Saving Faith, by David Baldacci

Read, reviewed, and released April-May, 2014

Full of conspiracies, danger, and intrigue, fast-paced with some quiet moments to catch our breath. A high-powered Washington DC lobbyist and his capable assistant get mixed up with the FBI, the CIA and a private investigator. Who is the enemy, who can trust whom, who is out to kill whom? This kept me flipping the pages back and forth to refresh myself on the details surrounding each encounter.

The English Assassin, by Daniel Silva

Read and reviewed in March, 2013. Released later

A fast-paced thriller involving stolen art by the Nazi regime during World War II and the subsequent attempts to restore it to the rightful owners or their heirs. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, the Swiss government and banking establishments are portrayed as Nazi collaborators and as unwilling to relinquish the hidden works of art, even as late as the 21st century.
The plot includes references to the world of classical music concerts and the excruciatingly delicate craft of art restoration.
I found it very interesting as it is fiction based on historical research, and I learned about places and people of which I did not know.