Robert Ludlam’s The Bourne Deception-Eric Van Lustbader

Robert Ludlam’s The Bourne Deception
Eric Van Lustbader
Grand Central, Jun 09 2009, $27.99
ISBN-13: 9780446539821

Former CIA assassin Jason Bourne believes he killed his Russian equivalent Leonid Arkadin (see THE BOURNE SANCTION) when he pushed his greatest enemy into the ocean. Soon after that incident, a highly placed Fed makes a deal with a Russian to kill Bourne in exchange for killing a terrorist. The Russian is Arkadin who survived his watery grave and in Bali he fires at Bourne, hitting him with the accuracy of the best snipers, but somehow though severely hurt Bourne escapes and lives.

While Arkadin tries to assassinate Bourne, a US commercial airline is shot down over Egypt. The American Secretary of Defense blames that deadly assault on Iranian terrorists sanctioned by that country. War seems imminent, but Bourne is caught in the middle learning the truth about double dealing on personal and state levels.

Fast-paced and very exciting though over the top of the pyramids, the latest Bourne thriller is a fun tale in which action, believable or incredulous, and more action overwhelms the plot as the sum of the subplots is greater than the story line. Additionally, none of the characters including Bourne and Arkadin seem even partially developed; compounded by the hero’s limited role; as the feats of daring do supersede all else. This is only for die hard fans of the saga.

Harriet Klausner