• The Matarese Countdown

  • A Matarese Novel
  • By: Robert Ludlum
  • Narrated by: Michael Prichard
  • Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (69 ratings)

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The Matarese Countdown  By  cover art

The Matarese Countdown

By: Robert Ludlum
Narrated by: Michael Prichard
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Publisher's summary

Twenty years ago, top agents from the CIA and KGB banded together to bring down the Matarese Circle, an international cabal of powerbrokers and assassins whose sole objective was to achieve worldwide economic domination. Now the bloody Matarese dynasty is back - and the only man with the power to stop it may have already run out of time....

CIA case officer Cameron Pryce is hot on the trail of the new Matarese alliance. His only chance to terminate its ruthless activities is to follow the trail of blood money and stone-cold killers right to the heart of its deadly conspiracy.

From the Hamptons to London's Belgrave Square, Matarese assassins have already struck with brutal efficiency, eliminating all who stand in their way. Their chain of violence is impossible to stop - until Pryce gets a rare break. One of the Matarese's victims survives long enough to whisper dying words that will blow the case wide open: the top secret code name for legendary retired CIA agent Brandon Scofield - the only man who has ever infiltrated the Matarese inner circle and lived to tell about it.

©1998 Robert Ludlum (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"Welcome to Robert Ludlum's world... fast pacing, tight plotting, international intrigue." ( The Plain Dealer)
"If a Pulitzer Prize were awarded for escapist fiction, Robert Ludlum undoubtedly would have won it. Ten times over." ( Mobile Register)

What listeners say about The Matarese Countdown

Average customer ratings
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book.

I have been a fan of Robert Ludlum for years. This one's a favorite of mine. I could listen to this over and over again.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Save your money.

What would have made The Matarese Countdown better?

A better story ?

What was most disappointing about Robert Ludlum’s story?

If Robert Ludlum wrote this he was just passing time. Weak plot, someone tried to cash in on the first novel without coming up with a fresh story.

What didn’t you like about Michael Prichard’s performance?

Flat delivery of lines. Of course he had nothing to work with.

What character would you cut from The Matarese Countdown?

The evil bad guys. And most of the heroes.

Any additional comments?

If you want to listen to alot of

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappoint from Ludlum

Any additional comments?

I've been an Audible customer for over 10 years and this is only the 3rd time I've been able to say, "I Couldn't wait for this book to end!" Seemed like it was written with the sole purpose of being turned into a made-for-TV movie (and not necessarily a good one). Things like referring to "Brandon Scofield aka Beowulf Agate aka "the pig of the world" (often in the same passage) just made the story harder to follow. I honestly don't know if my disappointment was with the narrator or the story (or both).

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Not up to the same caliber as the original story line.

The plot felt too contrived to accentuate the abilities of the “pig of the world”. There were too many times where the character was able to overcome obstacles as if he were much younger.

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