrorism it was with a sense of trepidation that I picked up The Black Widow.

As the title suggests, Daniel Silva’s latest novel engages the theme of terrorism, and particularly the use of radicalised women becoming terrorists, specifically suicide bombers (from whence the term Black Widow originates). Silva resurrects his celebrated character Gabriel Alon, thought to be dead, to engage a new terror threat.

After a particularly brutal bombing in Paris and a rise in attacks in Israel, Alon recruits a young doctor to not only infiltrate ISIS but to travel into the heart of the Caliphate in Syria. His new protégé must win the trust of one of the masterminds of a terror cell, as well as convince them that she herself is prepared to become a martyr for the cause.

The Black Widow is an engaging read that confronts us with a threat that is closer to home than we think.

Wayne Bouwer
4/5