Daniel Silva

Daniel Silva

Daniel Silva was born on December 19th, 1960 and is currently 65 years old. Daniel Silva was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Silva attended California State University, Fresno where he received a Bachelor of Arts and San Francisco State University where he received a Began a graduate program in International Relations.

Daniel Silva is known for writing in the Mystery and Thriller genres.

Daniel Silva is the author of the Gabriel Allon series which currently consists of 26 novels. The Gabriel Allon series started in 2001 with the novel The Kill Artist. The most recently released novel in the Gabriel Allon series was Ransom which was released in 2026. There are no upcoming novels for the Gabriel Allon series.

Daniel Silva has also written the Michael Osbourne series which has 2 books including The Mark of the Assassin and The Marching Season.

The Unlikely Spy debuted on The New York Times best-seller list on January 26, 1997 where it remained for five weeks reaching number 13.

In 1997 Silva left CNN to pursue writing full-time.

House of Spies was listed as one of the Best Spy Thrillers in 2017 by the website The Real Book Spy. The following year they would name The Other Woman the Best Spy Thriller and their Highest Rated book of 2018 saying: "The Other Woman proves once and for all that Daniel Silva is more than just the best spy novelist alive today, he's one of the greatest spy novelists of all-time." Continuing the streak, in 2019 The Real Book Spy named The New Girl among the Top Spy Thrillers calling it the best espionage novel of the year. The Cellist made their list of Best Thrillers of 2021.

Daniel Silva: Awards & Accolades

Silva's books have won multiple awards, The Messenger won the Barry Award, Best Thriller, in 2007. The Fallen Angel won the Barry Award, Best Thriller, in 2013. The English Spy won the Audie Award, Best Male Narrator, in 2016.

The following novels by Daniel Silva were nominated for these awards:

• The Confessor: Crime Writer's Association Award, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award (2004).
• A Death in Vienna: Barry Award, Best Thriller (2005). Crime Writer's Association Award, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award (2005). Gumshoe Award, Best Thriller Novel (2005).
• The Messenger: Crime Writer's Association Award, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award (2006). International Thriller Writers Award, Best Novel (2007).
• Moscow Rules: Crime Writer's Association Award, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award (2009).
• The Rembrandt Affair: Barry Award, Best Thriller (2011).
• The Fallen Angel: Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller (2012).
• Portrait of a Spy: Audie Award, Best Fiction (2012).
• The English Spy: Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller (2015). Crime Writer's Association Award, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award (2016).
• The Black Widow: Goodreads Awards, Best Mystery and Thriller (2016).

Daniel Silva: Lists & Other Mentions

• An Inside Job was the Jack Carr Book Club August 2025 Pick.
• The Kill Artist: NPR: Top 100 Killer Thrillers Selection in 2010.
• A Death in Vienna: USA Today: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2024.
• The Messenger: Barnes & Noble: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2006.
• Moscow Rules:
  1. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2008.
  2. Barnes & Noble: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2008.
• The Defector:
  1. New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2009.
  2. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2009.
  3. Barnes & Noble: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2009.
• The Rembrandt Affair:
  1. New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2010.
  2. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2010.
  3. Barnes & Noble: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2010.
• The Fallen Angel: Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2012.
• Portrait of a Spy: Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2011.
• The English Girl:
  1. Barnes & Noble: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2013.
  2. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2013.
• The Heist: Barnes & Noble: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2014.
• The English Spy:
  1. Barnes & Noble: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2015.
  2. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2015.
• The Black Widow:
  1. New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2016.
  2. Barnes & Noble: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2016.
  3. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2016.
• House of Spies:
  1. New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2017.
  2. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2017.
• The Other Woman:
  1. New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2018.
  2. Barnes & Noble: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2018.
  3. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2018.
• The New Girl:
  1. New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2019.
  2. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2019.
• The Order:
  1. New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2020.
  2. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2020.
• The Cellist:
  1. New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2021.
  2. Wall Street Journal: #1 Hardcover Fiction Best Seller in 2021.
• The Collector: New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2023.
• An Inside Job: New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2025.
• Ransom: New York Times: #1 Fiction Best Seller in 2026.

Related Authors

Fans of Daniel Silva also enjoy these authors:

1. David Baldacci, author of the Amos Decker Series.
2. Brian Freeman, author of the Jonathan Stride Series.
3. Stephen Leather, author of the Spider Shepherd Series.
4. Mike Lawson, author of the Joe DeMarco Series.
5. David Morrell, author of the Mortalis Series.
6. David Archer, author of the Noah Wolf Series.
7. Gayle Lynds, author of the Covert-One Series.
8. Flynn Berry, author of: Northern Spy.
9. Jeffery Deaver, author of the Lincoln Rhyme Series.
10. Nelson DeMille, author of the John Corey Series.

Daniel Silva: F.A.Q