ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE ESCAPE

4 stars out of 5

It's kind of like Yogi Berra's deja vu all over again: Memory lost and found, falling in and out of love (and beds) and, of course, danger lurking in the doorways of every restaurant, hotel and "safe" house. If I'm honest, it's getting a teeny bit ho-hum after all this time (this is the 21st book in the series) - but on the other hand, I certainly can't say I wasn't on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

One thing I do like is that this installment brings together several of the characters from his past, some to haunt on-the-run former paid assassin Jason Bourne, others to love him, others to deceive him and still others to kill him outright (including no less than Russian President Vladimir Putin). After a period of relative calm with lover Johanna in which he regains some of the memories he's lost over a ton of previous books, his situation takes a dark turn when the boat they are on suddenly goes boom - taking Jason, Johanna with it. 

When he's somehow rescued, he finds that the blast took his memories with it as well - so he's pretty much starting from scratch once again. Johanna, he believes, is dead. One memory that remains intact, sort of, is his former relationship with Treadstone and its founder, David Abbott - who's been dead for awhile. But turns out that's not true; when he reunites with Shadow, a beautiful woman who now heads up Treadstone, he learns the truth. His old mentor and employer - the man who made him the efficient assassin he is - is alive and missing, and his enemies will leave no stone unturned until they find him. If they find Jason in the process, so much the better.

Or, maybe it's Jason they really want. Shadow has betrayed Jason before; is she doing it again? One of Treadstone's rules was to "trust no one" - a rule that has so far kept Jason alive. But Shadow is relentless - and irresistible. When she reveals her secret reason for finding and rescuing Abbott, it makes sense - but is she telling the truth? And what, if anything, does her quest to find him have to do with a very powerful government leader?

It's all part of an intricate and deadly game - a common theme for the books in this series. This is another good one, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Escape by Brian Freeman (G.P. Putnam's Sons, July 2025); 400 pp.

ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE VENDETTA

4 stars out of 5

Years ago when the original author was penning the novels in this series, I read a couple and quit even though overall I thought they were well written. Why? Reading became tedious, and getting through one became more slogfest than enjoyment to me. The movies I watched - as long as I've read a book that gets transformed to film, I'm game, but never the other way around.

Fast-forward more years than I want to own up to, and I've once again started to read the series (most recently penned by this author). That in itself is an oddity, since once I've seen the movie(s) I never, ever, return to print. And by golly, I'm enjoying the heck out of the books. This one is no exception, although I'll say at the outset that I'm so not happy with the ending.

Once again, current and former players from the secretive agency Treadstone are interacting with each other - including Jason Bourne, a.k.a. several other names, who's forgotten most of his past. The agency's head is a truly wicked city woman called Shadow; a former agent, Johanna, gets involved in the mix. Despite having had initimate relationships with both women, Jason's long-time love is Abbey Laurent, who left him (with his blessing) because she couldn't deal with his ultra-dangerous lifestyle.

Throw into the mix something called "The Files," some kind of clandestine computer program that has ferreted out top secrets from the lives of all sorts of people. Whoever has it has the potential to earn tons of money by blackmailing those who want to protect their secrets, so several factions are doing their best (or worst) to get it their hands, including Treadstone. To help with that, Shadow calls in Jason.

Amid people getting killed and Jason trying his best not to be among them, he learns that Abbey is collecting information for a book she's writing based on a major fire at a ranch resort in which several people died. No cause has been determined as yet, but she hopes her research will ferret out the truth. He also learns she's no longer a free woman; not long ago, she married a man named Garrett Parker. Jason has very mixed feelings about that - perhaps hoping that Abbey does as well - although both deny any chance of getting back together.

But as connections between what both are working on grow stronger, meeting again becomes inevitable - as does the danger that follows Jason like a shadow encroaches on Abbey's life once again. An even bigger problem, though, is that Garrett may be involved somehow - and it may be up to Jason to save him (or not).

All in all, it's typical Bourne in action from the beginning (and no, you didn't really expect me to say why I didn't like the ending, did you)? I'll just say thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Good one!

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Vendetta by Brian Freeman (G.P. Putnam's Sons, January 2025); 400 pp.

ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE SHADOW

5 stars out of 5

Wow! I've always enjoyed books in this series, but this one is a real barn-burner! Besides that, the story clears up a good bit of previously murky background on main character Jason Bourne, who has been treading water, so to speak, after running from the spy-laden Treadstone organization and trying to revive deeply buried memories of who, and what, he once was.

For none of which, alas, I can reveal specifics; you'll just have to read the book for yourself. I can, however, provide something of an outline of events that officially begin as Jason is in Paris for the summer amid riots surrounding a major government election and a dangerous neo-Nazi organizers. Months earlier, he'd reluctantly left his latest love, Abbey Laurent, in Quebec City under a cloud; in Paris, he's hoping she'll contact him so they can reconnect once again. Instead, he gets a message from a Treadstone colleague that someone is hunting the man known as Cain - the person the original David Webb, a.k.a. Cain, a.k.a. Jason Bourne. 

Eventually, he's found by a woman who claims to be related to Monika Roth, the woman at one time he was going to marry (insert backstory here). Monika, it seems, had disappeared supposedly for good with Jason's help; now, her sister insists that finding her is urgent. Jason, who desperately wants to remember details from his complicated past, agrees to help.

From there, it's the thrill of the chase; as clues turn up as to Monika's whereabouts, Jason and Joanna find themselves chased by baddies intent on taking them out - or find said baddies are ready and waiting for them at their next destination. Along the way, Jason has to rely on people who may or may not be on his side - and hope some of his long-lost memories will return to help him figure out if there's anyone he can trust. It all leads to a bang-up (and surprising) ending and hints of a new direction with a too-familiar ring.

All told, this is one I had trouble putting down and one of the best I've read of the post-Ludlum installments. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Shadow by Brian Freeman (G.P. Putnam's Sons, July 2024); 400 pp.

ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE DEFIANCE

5 stars out of 5

Finally, Matt Damon has left the building. As recently as last year's Bourne Sacrifice, he was still on my mental radar as I thumbed through the pages of my ebook reader after seeing so many of the Bourne motion pictures (one reason I hate reading books after I see the movies instead of the other way around). This time, though, his image was far less noticeable. The story, though, was every bit as exciting as last year's book - and for me, the thrill of a book beats that of watching a big screen every single time.

As expected, this one's another nail-biter that pits Bourne against Lennon, his one-time friend who turned out to be a Russian agent and superbly talented assassin. As the story begins, Bourne is living in Paris with his lover, writer Abbey Laurent - and still trying, on behalf of his employer Treadstone, to nail Lennon (preferrably alive so he can be questioned). Then in Juneau, Alaska, a Treadstone hacker is inexplicably murdered, but not before he sends a crypic message to his Treadstone handler, Nash Rollins: Defiance. As Bourne later learns, that hacker is just one of several Treadstone agents who have been targeted for death. But who's behind it and why?

The answers to those questions takes up the rest of the book, sending Bourne on the chase of his lifetime. It's a complex plot with a ton of characters and can be a little hard to follow, although I'm happy to say, I guess, that I correctly identified the person behind the murder and mayhem fairly early on. The story goes off in so many directions that I can't provide more detail without giving away too much, but suffice it to say there are a couple of unexpected murders and an ending that's truly bittersweet (though not entirely unexpected) that leaves the door open for the next installment. All told, it's another great adventure, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Defiance by Brian Freeman (G.P. Putnam's Sons, July 2023); 384 pp.