The Bourne Deception, by Eric van Lustbader, Robert Ludlum
Filed under: book review, Eric van Lustbader, Jason Bourne, Robert Ludlum, Thriller
Robert Ludlum died in March 2001, but even so 
In this book a very highly placed American makes a deal with a Russian to have Bourne killed – once more. And in exchange for this, the Americans will kill a terrorist for the Russians (a bit of a shift from the old days, when the *Russians supposedly supported terrorists?) A Russian sniper, who turns out to be Leonid Arkadin (see The Bourne Sanction
Then the canvas widens. A US airplane is shot down over Egypt. War hawks plot for an American invasion of Iran. A rouge American security outfit with extremely greedy owners meddles with intelligence reports and kills high ranking US Government officials. The American Secretary of Defense pushes for war to increase his own standing in the government.
The plot in The Bourne Deception is rich and past paced. And there is lots of action – almost too much, in the sense that it feels a little like sitting in a roller coaster train. The plot moves along, but its underpinnings are weak and strange, the logic that drives it a little artificial, and in the midst of it all Van Lustbader – who has a metaphysical leaning – throws in a little meta-physics (something Ludlum would never have done!).
I have to say I have read the follow-ups to Ludlum’s Jason Bourne novels by Eric van Lustbader with growing frustration. More and more I experience the books as overwhelmed by movie-like action descriptions as a substitute for intelligent plots and clever dynamics. The Bourne Deception I liked even less than the previous. To my mind, these books are now moving into a territory where only for the really diehard fans of the Jason Bourne saga will enjoy them.
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.Dead Reckoning, by C. Northcote Parkinson
Filed under: book review, C. Northcote Parkinson, historical fiction, Richard Delancey
Dead Reckoning is the fourth book in the Richard Delancey series by C. Northcote Parkinson, and a very good one at that. We have now reached the year 1805, during The Napoleonic wars. Richard Delancey has 
There is a lot of naval action in this novel. There is convoy escort, a special assignment to chase down a French privateer that disturbs trade, an attack on Mauritius, as well as a bloody fight against two French frigates. In several instances Richard Delancey shows both courage and intelligence. His ingenious strategies while escorting a convoy of East Indiamen is very entertaining. So is the demonstration of pure willpower in the attack against a French privateer.
Delancey is a creative, solid, smart and very likeable officer in Her Majesty’s Navy. Dead Reckoning is thick with excellent plots and smart thinking. It is perhaps the best in the series so far, and certainly one that increased my interest in C. Northcote Parkinson’s series! Being a fan of nautical fiction, I rank this series highly!
The Fight for Rome, by James Duffy
Filed under: book review, historical fiction, James Duffy
In this second novel in the Gladiators of the Empire series, which continues 
It is now AD 69, and it is the Year of the Four Emperors. Emperor Galba has been assassinated, and Otho is engaged in a fight against Vitellius for the throne. But Otho has too few soldiers on his side, and now gladiators are recruited as soldiers for Otho.
>At the same time, at a gladiator ludus in Africa, Quintus’ arch-enemy, the slave Lucius Calidius, gets a second chance. Julia, who is newly widowed and now sole owner of the Romanus shipping business, comes to rescue Lucius, and soon they find themselves in comfortable circumstances in Alexandria and Caesarea, courting Vespasian, the fourth contender for the Roma throne.
The Fight for Rome is a good and very entertaining novel. However, the plot is a little farfetched – as it places a gladiator in the center of the vast struggle for control over the Roman Empire. But if you accept the plot, this is a good, pretty well researched and very interesting novel. The fighting scenes seem very realistic and the relations among the characters are very interesting and well described. The Fight for Rome is a good historical fiction novel which I recommend.
>Praise:
“A well-written story of ancient Rome, comparable to novels written by Simon Scarrow and Michael Curtis Ford . . . an exciting portrayal of gladiatorial combat.”
— The Historical Novels Review
“Duffy combines a sure sense of character and narrative with an extraordinary knowledge of the world of the Roman arena. It’s an exciting, thrilling novel. I’m looking forward to more in the series.”
— John Maddox Roberts, Author,
SPQR historical fiction series
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