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Summary and Reviews of The Prometheus Deception by Robert Ludlum

The Prometheus Deception by Robert Ludlum

The Prometheus Deception

by Robert Ludlum
  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Readers' Rating (11):
  • First Published:
  • Oct 1, 2000, 384 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Oct 2001, 576 pages
  • Rate this book

About This Book

Book Summary

Nicholas Bryson spent years as a deep cover operative for an American secret intelligence group, The Directorate. After critical undercover mission went horribly wrong, Bryson was retired to a new identity. Years later, his cover is cracked and Bryson learns that the Directorate was not what it claimed.

Robert Ludlum is the acknowledged master of suspense and international intrigue. For over thirty years, in over twenty international bestsellers, he has a set a standard that has never been equaled. Now, with the Prometheus Deception, he proves that he is at the very pinnacle of his craft.

Nicholas Bryson spent years as a deep cover operative for the American secret intelligence group, the Directorate. After critical undercover mission went horribly wrong, Bryson was retired to a new identity. Years later, his closely held cover is cracked and Bryson learns that the Directorate was not what it claimed - that he was a pawn in a complex scheme against his own country's interests. Now, it has become increasingly clear that the shadowy Directorate is headed for some dangerous endgame - but no one knows precisely who they are and what they are planning. With Bryson their only possible asset, the director of the CIA recruits Bryson to find, reinfiltrate, and stop the Directorate. But after years on the sidelines, Bryson's field skills are rusty, his contacts unreliable, and his instincts suspect.

With everything he thought he knew about his own life in question, Bryson is all alone in a wilderness of mirrors - unsure what is and isn't true and who, if anyone, he can trust - with the future of millions in the balance.

Prologue
Carthage, Tunisia
3:32 A.M.

The driving rain was unrelenting, whipped into a frenzy by howling winds, and the waves surged and crashed against the coast, a maelstrom in the black night. In the shallow waters just offshore, a dozen or so dark figures bobbed, clinging to their buoyant, waterproof haversacks like survivors of a shipwreck. The freak storm had caught the men unawares by was good; it provided better cover than they could have hoped for.

From the beach, a pinpoint of red light flashed on and off twice, a signal from the advance team that it was safe to land. Safe! What did that mean? That this particular stretch of Tunisian coastline was left undefended by the Garde Nationale? Nature’s assault seemed far more punishing than anything the Tunisian coast guard could attempt.

Tossed and buffeted about by the heaving swells, the men made their way toward the beach, and in one coordinated movement clambered silently onto the sand by the ruins of the ...

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Reviews

Media Reviews

The New Yorker
[Ludlum’s] most ingenious novel yet…. In just a few scenes...Ludlum instills a year's worth of Harvard Business Reviews, and provides a dead-on picture of contemporary corporate strategy.… Ludlum has been among the very few novelists who have taken the trouble and write about such market forces. Two hundred million copies later, the market has returned the compliment

Booklist
A spy thriller that should keep even the most experienced readers guessing...the pace is fast, the action plentiful...a must-read.

Kirkus Reviews
Echoing le Carre and Graham Green... [Ludlum’s] best thriller yet!

Library Journal
After 22 novels, Ludlum delivers yet again a topnotch international thriller sure to please fans of popular entertainment....This is a rousing thriller with all the trademarks of a Ludlum best seller--heart-pounding chase scenes, devastating double-crosses, gut-wrenching twists, fast-paced action, fierce confrontations, pressure that ratchets up to an explosive conclusion, and as always, authentic international locales, high-tech gadgetry, and sophisticated spycraft.

Reader Reviews

Cassandra

This is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Most other murder, suspense like novels have ubiquitous endings. Iam still reading this book and every page has a different suprise. The knowledge of weaponry and tactical skills is ...   Read More
Chris

This was the greatest book on international intrigue that I have read in a very long time. Anyone who hasn't heard of or read it, do yourself a favor and GET THIS BOOK!
Shazay

Awesome book! Should be found in anyone's collection!
Sid Brown

By far, the best book I've ever read. I am now a true Ludlum fan. Superbly detailed, incredible depth, and suspense that will leave you dangling off the edge of your chair. His storyline draws you deeper, and deeper, until you just can't put it ...   Read More

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Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

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    Milo Weaver used to be a “tourist” for the CIA—an undercover agent with no home, no identity. But when the arrest of an assassin exposes new layers of intrigue in his old cases, he has no choice but to go back undercover and find out who’s holding the strings once and for all.

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    A taut, lightning-paced thriller rooted assuredly in fact: Switzerland's shameful WWII record of profiteering and collaboration with Nazi Germany.

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