Robert Ludlum's The Gemini Contenders

I'm a huge, HUGE fan of Robert Ludlum.

['Cept the Bourne series.]

FINALLY got my grubby hands on this book, the only book from the old printed series my Dad has THAT I DON'T HAVE / NEVER READ BEFORE. The bookstores keep stocking the Bourne series, which, judging by the first book, kinda suck.

The story is first set in WWII, when young Vittorio Fonti-Christi witnessed his entire family being executed by the Nazis because of a secret container his father had helped hidden away, with backing from the Roman Catholic Church.

[No, not THAT kind of secret you dirty-minders.]

The Germans want the container because of leverage. It's said to contain denials involving one of the world's most famous religious central figures:

Jim CaviezelJesus Christ

Vittorio manages to get protection from the British government, simply because they thought he knows where the container is, which he doesn't, because his father pretty much took the location to the grave. The currently-named Victor finds out that the Germans had gotten a tip from a renegade Cardinal and his renegade band of priests, who wants the denials for their own ends. After many fast-paced actions, the renegades are put away, and we get to the second half of the book, which is 40 years later.

This is where the significance to the title is revealed to us.

Victor now has twin sons ('chyeah, I didn't see it coming either. No really, I didn't.), and one of the renegade fanatics are back (apparently, murder only gets you 30 years). We have Andrew, a ruthless military man with his covert group of blackmailers, and Adrian, the decent, upright hippie lawyer who is forced to turn against his brother to expose his heinous crimes.

[Of which I will not disclose because they are not interestingimportant. But they ARE, like, low and stuff.]

After much investigating (and more beating-up), a dying Victor hands the search over to his two sons, wanting them to work together to find the crate before the renegade does, but finding out too late that they're on opposing sides already. Andrew wants to use the crate's contents to save his group from being prosecuted, and will stop at nothing to find its location; Adrian just wants to stop his brother from murdering more innocent people. And so begins the Geminis' journey to find the all-important container from 40 years ago that could shatter the entire Christian world.

The Gemini Contenders was good, but not exceptional. I would've preferred Victor to be the MAIN protagonist for the entire book, rather than the second half be focussed on his sons (though the Gemini part was kinda cool). I also feel that the second half was a bit rushed, although that IS keeping in line with Andrew's character, whom as a military man, is the type to act fast.

[Book should be longer :) Also, the contents does change things, but weren't really earth-shattering.]

All in all, still a good read. Not as good as some of his other books (my personal favourites are The Holcroft Covenant and The Chancellor Manuscript; they are SOOOO fricken' AWESOME!!!) but not too bad either.

[Most shiteous is The Scarlatti Inheritance, although it's understandable since it's his first book.]