ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE SANCTION
Eric Van Lustbader
Grand Central Publishing
Thriller
ISBN: 9780446539869

• Read an Excerpt

At this point, Jason Bourne is an institution in the thriller genre, second only to James Bond. Part of this is due to the popularity of the film franchise, but the bedrock reason is that Bourne has benefited from having some of the best writers in the business continuing the tradition of the character established by the late Robert Ludlum. The newest book in this bestselling series, written by Eric Van Lustbader, is a thrill-a-minute work.

THE BOURNE SANCTION begins with the return of Bourne to his alter ego, linguistics professor David Webb, within the peaceful confines of Georgetown University. While acquiring the quiet and solace that he sought, Bourne soon realizes that this is not what he really wants. Dominic Specter, his mentor at Georgetown and one of the few people aware of his dual identity, gives him the opportunity to explore what one might call his more active side.

Specter asks Bourne to aid in the investigation of the murder of a former student by a previously unknown Muslim extremist sect. The young man's slaying, it turns out, was not random, as he was in possession not only of information concerning the group and its activities but also of its plans to carry out a terrorist attack on United States soil. U.S. Central Intelligence is aware of this organization, known as the Black Legion, and newly installed director Veronica Hart is coming to grips with her position even as members of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Pentagon plot to stage what is in effect a palace coup, usurping the duties of Central Intelligence.

One of the lynchpins of their plan is to perform a deed that no one has been able to do previously: assassinate rogue Central Intelligence agent Jason Bourne. Even as he is pursuing the Black Legion, which has ties that date back to Hitler's notorious SS troopers, Bourne himself is targeted by NSA assassins who have the wherewithal of their agency's intelligence apparatus to pit against him. Bourne doesn't have many allies, and even fewer whom he can trust completely. As he races against time after an invisible enemy and a totally unexpected adversary, Bourne finds that his existence, as well as that of the nation's, hangs in the balance to an extent he has never experienced before.

Lustbader's focus here is primarily on action as opposed to plot. There are a couple of moments where the entire concept of the book threatens to collapse under the weight of its own storyline. Lustbader, however, remains one of the best at creating believable and extremely dangerous villains who are the equal, and then some, of his protagonists, and placing his characters in hair-raising situations while shaking and stirring everything up. He does this to fabulous effect in THE BOURNE SANCTION, giving the reader enough carnage and mayhem to fill three books and to satisfy even the most jaded fan of action/adventure fiction.

Lustbader's cinematic vision is once again on display as he sends Bourne on a chaotic chase that leads from Washington to Moscow and back again, dogged by pursuers even as he himself pursues. This is one novel that will keep you reading long into the night.

    --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

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