Robert Ludlum

The Parsifal Mosaic
$7.99
The Parsifal Mosaic by Robert Ludlum cemented to me that Ludlum is one of the greatest spy thriller writers of all time. In this book, I can attribute this mainly to his amazing manipulation of suspense and the manner in which he uses a series of microcosms to demonstrate the central conflict, between the United States government and a renegade individual named Parsifal who has extremely sensitive documents that have the potential to cause global calamities.

Ludlum's superb spectacle begins in Spain along the Costa Brava where scarred CIA operative of Czech background Michael Havelock witnesses his lover Jenna Karas get gunned down by his own people because she is proved by higher authorities to be a double agent. Devastated by the series of events, he immediately announces his retirement and looks for a job in a university. While travelling through Europe, in Rome whilst at a train station he spots her and the chase is on. Ludlum starts the action at this point and never lets up; he moves the action from Italy to perilous alpine passes in Col Des Moulinets to the USA where Havelock slowly uncovers clues of something much more sinister that spreads all the way to the White House. Havelock is not only chasing Karas, he is being pursued by his own organisation that sees him as a paranoid schizophrenic gone rogue who can compromise various operations around Europe. This causes senior members of the CIA to send various deadly assassins to try and eliminate him while he desperately searches for the truth.

Havelock discovers the connection between the mysterious figure of unknown intentions Parsifal, Havelock's childhood friend and Secretary of State Anthony Matthias, a branch of Soviet right wing fanatics called the VKR and the danger of nuclear war. This leads to the last 100 pages being full of twists and turns which proved to me to be one of the most compelling sections of a novel I have ever read. The only problem I encountered with this novel was the more than sporadic use of superfluous, convoluted dialogue which Ludlum seems to have been prone to due to his past as a playwright. Some may criticise Ludlum for lacking in `realism' and characterisation however his novels are among the most entertaining of all time due to the nonstop action, the massive scale and the extremely enthralling, vigorous plot which will keep you hooked to the very last twist. If you read any Ludlum books make it this one and the unforgettable Bourne trilogy.

Robert Ludlum's The Arctic Event (Covert-One)
$15.99
I found the audiobook to be perhaps the most enjoyable and engaging audiobook I have listen to out of the Covert-One series and several Tom Clancy audiobooks. I highly recommend it if you are a fan of the thriller genre. I thought that Jeff Woodman's voice characterizations and accents added significantly to the enjoyment of the story. I respectfully disagree with another reviewer who liked the sound effects. I thought they were somewhat amateurish and detracted from the story.

The Matarese Circle
$7.99
great read! lots of action, great plot with 2 highly trained government agents with a romantic ending.

Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Betrayal
$9.99
Robert Ludlum's (TM) The Bourne Betrayal

This book held my attention for the over 700 pages. It is full of twists and turns that make it an exciting read.