zemily83's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
hmmckelvie's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
dhilderbrand's review against another edition
3.0
I always love a Ludlum and this was no different. An interesting story with a hanful of fun characters. The only reason it didn't get a 4 star was the love story. It was incredibly weak and distracting.
taque's review against another edition
3.0
Middle of the road Ludlum. Worth a read, but not one of his absolute best. Writing style very similar, but it had a more-unique topic and set of events than his past stories.
melonpea's review against another edition
3.0
It took a long time for the main plot to get going but once it did, it was gripping. A lot of unnecessary waffle throughout.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
The first 250 pages were great, thrilling Robert Ludlum-esque fun. After that, it just became repetitious and boring. Even the twists at the end didn't really do much for me. Probably would have worked better if it had just been a sequel to his superb "The Holcroft Covenant" and not another neo-Nazis take over the world tale.
jules_cr's review against another edition
1.0
This book was terrible. Somewhere in the 750 pages the plot jumped the shark from being an amusing spy novel to something with 50+ minor characters with random, but very convenient skills or back stories that show up in the nick of time to assist the amazing Drew Laytham, hockey player and spy extraordinaire, avenge his brother and save the broad- I mean lady. Maybe because the book was written in the 80s (based on my reading), but I found the insistence on equal treatment/abilities of women patronising and the constant reminders of Knox Talbot's blackness smacked of the 'but I have black friends!' defense. I was too confused by the end to react to the twist, but relieved that everything was tied up neatly so there was no real prospect for a mind numbing sequel.
upsidedown10's review
4.0
This was the first Robert Ludlum book that I've read and it was really great. Drew was the perfect character to push the plot forward. And what a plot it was. It was intense, detailed and fast-paced, though there were a few times that I found it a bit hard to believe. This kind of plot would never work in modern times, but in the 90's, it was perfect. A great book, overall.
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