Book Log 2023 #22: The Messenger by Daniel Silva

After having his cover blown in the previous book, Gabriel Allon's career as a spy for Israel looks to be over, with the future promising a desk job that is often suggested by never wanted. An unexpected escape back into the field comes in the form of old friend and papal secretary Luigi Donati, who asks Allon to help uncover a terror plot against the Vatican. This leads Allon to undertake a related mission for the US against targets who, for political reasons, the US can't take care of on their own. 

This is very much in line with previous books in the series, with one notable exception. The bad guys this time are not Palestinian, but Saudi. As this interview makes clear, Silva used this book to explore how Saudi Arabia has a foot in both terrorist and anti-terrorist camps. I'll be interested to see if the focus remains on them in future books.