Date first published
ISBN Number	0 75284 210 2
Page Count	509 h/b
h/b= hardback : p/b= paperback

Storyline

Nick Bryson is a spy, a successful one, until an operation goes wrong, and he is nearly killed. His friend and mentor decides that it is time for him to retire from the service, and move into academia.

For five years Bryson under his new name of Jonas Barrett, he leads the life of a lecturer, and actually starts to enjoy the work. Then one day his past comes back to haunt him, and he is propelled back into the world of espionage.

Life becomes more difficult as he soon realises that he has no clear idea of who the enemies are, and also which faction is on the side of right. However as the bodies pile up he realises that the whole world is in danger of becoming a super state run by corporations.

Can Bryson stop the Prometheus group, and prevent the whole world falling under surveillance?

Review

I read this book thinking that it was the last one that Ludlum wrote. However, having prepared the information I'm no longer sure that he did write it as the copywrite is Myn Pyn LLC, which as I understand it is an American Corporation. It looks as though the Matarese Countdown was his last book.

Certainly the book has been written with a pacier style, and it lacks some of the awful dialogue that Ludlum could produce. The characters tend to talk (sometimes argue) with each other rather than harangue each other.

The book has innumerable twists and turns to leave you totally befuddled, and this is where the plot falls apart. The main operation seems to be the penetration of The Directorate, which leads onto the Prometheus Group. The aim ? destroy Prometheus. However without giving too much away all of the protagonists are actually part of Prometheus. The only idea that I can come up with is that Waller wants control of Prometheus for himself without the rest.

That apart, I actually enjoyed the book, and cared whether Bryson lived or died. Once again he is backed up by two very clever and resourceful women, Layla, and his wife Elena. Both contribute, either physical skills, or in the case of Elena, technical expertise.

As said before the conversations in this book are much more normal, than most Ludlum dialogue, and you feel that neither party would just up and get out following the abuse from the other characters.

The twists and turns leave you wondering where you are at times, and I'm still not sure of why Bryson was primed by the CIA, unless he was unaware that the Directorate was already on board with the Prometheus Project.

As to the questions it raises, I broadly agree, the UK is heading into an Orwellian future, with everything being monitored. Also there are issues with central databases carrying all sorts of information. Privacy is being lost and we should care about the loss more than we do.

I was going to give the book a 4 rating however having sat and considered the plot flaw, can only give it a 3 ½.

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