Will the Pope survive terrorists shooting up St. Peter's?

"The Messenger,"
by Daniel Silva

Will Israeli super-spy Gabriel Allon be able to save the life of the Holy Father and get revenge on the Islamist extremist who planned attacking the Vatican? And what and who might be other targets for the terrorists?

The pope is a draw in this page-turner of a novel, but concerns about the pontiff and St. Peter's really is the cookie part of the Oreo. The creamy filling is how the Israeli and American spy guys infiltrate a Saudi billionaire to get to the terrorist they've targeted.

Silva has a good thing going as he takes advantage of post-9/11 fears and anti-Arab sentiments rampant in the West.

He's also milking his creation of the character Allon, who restores paintings to their original glory when he's not putting away bad guys. He's a hero we can't help but support, and Silva is taking advantage of his protagonist's popularity now with a fistful of novels.

All are good international thrillers, and "The Messenger" joins the rest as worth your time because it's a good premise and a good plot.

But know there's a definite slant to his work, and a message Silva is not shy about: There is evil out there, and the world needs to be more attuned to the threat posed by those who hate capitalism, Christianity and democracy. - bz