The Bancroft Strategy

Robert Ludlum

Summary:

Agent Todd Belknap has been cut loose after an operation goes wrong. When his best friend and fellow agent is abducted, and the government refuses to help, Todd takes matters into his own hands.

Meanwhile, Andrea Newton gets an unexpected call. She has been left a vast inheritance by a cousin she’s never met – on the condition that she joins the board of the charitable Bancroft foundation. Andrea is intrigued, but the foundation appears less and less benign the more deeply involved she gets.

What exactly is their involvement with ‘Genesis’ – a mysterious entity working to destabilise the geopolitical balance at the risk of millions of lives? As events escalate, Todd and Andrea must form an uneasy alliance if they are to uncover the truth – before it’s too late.

Plot:

This is an excellent story. There is mystery and suspense throughout and you really wonder how the author is going to connect all the plot lines together. The different twists mean that you’re never sure what to expect. However, it feels like the author added too many additional little facts that don’t really have anything to do with the story and that makes it all a little complicated. Most of these facts are hard to understand and I found myself just skimming the paragraphs that contained them. I really liked the themes that were explored in this book, especially the parts about the charity foundation trying to change the world, but maybe taking it a little too far.

Characters:

I liked the characters in this book, but it’s a little hard to know who to root for in this story since anyone could be revealed as being a villain. I didn’t fall in love with Andrea or Belknap, but I did root for them and worried when they were in danger. My favourite character is probably Belknap’s friend ‘Reinhart’, but I would’ve liked a little more insight into his character.

Who should read this:

13+, mainly for language as well as pretty graphic descriptions of violence. There is one sexual scene but it’s not graphic at all, merely implied. The story might also be a little complicated for younger readers and like I said, there are many parts that are not necessarily essential to the story that might also be a little hard to understand. If you like a story with some interesting twists and action this might be one you will enjoy.

My rating:

I really liked this story, although some parts bored me. I think it’s a good book, pretty well written, but there’s just too much unnecessary information. However, the ending is totally worth it. 4/5

Quote:

‘There are some acts that are simply heinous in themselves.’