535 h/b

Date first published	2001
ISBN Number	0-752-84178-5
Page Count
h/b= hardback : p/b= paperback

Storyline

Ben Hartman, is a banker, a wealthy banker, and son of one of the richest men who has built a financial empire. Whilst on holiday in Switzerland he bumps into a childhood friend of his, who promptly tries to kill him. Stunned by the betrayal, he is even more shocked to find out his best friend never existed. Ben is thrown into a search for the truth and the reason for his death. Is it tied to the suspicious death of his brother 4 years earlier?

In the states Anna Navarro, a maverick investigator for the Department of Justice is moved to Internal Compliance under the control of a man nicknamed the ghost. She is set the task of investigating a series of mysterious deaths. The question is, is it really that mysterious, as all the men were of an advanced age. Anna is soon catapulted into a world wide search for a number of old men - the originators of Sigma. However death follows Anna where ever she goes.

Ben and Anna are thrown together once it becomes clear that they are seeking the same answers, but Sigma has long tentacles and formidable powers, but what is Sigma?

Review

Having read the book, thought about it a bit I'm still not sure what Sigma is/was. At it's basic level it is an organisation set up to stop aging, and for those lucky enough to get the treatment, gain another few years of life.

The only real problem is of course that Sigma uses children as it's test subjects, and also their brain tissue for the drugs required. Not really a global stopper, as the aims of Sigma do not seem to go much beyond the treatment - mind you, you have to be deemed worthy of the treatment.

Perhaps that is why the book doesn't quite work. The use of children as a source of material for the drugs is pretty horrid - but at the end of the day it wouldn't destroy the world, it is not hinted that Sigma have any further plans to dominate the world, so why all the fuss, why kill Hartman at the start? Sigma is a bit of a mystery, but without the death threats it would not have been drawn out.

Of course the other part of the book, is a about Corporate greed, a subject which seems to have been close to Ludlum's heart. He makes a great play about the co-operation of the industrial giants during the war - The Rhinemann Exchange covers similar territory, however business continues, wars are usually brief interludes.

There also seems to be a moral issue based here, what would you do, accept to gain a few more years life? It is a fact of life that by the time we have gained real knowledge, we are teetering on the edge of the big sleep. Perhaps that should be the way. If we all become all knowing then we won't make new mistakes, and learn, we would stagnate as a race, which may well lead to the end of us as a species. - Thats getting a bit deep for this site!

Characterisation is about on a par for a Ludlum novel, once again you have his signature, of a strong female lead. I've just realised that I don't think that Ludlum ever wrote a female opponent. They have always been on the good side, never the evil adversary lurking in the shadows. How strange, for someone that can provide good strong female characters.

I can't say that the book is a brilliant example, it is a good solid piece of work, to while away a few hours, in its defence it is not a bad book either, it is just not a strong story, the ending needed to be expanded a bit to show what was expected of those worthy of the treatment. Of course the book is based around a Nazi doctor, and this could have been made stronger, I don't think Lorenz, would have made a simple mistake of not registering himself as a doctor, it could have threatened Sigma.

Not the best story, but readable, and far better than some of Ludlums other work. Dialogue, does not suffer from Ludlum's 'antagonise all my allies and friends' which was one of his traits, and one which I didn't think worked. After all if someone said "You're a complete idiot, waste of space", would you then help them out. i wouldn't! Give the book a go, I would say that very little was actually written by Ludlum, it just doesn't have his style stamped anywhere on it, apart from the storyline of Nazis and corporate greed. I'm not sure the medical research is a Ludlum idea. See what you think and let me know.

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