The Matlock Paper

Re-reading some of my old Ludlum's. Not a bad story at all, but not one of his best either. Another problem with Ludlum is just how dated some of them are, but that also means that there is some decent zeitgeist to be had. This one reminds the reader of campus unrest and a proliferating drug culture. The conspiracy is almost laughable, though, for anyone familiar with academia.

Another fun romp with Ludlum, this time taking place around Connecticut in high-end clubs and college campuses. A fairly intriguing tale of a normal guy-on-the-street charged with single-handedly uncovering, and thus ending, an unseemly evil destructive underworld of crime that apparently was lurking just beneath the surface everywhere. I occasionally got a little lost about the significance of the 'Matlock Paper' itself, which could certainly be nothing more than a testament to my own intelligence or lack thereof, but i am inclined to think that the importance of it was rather poorly laid out. Nonetheless, I was definitely hooked on the roller coaster of events that unfolded. My favorite take-away comes near the end when someone in the show more know compliments our 'hero' on his 'extraordinary courage'. The 'hero' Matlock, of course, feels like an utter failure and states "I don't feel very courageous." The response was "A brave man rarely does. Isn't that remarkable?" And that is likely very true! show less

Written in 1973 The Matlock Paper is a crime thriller about an investigation into a drugs and crime racket on university campuses in 1970s America. The main character is ruthlessly chosen by the Justice Department in the knowledge he may very well end up dead - the greater good and all that.

It's a pretty decent mystery as to who is the man behind the criminal organisation, you have your suspicions, yet the ending is still good.

Overall, a dated but not bad early Ludlum novel.

One of Ludlum's early books. Kind of sketchy in getting a college professor to go against a drug smuggling ring, but it does have some interesting parts. If you can get past the plot, this can be an enjoyable read. Ludlum is not at his best in this book. It seems he was still learning the craft that would make him a pile of money once it was refined a bit in the Bourne trilogy.

good spy novel; campus drugs; Nimrod

James Barbour Matlock is a Vietnam veteran and college professor - but now the US government have an assignment for him. They want him to investigate what seems to be a large-scale dope and prostitution business; and they'll go to any lengths to find the answers they need. cares for most are under threat. Would he have accepted the job if he'd known just what it would mean? the perfect man for the job - for a reason that is deadly, violent and extremely disturbing...

### Review

"A sure winner...fast paced, suspenseful, and bound to keep you tuming the pages." --_The Denver Post_

### Product Description

The name on the computer screen is James Barbous Matlock. Vietnam veteran. College professor. He's Washington's choice to stop a far-reaching conspiracy, an undercover assignment destined to put Matlock's neck against the razor's edge of danger. And the faceless men in Washington don't care if it means savaging the women Matlock loves, or trapping Matlock in a maze of unrelenting terror. They care about just one thing: that Matlock is the perfect man for the job...for a reason that is disturbing, violent, and extremely deadly.

Fiction