Sigma Protocol
Author: Robert Ludlum
No. of pages: 662
Year of Publication: 2001

"So I suppose I equate suspense and good theatre in a very similar way. I think it's all suspense and 'what-happens-next'. From that point of view, yes, I guess, I am theatrical." - Robert Ludlum

Robert Ludlum is perhaps the most successful and one of the most popular American author of suspense thriller novels. His books are intriguing, fast paced and sometimes violent and mostly involving world politics..many of his novels have been made into Television serials and successful films.
He is best known for his Bourne series, which has become famous after the film adaptations.
Ludlum wrote his first novel The Scarletti Inheritance in the year 1971, which went on to become a bestseller after several hiccups, then came the hugely successful  Ostermen Weekend which was also later made into a successful film. I personally feel that this was one of his best novels ..
Ever since, he has written 20 odd thrillers until his death in 2001.
The 'Sigma protocol' was the last novel written by Robert Ludlum which was published posthumously..

The Story

It is the story of Ben Hartman, an American Investment banker, son of a holocaust survivor, traveling in Zurich, who becomes the target of an assassination attempt and that too by Jimmy Cavanaugh ,one of his old and close friends from school. But Jimmy is killed on the spot and his body mysteriously vanishes, along with his weapon, later found as mysteriously in Ben's luggage ..While dodging several attempts by the killers, Ben comes across Field agent Anna Navaro, who has been recruited to investigate the secret deaths of some influential people across the globe, the deaths seemingly unrelated...now brought Together, the only thing that connects Ben and Anna is a secret file, over a half century old , linked to the CIA and marked with the puzzling code name SIGMA...

But , as they begin uncovering and discovering truths about Sigma, they realise that their lives have been put into danger and that the enemy or enemies are always one step ahead of them..Ben in the mean time meets his twin brother Peter, who was presumed dead for many years now, under mysterious circumstances. Peter hands over the picture of some influential leaders who have been collaborating with the surviving Nazi leaders, and one of them turns out to be their own Father...within hours of their meeting the assassins track them and .....follows a chase that brings more trouble..

My views

The action in this gripping novel is fast paced and as it generally happens in most of Ludlum's tales, takes you through various parts of the Globe. Here in this novel, the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria and the Alps..The suspense and action starts from page one with the murder attempt on Ben and then it builds up through the following pages. There are no slack moments at all. Ben has not a single minute of respite as he is being chased by the killers , and he is totally clueless about the reason for this murder attempt..Most of the story is about his trying to find the reason and trying to connect Sigma to his own predicament ,as to how and why he is involved in it in the first place?

It is interesting to read the building up of the relationship between Ben and Anna - hostile in the beginning and then slowly turning into love and need..
There are many deaths that according to me was unnecessary and unjustified like the death of Dr Liesle ..But I guess in novels of this type, it is necessary to add them on for the right impact and attention !

I am amazed at the manner in which Ludlum is able to come up with so many intricate details regarding people and places , that I have to keep going back pages and reread the details to get my bearings right. The way he connects all the intricate and complicated sub plots is very interesting to say the least ! And they are well researched with no loopholes or unconnected ends.

Your attention never wavers while reading this novel. I simply loved reading this book and since I bought this book at a sale for Rs 120 ( less than 3 pounds) I think it was money well spent, as I am going to read it many more times over the years and my family too would be doing the same. I feel that spending money on books is a great and worthwhile investment !

I personally consider this as one of his better novels. I recommend Sigma Protocol as a must read novel for not just Robert Ludlum fans but for all those who like to read a fast paced action and suspense thriller novel!