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The Icarus Agenda Mass Market Paperback – February 1, 1992

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 712 ratings

Colorado Congressman Evan Kendrick is trying to live out his term quietly when a political mole reveals his deepest secret: Kendrick was the anonymous hero who freed the hostages held by Arab terrorists in the American embassy in Masqat, and then silently disappeared. Now, brought into the light, Kendrick is a target, pursued by the terrorists he once outwitted. Together with the beautiful woman who saved his life, Kendrick enters a deadly arena where the only currency is blood, where frightened whispers speak of violence yet to come, and where the fate of the free world may ultimately rest in the powerful hands of a mysterious figure known only as the Mahdi.
 
Praise for Robert Ludlum and The Icarus Agenda
 
“[Robert] Ludlum is light-years beyond his literary competition in piling plot twist upon plot twist, until the mesmerized reader is held captive. . . . Ludlum pulls out all the stops.”
Chicago Tribune
 
“[An] intricate story of conspiracies within conspiracies . . . Once you start reading you just can’t stop.”
Library Journal
 
“Readers will be hooked.”
The New York Times
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Robert Ludlum and The Icarus Agenda
 
“[Robert] Ludlum is light-years beyond his literary competition in piling plot twist upon plot twist, until the mesmerized reader is held captive. . . . Ludlum pulls out all the stops.”
Chicago Tribune
 
“[An] intricate story of conspiracies within conspiracies . . . Once you start reading you just can’t stop.”
Library Journal
 
“Readers will be hooked.”
The New York Times

From the Publisher

Colorado congressman Evan Kendrick is trying to live out his term of office quietly--when a political mole reveals to the world Kendrick's deepest secret...that Kendrick was the anonymous man in Masqar, the man who courageously freed the hostage held in the American embassy by Arab terrorists; the unknown hero who performed an act of outrageous daring then silently disappeared. Now, suddenly, Kendrick is a living target pursued by the terrorists he outwitted. Together with the beautiful woman who once saved hislife, Kendrick enters a deadly arena where the only currency is blood, where frightened whispers speak of violence yet to come and where Kendrick's life--and the fate of the free world--may ultimately rest in the powerful hands of a mysterious and deadly figure known only as the Mahdi.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bantam; Reissue edition (February 1, 1992)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 688 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0553278002
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0553278002
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.85 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 712 ratings

About the author

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Robert Ludlum
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Robert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 225 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series—The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum—among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
712 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read with fast-paced action and a good mix of humor and romance. They describe the book as entertaining and hard to put down. Opinions differ on the suspenseful plot, with some finding it enjoyable and intriguing, while others feel it's predictable.

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22 customers mention "Readability"18 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it an excellent read and one of Ludlum's best works.

"A good read that you won't want to put down" Read more

"Fast moving, intricate plot, and above all good time pass reading...." Read more

"Gripping fast-paced action, softened by subtle humour and romance. A must read, you wouldn't want to put it down once you flip the first pages." Read more

"An incredible read really kept me occupied in mind, body and spirit. The story just keeps your mind in constant thought of what will happen next...." Read more

5 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's fast-paced action, softened by subtle humor and romance. They find it engaging and hard to put down.

"Fast moving, intricate plot, and above all good time pass reading...." Read more

"Gripping fast-paced action, softened by subtle humour and romance. A must read, you wouldn't want to put it down once you flip the first pages." Read more

"An incredible read really kept me occupied in mind, body and spirit. The story just keeps your mind in constant thought of what will happen next...." Read more

"...At his best, Ludlum's stories are fast-paced, action-packed and entertaining. They're hard to put down...." Read more

18 customers mention "Suspenseful"12 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some find the plot enjoyable and intriguing, while others feel the story is predictable and bogs down in extraneous babble from the beginning. The ending seems tedious and boring for some readers.

"Fast moving, intricate plot, and above all good time pass reading...." Read more

"...Needless to say, it is not one of his better works. While the plot was enjoyable, the story pattern was predictable and somewhat infuriating...." Read more

"Top of the thriller. However, the ending is bit tedious & boring!" Read more

"A very good and intriguing Ludlum novel - I just love the way he keeps things in suspense." Read more

Cheesy? Corny?
1 out of 5 stars
Cheesy? Corny?
This book fell into my lap second-hand and I was looking forward to my first Ludlum. But within the first few pages, I detected such corny, cheesy turns of phrase, characters and plot points that it felt like a story intended as a big budget, star-filled extravaganza from the '70s. Chad Everett as Evan Kendrick. That sort of thing. I am curious why most of the reviews I see here seem generally positive. Should I hang with it?
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2024
    A good read that you won't want to put down
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2012
    Fast moving, intricate plot, and above all good time pass reading. Typical Ludlum mystery and suspense But I rate this book better than most of Rob Ludlum's books.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2023
    I like all Robert Ludlum books. This one was even better than I expected.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2021
    Gripping fast-paced action, softened by subtle humour and romance. A must read, you wouldn't want to put it down once you flip the first pages.
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2014
    I am a big Robert Ludlum fan. I don't know how he comes up with the information that fleshes out the story line. One of the first of his books that I read was about David Bourne. A few months after I finished the book, I found an article in the New York Times talking about a character in the book, making me wonder how Ludlum could parallel so closely when information was supposedly closely held until the article.
    I would recommend Ludlum to anyone who likes spy/mysteries that will leave you wondering how close to the truth this fiction is.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2016
    An incredible read really kept me occupied in mind, body and spirit. The story just keeps your mind in constant thought of what will happen next. Research is always paramount in capturing the reader, the author certainly did not let me down ...
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2008
    I've read a few of Robert Ludlum's books over the years. Many of them were quite good. At his best, Ludlum's stories are fast-paced, action-packed and entertaining. They're hard to put down. Unfortunately, while THE ICARUS AGENDA has these elements, the story doesn't come together well and it suffers from weaknesses less obvious in Ludlum's better books.

    The story is in the form of two sub-plots. The first, which encompasses the rescue of American hostages being held within the US embassy in Masqat, is the part I found most engaging, although the ending is too clean and easy. Fleshed out and given a better ending, this story could have made a good book by itself.

    The second sub-plot finds the hero of the first part back in his remote Colorado home. His cover from the first operation blown, his home is under siege by Arab terrorists seeking revenge. At the same time, he is caught between two domestic political cabals, one seeking to push him into running for national office while the other wants to prevent his candidacy. This plot was a bit too much. One or the other of these storylines could have made another good book. Together, the situation just feels contrived. Moreover, Ludlum's domestic political plot comes off heavy-handed and nieve.

    The characters ultimately come across poorly, too, and stereotypes abound. The hero, Congressman Evan Kendrick, spends the entire book professing his desire to be left alone, but always allowing himself to be drawn in. He's just too good to be true. In addition, there's the obligatory gorgeous and extremely available woman, as well as an ally in the first plot who just happens to be a wealthy old Jewish guy whose health is represented as fragile. He becomes an immediate and important character in the second and, despite his age and frailty, he survives all of the madness and mayhem of the second half of the book intact. It's all pretty fluffy stuff and, while there's plenty of action throughout, THE ICARUS AGENDA becomes increasingly difficult to swallow as it progresses.

    THE ICARUS AGENDA isn't really a BAD book, but neither is it terribly good. As Ludlum's books go, it's a letdown. If you've read some of his other works, don't take on this one with high expectations. If you haven't read any of Ludlum's other books, find a better one than this.
    9 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2001
    I have read about three of Robert Ludlum's books as of last night. Every one of them keeps me up far past my required midnight bedtime.
    Robert Ludlum has this habit of writing a novel that moves, moves, surprises you, then moves again, and you almost feel breathless waiting for the next crisis to happen to the protagonist and what on earth will the protaganist do to get out of this mess!
    I sure do wish that Robert Ludlum would write a story about a female heroine that is just as wonderful a protagonist as his male characters, though.
    3 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Craig Davis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good like the author
    Reviewed in Canada on June 18, 2023
    Like the author
  • Vikrant Sharma
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ebbs and flows
    Reviewed in India on September 2, 2023
    It is a collection of theee books in one book, kind of like three parts. The first part works like a long character establishment, it's good. The second is the central story, it is awesome, third is kind of a long epilogue, totally unnecessary and little too fantastical to believe.
    A book either stops when it is going great or goes on long enough to finally disappoint.
  • Tc
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ludlum is always a good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2013
    One of my favourite authors who manages to keep several threads running interestingly at the same time. Much easier to manage on my Kindle as the books are rather large although referring back to earlier pages is not as easy as having the physical printed book.
  • ジイジ
    3.0 out of 5 stars 読み始めて、....
    Reviewed in Japan on March 2, 2014
    話の展開が、見えなくなって、途中で後戻り、年寄りには少しつらい本のような気がします。
  • Kym Hamer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Typically Ludlum-esque suspenseful reading
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2019
    This is a typically convoluted and suspenseful read from Ludlum but there are times it gets a bit hard-going and I'm not entirely sure I loved the end. Still a cracking 4 stars from me.