Spoiler Alert. This review spills the beans on important plot twists. If that's a problem stop right here and read the book first.

The usual characters are here with minimal appearances by Ari Shamron and Chiara and only a passing reference to Julian Isherwood. Lots of reminiscing to past exploits, Sarah Bancroft comes back to play a central role. Readers of Silva's many books know to expect a major plot twist so even though we've been focused on one arc we know to expect a second one with potentially some connection to the first. Here the head fake is dramatic. For the first half of the book we are focused on the kidnapping of the Saudi Crown Prince's daughter who we think is the title character – the new girl. Wrong. Things turn when they fail to free her in time. Yes the usual low point, Gabriel has failed. Now the real new girl appears, that's what all her new compatriots in Moscow call Rebecca Manning, or, actually Rebecca Philby. Unknown to us she's been master mind behind things so far so now the new arc is how do we get back at Rebecca. But wait, there's more. The whole title thing is a distraction. While we've been focusing on the "girls" the real story is Silva's spin on MBS and Khashoggi.

Think Law & Order, drawn from the headlines. Many Silva novels include events we recognize immediately. Silva started off the entire Gabriel Allon series by alluding to how Israel relentlessly dealt with the Munich Olympics assassins. Here Silva's version of the Crown Prince, is known by his initials, has allowed women to drive and attend sports events, shook down many Saudi bigwigs by holding them hostage in the Ritz-Charlton, has a super yacht, has purchased the questionable Leonardo masterpiece, murdered a journalist and got away with it, sound familiar?

In order to enjoy any work of fiction the reader has to be willing to suspend their disbelief. Who would believe, even an imaginary Saudi Crown Prince, would turn to the Head of the Israeli secret service to rescue his kidnapped daughter? If you can, then the rest of this whole work flows from that.

Rather than follow all the breadcrumbs I'll leave that task to you. It may feel like I've given it all away but believe me there's more. It's a quick read. I had other things to do so it took me three days. ( )

191-2

Another in the Gabriel Allon series of international espionage. Some regular, some new and some returning characters. Easy reading, with some background information on international politics thrown in for free. The ending is... well, let's say it doesn't end. ( )

Number 19 in the Gabriel Allon Series. This time Gabriel is asked to help Kalid, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, recover his kidnapped 12-year-old daughter, Princess Reema (his only child). The kidnapping leads to a plot to remove the Crown Prince from the succession and return Saudi Arabia to a more restrictive Muslin culture, while placing Russia in a more influential role in the Middle East. ( )

Silva in The New Girl creates Khalid bin Mohammed modeled after Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, who was implicated in the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident and columnist for the Washington Post. He also creates Hanifa Khoury modeled on Khashoggi's Fiancé, Hatice Cengiz, who is also central to the plot of the novel. Silva describes Khalid as a spoiled prince unable to fend for himself in the simplest of tasks, a ruthless despot who murders without remorse when it suits his convenience, but also a charming companion, and a man of great affection for his child. Despite all his failings it's a cold-hearted reader who isn't moved when Khalid's daughter, Princess Reema is killed by her kidnappers in front of him: "A flash of searing light illuminated the field in all directions, ... Reema was gone. What remained of her was strewn along both sides of the pathway. ... He (Khalid) was covered in Reema's blood, ... terrible screams of agony poured from Khalid's lungs. ... he ... saw Khalid desperately collecting his daughter's limbs. 'Call an ambulance,' he was saying. 'Please, we must get her to a hospital.' "
The novel has two "new girls:" Reema who is new to her school and Rebecca Philby, former MI6 director who, having defected, is new to her position at Moscow Center, headquarters of the SVR, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service.
Sarah Bancroft also features in the novel although it is not clear whether she has an official capacity she does bring a touch of romance.