Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Shadow

The rousing fifth entry in Freeman’s reboot of the Jason Bourne series (after The Bourne Defiance) revisits the amnesiac hero’s first assignment for black ops agency Treadstone. Ten years ago, David Webb was working as a teacher in Zurich when he was recruited into Treadstone and sent to infiltrate Le Renouveau, “the most poisonous neo-Nazi cell in Europe.” When, as a final test of his loyalty, his handlers instructed him to kill his fiancée, Monika Roth, the mission went awry, and his memory of it was wiped by a traumatic brain injury. Now, he’s living as Jason Bourne in Paris, and a contentious presidential campaign pitting a right-wing extremist against an establishment candidate is in full flame. Le Renouveau has reemerged to foment protest in the extremist’s favor, and some of its members target Bourne for reasons he can’t decipher. While dining at a café, he’s approached by Monika’s sister, Johanna, who recognizes him as David Webb. Together, the pair crisscross Europe in search of Monika, digging up answers about what exactly went wrong for Bourne a decade ago along the way. Freeman keeps things brisk and punchy, generating a surprising amount of heat by finding a fresh way to revisit Bourne’s amnesia. Fans of Ludlum’s original trilogy or the film adaptations will be riveted. Agent: Deborah Gelfman, Gelfman Schneider Literary. (July)