I’ve been a long-time fan of the Bourne movies and have read some of the Bourne books (often startlingly different from the movies) but until recently I had not read any of the other spy/mystery stories by Robert Ludlum. When my last student teacher was with me and teaching most of the time, our gym stage was covered with boxes of books for adults in preparation for our Book Bonanza. The books were categorized alphabetically by author and the box closest to where I was sitting observing was full of Ludlum books which had never come onto my radar before. I started borrowing them, reading them, and returning them. The book sale is at the school today, all morning, and I did pay for my books but now they get to sell them again.
The one I’m currently reading is called The Gemini Contenders and I’m about a third of the way through it. It begins in 2nd World War Italy and I gather eventually gets to the 3rd generation of the Fontini-Cristi family in the 1970’s where the “twins” (hence the title, I guess) pick up the family torch to continue searching for a mysterious vault containing Christian documents that could cause the upheaval of the church, the modern world, and, I guess, civilization as we know it. So far, it’s extremely intriguing and I’m at the point where the 2nd generation heir, Vittorio, is heading an organization of European ex-patriot businessmen, professionals, and men of influence and linguistic abilities uniquely qualified to cause “Mismanagement at all costs” throughout the 3rd Reich.
I don’t know if there ever was such a Churchillian plot or if the story is simply loosely based around the setting of war-time Europe (although the idea certainly sounds familiar) but the book is quite exciting so far and I’m finding it more and more difficult to simply read it in bed before lights out. I’ll keep you posted on how it’s going. If you’ve read it and have thoughts to share, please do so. Don’t spoil the ending for me though. Ludlum is definitely a choice to take with me on the road!
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The Sigma Protocol is another good one by Ludlum. I think it’s the last book he wrote on his own. I’m not sure if they managed to make a movie out of it yet, but it has been planned for quite a few years now.
Yes. I’ve read that one as well. When I was teaching we would have a used book sale every year and some would appear. I’d buy them for $.50 each, read them, and take them back for resale. I would just plow right through them. I’ll watch for that movie, though. Thanks.