The Nemesis Manifesto (Evan Ryder, #1)

by Eric Van Lustbader

Russian meddling, American fragmentation, and global politics collide in this action-packed, international thriller from New York Times bestselling author, Eric Van Lustbader.

'Dark, sophisticated and compelling ... The Nemesis Manifesto couldn't be more timely' DAVID BALDACCI.

Evan Ryder is a lone wolf, a field agent for a black-ops arm of the Department of Defense, 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?

The Nemesis Manifesto is 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 singular new hero for our time.

• ISBN10: 1838937676
• ISBN13: 9781838937676
• Publish Date: 6 August 2020 (first published 19 May 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 3 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Head of Zeus
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

3 1/2 stars.

I received a copy of The Nemesis Manifesto in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Picture Black Widow meets Jason Bourne, and you'll have found The Nemesis Manifesto. Crated by Eric Van Lustbader, this is the start of a whole new series revolving around a highly competent spy and agent.

Evan Ryder prefers to work alone – she gets better results that way. But her most recent case has forced her to change her ways, and perhaps not for the better. The agents around her are being picked off, and thus time is running out.

A mysterious character known as Nemesis seems to be behind it all, but even the best reports have next to nothing on the person. That means all the hope resides in the best of their agents. It rests on Evan to solve the mystery and save countless lives.

The Nemesis Manifesto is a spy thriller through and through – with a few fun twists along the way. As I was reading, I couldn't help but feel like I was reading some sort of blend of Black Widow (one of my favorites) and Jason Bourne. It made for an interesting read.

There is no time wasted in the introduction here, you're quite literally thrown into the thick of things, with almost a sink or swim feeling. There are plenty of characters to keep up with, made all the more complicated by their varied motives.

This is a novel that is fast-paced and full of action, as well as twists, turns, betrayals, and deceit. The usual for a spy thriller, you know? That doesn't make it any less fun, though I'll confess that it stands out from the pack less than I would have expected.

On the whole, I enjoyed the read, and think others will as well. Especially people looking to branch out from their normal reading routine. I worry that fans of thrillers might find elements of the novel predictable, though sometimes that isn't a bad thing (it makes for a more relaxing read, for one thing).

I love that Evan is such a strong and independent character, that made for an interesting twist on the normal spy thrillers, at least for me. Throw in the layers upon layers of politics, and there's something worth talking about here.

I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of mess Evan gets herself into (and out of) in the following novels. While I didn't love The Nemesis Manifesto as much as I hoped, I still think that the series will be worth keeping an eye on.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks