The novel starts begins as Bourne, who after recovering from his ordeals in the first book is now employed as a professor of Oriental studies at a university in Maine. Edward McAllister; a government analyst, is sent to warn Bourne his wife Marie and him are in danger after Bourne’s file is found to be missing. In a couple of days Bourne’s extra guards are mysteriously pulled and when he returns home he finds his wife missing, a bloody hand print on the wall, and a note typed with his typewriter saying:
“A wife for a wife, Jason Bourne. She is wounded but not dead, as mine is dead. You know where to find me, and her, if you are circumspect and fortunate. Perhaps we can do business, for I have enemies, too. If not, what is the death of one more daughter?”
Bourne knows he must become a deadly assassin again in order to have any hope of ever seeing Marie. The kidnappers tell Bourne in order to get his wife back he needs to capture the “new” Jason Bourne, an impostor using his reputation to earn massive amounts of money. As Bourne tries to capture the imposter he encounters a sadistic man who kills one of Bourne’s only friends. Bourne vows to get revenge. Through this friend’s sacrifice Bourne is able to capture the assassin. After trying to turn in the imposter for his wife and figuring out it was the government behind the entire plot he attacks the base of operations for the plan and only stops when Marie shows up and talks him out of it. As he is debriefed he learns he was tricked in order to prevent a massive war by killing Sheng (a prominent Chinese leader), the man who killed his partner and friend. The rest you’ll have to find out for yourself.
Throughout the book Bourne undergoes many changes. In the beginning of the book Bourne is a normal person with a job, and he is reluctant to become a deadly assassin again. As the book continues he becomes more comfortable as a killer until the sight of his wife brings him back to his senses.
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. The main theme of this book is that there is always a part of us we won’t like but we need to accept it. “‘What do you do when there’s a part of you that you hate?’ ” said Webb. ‘Accept it,’ answered Marie.” (Page 646). Ludlum develops the characters well, though not as well as in The Bourne Identity. The ending is a bit cliche and abrupt, making it seem as if the ending was rushed. If you read the first book you should definitely read this installment in the series.
