Russian meddling, American fragmentation, and global politics collide in this action-packed, international thriller. In The Nemesis Manifesto, New York Times bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader, “the master of the smart thriller,”* delivers an epic and harrowing adventure of the predatory forces that are threatening the very fabric of democracy and kicks off a compelling new series with a … off a compelling new series with a singular new hero for our time.
Evan Ryder is a lone wolf, a field agent for a black-ops arm of the DOD, who has survived unspeakable tragedy and dedicated her life to protecting her country. When her fellow agents begin to be systematically eliminated, Evan must unravel the thread that ties them all together…and before her name comes up on the kill list.
The list belongs to a mysterious cabal known only as Nemesis, a hostile entity hell-bent on tearing the United States apart. As Evan tracks them from Washington D.C. to the Caucasus Mountains, from Austria to a fortress in Germany where her own demons reside, she unearths a network of conspirators far more complex than anyone could have imagined. Can Evan uproot them before Nemesis forces bring democracy to its knees?
*Nelson DeMille
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
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Lustbader is in excellent form here. The Nemesis Manifesto is dark, sophisticated and compelling, and couldn’t be more timely. And Evan Ryder is a keeper!
Evan Ryder is a tough, black-ops field agent, working for the Department of Defense. Even though she faced many challenges and adversities throughout her life, both personally and professionally, Evan has dedicated her life fully to her country and the defense of it, regardless of what dangers she may face. When other field agents start turning up dead or go missing, agents whose names can be found on a Nemesis kill list, Evan must use all of her knowledge and experience to find and stop them before Nemesis, a group determined to destroy the United States from the inside out, can succeed, all while trying not the end up on the list herself.
Within The Nemesis Manifesto, Eric Van Lustbader weaves together a rather complex web of characters. I am extremely grateful that I kept a character chart so I could keep track of all of the interconnections and the loyalties of each individual. The characters themselves are well developed and I liked how often they surprised me, both through their actions and situations involving them. I took delight in the fact that there were multiple strong female characters. This novel is full of action and at times I felt as though I was just flying through the pages, just like Evan flew across the globe chasing Nemesis. I really enjoyed the way in which it was written. The narrative is broken up into smaller pieces and jumps from character to character, making many moments within the novel quite suspenseful, which also made it difficult to put down. The story really lends itself well to the current political and economical atmosphere, which some may enjoy and others may not. I personally enjoyed it.
If you are a fan of political thrillers I would recommend The Nemesis Manifesto by Eric Van Lustbader.
Thank you to Forge and BookishFirst for sending me an ARC of The Nemesis Manifesto, given in exchange for an honest review.
The Nemesis Manifesto (Evan Ryder #1), my fifteenth read from author Eric Van Lustbader. I received a free review copy of The Kobalt Dossier (Evan Ryder Book 2) and wanted to read this first so I went out bought the Audible audiobook. Originally titled “The Bourne Nemesis” part of the Jason Bourne universe. A well-developed, well-written book that takes off like a jet fighter from an aircraft carrier. The primary characters are well developed. Reminiscent of the best works of Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum. A captivating, page-turning, well-written read. A must-read book! Narrator Lauren Fortgang’s narration was perfect for this book! I’m voluntarily leaving a review. Ilook forward to reading more from this author and look forward to The Kobalt Dossier (Evan Ryder Book 2). (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
Politics in real life is a no-go area for me but in books – give me all you got. There is a definite comparison between this POTUS and a certain other one in real life, who I shall not name in case he takes a hissy fit LOL.
Evan Ryder is a damn good spy, not just for a woman, but against anyone. She takes patriotism and the protection of her country seriously. She is no Bond Girl, she’d kick James in the b&&ls and take over and do a fine job of it. Her Boss Ben, her former partner, is just as savvy but now bides his time behind a desk rather than in the field (BTW his daughter could teach classes in the manipulation of adults!!)
No one is safe in this book, I just got around to kind of understanding and liking someone and BLAMMO, dead. Evan’s friend/mentor Ludymilia is like a chess Grandmaster – she’s 12 steps ahead of everyone and Isobel is another fantastically strong, intelligent and cunning agent.
The females are by far the ringleaders in this book. As in real life overlook them or underestimate them at your peril!
I wasn’t prepared to like this book. The first impression I gave it was a three star, normally I don’t do spy stories, they don’t interest me all that much, but this took me completely by surprise. I take it all back! My first impression couldn’t have been more wrong, and I’m actual very grateful for that.
Thank you so much to Eric and Macmillan for calling my bluff and sending this to me, proving me wrong effectively.
I waited on this for over a week and I was dreading it, and once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down, it was so well down, it kept me at the edge of my seat the entire book; wanting to know what was going to happen. It’s probably the first spy book I have ever actually enjoyed. Well done, great book!
I love the plot and action.
Hypnotically suspenseful, rich with authentic spycraft, The Nemesis Manifesto by Eric Van Lustbader introduces a heroine of our times – Evan Ryder. She’s deep undercover and as complex as she is exciting. …Lustbader weaves a spellbinding web of memorable characters, cutting-edge technology, and powerful political ambitions that could become all too real. Sit back and enjoy. You’re about to read a master at the top of a very dangerous game.
The Nemesis Manifesto is an cleverly written espionage/political thriller involving all-too-real politicians and situations. You can guess who the unnamed politicians are just by the descriptions. It appears to be a stand-alone or the beginning of a series. I really liked the character of Evan Ryder who is a lone wolf agent with the DOD. She is smart, tough, well-trained but not a robot. She is trying to solve the mystery of the gruesome deaths of some fellow agents. The story was action-filled and complex with many twists and turns. There were double and triple agents and suppressed memories. It was very difficult to guess the surprises ahead of time. This book reads like an action movie and I could really picture it as a film. Although, not historically one of my go-to genres, I will seek out more books by this author.
I loved the Nemesis Manifesto. It’s a hard hitting political thriller chock full of spies, counter spies, politicians and deep state organizations that looks at the always volatile relationship between Russia and the United States. It’s a complex and detailed story, akin to the best of Tom Clancy’s techno-thrillers with strong heroes and heroines, ruthless villains and plot twists you won’t see coming.
Great reading that’s particularly relevant in today’s political climate.
I will be the first to admit that a political spy thriller is not exactly my usual read. That being said Eric Van Lustbader may have just created a new fan out of me. Evan Ryder is an agent dedicated to protecting her country from threats. In The Nemesis Manifesto we go on a journey with her and a group of other agents that will have you on the edge of your seat.
I appreciated how Lustbader showed agents in a negative and positive light. Sort of showing that dichotomy between humans period and not just the titles that they hold. I also appreciated the political and moral similarities of this fictional world compared to the real world. Yes, it’s nice to read to escape, but it’s also interesting to see hot topics hashed out in the fictional realm by fictional characters.
I don’t want to give too much away, so I will end by saying that this story is incredibly well written and once things get started you will not be able to stop reading. At first I did feel a bit like I was playing catch up, like the storyline was already well established and I was late to the party, but I personally feel the author eventually makes up for that later on as you read. I do appreciate that there wasn’t the usual first few chapters info dumping, but it would have been nice to have a little more background from the start.
Throughout this story I was easily rooting for Evan, and can’t wait for more of the stories in this world.
I’ll be the first person to admit that political thrillers are far from my genre of choice – typically I stick more towards the fantasy and sci-fi end of the fiction spectrum. But I’ll also be the first to tell you that Eric Van Lustbader’s latest book was pleasantly surprising in the way it kept me involved to the point where I was on the edge of my metaphoric seat the whole time.
The Nemesis Manifesto features a whole cast of wonderfully written and engaging characters but focuses its efforts on the enigmatic Evan Ryder, a slightly jaded and incredibly intelligent operative for an unnamed arm of the DOD. When we first meet Evan, she has been called in by her boss for a special assignment that has led more than one fine agent to their death. Now, with the pressure mounting and the stakes higher than ever, Evan must discover who the nefarious and deadly Nemesis is before its kill list can be completed. It’s a race against time as Evan fights not only unseen forces but also her own fractured memories, which tell her there might be more to this Nemesis than she – or anyone else – anticipated.
Although the prologue started off a little slow to me and was subsequently hard for me to get into, the rest of the book overall was a fantastic thrill ride packed full of adventure and intrigue. In every chapter lies a new mystery, an exciting twist, or a heart-pounding action sequence. There are well over a handful of key players in the book, all of which have separate but interconnecting plotlines – and their own agendas. I think under ordinary circumstances, this would be quite confusing to read, but somehow Van Lustbader succeeds in making all of these individual and intricate characters and their plotlines surprisingly clear and easy to follow. Van Lustbader is equally successful in his ability to make long conversations about politics and government engaging rather than droll. Add this to the fact that Evan, the very definition of calm, cool, and collected – not to mention effective – is a female operative (even Van Lustbader throws in a time or two that female operatives have been sorely underused) who always seems to be ten steps ahead of the opposition is the star character and you have a winner on your hands for sure. I can’t say that I enjoyed all the female operatives. I found Brenda rather exasperating both for her inability to see the bigger picture and her foolhardy decision to soldier on when that was clearly the wrong choice. But I was easily able to overlook that fact because of how interesting the other characters were.
The Nemesis Manifesto was gripping and thrilling, with unexpected elements, plot twists, relevant politics, and plenty of betrayals. Even if political thrillers aren’t normally your thing, I highly recommend giving it a fair shot – you might be surprised.
*I received a copy of The Nemesis Manifesto from BookishFirst in exchange for an honest review
I wasn’t prepared to like this book. The first impression I gave it was a three star, normally I don’t do spy stories, they don’t interest me all that much, but this took me completely by surprise. I take it all back! My first impression couldn’t have been more wrong, and I’m actual very grateful for that.
Thank you so much to Eric and Macmillan for calling my bluff and sending this to me, proving me wrong effectively.
I waited on this for over a week and I was dreading it, and once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down, it was so well down, it kept me at the edge of my seat the entire book; wanting to know what was going to happen. It’s probably the first spy book I have ever actually enjoyed. Well done, great book!