The Janson Directive

Paul Janson #1

by Robert Ludlum, Michael Prichard (Reading), Paul Michael (Reading)

Paul Janson has a difficult past, which includes a shadowy, notorious career in U.S. Consular Operations. Now living a quiet life, nothing could lure him back into the field. Nothing - except Peter Novack, a man who once saved Janson's life, who has been kidnapped by terrorists and is set to be executed. Janson hastily assembles a team of former colleagues and proteges to rescue Novak but the operation goes horribly wrong. Now Janson finds himself marked for death and his only hope is to uncover the truth behind these events - a truth that has the power to foment wars, topple governments, and change the very course of history.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Espionage, Mystery, Suspense, Action, Mystery Thriller

Audio CD

First published October 15, 2002

About the author

Robert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series--The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum--among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.

Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.

Reviews

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robert Ludlum, while living or now that he is dead, never fails to astonish me. His works are just different from most of the suspense-thriller novels around. Ludlum books are like a certain kind of apparel brand whose owners and tailors seem to have me in mind whenever they design and produce their clothes.

The Janson Directive was first published in 2002, a year after Robert Ludlum’s death. The question of whether he or some hired writers wrote this does not really matter. This book has the quality – size, color, texture and overall appeal – as the ones Robert Ludlum himself wrote when he was still alive.

It tells the story of Paul Janson a former member of the Covert One, a secret US government agency that fights corruption, conspiracy and bioweaponary at the highest and most dangerous levels of society. Janson is already retired but he gets an assignment to pay an old debt: to rescue Peter Novak, a Nobel laureate billionaire, international financier and a philanthropist. Novak is in the hands of a militant organization called The Caliph and its members are geared up to kill him. However, just like in any other suspense thrillers, the rescue is not that easy. Janson becomes a target himself when the militant organization come to know about him. Surprisingly, that directive comes from the US Government after several of its top-ranking officials go on dying one after the other. It so happens that he is now the suspect of killing these government officials and so Janson has two issues to resolve: who twisted the truth and framed him up for the deaths and how to rescue Peter Novak.

There is a twist in the end that I did not see coming. It is still realistic considering that there is a probability that it can happen no matter how remote it could be for some people.

Like the earlier Robert Ludlum books I’ve read, the scenes are many edge-of-your-seat scenes that will keep you breathless as you turn the pages. There are no philosophical musings, metaphors and other literary gimmicks but the book is very readable, engrossing and entertaining. My quest is to read all the 501 and 1001 books but it is nice to have a breather like Robert Ludlum books just to while away the seriousness of the usual hi-brow literary masterpieces.

Universal Pictures has been shooting the third Bourne movie here in the Philippines since a couple of months back. Next in line will be a movie adaptation of this book, The Janson Directive. So, all you Ludlum fans do read this book because in the next few years will be another Ludlum movie and it will be for this one. Hope they shoot it again here in the Philippines. and I hope they bring back Matt Damon to play Paul Janson.

[Sade · Rating 1 out of 5]

i finished this catastrophe of a book.. too tired. Review to come later

My thought at the end of this book was simply this:


My only defense is this book actually started out really well, i read chapters 1-8 and i was thinking "oh shit this is going to be gooood."

Alas this book turned out to be absolutely underwhelming, chock full of middle east stereotypes: starring your favorite recurring themes such as,
westerners are evil "...the caliph was a leader in the struggle against the corruption of the West, the brutality and depredation of a global order the West imagined to be 'natural'. He prayed that his every choice, his every act would move his country closer to the day when its people would rejoin the ummah, the people of islam and he would be their rightly guided Caliph in more than name"

Martyrdom: "you or your followers may die tonight, the caliph had told the members of his command hours before. if so, your martyrdom will be remembered- always! Your children and your parents will be sanctified by their connection to you..."

Attending Univeristy in America just so said "terrorist" can be convinced on how trash they are and further cement his belief that they should be killed (phew that was a long one): he had spent 2 years obtaining a graduate degree in engineering from the University of Maryland, in College Park. he had been he liked to say, in the heart of Darkness...When the 24 year old graduate student returned to his native land , it was with an even greater sense of urgency. Injustice prolonged was injustice magnified. And he could not say it enough-the only solution to violence was more violence

sanctifying the land of infidels: The blood of the infidel will indeed flow the caliph said...These palms will brim with Peter Novak's blood"
Anyways you get the gist.
Somehow muslims don't get to have starring roles in books except they want to blow up someone (preferably American), hate democracy (i swear if i hear the word Westerners or the west again i might scream)and whatever negative thing you can think of.

and filled with everyone hates America lines: "You, Americans have never been able to wrap your minds around anti-Americanism. You so want to be loved that you cannot understand why there is so little love for you"
...You Americans think you know-nothing is what you know. Americans live in big house, but termites eat at foundations

Mehn it was soooo freaking tiring..

Also not really a big red flag but i was kinda upset that UN Secretary General was referred to as West African?? What in the hell does West African mean sef? Is there some sort of defining feature for West Africans? Was West Africa a country?? I really wouldn't have taken offence but the author says here "Zinsou uttered a sentense in the complex tonal language of Fon spoken by his father's people. Zinsou pere had been a descendant of the royal court of Dahomey, once a significant West African empire" so obviously dude has a country which is present day Benin Republic by the way. Also Dahomey has ceased to exist first as a kingdom around 1904 then as a republic in 1975 when it was renamed Benin Republic, Let's say calling him West African isn't even a big deal, was it freaking hard to use the name of his country?

This book isn't worth it really.. Read at your own risk.

[Steven Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to really love this book when I was younger. As time went on, Ludlum's flaws came more to the forefront as I gained experience as a writer.

The pros that have stood the test of time: Ludlum really knows how to set a scene. He is a master painter with his words and is an expert in putting the reader right in the middle of the scene. He's also excellent at plotting, weaving together conspiratorial strands to make a narrative quilt.

The cons that have been highlighted: Ludlum's dialogue is absolutely cringeworthy. "I am ready to receive your diplomatic mission." Please, never refer to one's penis as a "diplomatic mission" ever again. Blech.

Also, it's clear that Ludlum was not a gun guy, with his using "revolver" interchangeably with "pistol" and referring to the AK-47 as a "submachine gun." I suppose readers didn't care much about that in Ludlum's day, but in the here and now, a higher level of technical accuracy is expected of thriller readers. I'd say research would be more difficult back then, but I know Jane's Guns existed before the Internet. Just a matter of picking up a book.

Overall, though, it's an enthralling read, even with all its flaws. I'm looking forward to the Dwayne Johnson-produced film adaptation starring John Cena.

[AB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I randomly purchased this book in amazon and when I started reading it , I just couldn't stop. A well Narrated Spy novel by Robert Ludlum. Fast paced<>twisty<>and heck of a suspense

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

America secretly tries to influence the course of world history whilst appearing to stay at arms length but it all goes horrible wrong and eventually they have to rely on an ex super spy to save the day when their puppet decides he wants to control the strings himself. So utterly predictable I only kept on reading to see how dreadful it could get. In that respect it didn't disappoint it just kept on getting worse and worse.

Also I kept really irritated by glaring errors that a minimum of research could have avoided, there are no English £100 notes, Scottish ones exists but any one trying to give one to a London cabbie isn't going to be welcomed with enthusiasm

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like Robert Ludlum's 'Bourne' series and Lee Child's 'Reacher' books, you WANT to believe there is someone that kickass out there... We all know there isn't. So, as long as you take it as seriously as the 'Die Hard' movies they are excellent books.

In this story, the worlds greatest philanthropist, billionaire and all round good guy is kidnapped by terrorists. No ransom is demanded they just want to execute him.

Novak's people call in the one man killing machine Paul Janson. Janson puts together a rescue plan so brilliant you know it's already gone wrong! Now, just in case you have any reservations as to how good he is, everyone blames him and the big Janson hunt is on.

Can Paul Janson beat the odds and avoid everyone gunning for him and save the world from tyranny? You better believe it!

Enjoyable from the beginning to the end. 4.5 Stars.

[fleurette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a long time ago, in my teen years. It was one of the first Ludlum books I read. And I liked it so much that I read many other books by this author back then. Sometimes I’m surprised myself how much I still remember from this story. It remains one of my favorite Ludlum books, completely comparable to the unsurpassed ideal of The Bourne Identity.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul Janson is an ex0SEAl, former government assassin, and current security consultant. He is hired by an organization to rescue its leader from terrorists. When things go wrong, the US government issues an elimination order on him. Janson must find out why and who while trying to stay alive. Vintage Ludlum.

[Dan Banana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining book, good characters, lots of dead characters, gun play (weird term)... lots of shooting. Some twists and left turns. Long but, goes by fast.

[Alexander Theofanidis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written shortly before Ludlum left this vain world, the book is unequal and ... unbalanced. The first 1/3 could easily be a book in itself. And in fact quite decent. The other 2/3 were probably written by someone who, on a train, had a brief encounter WITH the sister-in-law of the man who knew the taxidriver who took from the airport the man who had Ludlum notes on the rest of the book. It becomes unbearably clichéd and the reader wonders "W.T.F."???

[Alexw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good action paced novel- just what you would expect from Ludlum- many plot changes that I didn't see coming so was enjoyable. If I was directing the movie abut the book would cast Bruce Willis as the aging hero and Kate Blanchett as the love interest.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh! It was unrealistic, long and convoluted. I did read it all. It had a lot of similarities to "Divine Justice" by David Baldacci, but I preferred "DJ"

[itchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

eponymous-ey sentence:
p127: "The prime directive here is secrecy," the man from the Defense Intelligence Agency said to the others in the room..

spaces:
p145: Even here, though, were the standard-bearers of globalization : a Wendy's, a McDonald's, an Arby's.

p162: "When ?" Janson shoved the silenced Walther into Agger's bony chest.

p195: "And how did we allow ourselves to get into this situation ?" Albright exhaled heavily.

p210: "...Why is cheating cheating ?"

p218: Once more, he brightened : "Cucumber sandwiches."

p221: Didn't this explain his reluctance ?

p460: Farms were converted into overpriced eateries ; daughters of woodworkers and pipefitters and farmers--those who sought to stay, anyway--laced themselves into frilly "colonial"-style costumes and practiced saying, "My name is Linda and I'll be your waitress this evening.."

p485: There were also a few colorless but nervous-looking technicians ; he knew the type immediately.

p549: During that time he had not only been accumulating assets and allies : he had created a duplicate of his own--one who was under his power.

p568: What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ? and what communion hath light with darkness?

p569: "...'Opposition is true friendship, ' William Blake tells us...."

le mot juste:
p305: The woman from Consular Operations was roped to a cement pillar with a thick hawser, her clothes crudely torn off her.

This felt like a revamped Bourne story.

It took me a few books to notice that I am now well in the posthumous publication territory of Robert Ludlum.

[Kevin Reeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Ludlum excitement and suspense

Paul Jansen reluctantly gets a partner after she tries to kill him. Quite the start. International intrigue spanning from his past, twists and turns take him back to his nemesis in the strangest ways.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the physicality of Ludlum's writing.
I'm kind of curious if I were to read these his books in publication order, would I notice anything about how he writes and how it changes.

I can see how it's book 1 of a series, but since Ludlum himself didn't write the rest, I'll stop here.

[B Shea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Ludlum thriller from 20 years ago, quite long but enjoyable if you like the global espionage genre.

[Evan Regan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most 3/5 book ever. An exciting spy thriller with an unpredictable plot bogged down by extensive descriptions of inconsequential characters and redundant flashbacks.

[Andy Oates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plenty of action but a little over descriptive. Worth a read though. Would make a good movie. Will read the rest of the Janson books.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first Robert Ludlum book, although I had heard the name over the years, and read a few reviews of his books. As I had a whole English pound coin burning a hole in my pocket I tried this one. Some familiar ground to start off with, a terrorist preparing to do something horrid and killing one or two sentries and border guards in preparation. The horrid thing was the abduction of a man who, along with being rich beyond our wildest dreams uses his money and influence for the good of his fellow man, that fellow man usually being the resident of a poor country ruled by unstable regimes who have the added bonus qualities of corruption, repression and being good customers of arms manufacturers. The kidnap happens, and the main character of the book, Paul Janson, is employed/unleashed to get him back. Janson manages this, with more familiar events like explosions, killing people with bare hands and gets him safely to the escape helicopter. This is where we get the first twist to the story (just before I was about to despatch the book to the ‘ho hum’ shelf, next stop charity shop) and the escape helicopter blows up in mid-air. Janson is, understandably, a bit put out about this and even more perturbed when he is identified as the main suspect in the murder of the millionaire saint. This is because a huge wodge of money has been deposited into his bank account, at almost the exact time the helicopter, and the victim, was no more. Janson is then pursued, shot at, and generally made to feel unpopular by people unleashed by...tell the truth I don’t remember who and I wasn’t going back into a 500 plus page book to figure it out, but while he is dealing with these people with ruthless efficiency Janson twigs that the millionaire benefactor might not be dead after all and could have, to say the least, feet of clay. There are a couple of back stories going on, Janson is a Vietnam vet who had a mentor – a commanding officer who taught him all he knows, and this is quite a lot, before he went bad and ever so slightly barking mad (think Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now but with more people skills) – and a relationship that Janson forms with, er, one of the snipers who tried unsuccessfully to terminate him with extreme prejudice. The story is about who the millionaire is, and why he does what he does – and for all of the usual stuff you will have seen and read before, it is pretty good, with more twists along the way, and neatly tied up at the end. As I mentioned earlier, it was a bit long for me, and probably my only real criticism might be the number of conversations and exchanges where we are reminded what a fantastic guy Janson is – yes we get it, he’s a hero and he’s American – move on! But still well worth a read, and I will look for some more by the author – checking how many pages there are first of course.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished!!! Sometimes I liked this book. Sometimes it aggravated me. Sometimes it amused me. Only I’m pretty sure it wasn’t intended to amuse me in all the places it managed to amuse me. To be fair it probably wasn’t intended to aggravate me either.

I chose a Ludlum book to listen to because someone suggested thriller type books for long car trips. I read the Bourne Identity ages ago and really liked it... couldn’t put it down. Though I’ll admit I struggled some with its two sequels. Thrillers are not usually my first choice books to read though. I have a lot more trouble suspending disbelief in real world books than I do in something that’s supposed to be fantasy or science fiction to begin with.

In addition I had issues with the lengthy explanations of Jansen analyzing and breaking down for readers his analysis of things like where multiple shooters were when he only had seconds to take action. A multiple minute explanation of something the hero has to take action on in fractions of seconds pulls me out of the story. And it was a trademark of this story. We also spent quite a bit of time getting to know people who were only going to die. Depressing. Once I figured out a pattern of various US government people getting killed in various ways I began skipping over their death chapters. I also skipped over a certain amount of torture.

The heroine is pulled in when the author needs someone else to save the day, but although she herself argues persistently to be treated as a partner there are whole chunks of planning and action she’s mostly left out of.

I liked the plot though I definitely found some of it hard to swallow in terms of believability. I definitely like Jansen... he’s an ultimate hero type with a strong moral compass and he’s safe enough to like as a reader. His friends within the novel should by and large find him dangerous, even lethal, and stay far away from him. Not sure how believable I found the relationship between him and the heroine though the author did a good job avoiding any sort of Stockholm Syndrome set up.

I guess if you like this type of book, you’ll like this book. I wanted to know how it all turned out. I thought it could have been shorter.

[John A. Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul Janson is a retired undercover operative, now working as a consultant, but when he encounters a mysterious woman in an airport, he is offered a job he cannot refuse. He owes Peter Novak, a legendary investor, philanthropist and geo-political superstar, and Novak has been kidnapped and faces death. Janson puts together a team to rescue Novak against impossible odds. Of course, something goes wrong, and Janson finds himself in the sights of the intelligence services, fighting those he once worked for.
The first act details the rescue mission – the setup for the rest of the book. The operation is fraught with danger, and I felt the narrative was a bit too repetitive. For it to be a success, the operation needs to go perfectly. We get it. But, unfortunately the point is laboured – perfect this, perfect that (much like this paragraph) – the flight, the team, the parachute jump, the timing of the opening, the landing, the walk, the search etc.
After the first act, we are given Janson’s backstory, via a series of flashbacks to Vietnam (dating the original to the nineties), as he saunters around Europe with apparent ease. Each location – Amsterdam, London and Hungary comes with a cunning trap, which he manages to escape from, just, gradually helped by an ally he recruits on the way. He is seemingly easy to find, but does not worry about using a mobile phone or meeting up with old friends and colleagues. We eventually reach the US, and a thrilling final confrontation at the UN.
This is classic Ludlum – a really good read, full of detail, intrigue and a multi-layered plot. As the book progresses the plot does become more outlandish, but to be honest I can live with that. Despite the quibbles about the repetition, I really like the book. Perhaps the reason this is almost 800 pages, close to the length of the two sequels (by a different author) combined is because of Ludlum’s attention to detail, and I would not want to miss that, so will live with the quibbles. I have not read sequels, and have no plans to do so. This was and remains a perfectly fine standalone techno-thriller, in the same way the original three Bourne books were an excellent trilogy and do not need to seemingly infinite number of reboots. Highly recommended.

[Carl Alves · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Janson Directive was published after Robert Ludlum’s death. It’s very typical of a Ludlum novel filled with high-wire action scenes and loaded with twists and turns. In this novel, Paul Janson, a former assassin for the United States government who now runs a private security company is hired to rescue kidnapped Nobel Peace prize winner, Peter Novak. He is being held captive by Muslim extremists in the Indian Ocean. Just after his rescue attempt, Novak is killed in a fiery explosion. Instead of this being the end of the novel, it’s just the beginning. Janson is then targeted by assassins throughout Europe, leaving a trail of dead bodies in the process.

This novel certainly moves at a fast pace and is enjoyable to read. The reveal behind the novel is absolutely preposterous, which is typical of Ludlum. I wouldn’t say it kills the novel, but it certainly made me groan. Believability is not one of Ludlum’s strengths, but action is, and this novel has it in spades. A fun novel, but not one that requires a great deal of deep thought.

Carl Alves – author of Blood Street

[Alexandra Bogdanovic · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no words to express my disappointment or explain how truly horrible this book is. Having said that, the phrase, "what a load of rubbish" sums it up rather nicely.
It starts off with so much promise, but quickly dissolves into the type of anti-American rhetoric frequently promulgated by those on the left side of the political spectrum at home and abroad. Don't get me wrong -- of course America is not perfect and of course it can and should be criticized. Just not this way. It is an insult to my intelligence -- and while I am not necessarily the smartest girl in the room, I am certainly smart enough to recognize a bunch of rot and drivel when I see it.
The writing itself is incredibly formulaic -- a Serb as a secondary villain? Now that's original and creative. The "hero" is a self-righteous hypocrite. To buy into the plot requires a complete suspension of disbelief -- and to buy into any praise for Ludlum books outside of the Bourne series requires utter stupidity.
Don't waste your time.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my! It has seemed to take me 'forever' to read this novel. I always thought of Robert Ludlum as a writer of suspense and thrillers. In the midst of reading this book, I did something I have never done before. I came back to the Goodreads web site to read the reviews of others. As I learned that this novel was an unfinished work at the time of Ludlum's death on 12-Mar-2001, my suspicions were confirmed. I know that an adult should rarely use the word 'never' in their vocabulary so I do not state this lightly, "I will never read another Robert Ludlum title with a publication date after his death." This tedious experience of one was enough. For more details, see
http://blog.stephenleary.com/2006/07/...

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reader of this author and now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative series. i was hooked after the first page.

The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.

i would highly recommend this author and this series.

[Ron Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series and the second Robert Ludlum book I have read. Robert Ludlum was a great writer with great attention to detail. This book is full of many twists and turns and fortunately for Janson he is able to navigate through it all. Of course, there was not enough sex, but Janson is getting up there in years.

[Jason Sta. Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a bit common story. But anyway I can still say it was good enough atleast.

[jennifer harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Ludlum book of intrigue

I like intrigue, and the twists and turns kept me glued. This story will not fail you. If you have read his other books, read this one too,

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very good many twists & turns. The main theme of it all eventually is revealed, being something completely hard to grasp but something only a select few will truly know!

[BlackKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Ludlum, c’est une vieille histoire d’amour que j’avais envie d’exhumer pour remettre ce fabuleux auteur au goût du jour et relire ses romans avec un œil différent, peut-être plus « mature » que lors des lectures originelles.

La Directive Janson est un ouvrage posthume et le premier d’une série autour du personnage de Paul Janson (Paul Garrison, alias de Justin Scott, ayant repris le flambeau pour les deux suivants et Douglas Corleone pour le quatrième tome).

Paul Janson s’est retiré des affaires, a déposé les armes, il est dans le privé maintenant, en qualité de consultant en sécurité pour toutes sortes de sociétés. C’est un ancien des Opérations Consulaires mais c’est à croire que travailler pour les agences aux acronymes bien connus des États-Unis vous colle à la peau toute votre vie!
En effet, il se retrouve accusé ni plus ni moins d’avoir assassiné Peter Novak, philanthrope multimillionnaire et prix Nobel de la paix.
Il va devoir défendre sa vie mais également élucider ce meurtre qui dissimule un complot qui risque d’ébranler le monde entier…

Aaahhh l’espionnage, les complots, les politiques, les vitrines officielles des agences nationales de sécurité mais aussi et surtout, les non-officielles. Les milieux nébuleux dans lesquels l’eau est trouble et profonde, dans lesquels les allégeances changent au gré des courants et où la stratégie se décident dans les bureaux mais est chamboulée quand elle se frotte aux impondérables de la réalité… Des sujets sur lesquels l’encre peut couler à flots à l’infini tant l’esprit humain allié au pouvoir n’en finit pas de créer des monstres…

Et à trop jouer à l’apprenti sorcier, il ne faut pas s’étonner que les marionnettes décident un jour de se rebeller et de couper les liens qui les agitent. Et là, la situation devient incontrôlable…
Et c’est la vie de tous qui est en jeu quand les pions décident de prendre le contrôle!

J’ai adoré cette histoire. J’adore la géopolitique, il faut dire. C’est le théâtre de l’ombre. Elle est le reflet des plus grandes intelligences comme des plus gros travers de l’être humain. C’est un bras de fer plus ou moins diplomatique entre les puissances dominantes mais qui ne peuvent s’asseoir qu’avec l’appui des plus modestes mais non moins ambitieuses. Elle est la scènes des plus gros trafics planétaires qui soient, d’influence, d’armes, financiers et bien évidemment, politiques.

Quelques auteurs sont les rois de la géopolitique comme l’incontournable John le Carré, Robert Littell, Joseph Kanon ou un Philip Kerr ou Percy Kemp et, à mon sens, Robert Ludlum a largement sa place dans le panthéon de ces plumes!
Et ses romans sont des pavés dans la marre des naïfs du journal télévisé et des candides de la politique.

Le personnage de Paul Janson est très classique dans le style James Bond. capable de briller en costume cravate comme avec une arme à la main, et bien entendu de faire succomber une jeunette de la moitié de son âge. Classique mais toujours savoureux dans un rythme relativement nerveux pour ne pas décrocher en cours de route, malgré quelques longueurs. L’action s’équilibre très bien avec l’exploration des méandres de l’espionnage de tout poil.

J’ai apprécié également les flash backs sur la guerre du Vietnam et l’analyse psychologique de Janson et de son mentor. Le passé sombre et sanglant de ces personnages est évoqué pour expliquer les crises de conscience de Janson et les raisons de son départ de la CIA mais ôte pour le coup un peu de suspens dans le principal retournement de situation du roman.

Une relecture très agréable et vous savez quoi? La guerre froide est terminée depuis longtemps mais le monde de l’espionnage a encore de « beaux » jours devant lui!