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The Rembrandt Affair is the 10th book in the Gabriel Allon series. While it always help to have read some of the earlier books for background (to understand character relationships, mostly..but also to understand references to things that happened to each character in earlier books), this could be your first Silva book and you would follow along just fine. I've read the first 4 or 5 books, but not the more recent ones.

First, the plot summary from Amazon:

Determined to sever his ties with the Office, Gabriel Allon has retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful Venetian-born wife Chiara. But once again his seclusion is interrupted by a visitor from his tangled past: the endearingly eccentric London art dealer, Julian Isherwood. As usual, Isherwood has a problem. And it is one only Gabriel can solve.

In the ancient English city of Glastonbury, an art restorer has been brutally murdered and a long-lost portrait by Rembrandt mysteriously stolen. Despite his reluctance, Gabriel is persuaded to use his unique skills to search for the painting and those responsible for the crime. But as he painstakingly follows a trail of clues leading from Amsterdam to Buenos Aires and, finally, to a villa on the graceful shores of Lake Geneva, Gabriel discovers there are deadly secrets connected to the painting. And evil men behind them.

Before he is done, Gabriel will once again be drawn into a world he thought he had left behind forever, and will come face to face with a remarkable cast of characters: a glamorous London journalist who is determined to undo the worst mistake of her career, an elusive master art thief who is burdened by a conscience, and a powerful Swiss billionaire who is known for his good deeds but may just be behind one of the greatest threats facing the world.

Reaction:
Overall, I thought the book was an enjoyable read. The story starts out as a mystery, but gradually evolves into something more in line with the typical thriller/espionage novel (though to avoid spoilers, I won't elaborate). You've got a stolen painting, which leads to a discussion of how the Germans took works of art during WW2, the Holocaust, Swiss banks taking advantage of that situation..which then turns into a more current threat that needs to be addressed. In the early parts of the book, the narrative often diverted to detail the history of the Rembrandt painting, the holocaust, etc. To me, these passages messed with the flow of the novel. Just as I felt we were making progress in the story, we would get a history "lesson". It was almost enough to make me put the book down. Though the history of the painting was very relevant to the book, there just wasn't enough tension early in the story to keep me interested. Once Silva filled in the history of the painting, though, things began accelerating. The book really turned (to the good) for me when the plot moved from the mystery of tracking the painting, to the more current espionage element I noted above. I wish I could say more about that, but detailing how the story changes would kinda ruin the early part of the book.

I do feel that this novel is a bit lighter on the action side of things. Although Gabriel himself is in danger early in the book, others face threats in the 2nd half of the book..I am wondering if this is a trend in the Allon books, due to the age of the character. Don't get me wrong, though, he can still take care of himself when he needs to. But this book is more of a thinking person's espionage novel. So if you are reading this in hopes of reading a lot of car chases, assassinations, cool spy gear..I would recommend you look for something else. But if you are in the mood for something a little more thoughtful, using World War 2 as a background to tie an old painting to a current world threat, this book is for you. While there isn't a high body count, there is still plenty of true tension throughout the 2nd half of the novel.

I wouldn't say it is the best espionage novel I have read this year (that title goes to The Killer by Tom Hinshelwood..review), but it is still a very solid thriller. I'm on board to see where Allon goes next. And I plan to read some of those earlier books, too.