The Matlock Paper

Written by Robert Ludlum

Narrated by Stephen Hoye

James Matlock is a Vietnam veteran and college professor—with a disturbing past. The faceless men in Washington know his secrets. And they want him to investigate what seems to be a large-scale drugs and prostitution business. Matlock is given a piece of silver paper with codes on it, and the name of the criminal organisation: Nimrod. He is soon trapped in a maze of unrelenting terror, as the people he cares for most are under threat. Would he have accepted the job if he'd known just what it would mean? Or that disclosure of the truth could cause such horror?

Read by Stephen Hoye. Stephen Hoye has worked as a professional actor in London and Los Angeles for over 30 years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette UK Audio
• Release date: Aug 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781409128366

Robert Ludlum

Robert Ludlum (1927-2001) was the author of 25 thriller novels, including The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum--the books on which the international hit movies were based--and The Sigma Protocol. He was also the creator of the Covert-One series. Born in New York City, Ludlum received a B.A. from Wesleyan University, and before becoming an author, he was a United States Marine, a theater actor and producer.

Reviews for The Matlock Paper

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[henrimoreaux · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[jeffome · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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 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!