Jason Bourne - La mutation dans la peau

Jason Bourne #16

by Brian Freeman, Robert Ludlum, Pierre Brévignon (Translator)

" Freeman, auteur chevronné de thrillers, devait redonner vie à Jason Bourne. Mission accomplie ! " Booklist Deux ans ont passé depuis que l'ex-tueur de la CIA a perdu la femme qu'il aimait lors d'une fusillade à Las Vegas.
Il a désormais quitté Treadstone, l'agence qui l'employait. Nouveaux commanditaires, nouvelle mission : découvrir les intentions de Medusa, une organisation secrète.
Mais lorsqu'un membre du Congrès est assassiné à New York, Jason Bourne est accusé du crime. Pour garder une longueur d'avance sur ses ennemis et découvrir qui l'a piégé, il fait équipe avec une journaliste, Abbey Laurent.
Une course contre la montre s'engage. Pour sauver sa peau, il n'a plus qu'une solution : infiltrer Medusa... Un Jason Bourne plus combatif et déterminé que jamais !

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Action, Audiobook, Espionage, Mystery Thriller

446 pages, Paperback

Published November 23, 2023

About the author

Brian Freeman is a New York Times bestselling author of psychological thrillers, including the Jonathan Stride and Frost Easton series. His books have been sold in 46 countries and 22 languages. He is widely acclaimed for his "you are there" settings and his complex, engaging characters and twist-filled plots. Brian was also selected as the official author to continue Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne series, and his novel THE BOURNE EVOLUTION was named one of the Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2020 by Kirkus.

Brian's seventh novel SPILLED BLOOD won the award for Best Hardcover Novel in the annual Thriller Awards given out by the International Thriller Writers organization, and his fifth novel THE BURYING PLACE was a finalist for the same award. His novel THE DEEP, DEEP SNOW was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original.

His debut thriller, IMMORAL, won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel and was a nominee for the Edgar, Dagger, Anthony, and Barry Awards. IMMORAL was named an International Book of the Month, a distinction shared with authors such as Harlan Coben and Lisa Unger.

All of Brian's books are also available in audiobook editions. His novels THE BONE HOUSE and SEASON OF FEAR were both finalists for Best Audiobook of the Year in Thriller/Suspense.

For more information on Brian's books, visit his web site at bfreemanbooks.com or find him on Facebook at facebook.com/bfreemanfans or Twitter and Instagram (@bfreemanbooks).

Reviews

[Andreas Tornberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow and wow, I might just have read the thriller of the year. The Bourne Treachery is the second instalment by Brian Freeman in the Jason Bourne universe. The first book "The Bourne Evolution" was a massive hit so my expectations on this book was huge. After completing it, I can say that it's even better than Evolution and that people will love it.

After losing Nova on a mission in Estonia three years ago, Bourne is now a lone operative, working in the shadows for Treadstone. When he’s called in for a new mission in London to prevent an attack by the assassin called Lennon, Bourne discovers that everything he thought he knew about his past was a lie and that some secrets should stay buried.

I have read several books by Brian Freeman and he never disappoints. I think he is the perfect choice to keep this franchise going and to honor the legacy of Ludlum. Both Evolution and Treachery reads like Ludlum novels. He has also managed to capture the mood and the atmosphere from the movies with Matt Damon. The characters, the plotting, the action sequences and the mystery around Bourne is all there in the books.

The pacing is perfect and there is a lot of action, but what I like the most is the plot and the twists and turns. The final part of the book really blew my mind. I really hope this is just the beginning for Brian Freeman and Jason Bourne, I want more...

I highly recommend this book and if you haven't read the first book yet then I urge you to do so as well.

Thanks to Brian Freeman, G.P Putnam's Sons and Edelweiss for this ARC.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason Bourne, the other JB initialed spy/assassin (James Bond being the other fairly well known fella) is back. The original writer being Ludlum, followed by Eric van Lustbadee and now continuation writer number three Brian Freeman has taken up the reigns of our favorite hero still plagued by his memory loss. Not unlike James Bond this Jason Bourne also continues with new writers, it must be a spy thing. The spy who refused to die. And of course both are involved with succesfull movie franchisee.

Anyhow this time Jason Bourne lost a spy through a huge explosion while extracting him from Mother Russia. His partner Nova shot shortly after. So we find him living in Paris in France when Treadstone reaches out with a job. It will pit Jason Bourne against another legendary assassin named Lennon.
This job makes Bourne experience some personal truths and emotional confrontation which adds to his new memories.
I must admit that this new Bourne novel was an excellent puzzle, and had some nice twists which made reading the book an enjoyable experience.
The new writer seems to base his stories more on the Matt Damon movies than the Ludlum books, which is fair as Bourne would most certainly belong in a home for the elderly. And like the other JB he gets rejuvenated with each new writer, which does not bother me too much.
Brian Freeman delivers an exciting and easy to read spy thriller which is the genre the original writer Ludlum excelled in.
So welcome back Jason Bourne may you live long and have more exciting adventures.

I have read some of the recent Treadstone novel as well it seems that the world where Bourne and his kind live is very much alive and kicking.

[Adrienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a very good thriller. Am particularly partial to the Jason Bourne character. Now Cain in this book. With an elusive enemy Lennon. So many twists and psychological turns. Great prose.
Unputdownable

[Jeremy Peers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Freeman's version of Bourne. Took a while to finally get around to it and it was worth the wait. The villian, Lennon, is such a unique and awful character in the worst ways. Cant wait for the next book!

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bourne Treachery is the second Jason Bourne book by Brian Freeman. I actually think that the first book The Bourne Evolution was better. The only thing that really bothers me is that Bourne is getting out of whack with the timeline. He was in his forties back in the eighties and now he's in his mid thirties? Well it isn't the only series that that happens so aside from that I think it's a thrilling ride with many twists and the question who you can trust is vital. I have always liked the Bourne creation by Ludlum and those that has kept him alive and I will recommend this to anyone that will listen to me. My thanks goes out to @putnambooks and @this_is_edelweiss for giving me this advance copy of the latest book by @bfreemanbooks please keep up the good work.

[TheMysteryMO (Mike O) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second installment of Brian Freeman’s Bourne series featured one of his most evil villains (although another one from him does still reign as #1 for me) who really made the story interesting and intense. I have gotten pretty good at sensing out threads of his plots so not too many overall surprises. I am not an espionage fan but Scott Brick narrating this author’s creative direction of Jason Bourne is excellent and really keeps me motivated to work the next installment in MUCH sooner than later.

PS - For those of you that like scenes that steam up the windows, you might want to give this one a spin.

[Bodo Pfündl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bourne better than ever

Jason Bourne is still hunted by his ominous past. A failed mission in Talinn leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Questions to which the answers are not as clear-cut as Bourne originally presumed and which lead him on a deadly wild goose chase through multiple countries and the darkest recesses of his memory. in the end, an old nemesis from Bourne‘s past will unravel his identity, with Jason’s life and sanity left hanging in the balance…

Brian Freeman‘s excellent THE BOURNE EVOLUTION presented a pleasant surprise, as it was a return to form for the legendary assassin. But with THE BOURNE TREACHERY Freeman doesn’t just stay true to the source material and tells an engaging spy story, but uses his unique touch to totally change the game.

From early on the reader gets the impression that anything is possible and no one is safe. The pacing is lightening-fast from the very beginning, the action is relentless and visceral and the story is as twisted and heart-stopping as they come, populated with a lot of fascinating characters who will stay with you long after the last page.

The ending is terrifically smart, capping the story of in a very satisfying way, while also leaving the door wide open for future Bourne adventures. And I can’t wait to read them!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jason Bourne and I am so happy that Brian Freeman has taken over the continuation of this series. Just receiving a NetGalley copy makes me so gleeful I can't wait to start reading.

Tighten your seat belts for another action-packed, thrill seeking ride through all the twists and turns Jason is known for as he still battles the demons of his memory loss, and comes up against a ruthless devil of an assassin that seems to know more about him then he does about the killer. There is never a dull moment in this novel and I wanted to finish it last night but my eyes so no. So add it to your summer to-read list and you won't be disappointed.

Did I say how much I love Jason Bourne?

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second entry by Brian Freeman in the Bourne universe. When you compare this to the last few entries by Eric Van Luster, there is no comparison. This is an excellent thriller although I didn’t feel it was good as the first installment from Mr. Freeman in the Bourne series.

The book starts with a flashback to a mission Jason had with his lover, Nova, that ended in failure when the Russian Agent they were bringing to safety is killed in explosion. Three years later, Bourne comes to realize the Agent is still alive as well as his former lover, who was supposedly died in a terrorist attack in Las Vegas. Jason must figure out where everyone’s loyalties lie while dealing with a sinister assaying named Lennon who uses the Beatles as his backdrop for his organization.

Overall a good amount of action with a few twists and turns as you would expect with a novel from Mr. Freeman. It’s not The Bourne Evolution, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good thriller.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying these Bourne novels by Freeman. I liked this author's own books, and I'm glad I tried the ones he wrote in this series. I will also add, that I love the narrator of the audios. Scott Brick is one of my faves.

I think what I appreciate the most are all the extra twists and turns. That kind of zig zagging keeps me in. It provides a little bit of escapism and takes me away from the mundane details of work. So 4 stars.

[John Littlejohn · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s really a shame that people who write for deceased authors and carry the main character line actually take credit for their work. Although a decent read it was not the Jason Bourne that Ludlum wrote of. This was rack em stack em fiction. It felt almost adolescent to me from the start, pretty much predictable —- to a point. I rarely write reviews but after reading the spectacular reviews on this was expecting so, so much more. One reader commented on the time difference, this character being in his thirties and Ludlum’s Jason being much older. Not to mention the fact that David Webb had gone back to teaching and wanted out of Treadstone. Now he’s working for them on a regular basis? Please! I think I read one of the Van Lustbader books before and am not sure why I picked up this one from the library. I was completely disappointed, not from a story stand point but from a Ludlum fan view point.

[Ron · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did Fonzie write this? Because the author definitely "jumped the shark".

Disappointing.

[Ray Palen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes. James Bond. Jason Bourne.

What do those three fictional characters have in common? Well, they are all iconic and they have each been penned by multiple authors with each new writer breathing life into the character in each incarnation.

I like to believe that the late Robert Ludlum would be beyond pleased that perhaps his greatest creation --- the super-spy with a nasty case of amnesia, Jason Bourne --- is still relevant and exciting decades after his creator passed away. The most recent author to take up the mantle of the Jason Bourne literary franchise is best-selling writer Brian Freeman. THE BOURNE TREACHERY is Freeman’s second foray into the world of Jason Bourne and, following his first effort THE BOURNE EVOLUTION, it is clear that he has a firm handle on what makes a Bourne novel tick, and then some.

THE BOURNE TREACHERY opens with a moment three years in the past, when Jason Bourne and his partner/lover Nova are working an assignment in Estonia. They each work for the organization known as Treadstone and their target is the Russian operative known as Kotov. Once Kotov is secured, Bourne introduces himself by his given Treadstone handle of Cain. Those who know the Bourne back-story recognize that he was once a man named David Webb. Jason Bourne was the name of his first kill and the amnesia he suffers from caused him to take the Bourne name for his own for a period. Bourne and Nova are not successful in that mission and the result will impact the plot going forward.

The action switches to present day London where once again Bourne is working an assignment involving Russian agents working for long-time U.S. rival, Vladimir Putin. You expect Bourne novels to feature state-of-the-art gadgets and gimmicks and I was really impressed with the individual who had a QR Code imbedded within a tattoo on their body. That is, until someone needed that info and had to commandeer the tattoo in a painful manner. The main target that Bourne and Treadstone are after is one of Interpol’s most wanted bad guys --- the assassin known as Lennon. The name could represent either the late Beatle or the former head of the Soviet Union, but whichever way you cut it the man was lethal. It was also ironic that Lennon worked with an operative that answered to Yoko.

As the cat and mouse game is taking place between Bourne and Lennon, Bourne is rocked by the appearance of someone he thought had been dead for the past three years --- his ex-partner, Nova. Once he has had an opportunity to accept the fact that Nova was very much alive, they easily slide back into their prior working relationship and go after Lennon together. The control of global energy is at the heart of the chess game between the U.S. and Russia and Bourne and Lennon are chess pieces destined to face off on the board at some point. The only difference is that Lennon seems to know Bourne in a way that no other adversary ever has. You see, Lennon has a secret about Bourne’s forgotten past and once it is revealed the implications of this secret may be too much for Bourne and his fragile psyche to handle.

The action and intricate spy games within THE BOURNE TREACHERY are expertly plotted out by Brian Freeman and things move around so quickly at times you will have trouble trying to stay ahead of the fast-moving plot. Better to just buckle up and let Mr. Freeman take you on an unforgettable ride along with Jason Bourne. The one thing Bourne always had working for him was the fact that he was a recovering amnesiac and therefore not troubled by memories that would only get in the way. Once that state of mind is challenged, however, it may spell doom for our protagonist and the revelation Bourne must deal with could break his fragile psyche for good. THE BOURNE TREACHERY is a non-stop thrill-ride that satisfies on every level and definitely leaves you wanting more.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter

[Charlie Ravioli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one over a 2 week period (really in about 4 sittings). The pace was fast and the action was strong. The story was not too shadowy and was easy to follow and settle into. Much like the Daniel Craig 007 character, this Bourne emotes quite a bit more than his historical self. He second guesses and freezes sometimes which feels very un-Bourne like. Still I liked it more than not but give it was less opaque and more emotional it felt a little like an imposter (more so than the last one (first one) written by Freeman), which is a little surprising given he talked about bringing the old school Bourne back to life. All that is to say, the ending leaves a big question for me as to how the next book will unfold, if at all. Then again, maybe this installment was more shadowy and opaque than I originally gave it credit for being...

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We listened to this book on Audible on a long road trip. It’s a typical action packed, plot twists, just when you think the story is over, it’s not Jason Bourne story. We enjoy the JB movies and we enjoyed this just as much. The one down side here is the various accents of the characters were terrible.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 16th entry in the Jason Bourne saga and the second by Brian Freeman, noted for his Jonathon Stride/Maggie Bei Minnesota mystery series...Kane/Bourne uncovers another part of his erased past as he and an old flame, thought dead work to protect an important Russian intelligence agent that has defected to the US...Plenty of twists and turns, that keep the pages flowing, as Kane/Bourne confronts a new super enemy!

[Syn ⚯]

Today, my father surprised me with this book as a gift. I didn't know it was part of a series, but I'm thrilled to discover that it can also be enjoyed as a standalone novel. I can’t wait to read and review it!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a bit more than the previous Brian Freeman Bourne novel (Bourne Evolution), but both were fun stories with non-stop action. This one had a solid ending where many different threads came together.

[Dave B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second Bourne book under the new writer for the series; didn’t disappoint!

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Fast moving.

[Linda Ann Bisbee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring book not worth the time

What a boring book! No excitement. I am so confused about the identity of Jason Bourne that this book made no sense. Totally forgettable.

[Jennifer Mugrage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly decent spy novel.

As you might expect from a Ludlum novel written by somebody else, this book has the feel of something made on an assembly line. It has all the parts and doodads that you expect from the genre, and it does what you want it to do (in this case, be thriller), but it has no particular artistry or character. To be fair, this also means it’s lacking some of the flaws that might show up in quirkier, more idiosyncratic books.

Pacing and Action: A+
This is, I gather, the outstanding characteristic of Bourne books. The action is almost constant. Nevertheless, the author does a good job of introducing characters and explaining the setup and the stakes, so that we don’t get the phenomenon of action that we don’t know the significance of. I will say that to a certain degree, tension is inflationary, so the shock and horror isn’t quite as shocking and horrible as it would be with a slower buildup.

Tours of Foreign Cities: A
Traveling the world is one of the things we expect from the Bourne novels. Freeman does a good job of making us feel as if we are familiar with the cities where the action takes place by mentioning particular roads, parks, markets, and squares. He also does a decent job with the weather and atmospherics.

Russians Betraying Each Other: A
Also other spies betraying Bourne, and Bourne possibly betraying other people (who knows, since he lost his memory). The hypocrisy of people in espionage, as well as the messed-up kind of person that years in espionage makes you, is a major theme of this book. Speaking of which:

Character Development: B-
The book tries to do some character development with Bourne discovering his past, wishing he could get out of the espionage game, and realizing that he has been made into the kind of person who probably isn’t capable of anything else. There’s a fair amount of character development given that this is a thriller. But, the thriller distinctives limit the emotional impact of all this, at least for me. The pace is too fast and the writing too matter-of-fact for character development to get really emotional. Speaking of which:

Relationships between Men and Women: C-
Okay, so there is a lot of sex. Including one scene that lasts several pages. But it’s written the way a man would write it, which is to say, the emotional element is minimal. Speaking of which:

Portrayal of Women: D
Hmm, where to start?

Obviously, we are talking about spy women, so that skews the sampling. But these ladies are ruthless killers. They are also … how to put it …? Not overly concerned with monogamy. They can go from killing to kissing, or worse, in no time flat. They don’t seem to get emotionally attached as a result of sexual involvement, the way a normal woman would. They aren’t adversely affected by all the gruesome things they have to do, even as much as Bourne is.

There are two women who don’t appear to be nymphos, but they are both cool as cucumbers. One only cares about science, one about spycraft. You know, like most women you meet.

Also, spy goddess is petite and very athletic, but also has “deep curves.” I dunno. Deep curves (such as wide hips) affect the way a person runs, tumbles, throws, etc. I went through most of the book picturing her as wiry and boyish, and then all of a sudden the author threw these curves at me. Also, their hair is always loose. Not very practical, ladies.

Russians Talking: F-
This was the thing that annoyed me the most, because it messed with the verisimilitude even more than the Bond-style spy women. Many of the characters in this book are expatriate Russians. Many of them need to monologue to explain their positions. All of them talk exactly like an American explaining something in a business seminar. Listen, Russian sentence structure, word choice, and so on, is very distinctive, even when they are speaking English. It should not have been hard to watch a few movies where this was well done, and then imitate it in this book. If you are going to research foreign cities and bring them to life, why not make the dialogue believable too? I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if the Russians had sounded like Russians. And it would have supported the theme. Make them sound like Russians!

[Rishi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jason Bourne comes back into action, rather called into action, for the 16th time in Brian Freeman’s The Bourne Treachery. He camped in Paris, awaiting a new assignment, ready to be thrown into adrenaline rich environment. Soon came the calling from the people, who previously were hell-bent on terminating him, to recruit him as a ruse in a larger scheme of things.

Freeman introduced a nemesis in this book equal to or more capable than Jason. The character, I presume, has been established who might have a long-term implication on Jason’s arc in Freeman’s version of Bourne. A lot of inspiration has been drawn from Ludlum’s original work to vaguely paint Bourne’s lost past. The book also brought back the character of Nova, Bourne’s love interest, from her death in the previous book. Her introduction was immaculate, the glimpse of which was brilliantly foreshadowed in the prologue. The only bone of contention was the explanation of her revival, which definitely was an eye-rolling plot. Nevertheless. Nova was fleshed out nicely and will play a vital role in future Bourne escapades.

Jason Bourne has evolved through his three writers: the zenith was Ludlum, the horizon was Lustbader, and the nadir is Freeman. Freeman’s Jason beginning was disastrous, but he managed to salvage him in the second attempt to some extent. The hangover of previous character traits still lingers, which pegs Jason down. He is easily persuaded, and more often than not, lets his guard down. The emotional instances about his past make the reader aware of the hollowness of the current Bourne, who is now in his mid-thirties.

The original trilogy written during the cold war era had communism as its ideological foe in the form of the USSR. The rivalry became stark in the outstanding The Bourne Supremacy, where the battleground shifted from Russia to China was a breath of fresh air. In Lustbader world, Bourne goes after fundamentalist in middle earth as the convention of time dictated but veered towards Russia in the twilight of Lustbader’s era. Freeman nosedived straight into Russia as a foe, as Russia made a dramatic yet cruel comeback from vogue in geopolitics. So, the spy thriller coming out of America will focus extensively on Russia and ways to topple Putin’s regime, as clearly was the case in this book. Fatigue catches up with reader reading non-stop USA-Russia thriller rivalry, but one thing is sure, USA seems to have a weird fetish with Russia as if its existence is for nought if not for Russia.

The Bourne Treachery, the 2nd book in the Jason Bourne series by Brian Freeman, was definitely better than his 1st, The Bourne Evolution. The interactions were not that dumb, the story paced nicely, and the stature of Jason resurrected positively from the ruin it was condemned to. Freeman is hell-bent on exploring the love and sexual angle of Bourne’s life, so you get lots of sexual tension, intimacy issue, and a good sex scene before the climax and the eventual turn of his love. Overall, I enjoyed the book from the previous one and would give it 2.75 stars out of 5. Let’s hope we get a good story in the impending The Bourne Sacrifice, and to some degree, a better evolved Jason Bourne than that of Freema’s previous two.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads #Spy Thriller

Brian Freeman’s The Bourne Treachery continues his careful reshaping of Jason Bourne, proving that The Bourne Evolution wasn’t just a one-off reset but the beginning of a new cadence for the series.

Where Evolution was about thrusting Bourne into a 21st-century world of hacked truths and data manipulation, Treachery returns to the eternal Bourne dilemma: trust. Who deserves it, and how easily can it be broken?

The book opens with a memory fragment—a mission in South Africa where Bourne partners with a woman named Abbey Laurent.

Three years later, he’s back in Europe, drawn into a terrorist conspiracy involving sleeper agents, manipulated identities, and a trail of betrayal that leads right back to those hazy recollections. The title isn’t coy: treachery is the theme, and everyone in Bourne’s orbit—CIA handlers, allies, even his own mind—is suspect.

What Freeman nails here is the atmosphere of paranoia. He builds on Ludlum’s DNA, where the enemy is never simply a man with a gun but the collapsing reliability of your own perception. Bourne’s fractured memory again becomes a narrative weapon: the past bleeds into the present, and Bourne (along with the reader) struggles to separate what happened from what he thinks happened. It gives the book a psychological density that Lustbader’s thrillers often sidestepped in favour of spectacle.

At the same time, Freeman doesn’t skimp on momentum. The action sequences—from shadowy Parisian streets to claustrophobic safehouses—are brisk but never bloated. Freeman writes fights the way Ludlum did: brutal, efficient, more survivalist than superheroic. There’s less gadgetry, less Bond-esque flourish; Bourne bleeds, doubts, and recalculates. He’s not an unstoppable force but a man barely keeping pace with forces stacked against him.

What’s fascinating in The Bourne Treachery is how Freeman anchors the thriller in intimacy. Instead of global-scale annihilation (Lustbader’s favourite canvas), this story hinges on relationships—trust broken, loyalty tested, love turned into leverage. Abbey Laurent isn’t just a femme fatale cypher; she’s a ghost in Bourne’s mind, a reminder that for all his skill, his greatest vulnerability is emotional. Treachery cuts deepest when it comes from someone you’ve allowed close.

In comparing Freeman’s second outing to Ludlum’s original trilogy, the shift is clear. Ludlum gave us a man whose amnesia forced him to wrestle with the monster he might be. Freeman sharpens that question into the present tense: if Bourne cannot fully trust his memories or his allies, how can he trust himself to do the right thing now? It’s a subtler but equally dangerous battlefield.

By the close, The Bourne Treachery confirms that Freeman isn’t merely holding the Bourne franchise in cold storage; he’s actively re-forging it.

The spy world has changed; the villains wear different masks, but the essence remains the same: Jason Bourne, alone in a world where betrayal is the only constant.

[Jonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out at 4 stars, then it was 3.5 stars. By the end, I am being generous giving it 3 stars. There is an overall decent plot in the book, but there are some big NOPES in the story. The biggest one is the mask phobia. I appreciate that the noise torture and the drugs could wear Clark down and affect his sense of reality, but the mask phobia torture was absurd. That dropped the rating by a full star.

The next big headshake was Nova's time with Lennon. I get psychological torture and a possibility of drugs, but I don’t think a trained operative like Nova would crack that quickly. Mind control and captivity conversion can happen but not within the short period time that she was held. Then after Nova had been held and psychologically tortured by Lennon she is allowed to stay on the op and go to California. She shouldn't have even been allowed to be operational much less go to the highly secret location. She should have been held somewhere going through a debriefing. And then there was the ending where there were no ramifications to Jason for killing the 3 year project the agency had been planning because he wanted to save the woman who betrayed the agency.

Then there was Tati's deep attachment to Jason. I get there can be some survivor connection to stay near the person who just rescued you, but she was made to look and sound like a lovesick teenager. I just think it was lame to have the traumatized Tati show up in Bourne's bed after just being rescued. That, combined with the unnecessary and too detailed sex scene with Nova in California, made the book start reading like some lame romance novel.

There were other small things like spending too much detail on Tati’s husband, especially near his death or Nova takes shots at Lennon that she knows she can’t make with a pistol. Then keeps firing which gives away her location. And Lennon doesn’t flinch much less try to evade shots coming at him? Altogether this kind of writing distracted from a fairly decent plot.

Overall, it was probably 2.5 stars. I rounded up because of the plot and what Jason learned about his past.

[Keshav Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sixteenth in the Jason Bourne series and the second by Brian Freeman is a mind-blowing tale with lots of twists and turns. The book opens with a failed mission in Tallinn, Estonia wherein Bourne and his partner cum lover Nova was to exfiltrate a Russian scientist, activist, and anti-Putin protest leader Grigori Kotov. After a shoot-out at Vegas where Nova is killed, Bourne is leaving a life of solitude in Paris still operating in the shadows of Treadstone. Present-day, Bourne is first shocked to hear that the Estonian mission was a set-up and has been assigned a case involving Russian agents in the heart of London at a climate change symposium. There's also the Gaia Crusade, an environmentalist group that believes that global oil magnates are out to destroy mother earth. Amidst the conference, Bourne has to track down a dangerous assassin only known to the Interpol as - John Lennon, an alleged aide of the Russian siloviki and oligarchs. For the first time, Bourne has to face an adversary who is not only one step ahead of him but also has a deep knowledge of his past. Between this cat and mouse game, Bourne is rocked when reality dawns that Nova is still alive. Though the spark of his fiery love for her has diminished due to this deceit, they nevertheless team up for the mission to hunt and track down Lennon. The plot is weaved with few resurrections from the dead, extremely fast-paced, complex, sometimes having trouble catching up, yet enticing the readers to flip through the pages. Hope the author continues to enthrall Jason Bourne fans with many more non-stop action-packed, thriller editions in the coming times. Waiting to hear about the next assignment of the world's lethal assasin.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jason Bourne is still part of the mysterious Treadstone operation, though it seems he picks and chooses his missions. He is called in when the mysterious assassin only known as Lennon (clearly a Beatles fan!) appears to be back in action. Three years earlier, Bourne participated in an apparent failed mission - his rescue of a Russian agent goes bad when a ferry leaving St. Petersburg explodes. His partner on that mission, known only by her code name Nova, had been his lover but she died in a mass shooting in Las Vegas. But all is not what it seems to be as Bourne is rescued while in deep trouble by someone from his past. His pursuit of Lennon is a series of twists and turns as it turns out that all is nothing like it seems. And of course Bourne is one of the first super spies/agents and this book does nothing to change that! I read Robert Ludlum’s original Jason Bourne novels in 1980’s and then a couple of those when Eric VonLustbader took over the Bourne franchise in the early 2000’s. It has been several years since I have read a Jason Bourne novel so when the opportunity to receive an ARC of the latest in the series arose, I jumped at the chance. And I am glad I did. This is Freeman’s second Bourne book and he has done a very good job, although it seems that after 40 years of such novels, Jason should be a little older and less lethal! My thanks to G. P. Putnam’s Sons and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Jennifer Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This episode of the highly successful Bourne series reintroduces the character Nova, Jason's former partner who was killed in a mass shooting in Las Vegas some years before. It seems she has been working on a related field of undercover work, after recovering from the gunshots at a time when Jason was suspected of having 'turned' as an undercover agent and ordered the hit on Nova himself.
They work together with considerable sexual tension but develop a plan to deal with the current security issues of Russians who are a threat to US and world peace.
The story line is fantastic as usual, introducing Lennon, a man with links to the Russian president who has an effective team of assassins who aim to stop a meeting between men who aim to influence Russian presidential history, through elimination of a Russian who is sheltered by the Americans, and a younger Oligarch who may be an intermediary to those in Russia itself.
There is lots of action, great spy craft and amazing precautions taken that are no match for Bourne and Nova, or Lennon for that matter, but all three manage to survive , for the next installment in this series.
An easy read, formulaic, for those who like Bourne and need a book for a wet weekend, or Lockdown on Melbourne.

[Mindo'ermatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jason Bourne Lite? Didn't Ring My Bell

Perhaps I expected too much. This Jason Bourne installment just seemed a little flat, worn out, forced. I've enjoyed many Brian Freeman thrillers before, but this storyline lacked the suspense, character development, and the story depth of other Jason Bourne franchise efforts. Many story elements seemed repetitive of previous Brian Freeman novels and themes, which was distracting. Possibly, that's why it seemed that Jason Bourne, or Cain appeared to play a supporting role to the other characters.

Although well written, relatively brief, and filled with lots of action, the plotline tried to do too much with too many characters to remain believable. The surprising twists seemed forced and contrived at time a perhaps overly formulaic in structure.

I needed more true Bourne in the story, rather than a half-hearted doppelganger imitation. I might try another installment, but I have reservations about continuing the series.

One bright spot was Audible's narration service that added extra oomph to the characters.

Every author has an occasional slump, so perhaps that's what happened here. I hope so.

[Easton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly did enjoy reading this book. Although I haven't read the first book in this installment by Brian Freedmen it didn't do anything to take away from the story. It was truly thrilling to go through the life of Jason Bourne as he is still struggling with his memories and what he thought was the loss of a women he loved named nova. Once he has found out that she is still alive he must navigate the trust issues he now has with her while also dealing with the attempt to shift the power of the leading groups in Russia to better the Russian people. The writer did an amazing job of keeping me interested and making me want to keep reading with new information, fighting and realizations of what things before had really meant for the story. I really think that this is a book that many different people would be able to enjoy as even being one of the first in the genre that I have read I had a fantastic time reading through it and piecing together each little mystery the book presented me with.