The Ambler Warning: A Novel

by Robert Ludlum

2006

Status

Available

Publication

St. Martin's Paperbacks (2006), Edition: Reprint, 640 pages

Description

On Parrish Island, a restricted island off the coast of Virginia, there is a little known and never visited psychiatric facility. There, far from prying eyes, the government stores former intelligence employees whose psychiatric state make them a danger to their own government, people whose ramblings might endanger ongoing operations or prove dangerously inconvenient. One of these employees, former Consular Operations agent Hal Ambler, is kept heavily medicated and closely watched. But there's one difference between Hal and the other patients-Hal isn't crazy. With the help of a sympathetic nurse, Hal manages to first clear his mind of the drug-induced haze and then pulls off a daring escape. Free, he's out to discover who stashed him there and why-but the world he returns to isn't the one he remembers. Friends and longtime associates don't remember him, there are no official records of Hal Ambler, and when he first sees himself in the mirror, the face that looks back at him is not the one he knows as his own.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member MnM

This is a Ludlum - so it's at least got some kind of page-turner quality to it which earns it its one and only LT star.

Because that being said, let's be honest - the book is complete crap. Unnecessarily complex plot, stereotypical characters (guess what? the hero is tall, muscular and lean, and he

gets to meet this distressed but brilliant and gorgeous girl, and then...), and as usual Ludlum has his characters travelling all over the world (that is to say in all those under-developped countries that aren't the US), and strangely enough the natives don't seem to be able to speak their own language properly (I'm French and it just pisses me off that he can't get a francophone person to check the three and a half lines of French text he insists on putting into his books)...

Still... Give it a shot if you're on BookMooch - my copy's available! :)

Marc.

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LibraryThing member aarondesk

This is a fast-paced novel, typical of Ludlum. It has some commonalities with the Bourne series, but its different enough to stand apart.

LibraryThing member MSWallack

Of all of the books written under the name "Robert Ludlum" since his death, The Ambler Warning sounds and reads most like one of Ludlum's books. A few (somewhat nasty) plot holes detract from the overall story, but I did enjoy this book far more than any of the posthumous "Ludlum" novels.

LibraryThing member Talbin

Interesting premise, not well-executed. The writing was okay, but the story seemed to drag quite a bit.

LibraryThing member isabellacreations

It's ages since I read a Ludlam. This one was fast-paced and with a complex-enough plot to keep me guessing. It didn't quite live up to my fond memories of earlier readings, but it was still definitely entertaining and worth the read.

LibraryThing member darlingtrk

This is like most Ludlums, a little predictable, but still engaging. I didn't expect the crisis, but I'm sure others did. Unfortunately, for most of the book, I couldn't help thinking the whole thing was a lot like Bourne. Supreme op, no memory, unknown enemies chasing .... The auditor was a good

and funny addition.

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LibraryThing member lilygirl

Written before the popularization of microexpressions, Ludlum delivers a suspenseful thriller that I found to be one of his best. There are several layers to every character and each new layer to the plot adds an interesting twist. I think of fresh-squeezed lemonade. (Or I might just be thirsty

right now.)

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LibraryThing member ariefw

Despite the writing style and Ludlum's routine, his factual sheet of the-behind-the-scene global security industries is tremendous; quite well-researched.

LibraryThing member rondoctor

Good read, but not Ludlum's best

LibraryThing member abhidd1687

always been a fan of Ludlums's and have nevr been let down by him..
wen d mystry finally unveils at d end, its quite a surprise..totally unpredictable.

LibraryThing member Rascalstar

This story would make a better movie than a book. The story is OK and ripe for the big screen if it can be done as well as the other Ludlam books. I listened to this on CD and the writing just isn't great. It's OK. The story was better than the narrative and had an unpredictable twist near the end

with plenty of killing and action. Yes, it would make a very fine movie, as the Bourne series has. Some bits of the story seemed muddy or confusing, at least upon listening. Maybe those are clearer if read.

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LibraryThing member ElizabethCromb

Another story much like the Bourne series. A guy who has been betrayed by his own government employer. locked in a psych facility, stripped of identity, etc. Did not finish reading it. Probably seen the Bourne films too many times to find this story novel.

LibraryThing member HenriMoreaux

Written posthumously from notes and outlines left behind by Ludlum, The Ambler Warning was completed by a ghost writer for the estate, as such it does lack the usual oomph that a Ludlum thriller has.

There is also a few small problems with the flow of the story, where scenes simply cut off rather

than explain how they eventuated, this seems more like lazy writing than a method of building intensity. I also felt the whole memory altering aspect had an air of the Bourne Identity to it, albeit implemented in a different way, perhaps this was why Ludlum hadn't written it whilst alive.

Asides for this, it's an alright book, it's certainly engaging once you put aside the short comings and air of deju vu around the circumstances surrounding Harrison Ambler vis-à-vis the Bourne circumstances.

I'd give it a 3.5/5, not terrible, but nor was it outstanding, strictly middle of the road good.

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