The Marching Season: The Michael Osbourne Novels Series, Book 2
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Reasonable people have hope for the Good Friday peace accord in Northern Ireland, but two terrorist attacks and the assassination of a Sinn Fein leader place the whole peace process at risk. At the request of the British prime minister, U.S. President James Beckwith appoints former senator Douglas Cannon ambassador to the Court of St. James in London. Cannon's credibility is based on his Irish roots and his condemnation of both the Catholic and Protestant factions for past violence. Cannon asks his son-in-law, ex-CIA antiterrorist agent Michael Osbourne, to accompany him, hoping Osbourne's contacts in the shadowy terrorist world will help expose the Ulster Freedom Brigade, an obscure faction taking credit for the three acts of violence. Meanwhile, the brigade hires a hitman known as October to assassinate Cannon. Silva's fans will remember October from Mark of the Assassin [BKL F 15 98], when he tangled with Osbourne over a nefarious multinational arms deal. Silva, a journalist and television producer, adds several new twists to some standard espionage characters. October is a great villain who reveals a surprising side to his personality when confronted by Osbourne, and Osbourne isn't yet another reluctant spy dragged out of retirement. He loves what he does, it defines him, and his guilt stems solely from the fact that he sometimes places his family in danger. This is superior entertainment for all espionage fans. --Wes Lukowsky

The title of Silva's new thriller (after Mark of the Assassin and The Unlikely Spy) refers to the time of the year in Northern Ireland when the Protestants assert their right to march in celebration of a 300-year-old victory over the Catholics‘and the Catholics (naturally) object. The Irish background to this elaborately plotted but not very convincing yarn is by far the best part about it. Silva has clearly done his homework on Belfast and the tone of the contemporary Troubles, and the opening passages have an authentic ring. All too soon, however, the story becomes bogged down in one of those worldwide conspiracies to keep the world safe for arms merchants by blocking any efforts toward peace, of a kind only John le Carré, with his much more acute eye and ear for offbeat villains, can hope to bring off. There is a supposedly charismatic yet glum world-class assassin who bumps off the surgeon who has changed his face; an embittered ex-CIA man, Michael Osbourne, whose job is to save the free world; Osbourne's wife, who wishes he would leave the Agency alone, and various cynical and suave operatives on both sides. The whole tale is told in simple, declarative sentences that convey information (though not much else) with economy and authority, but ultimately become tedious. There are anomalies, too: a climactic shootout in Washington might work as a movie scene but sags on the page; and while such real-life figures as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and (in a truly ludicrous scene) even Queen Elizabeth are given walk-ons, the American public figures are all mythical. Despite Silva's skill at moving a story along, this is basically a mechanical and lackluster performance. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Like all the folks who keep going back to Grade A steakhouses for hearty sirloin and baked potato, thriller readers will flock to Silva's latest because this is solid, reliable, and delicious nourishment for those whose daily diet is limited to blander selections. Silva, resurrecting the spy and assassin who were such fabulous hits in The Mark of the Assassin (LJ 5/15/98), now zooms in on the Irish Troubles. A hardcore group, supported by a shadowy entente determined to keep up the demand for arms and discord, has set itself firmly against the peace accords of 1998 and has enlisted Jean-Paul Delaroche to kill the U.S. ambassador to Ireland. The ambassador's son-in-law is Michael Osbourne, the ex-CIA spy who barely survived Delaroche's attack five years earlier and who must protect the ambassador. The suspensful chase features vicious passions, coolly determined women, and up-to-date realism. The settings in Ireland and elsewhere are nicely evoked. This is a sure bet for all public libraries, especially those with le Carré and Forsyth fans. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/98.]‘Barbara Conaty, Lib. of Congress (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The Troubles claim still another victim, as Silva's attempt to pull off the hat trick falls short of the success of his two earlier spy thrillers. Because they want to torpedo the Good Friday accords that they think will oust the British from Northern Ireland, Kyle Blake and his tiny, murderous Ulster Freedom Brigade (UFB) embark on a wholesale campaign of terrorism, bombing Irish and British landmarks on the same day they're executing a Sinn Fein notable. Because he's determined to let the UFB know he stands foursquare behind the accords, Prime Minister Tony Blair insists that the next US Ambassador to Britain be a person of substance. Because he can't resist the chance to make history once more, retired Senator Douglas Cannon agrees to accept the posting. Because he's worried about his father-in-law's safety, and because he's offered another chance to go after October, the hired assassin who narrowly eluded him in The Mark of the Assassin (1998) and may be involved once again here, ex-CIA agent Michael Osbourne comes back to the Agency to assess counterterrorist measures in London and ends up in the middle of the inevitable UFB attempt on Cannon's life. All this may sound vaguely familiar, since even real-life Yanks like George Mitchell have taken such major roles in recent Northern Irish history. But when Cannon survives the attempt to return to Washington with Osbourne in tow, stealthily pursued by October and escaped UFB intelligence chief Rebecca Wells, the scent of Tom Clancy's Patriot Games becomes overpowering. Sadly, Silva's biggest innovation, the international franchise of diplomats and arms dealers designed to foment worldwide unrest and integrate the New World Order flare-ups that keep Osbourne in business, is the weakest aspect of this rousing but otherwise familiar tale. What survives is a sure hand with the larger picture, some movie-tense action sequences, a hero worth rooting for'and a few lucky members of the supporting cast. (Book-of-the-Month selection; author tour)

Reasonable people have hope for the Good Friday peace accord in Northern Ireland, but two terrorist attacks and the assassination of a Sinn Fein leader place the whole peace process at risk. At the request of the British prime minister, U.S. President James Beckwith appoints former senator Douglas Cannon ambassador to the Court of St. James in London. Cannon's credibility is based on his Irish roots and his condemnation of both the Catholic and Protestant factions for past violence. Cannon asks his son-in-law, ex-CIA antiterrorist agent Michael Osbourne, to accompany him, hoping Osbourne's contacts in the shadowy terrorist world will help expose the Ulster Freedom Brigade, an obscure faction taking credit for the three acts of violence. Meanwhile, the brigade hires a hitman known as October to assassinate Cannon. Silva's fans will remember October from Mark of the Assassin , when he tangled with Osbourne over a nefarious multinational arms deal. Silva, a journalist and television producer, adds several new twists to some standard espionage characters. October is a great villain who reveals a surprising side to his personality when confronted by Osbourne, and Osbourne isn't yet another reluctant spy dragged out of retirement. He loves what he does, it defines him, and his guilt stems solely from the fact that he sometimes places his family in danger. This is superior entertainment for all espionage fans. ((Reviewed February 1, 1999)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

Like all the folks who keep going back to Grade A steakhouses for hearty sirloin and baked potato, thriller readers will flock to Silva's latest because this is solid, reliable, and delicious nourishment for those whose daily diet is limited to blander selections. Silva, resurrecting the spy and assassin who were such fabulous hits in The Mark of the Assassin (LJ 5/15/98), now zooms in on the Irish Troubles. A hardcore group, supported by a shadowy entente determined to keep up the demand for arms and discord, has set itself firmly against the peace accords of 1998 and has enlisted Jean-Paul Delaroche to kill the U.S. ambassador to Ireland. The ambassador's son-in-law is Michael Osbourne, the ex-CIA spy who barely survived Delaroche's attack five years earlier and who must protect the ambassador. The suspensful chase features vicious passions, coolly determined women, and up-to-date realism. The settings in Ireland and elsewhere are nicely evoked. This is a sure bet for all public libraries, especially those with le Carré and Forsyth fans. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/98.] Barbara Conaty, Lib. of Congress Copyright 1999 Library Journal Reviews

The title of Silva's new thriller (after Mark of the Assassin and The Unlikely Spy) refers to the time of the year in Northern Ireland when the Protestants assert their right to march in celebration of a 300-year-old victory over the Catholics and the Catholics (naturally) object. The Irish background to this elaborately plotted but not very convincing yarn is by far the best part about it. Silva has clearly done his homework on Belfast and the tone of the contemporary Troubles, and the opening passages have an authentic ring. All too soon, however, the story becomes bogged down in one of those worldwide conspiracies to keep the world safe for arms merchants by blocking any efforts toward peace, of a kind only John le Carré, with his much more acute eye and ear for offbeat villains, can hope to bring off. There is a supposedly charismatic yet glum world-class assassin who bumps off the surgeon who has changed his face; an embittered ex-CIA man, Michael Osbourne, whose job is to save the free world; Osbourne's wife, who wishes he would leave the Agency alone, and various cynical and suave operatives on both sides. The whole tale is told in simple, declarative sentences that convey information (though not much else) with economy and authority, but ultimately become tedious. There are anomalies, too: a climactic shootout in Washington might work as a movie scene but sags on the page; and while such real-life figures as British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and (in a truly ludicrous scene) even Queen Elizabeth are given walk-ons, the American public figures are all mythical. Despite Silva's skill at moving a story along, this is basically a mechanical and lackluster performance. (Mar.) Copyright 1999 Publishers Weekly Reviews