Russian Meddling and Neo Nazi Terrorism

This was a book club selection. I rarely read spy novels but tried to have an open mind. It turned out that it wasn't as bad as I expected, although I don't plan to continue the series.
On the positive side, lots of action and interesting plot twists. On the negative side, too many underdeveloped characters, as well as unexplained plot twists. I assume these will be addressed in later installments. For instance, why was Evan targeted by the Russians? Why was her family targeted? Who was Brenda, really? Why did she become a killing machine? What is the backstory on Lyudmila? How did she and Evan become friends? These are only some unanswered questions.
So, 3 stars... After 480 pages, I expected some resolution. Although our super agent has eliminated the present danger, she has uncovered information that reveals that the Nemesis threat run deep....stay tuned! ( )

I think I’m destined to never finish an Eric Van Lustbader book. I’ve been trying to since I first got a copy of The Ninja in the 80s. And had a box set of his Bourne novels that never got read more recently. His concepts always seem cool, but his writing just fails to grip me.

Didn't get into it, and didn't finish. ( )

A timely novel. Many of the characters are thinly veiled people in the news today. I find the writing very effective. You really come to dislike certain characters. Some of the scenes can be rather brutal. I would not classify this as a "cozy" mystery. Given the unsettled state of some of the characters, I hope there is a sequel that will bring some of them to justice. ( )

Evan Ryder is a female super spy, with a hole in her memories. When she and another female agent (Brenda) are nearly killed by a car bomb after interviewing a former colleague, with a similar hole, the two are determined to find out who tried to kill them and why. Along the way, we meet a number of Russian spys or doubles, making for a somewhat confusing plot, which eventually comes back together. As Evan and Brenda's boyfriend pursue one line of inquiry, Brenda follows her own path, eventually leading to a reunification at an unexpected location far from Moscow. There is even some intense family drama thrown in for good measure. While this is nowhere near as good as his early Asian series, Van Lustbader does use disturbing real world trends in the novel: the rise of the far right and anti-Semitism across the globe. Also, too many POVs. ( )