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Rating: 
Summary: Great start, poor finish
Review: Harry Latham, a deep cover agent, has had his mind altered by some neo-nazis and is released. The release however is made to look like an escape by Harry. In his possession is a list exposing high-ranking officials as undercover Nazis. The list and Harry's reputation are intended to spark a McCarthy-like persecution of innocent individuals who in reality are opposed to Nazism. The rest of the book deals with Harry's death and his younger brother's attempt to avenge it. The last part of the story would have been believable had the "New Hitler" not been related to Drew's love interest, Karin De Vries. (The love story should have been omitted in my opinion) This is such a disappointment after waiting so long to find out who he is, and what motivated him etc... To add on to the disappointment, some of the 'twists' in the story can be seen a hundred pages ahead which doesn't do much for a 'thriller'. This is the first Ludlum book I have read, so I have not been able to compare it to his other works. All in all, not a bad book. Just don't feel so disappointed when you reach the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting espionage adventure on a well-used subject!
Review: Ludlum is back. Once again, an evil group of former military and industrialists is planning to reshape the world - now who is the protagonist THIS time? Hmmm. Anyway, this is a cracking thriller in the usual Ludlum mould. You'll either love this or hate this, judging by the other review I've read. I loved it, in spite of a few inaccuracies in some of the German grammar(it's Ihrer MAnn and not Ihr Mann, to pick but a few) and military procedures. But then again there's poetic license. In this book, Harry Latham, a Consular Operations agent, has infiltrated a neo-Nazi base and stumbled upon a plan of diabolical proportions. He undergoes neurosurgery and becomes one of them, then returns to Paris where neo-NAzis are infiltrating the FRench government. When he is murdered, his brother Drew is ordered to assume HArry's identity and seek revenge on his death. Along the way there's plenty of plot twists and sticky situations for Drew and his love interest KArin de Vries to get out of. And is her husband really dead? What secret is being held from the world by the Fourth Reich? What exactly is OPeration Water Lightening? Read and find out, you won't regret it. Mainly exciting and page-turning, but sometimes predictacle reading that requires no thought. On the whole, if you're new to Ludlum, try THE MATARESE CIRCLE and THE BOURNE IDENTITY first and then read this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Now I know why I don't read Ludlum
Review: Years ago I read a Ludlum "thriller" -- it was so remarkable that I don't recall the title -- whatever it was, it was my first and last Ludlum. A friend of mine -- a Ludlum fan -- kept after me to read "Apocalypse Watch." I managed to stay awake for 300 of the 600 pages before I gave it back to him. Trite, boring, repetitive -- the story could have been told better in one-third the space.
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