Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne revenge by Brian Freeman

Jason Bourne is part of Treadstone, a super-secretive organisation that uses Bourne’s skills, as an assassin and spy, to control information and manipulate the direction of world powers and operatives. Bourne though has had significant portions of his memory wiped out and frequently struggles to work out his place in the secretive world of his life, and the manipulation of Treadstone seems to impact his own life disastrously. In trying to unravel his own involvement in past deaths involving Chinese assassins he becomes embroiled in an investigation with missing data files, extremely intrusive surveillance, a mega-rich businessman and double agents and untrustworthy sources of information. Where will Bourne end up this time, and will he ever fill the holes of his past or is he just a pawn in a larger contest? 

For those who have begun the Bourne series through Robert Ludlum’s books or have watched the Bourne movies, this next instalment in the action-packed series, will be another reading delight for Bourne fans. The confusion of a life with significant amnesiac gaps is part of the intrigue of the Bourne sagas, but there is significant violence included in the life of an assassin and much mistrust between characters. This is a book for adult readers that like action and espionage stories. The Mega-rich character has surveillance capabilities that defy description and raise suspicion about the world of wealth and the power it can wield. Bizarrely, Bourne is described as a ‘moral’ assassin and yet much happens in this complex story that muddies this definition. With a fast-paced style and some convoluted plot twists, this is a book for adult readers who can cope with the roller-coaster ride of the assassin, with violent action and sexual activity as part of his role. The story is compelling, confronting and confusing in equal measure.

Themes: Espionage, Assassins, Lies and truth, Memories, Amnesia, Psychological therapy.

Carolyn Hull