Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #73135 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-31
• Released on: 2006-10-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 640 pages

From Publishers Weekly
For some bestselling authors, death is no impediment to an enduring career. But the latest Ludlum (d. 2001) novel, penned by an unnamed hired hand, reveals the problems inherent in such an arrangement: neither sufficiently like Ludlum's originals nor compellingly distinctive, it inhabits a kind of thriller purgatory to which only the most dedicated Ludlumite will be eager to venture. After a two-decade career as a clandestine operative, Hal Ambler is drugged and warehoused in the Parrish Island Psychiatric Facility, a government nuthouse for spies. A sympathetic nurse aids his escape, and soon Ambler is on the run, trying to figure out who he is and, more importantly, who he was. There are a few interesting characters—particularly CIA accountant Clayton Caston, a man who knows little about feelings but who can tease a mountain of information out of a spy's expense account—but the villains are mostly invisible and everybody else ends up dead before you really get to know them. Just because a writer can copy what was once a successful style does not automatically assure his publisher a successful book. (Oct. 25)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
This is Ludlum's twenty-sixth, a remarkable feat given that he is deceased. The locale is a barrier island six miles off the coast of Virginia and officially part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It's really the site of a psychiatric facility for patients who possess highly classified information. At Parrish Island, "potential security risks could be carefully managed and the patients are identified by number, never by name." One of them is Hal Ambler, who had been a clandestine operative for nearly two decades. He doesn't know why he's being held by his own government. He also doesn't know how long he has been confined, but realizes he must escape. There's probably no doubt in readers' minds--right from the start--of the outcome, but they will be delighted to stick around to the end. Given the late author's still-viable name recognition, this novel is bound to be popular; and it could even be used as a good way for librarians to introduce unfamiliar readers to his works George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

Customer Reviews

Is Hal Ambler a Figment of His Own Imagination?
This plot of this novel operates on several different levels - some of which are much more successful than others. Its primary goal is obviously simply to be an old fashioned conspiracy/action/international intrigue thriller in the tradition of Robert Ludlum, the creator and all time master of the genre. Through the person of the central character Harrison (Hal) Ambler it also asks the existential question, what constitutes evidence of the person who we believe ourselves to be? And concomitantly, what constitutes proof of our sanity. Furthermore, it has elements of romantic tension between Ambler and Laurel Holland, whose fate becomes inextricably interwoven with Ambler's own attempts to penetrate the veil of his own identity while eluding the pursuers intent on his murder following his "beyond salvage" designation. It also allows the wonderful character development of Clayton Gaston, the CIA analyst who operates in the lowest decile of empathy for his fellow human being and is much more at home in the world of abstract analysis and mathematical deduction than in his own home interacting with his family. Lastly, the conversations and actions of the characters on topics as diverse and the emergence of China as a superpower to brainwashing techniques (and the manufacture of memory vignettes) and as seemingly far afield as the relevant inclusion of Theseus and Ariadne provides the author considerable time to thoroughly expound on esoteric topics which lend authenticity to the tale. Perhaps my favorite was the appropriate inclusion of (and the development of the analogy of present day events to) the Chinese legend of "the man of ancient times, who set up shop in a village selling both a spear he said would penetrate anything and a shield he claimed nothing could penetrate".

We meet Ambler while he is a patient in a heavily guarded psychiatric on Parrish Island, Va. He is convinced of his own sanity, and with Laurel Holland's aid accomplishes a daring escape. However, his life soon spirals out of control, and he is forced to rely on his training as a clandestine operative to repeatedly escape his pursuers. Revise and improvise is his mantra, and while it enables him to stay alive he is completely stonewalled during every attempt to make a connection with his previous identity. In this regard, Ambler's problem is in some ways the exact opposite of Jason Bourne in THE BOURNE IDENTITY, perhaps Ludlum's most recognized novel. Bourne had to continually elude his potential killers/captors while trying to overcome his amnesia and discover his identity. Ambler firmly believes in his own identity but all objective evidence contradicts his memories of his past life. One common thread is their history as deep cover operatives and the survival skills which they possess. The other is the duplicity of their government handlers and their willingness to sacrifice them to their larger political purposes. (This is consistent with Ludlum's recurring major theme, one man or a small group of individuals against a larger and more powerful group able to use the machinery of government to its benefit.)

While I enjoyed this book enough to rate it four stars, I can understand why it has received mixed reviews. First, I share the dismay of other reviewers that St. Martin's Press and the executors of Ludlum's estate continue to trade off Ludlum's name so shamelessly even while I recognize it is their right to do so. As I have indicated, this book has elements that are very Ludlumesque, but it would treat potential readers much more fairly to indicate whether it was simply inspired by Ludlum's tradition, or the plot outlined by him or if it was developed in consultation with him before his death, etc. Furthermore, while I have some guesses regarding potential authors/collaborators it bothers me that this fact is kept a mystery to the readers. Second, while the detailed informational asides actually enhanced my enjoyment of the story, these and some other elements certainly were stylistically very different from Ludlum's work. Third, while I was taken by complete surprise on some occasions (although I never felt that I was misled), a few plot twists were foreshadowed to a sufficient extent that the tension and surprise were somewhat mitigated for me. Finally, while most of my previously unanswered questions were explained during the conclusion or in the epilogue, there was one major point and minor point which continued to bother me. I cannot go into detail without providing spoilers, but I can say the source of Joe Li's information on Ambler's precise locations never became clear to me.

In summary, my rating of this book is as a standalone novel, without reference or comparison to the works of Robert Ludlum. It is a better than average thriller despite its flaws. So, I suggest you read it and discover the true identity of undercover operatives Tarquin, Transcience, Osiris among the many interesting characters. Learn about the truly amazing and unique skill which Harrison Ambler possesses and which is the source of his extraordinary value to his employers. Finally by the end of the novel you will discover whether the following haunting and well known verse is actually symbolic of his existence:

As I was going up the stair
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd stay away.

Is Harrison Ambler really there, and if so who is it who wishes that he was not?

Tucker Andersen

Ambler Warning is disappointing
Because Ludlum is my favorite author, I was disappointed to see a publisher use Ludlum's name without providing the true author's name and produce mediocre work. Bottom line, this book lacked the terrific content that you would find in a typical Ludlum novel. It was so cut-up that the book lacked any continuity to previously described incidents within the book. Furthermore, the true author spent more than half the book describing surroundings and things that had nothing to do with the plot. Out of boredom, I found myself skipping parts and not skipping any of the plot. Its only redeeming factor is the surprising ending, even though it took the author less than three pages to cover it. It doesn't even compare to the last two Ludlum novels written by other identified authors. If I was the publisher, I would be ashamed to use Ludlum's name in this manner. But of course, Ludlum's name sells books. Alas!

Feeding at the trough of the dead!
The only reason I read this book was that a friend in the industry left me an advance copy, I figured I'd check it out as Ludlum use to be one of my favorites. I agree with the earlier reviewer about this being a poor re-write of the Borne Identity. Why can't they let sleeping dogs lie? Ludlum was one of my favorites when he was in his prime. He is gone now and others are left to milk his art. Does everything have to be about money?

If you are looking for an absorbing Thriller I recommend you Try "The Camel Club" Though different in style it does have some aspects influenced by Ludlum, and some great twists!