The Matarese Countdown - Hardcover

Ludlum, Robert

3.9

6,494 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 000225347X ISBN 13: 9780002253475

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1997

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A stunning thriller for the twenty-first century from the world’s number one storyteller.

The Matarese dynasty, first encountered in The Matarese Circle, is back in all its glory and evil. And the one man with enough knowledge to stop it, CIA case officer Cameron Pryce, may not have enough time. The Matarese countdown has begun and Pryce’s only chance to cut it off is to follow the trail of blood money and stone-cold killers to the heart of this deadly conspiracy.

From the Hamptons to Monte Carlo to Belgrave Square, Matarese assassins have already struck with brutal efficiency, eliminating all who stand in their way. But on Spain’s Costa del Sol, one victim survived long enough to breathe these dying words: ‘Find Agate’ – words that reverberate all the way to CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Agate is the codename for legendary retired agent Brandon Scofield, the only man ever to penetrate the Matarese and survive.

Now Cameron Pryce has to draw Scofield and his wife, Antonia, out of their Caribbean paradise hideaway and back to a place they thought they’d never have to go again. Back to the Matarese circle of death.

From the oilfields of the Persian Gulf to the boardrooms of Manhattan, from the hills of Corsica to the halls of power in Washington, the circle is closing, the noose is tightening, the panic is spreading. And Pryce has made a chilling discovery: the Matarese have broken new ground – deep inside the CIA.

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Review:

In the audio version of Robert Ludlum's espionage thriller, The Matarese Countdown, the confident voice of actor Stephen Lang (Broadway credits include Hamlet, Death of a Salesman, and A Few Good Men) sets the stage. "He jumped out of the raft and pulled it between the rocks to the sand, securing it to the trunk of a palm ... it was time for the hunt, and hopefully luck would be part of it." And so the chase is on. Lang leads us through a suspenseful tale of incestuous corporate corruption and free-market murder.

With his customary polish, Ludlum has devised a mind-bending plot that twists and turns through a complex maze of deadly consequences, pitting his team of heroes against a vicious and all-powerful evil empire. As in the popular prequel, The Matarese Circle, Lang uses his impressive vocal talents to create characters whose accented voices, regional dialects, and identifiable speech patterns heighten the drama. Some might consider the performance over the top, but it is nonetheless skilful and helps carry the action in this far-reaching tale of international intrigue.

Review:

‘A writer who bests the bestsellers.’
Daily Telegraph

‘An ingenious storyteller with a wonderful and convincing imagination.’
Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather

‘Stuffs more surprises into his novels than any other six-pack of thriller writers combined.’
New York Times

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