Brian Freeman returns with another action packed entry in the Bourne series that I found hard to put down. Earlier in the series he lost the love of his life when Abby Laurent could not live with the danger in his life. Now Bourne found an unexpected connection between his latest assignment and Abby. Someone has hacked a database that contains secrets worth killing for. Abby's husband Garrett worked on a program tied to the database. Now someone wants him dead. The two men take an instant dislike to each other and Bourne feels that Garrett is holding back information. The Files are up for sale. Bourne is up against the Russians, the Chinese and a U.S. senator who wants them for her own advancement. The head of Treadstone is holding back information as she manipulates Bourne, who has his own agenda. Someone from his past is being held by a vicious European crime boss. If Bourne wants to save her life he must trade the Files for her. The senator has hired Joanna, Bourne’s former lover, to work against him. Joanna still has feelings of him and distrusts the senator. When their paths cross feelings are rekindled and she is there for back up when he needs it.

Freeman keeps the action constant and throws in a number of twists just when you think you know where the investigation is going. He is the second author to take over the Bourne series after the death of Robert Ludlum. His stories are well written and his action sequences keep you on the edge of your seat. There are several disturbing scenes that involve excessive violence, but Freeman takes you for a wild ride, leaving the fate of the Files and Bourne’s and Joanna’s future in jeopardy. I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for providing this book.

As a fan of the movies, I went into this with high hopes. I have read some of the books, but not many of them. While this book is not as engaging as the movies, this still is a good read. There is a lot of action right from the start, and characters are easy to root for or against. Though I prefer the movies, I am likely to check out future books, as this one did contain a nice kind of intrigue, drama, and a touch of romance.

Exhilarating. Exciting. Thrilling. Another great chapter in the Jason Bourne saga, this time with AI. Welcome to the modern age. A real page turner full of action. Highly recommended.

Action Does Not Translate from Film to Its Bourne Novel Version

It is so much fun to watch action films. Especially while I am exercising in the evening, there is nothing that keeps me from realizing I’m tired better than a quick bang-bang action flick. Most of the big-budget films are made based on something that already has a proven sales record. This typically means that it has been a best-selling novel, or graphic novel before. A lot more money can usually be made from the film version, so writers seem to be competing to have their stuff adapted in the way they structure their novel versions. Can action be as exciting in a novel as it is in a film? I mean an action sequence in a film has no words, and it’s fun to watch because of the achievements of the acrobats performing the stunts. But can running and flipping around be stretched into pages and pages of prose? The Bourne series is one of the best-known examples of this phenomenon.
“The hunt for a trove of secret information forces Bourne to decide who lives—and who dies—.” What does this opening pitch mean? Bourne is an assassin, since he tends to kill a lot of people. Though he’s supposed to be acting in self-defense against assassins coming after him. But this intro suggests that he’s plotting who he’s going to assassinate… Why would “secret information” of any kind be a motive or a reason to kill people? I’m confused.
“A hacked database known as the Files has upended the intelligence community. Careers are being destroyed. Dirty deals are showing up on the front page. Assassinations are spreading from Europe to the U.S…” This note confused me, so I searched for “destroyed” through this book. A third into this novel, there is a mention that “Cody controls” a “region” and “could have destroyed me with a phone call.” To clarify, a couple of paragraphs earlier there’s a mention of Putin’s actions in Ukraine being “barbaric”. The character speaking with Bourne explains that he had to escape Russia after complaining that Russia’s war against Ukraine was wrong, as he became frightened kompromat would be used against him, if he remained. This clarifies that this is a story about the FBI, and foreign intelligence agencies using investigations to find compromising materials to blackmail wealthy and powerful people. But why did the disclosure of these “Files” cause assassinations? I mean, it should have caused the arrest of the people who are doing compromising things… If they are sleeping with prostitutes… they’d theoretically be charged with that. If they are accusing Russia of acting corruptly; that’s not kompromat, that’s free speech. I think this author is kind of a bit unclear about what these concepts are, or is confusing them to make the whole thing seem more mysterious.
“The new head of Treadstone sends Jason Bourne on a mission to find out who has the Files and get them back—or destroy them…” I searched the book for “Treadstone”. I guess I have a vague concept of a secret-spy-agency from the films. But I hoped the novel would afford more room to explain who these guys were, and what they were doing and why. The first mention early in the book just mentions somebody “knew” about “Treadstone” looking for them, before adding that also the “Shadow” was “looking for her”… Neither of these entities are identified: why would they care enough to look for anybody? Pop fiction frequently refers to the “State” or the “Agency” with very general menacing terms. Authors are allowed to accuse a “Shadow State” of doing bad stuff because it is assumed such talk can be dismissed as a “conspiracy”. It is innocuous because it does not directly accuse the FBI, CIA, or some other alphabet agency of spying illegally, and using blackmail to corruptly profit their members, instead of serving the needs of the public.
“But Bourne isn’t alone in this race. The Chinese want the Files. So do the Russians. And the only woman who may be able to help him is a treacherous spy known as Johanna——Bourne’s former lover—who sees the Files as the key to her own vendetta against Treadstone…” A vendetta against a government agency? Why? What would a secret agent had to have done for an agency to come after her? And why would this persecuted agent want to kind of help Bourne in helping this agency, while also sabotaging it? I mean, choose one of these… I searched for “vendetta”, but the surrounding text did not explain anything about the origin, cause, or nature of this “vendetta”. Later near the end of the book this “vendetta” is again mentioned in a debate between Johanna and Shadow, wherein Johanna threatens that their “vendetta” would only end “when one of us is dead”… There are no specifics in the surrounding dialogue. So it’s just a general threat that can be repeated in any novel, like a stock-photo.
“Bourne has a rule for friends and enemies alike: Trust no one. That rule may be the only thing keeping him alive, because the hunt for the Files soon takes Bourne inside a twisted labyrinth of murder and betrayal, where everyone has a hidden agenda. Including Bourne himself.” What? Bourne, the hero, has an “agenda”? In the films, he’s usually just being threatened and he has to run away, or kill some people to stay alive. But he actually has some thought or logic behind what he wants to be doing? In one dialogue a woman insists: “No hidden agenda.” But this is about her not wanting a romantic relationship in her “bed”. Then, in the middle of the novel, Bourne mentions this “agenda” of his own for “this hunt”. But this is followed by no specifics because he is “keeping the truth from her”. Secrecy is regularly used in such novels to explain missing information, or a lack of research and work invested in a novel by its author.
One other thing I had to check is the point I raised at the start of this review. How is action handled in a novel? I searched for “kicked”. At the start of chapter 9, the hero (in third-person) kicks snow while walking. At the start of the next chapter, he “kicked… open” the door “easily”, despite it being “boarded over”. Finally, some pages later: “Someone kicked Bourne heavily in the kidney, causing a jolt of pain. A knife cut through the bonds of his wrists and ankles, and a large redheaded man yanked the tape off his face, then removed the dirty cotton towel that filled his mouth…” This is not a particularly exciting fight. And it is followed by Bourne calculating if he can escape from confinement, rather than by other types of kicks and punches, which would dominate this scene in a film. Then, some torture follows, which tends to stretch for too long in films, but here is really stretched out with please somebody didn’t do anything that repeat without details. About just what was done and by whom. How can any modern reader seriously read one of these novels cover-to-cover? It seems impossible because there is nothing humanly realistic in the descriptions, or surprising about the deadly actions.
—Pennsylvania Literary Journal, Fall 2024: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-fall-2024

I was leary of another writer attempting to write in Ludlum's style. The beginning of the book went slowly, but finally took off running.

Welcome Brian Freeman! I will read more of his books and highly recommend this book.

Years ago when the original author was penning the novels in this series, I read a couple and quit even though overall I thought they were well written. Why? Reading them became tedious, and getting through one was more slogfest than enjoyment to me. The movies I watched - as long as I've read a book that gets transformed to film, I'm game, but never the other way around.

Fast-forward more years than I want to own up to, and I've once again started to read the series (most recently penned by this author). That in itself is an oddity, since once I've seen the movie(s) I never, ever, return to print. And by golly, I'm enjoying the heck out of the books. This one is no exception, although I'll say at the outset that I'm SO not happy with the ending.

Once again, current and former players from the secretive agency Treadstone are interacting with each other - including Jason Bourne, a.k.a. several other names, who's forgotten most of his past. The agency's head is a truly wicked city woman called Shadow; a former agent, Johanna, gets involved in the mix. Despite having had initimate relationships with both women, Jason's long-time love is Abbey Laurent, who left him (with his blessing) because she couldn't deal with his ultra-dangerous lifestyle.

Throw into the mix something called "The Files," some kind of clandestine computer program that has ferreted out top secrets from the lives of all sorts of people. Whoever has it has the potential to earn tons of money by blackmailing those who want to protect their secrets, so several factions are doing their best (or worst) to get it their hands, including Treadstone. To help with that, Shadow calls in Jason.

Amid people getting killed and Jason trying his best not to be among them, he learns that Abbey is collecting information for a book she's writing based on a major fire at a ranch resort in which several people died. No cause has been determined as yet, but she hopes her research will ferret out the truth. He also learns she's no longer a free woman; not long ago, she married a man named Garrett Parker. Jason has very mixed feelings about that - perhaps hoping that Abbey does as well - although both deny any chance of getting back together.

But as connections between what both are working on grow stronger, meeting again becomes inevitable - as does the danger that follows Jason like a shadow encroaches on Abbey's life once again. An even bigger problem, though, is that Garrett may be involved somehow - and it may be up to Jason to save him (or not).

All in all, it's typical Bourne in action from the beginning (and no, you didn't really expect me to say why I didn't like the ending, did you)? I'll just say thanks once again to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Good one!

Okay, I've watched the movies; but this is the first book I'm reading in this series and from a different author not it's original author. Boy was this good.

Brian Freeman has a way with his characters and his plot twists you will not be able to tell from a mile away?!

Bourne has to retrieve some files in order to save a woman's life and in the process he comes in contact again with the love of his life. As he tries to figure out where his feelings stand with and also race against time to find the files. A new love interest might be in the books for Bourne, but only if he's able to stay alive long enough to see if its a sure thing.
High recommendation from me!

Thank you Penguin Group Putnam & NetGalley for this ARC. Beyond humbled

BOURNE VENDETTA OUT JAN 14TH 2025

Brian Freeman's latest in the Bourne saga..."The Bourne Vendetta" is a good read as Jason searches for The File; while 4 women are going to get him killed. Fast paced thriller, too much drama, and a whole lot of action/deceit.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of this novel and Published Jan. 2025.

Another great read in the ongoing Bourne series! The latest book follows tradition with crime, intrigue, tension, betrayal and of course, romance. This is a fast-paced, constantly moving story that never fails to entertain.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Jason Bourne is tasked by Treadstone to find a mysterious computer program called The Files. The Files are an AI system that has collected all sorts of data from important people around the world. It knows their secrets, and whoever has the files can use that to their advantage. As Jason begin to track down The Files, it leads him to his former lover Abbey Laurent who is married to someone who may know more than he is letting on about The Files. While Jason deals with this problem, he is also trying to balance pleasing his Treadstone boss, Shadow, and save an acquaintance from an Estonian Gangster. All of this leads to a deep winding race that Jason must win.

Excellent novel from Mr. Freeman. The story is well written and all the plot lines seem to intertwine beautifully. Mr. Freeman manages to throw a few curveballs in there to keep the readers on their toes. The book is action pack and moves quickly. That makes it a fun easy read. There are a few scenes that get a little graphic, so be warned. I really enjoyed how Mr. Freeman balanced the women in Jason’s life. He was torn by his duty/loyalty to four different women, and it was an added point of excitement in the novel as you kept guessing what he would ultimately do. I also like how Mr. Freeman’s Jason Bourne isn’t infallible. He screws up, makes mistakes, and sometimes needs help. This brings a bit of reality into this charged thriller.

I highly recommend this book. If you are a fan of Mr. Freeman, you know what you are getting and you won’t be disappointed. If you have never read him before, pick up this book and get ready for a wild ride. Thank you to NetGalley, Brian Freeman, Penguin Putnam Group, and GP Putnam’s Sons for a free advanced copy for an honest review.

This was my first Jason Bourne (aka David Webb, aka Cain) novel. I read it not knowing anything about the character, his past acquaintances, lovers, associates or nemeses. The Bourne Vendetta, Book 20 of 20 and author Brian Freeman’s 6th novel in the series, did not provide much background. I am a book series addict and yes, it is distracting and annoying when the author provides details about the characters and past events that I am totally familiar with but I do understand and appreciate the need for it. As a novice to Bourne’s background, his connection to Treadstone, Treadstone itself, and characters in the series, some exposition would have been warranted.
The plot centers around a hacked database of secret information named the Files. Lives are lost and careers are destroyed because of the Files and the Americans, the Chinese and the Russians all want to get hold of it.. Assassins and contract killers are sent after the Files. Jason, working for the black ops project, Treadstone, is sent by Shadow, its head, to retrieve the files. Johanna (aka Storm), his past lover and former Treadstone agent, doesn’t want Shadow and Treadstone to obtain the Files. Abby Laurent, Bourne’s former fiancé, wanted Bourne but not his dangerous life but now needs his help when her life and her new husband's life is in danger. Does her husband have a connection to the Files? Can Johanna be trusted if Bourne teams up with her? Does Shadow want the Files for her own nefarious reasons?
The Bourne Vendetta is engaging, exciting, and provides the reader with characters to root for and characters you would like to see eliminated. The female characters are strong, flawed and enigmatic. Jason is coveted by all the women, evil and good, in his life and his affection wavers between them. He also wavers between his working for Shadow and Treadstone and his self doubts on being a part of the organization. Storm and Shadow are enemies yet Bourne is drawn to both of them while they both know of his love for Abby.
The story is open-ended regarding if the Files will continue to be used for notorious purposes and if the woman that Jason ends up with will be allowed to survive. I would have like to have had closure on this adventure and then moved on to the next escapade. Guess I will have to stay tuned.
I would like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for an advance copy of The Bourne Vendetta for which I offer an honest review.

Perhaps because I haven’t read all of the series, this one didn’t excite me or hold my attention as much as I’d expected. Brian Freeman is a favorite author but Bourne’s continued memory loss had me as stuck as he was. Treadstone has new leadership in Shadow. She and Storm are enemies with Bourne connected to each of them. A database filled with secrets known as “The Files” are on the market with multiple adversaries, numerous countries and criminals vying for possession. Throw in a ruthless Congresswoman who has no qualms about how she gets what she wants and no one is safe. Bourne’s first love, novelist Abbey, is investigating a California wildfire which claimed a life. Her personal life has changed and I was both intrigued and interested to learn more. It was the best portion of the book for me. Bourne is compelled to save people, he has more lovers and Ex’s than he can remember. All the names, covers and aliases kept me confused. The international intrigue was gripping. The allegiance and loyalty is continually changing based on the payoff, not morals.
G. P. Putnam’s Sons (via NetGalley) provided an Advance Reader Copy of “Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Vendetta” (Jason Bourne Series # 20) by Brian Freeman, publication expected 01/14/2025. These are my honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Thank you to Penguin Group, Brian Freeman and Net Galley for allowing me to read this book.

Its been a few years since I have read a Bourne Book, but boy I need to go back and refresh the list and catch up. I love these books and this one did not disappoint.
Jason Bourne is still working for Treadstone. Shadow and Storm are also still doing their thing. This new edition is updated to include the usual characters, Russia, China, AI and nefarious things people are up to!

Jason and Storm are tasked with finding an AI generated file, both working for different entities and everyone wants this file, including a US congress person, the Russians, China and everyone else! They are initially working against each other, then they team up, then go separate again so you have to keep up with the action! Jasons past comes into play. This book definitely keeps you are your toes. The locations go from Estonia, eastern Europe and the US. There are many story lines going at the same time and it keeps you guessing on who is the bad guy and who is not, most everyone is bad at some point in this story! Adding the AI generated aspect of this story, certainly updates the series with the times and is a fascinating aspect of this book! I love spy books and this one is a spy book for 2024 for sure! It is an amazing look at what AI could do in the future and perhaps already is!

I certainly recommend this book for any Bourne fans for sure, spy thriller fans and just thriller fans in general. It is a fast-paced updated look at intelligence in the 21 century.

We find Jason Bourne again in trouble as his past comes to haunt him. Who will help him? And who is guiding him behind all of the maneuvers? Again AI pops it’s head into this book as part of the plot. They try and find some missing files and it takes them to many locations. Great read!

Brian Freeman continues to expand the world of Bourne. I love the clean prose, tense plotting, and links to this creative universe. One of my current series in the thriller market.

Brian Freeman is one of my favorite authors. As I began to read The Bourne Vendetta I felt as if I was in a comfortable reading zone, in good hands. There is plenty of action here, but essentially Bourne is looking for hacked files, and, well, that is not as exciting as chasing rampaging terrorists. But I enjoyed the novel and will gladly grab the next Brian Freeman tale. He has brought me great reading joy.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Book I am reviewing is "The Bourne Vendetta" by Brian Freeman. I first of all would like to Thank Brian Freeman the author, Net Galley for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Also, a thank you to Penguin Group Putnam for approving an ARC for me to read.
I have not previously read the book installments by Brian Freeman, but I have seen several Bourne movies. In my mind Jason Bourne is Matt Damon and Matt Damon is Jason Bourne. HIs other identities referred to in the book are his real name David Webb and also his name Cain.
In this book he still has his ties to Treadstone and has three women he is both working with and or trying to save.
The enemies Files that are beneficial and powerful to many entities and countries who are after it. Bourne is continually looking over his shoulder and either entering or exiting situations where his life is always at risk.
His weakness being beautiful women as mentioned numerous times in the text almost has a James Bond feel to the story. He has many near misses and close encounter with evil men also in search and on a quest for these files.
There are many twists and turns and unexpected situations which made for an exciting page turner. The three Beautiful women that he works with are smart, clever and not exactly trustworthy. By the dialogue and exchanges you can't be completely sure if they are for Jason Bourne or working secretly to snatch the files when he finally gets them. If that ever happens.
I thought this was a good story and I could picture it in a movie. I read it really fast which is always an indication that I like a book. It is entertaining and with the many twists and turns it was hard to put down.

The Bourne Vendetta is a raw and energetic action-packed entry in the series that builds upon the amazing new universe that Ludlum created and Freeman augmented. Top-notch storytelling with tons of twists.

Review: I had a difficult time engaging with the story line and the characters. No depth was created for the characters even though there was plenty of time to do so with the intense movement. Some of the failed characters that stood out were Cody and Irinia, who stood at the pinnacle of Trope what with the evilly criminal that looks like Rasputin and the hottie damsel held hostage to Bourne’s weakness. Old and reused scenes from any spy novel, traipse across your eyes with ephemeral disregard.

This is one instance where movies are better than this novel. Bourne lacks the personality that made him interesting. Smart, deadly, master strategist and removed from empathy when the situation demands it. This Bourne is none of those things. He is drawn as being inept and vulnerable in all aspects which was a great let down in the old “Transport my Reality”, department.

Every chapter devoted to his old flame “Hottie novelist Douche Nozzle” pushed me closer and closer to DNFing this POS. These chapters ran like an afterthought, wholly inserted into a running story line. The whole “I am a distraught and complicated novelist searching for the truth who likes manly bulges but wants Jason….” blah dee blah.

I almost got to the end but the premise was lame as were the characters, lame-r.

DNF

“Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Vendetta” written by Brian Freeman is another great thriller bringing back all our favorite Treadstone agents. It is a non stop page turner that sends Jason Bourne into a high stakes mission to recover an AI data mining program that can be used to blackmail or eliminate heads of state, criminals or anyone in a position of power. As in the other Bourne books, the fiction in this story is so close to reality that I am still thinking about the consequences of the development of this kind of technology. The plot, intrigue and cast of well developed characters (including all the past women in Bourne’s life) makes this book a great addition to this series, and the final unexpected twist at the end sets us up perfectly for the next installment. I can’t wait!

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.