CarlAlves

The Janson Directive was published after Robert Ludlum’s death. It’s very typical of a Ludlum novel filled with high-wire action scenes and loaded with twists and turns. In this novel, Paul Janson, a former assassin for the United States government who now runs a private security company is hired to rescue kidnapped Nobel Peace prize winner, Peter Novak. He is being held captive by Muslim extremists in the Indian Ocean. Just after his rescue attempt, Novak is killed in a fiery explosion. Instead of this being the end of the novel, it’s just the beginning. Janson is then targeted by assassins throughout Europe, leaving a trail of dead bodies in the process.

This novel certainly moves at a fast pace and is enjoyable to read. The reveal behind the novel is absolutely preposterous, which is typical of Ludlum. I wouldn’t say it kills the novel, but it certainly made me groan. Believability is not one of Ludlum’s strengths, but action is, and this novel has it in spades. A fun novel, but not one that requires a great deal of deep thought.

Carl Alves – author of Blood Street