Legendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon finally left his post as head of Israeli intelligence and settled in Venice - the only place he found peace. He spends his days wandering the streets and canals of a city built on water, running from the demons of the past. But when eccentric London art dealer Julian Isherwood asks him to investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery and bargain sale of a centuries-old masterpiece, Gabriel finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse in which nothing is as it seems.
Allon soon discovers that the painting in question - a portrait of an unknown woman, allegedly by Antoine van Dyck - is almost certainly a successful copy. Desperate to find the mysterious forger and uncover a billion-dollar fraud among the elite of the art world, he devises one of the most elaborate tricks of his career. But if the plan is to succeed, Gabriel must become the greatest art forger the world has ever seen.
Portrait of an Unknown Woman is a journey into a dark world where unscrupulous art dealers cheat their clients on a daily basis and rich investors see great works of art as just another commodity to be bought and sold at a profit. From the elegant opening to the unexpected twists at the end, this novel is a true masterpiece. It is also further proof that Daniel Silva has no competition as an author of spy novels and thrillers.