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Evan Ryder #2
The Kobalt Dossier: An Evan Ryder Novel
Evan Ryder is back in The Kobalt Dossier , the stunning follow-up to The Nemesis Manifesto from New York Times bestselling author Eric Van Lustbader.
After thwarting the violent, international, fascist syndicate known as Nemesis, Evan Ryder returns to Washington, D.C., to find her secret division of the DOD shut down and her deceased sister’s children missing. Now the target of a cabal of American billionaires who were among Nemesis’s supporters, Evan and her former boss, Ben Butler, must learn to work together as partners – and navigate their intricate past.
Their search will take them from Istanbul to Odessa to an ancient church deep within the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. And all along the way, an unimaginable enemy stalks in the shadows, an adversary whose secretive past will upend Evan’s entire world and everything she holds dear.
After thwarting the violent, international, fascist syndicate known as Nemesis, Evan Ryder returns to Washington, D.C., to find her secret division of the DOD shut down and her deceased sister’s children missing. Now the target of a cabal of American billionaires who were among Nemesis’s supporters, Evan and her former boss, Ben Butler, must learn to work together as partners – and navigate their intricate past.
Their search will take them from Istanbul to Odessa to an ancient church deep within the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. And all along the way, an unimaginable enemy stalks in the shadows, an adversary whose secretive past will upend Evan’s entire world and everything she holds dear.
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 8, 2021
271 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Eric Van Lustbader
166 books1,223 followersEric Van Lustbader was born and raised in Greenwich Village. He is the author of more than twenty-five best-selling novels, including The Ninja, in which he introduced Nicholas Linnear, one of modern fiction's most beloved and enduring heroes. The Ninja was sold to 20th CenturyFox, to be made into a major motion picture. His novels have been translated into over twenty languages.
Mr. Lustbader is a graduate of Columbia College, with a degree in Sociology. Before turning to writing full time, he enjoyed highly successful careers in the New York City public school system, where he holds licenses in both elementary and early childhood education, and in the music business, where he worked for Elektra Records and CBS Records, among other companies.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ericva...
Mr. Lustbader is a graduate of Columbia College, with a degree in Sociology. Before turning to writing full time, he enjoyed highly successful careers in the New York City public school system, where he holds licenses in both elementary and early childhood education, and in the music business, where he worked for Elektra Records and CBS Records, among other companies.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ericva...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 9, 2021
The Kobalt Dossier continues the struggles Evan Ryder has with her sister who is dead? and with the new strange group called Omega. The first book in this series by Eric Van Lustbader was good but I think it got a bit crazy in this second one. How many siblings does Evan have and are her parents alive or not. The struggle for power within russian intelligence is on the other hand really well written and in my view the best part of the book. I must thank @forgereads @macmillanusa @this_is_edelweiss and @netgalley for giving me this advance copy and @evlust for writing it.
April 15, 2021
EVL was one of the first authors that I became seriously enthused with, and my enjoyment of his stories was a high point through most of my formative years, all the way back to the 1980's when the librarian would make sure you were above a certain age before you got allowed to take one of those books out. I haven't read much of the recent things, the Bourne novels didn't really have my interest, so I was interested to take a closer look into the new Evan Ryder novel.
The writing style has changed from his earlier novels, less visceral by an order of magnitude, the explicit descriptions of violence and gore aren't there any more, and it changes the feel of the book in a number of ways. The world building and research is still first class, and if there's one thing we've always been able to count on, it's that the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed, even to the point of acknowledging that there's been a liberty taken on one of the characters names in the afterword.
The story is in the steady hands of a master, there's a good degree of twisting and turning, the true power behind the throne is not revealed until the end, or so we think, and there's no degree of script immunity for most of the characters, which is precisely what a real thriller should be.
This story isn't one of the brutal thrillers I read when I was young, it's not so obvious, the black and white has been replaced with shades of grey (Just not fifty of them), and the nuance is impossible to ignore. Some part of me still misses those five page fight scenes that I used to read, but the ability to string a narrative along without giving everything away is not to be underestimated.
The writing style has changed from his earlier novels, less visceral by an order of magnitude, the explicit descriptions of violence and gore aren't there any more, and it changes the feel of the book in a number of ways. The world building and research is still first class, and if there's one thing we've always been able to count on, it's that the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed, even to the point of acknowledging that there's been a liberty taken on one of the characters names in the afterword.
The story is in the steady hands of a master, there's a good degree of twisting and turning, the true power behind the throne is not revealed until the end, or so we think, and there's no degree of script immunity for most of the characters, which is precisely what a real thriller should be.
This story isn't one of the brutal thrillers I read when I was young, it's not so obvious, the black and white has been replaced with shades of grey (Just not fifty of them), and the nuance is impossible to ignore. Some part of me still misses those five page fight scenes that I used to read, but the ability to string a narrative along without giving everything away is not to be underestimated.
June 2, 2021
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Thriller / Espionage
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Kobalt Dossier is the second installment in author Eric Van Lustbader's Evan Ryder series. After taking down a group known as Nemesis, which had connections in both Russia and the US, Benjamin Butler finds out just how much loyalty is worth when his secretive unit is forced to shut down and all of his agents are reassigned to desk jobs. Benjamin knows that he and Evan Ryder, his lone remaining agent who is told to accept her demotion or resign, have extremely dangerous enemies with access to the President. It really hits home when Evan lands in D.C. and is immediately taken hostage but escapes thanks to a near fatal crash.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Thriller / Espionage
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
The Kobalt Dossier is the second installment in author Eric Van Lustbader's Evan Ryder series. After taking down a group known as Nemesis, which had connections in both Russia and the US, Benjamin Butler finds out just how much loyalty is worth when his secretive unit is forced to shut down and all of his agents are reassigned to desk jobs. Benjamin knows that he and Evan Ryder, his lone remaining agent who is told to accept her demotion or resign, have extremely dangerous enemies with access to the President. It really hits home when Evan lands in D.C. and is immediately taken hostage but escapes thanks to a near fatal crash.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
May 31, 2021
While Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook might have moved away from the credo of ‘moving fast and breaking things’, characters in Eric Van Lustbader’ s latest edge of the seat thriller seem to possess no such inhibitions. Solely operating under the philosophy of ‘move fast, break bones and rip throats’, a deadly mix of downright dangerous human beings ranging from the bold to the barbarian combine to dish out a veritable feast for the aficionados of the genre of thrillers.
Evan Ryder, a field agent for a black-ops arm of the Department of Defense is taking a much deserved break in the islands of Sumatra after an exacting and deadly operation, when the world around her threatens to collapse with sudden intensity. She is forced to cut short her vacation after learning that her niece Wendy and nephew Michael have been abducted from the United States. There is absolutely no clue about the abductors since they seem to have disappeared like an evening mist. But not before neatly decapitating, the children’s father and stuffing a message inside his mouth. Evan realises with a sense of utter dread that this method of cold blooded killing is the calling card of a psychotic group calling itself Omega. Putting even the dastardly eugenics of Nazism to utter shame, Omega is a cult that is convinced that there is a need for a ‘global purge’ if mankind has to revert to the values and ideals propagated by Christianity. Ana, the demented head of Omega thinks herself as the contemporary Noah within whose Ark only the true believers would need to assemble while the rest ought to be put to the sword – literally.
In addition to contending with Omega, Evan also faces a new and extraordinarily dangerous predicament in the form of ‘Kobalt’ a ruthless and merciless cold blooded murderer under the employ of an ultra-secretive Russian intelligence arm. Deep within the bowels of the agency known as SVR of the FSB, there exists a Directorate termed ‘52123’. Embodying mythical hues and mystical colours, 52123 is a black hole even for a predominant part of the formidable Russian intelligence. Known only as ‘Zaslon’, the members of this outfit operate like the shadows of the night. Different from the spetsnaz, which is akin to the American Special Forces, Zaslon operatives are employed to execute ‘high-stealth’ operations.
As Evan and her longtime partner-in-crime, Benjamin Butler go about the arduous and deadly task of rescuing the kidnapped children, insurmountable obstacles manifest with a frequency that is discomfiting. The mission puts every single skill and technique gleaned and perfected by the duo over their professional career to the ultimate test. Every ally can be a suspect and a foe may yet turn out to be an unexpected, albeit welcome ally.
“The Kobalt Dossier” takes the reader on a roller coaster ride across continents. Beginning with a prosaic series of events that unfurl in South Dakota, the adventures of Evan Ryder and Kobalt pick up steam on the shady streets of Moscow, gather momentum in the teeming and throbbing markets of Istanbul, picking up vital pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in the verdant settings of Koln in Germany before finally culminating in a cataclysmic crescendo in the high mountains of Carpathia in Romania. As Benjamin Butler aptly reminisces in one of the passages in the book, the Carpathian mountains constitute the abode and haven of Dracula.
A one sitting read, as is the case with all the exciting novels emanating from the Lustbader stable, “The Kobalt Dossier” makes for a rousing read. Evan Ryder fans would not be one bit disappointed with their protagonist’s exploits and endeavours. What adds an extra element of ‘variety’ to the thriller is a dose of psychological mix. In addition to flexing her muscles, Evan is also required to bring the mental and psychical side of A game to the fore as her adversary is a master manipulator of the human mind. The passages involving this psychological interplay and subterfuge make for some extremely thought provoking reading.
(The Kobalt Dossier by Eric Van Lustbader is published by Macmillan-Tor/Forge Books and will be released on the 1st of June 2021).
Evan Ryder, a field agent for a black-ops arm of the Department of Defense is taking a much deserved break in the islands of Sumatra after an exacting and deadly operation, when the world around her threatens to collapse with sudden intensity. She is forced to cut short her vacation after learning that her niece Wendy and nephew Michael have been abducted from the United States. There is absolutely no clue about the abductors since they seem to have disappeared like an evening mist. But not before neatly decapitating, the children’s father and stuffing a message inside his mouth. Evan realises with a sense of utter dread that this method of cold blooded killing is the calling card of a psychotic group calling itself Omega. Putting even the dastardly eugenics of Nazism to utter shame, Omega is a cult that is convinced that there is a need for a ‘global purge’ if mankind has to revert to the values and ideals propagated by Christianity. Ana, the demented head of Omega thinks herself as the contemporary Noah within whose Ark only the true believers would need to assemble while the rest ought to be put to the sword – literally.
In addition to contending with Omega, Evan also faces a new and extraordinarily dangerous predicament in the form of ‘Kobalt’ a ruthless and merciless cold blooded murderer under the employ of an ultra-secretive Russian intelligence arm. Deep within the bowels of the agency known as SVR of the FSB, there exists a Directorate termed ‘52123’. Embodying mythical hues and mystical colours, 52123 is a black hole even for a predominant part of the formidable Russian intelligence. Known only as ‘Zaslon’, the members of this outfit operate like the shadows of the night. Different from the spetsnaz, which is akin to the American Special Forces, Zaslon operatives are employed to execute ‘high-stealth’ operations.
As Evan and her longtime partner-in-crime, Benjamin Butler go about the arduous and deadly task of rescuing the kidnapped children, insurmountable obstacles manifest with a frequency that is discomfiting. The mission puts every single skill and technique gleaned and perfected by the duo over their professional career to the ultimate test. Every ally can be a suspect and a foe may yet turn out to be an unexpected, albeit welcome ally.
“The Kobalt Dossier” takes the reader on a roller coaster ride across continents. Beginning with a prosaic series of events that unfurl in South Dakota, the adventures of Evan Ryder and Kobalt pick up steam on the shady streets of Moscow, gather momentum in the teeming and throbbing markets of Istanbul, picking up vital pieces of the jigsaw puzzle in the verdant settings of Koln in Germany before finally culminating in a cataclysmic crescendo in the high mountains of Carpathia in Romania. As Benjamin Butler aptly reminisces in one of the passages in the book, the Carpathian mountains constitute the abode and haven of Dracula.
A one sitting read, as is the case with all the exciting novels emanating from the Lustbader stable, “The Kobalt Dossier” makes for a rousing read. Evan Ryder fans would not be one bit disappointed with their protagonist’s exploits and endeavours. What adds an extra element of ‘variety’ to the thriller is a dose of psychological mix. In addition to flexing her muscles, Evan is also required to bring the mental and psychical side of A game to the fore as her adversary is a master manipulator of the human mind. The passages involving this psychological interplay and subterfuge make for some extremely thought provoking reading.
(The Kobalt Dossier by Eric Van Lustbader is published by Macmillan-Tor/Forge Books and will be released on the 1st of June 2021).
August 11, 2021
The Kobalt Dossier is the second book in the Evan Ryder series, and while I enjoyed it, there was definitely much less suspense and edge-of-your-seat thrill to this instalment than in the previous one. This one focused quite a bit on Evan's family background and because of this, the thriller portion of the novel seemed to take a backseat and got lost in the background story line. This had a huge impact on the book as a whole as I felt like I was reading a book about relationships rather than a thriller novel.
Evan is one of those characters where is must be really difficult for an author to create as you want a reader to be empathetic towards them, but also make the reader realize they are cold-blooded assassins at the same time. While the first book was able to achieve this balance, I don't think this book was able to do so as it went too far to the emotional side as Evan learned more about who were her parents and what happened to her as a child. It's not that this information wasn't important, but it did take away from the overall impact of the novel and Evan did not seem like the same character from the first book.
Benjamin is still my favourite character and I was glad to see him out in the field in this one. There was a bit of relationship-issue stuff I could have done away with, but for someone like him to survive in this world, he has to be a little bit bad-ass so it was nice to see that side of him. I also like that he was not quite so trusting of the information that Evan received and questioned her sources all of the time. Thank you Mr. Ben! You would think Evan would be more careful considering what happened in the first novel.
By the end of the book, I could see the manipulations of one of the characters to both Evan and Kobalt, but I still don't know why and for what purpose. A lot of the book seemed to be set up to set the stage for the next book in the series as the author needed to set up Evan and other characters for something that is going to happen. Unfortunately, this book felt more like a filler to me and was not as interesting, from a thriller point of view, as the first book. I definitely liked the background information we learned about Evan and her family, but thought the actual action was boring. I didn't buy into the reason for the kidnapping and I definitely did not buy into the conflict in this book as I thought it was silly and the explanation was both unbelievable and brushed over. Overall, the whole Kobalt story line frustrated me: I just can't buy into glossed over reasons for why people do things.
That little twist at the end though, is interesting. Written in alternating POV, the chapters are short and you do have to pay attention to all the nuances, which I like.
The Kobalt Dossier focused quite a bit on Evan's background in order to set up the next book in this series. And while the psychological part was intriguing and I liked learning more about Evan, unfortunately, doing this put a damper on the thriller portion of the novel which I didn't really find all that interesting nor believable. However, a little twist in the ending makes me hopeful things will pick up quite a bit in the next book. While you could read this one as a standalone, I do recommend you pick up the first book in the series to get some background information on our characters and what is happening.
https://curlingupbythefire.blogspot.c...
Evan is one of those characters where is must be really difficult for an author to create as you want a reader to be empathetic towards them, but also make the reader realize they are cold-blooded assassins at the same time. While the first book was able to achieve this balance, I don't think this book was able to do so as it went too far to the emotional side as Evan learned more about who were her parents and what happened to her as a child. It's not that this information wasn't important, but it did take away from the overall impact of the novel and Evan did not seem like the same character from the first book.
Benjamin is still my favourite character and I was glad to see him out in the field in this one. There was a bit of relationship-issue stuff I could have done away with, but for someone like him to survive in this world, he has to be a little bit bad-ass so it was nice to see that side of him. I also like that he was not quite so trusting of the information that Evan received and questioned her sources all of the time. Thank you Mr. Ben! You would think Evan would be more careful considering what happened in the first novel.
By the end of the book, I could see the manipulations of one of the characters to both Evan and Kobalt, but I still don't know why and for what purpose. A lot of the book seemed to be set up to set the stage for the next book in the series as the author needed to set up Evan and other characters for something that is going to happen. Unfortunately, this book felt more like a filler to me and was not as interesting, from a thriller point of view, as the first book. I definitely liked the background information we learned about Evan and her family, but thought the actual action was boring. I didn't buy into the reason for the kidnapping and I definitely did not buy into the conflict in this book as I thought it was silly and the explanation was both unbelievable and brushed over. Overall, the whole Kobalt story line frustrated me: I just can't buy into glossed over reasons for why people do things.
That little twist at the end though, is interesting. Written in alternating POV, the chapters are short and you do have to pay attention to all the nuances, which I like.
The Kobalt Dossier focused quite a bit on Evan's background in order to set up the next book in this series. And while the psychological part was intriguing and I liked learning more about Evan, unfortunately, doing this put a damper on the thriller portion of the novel which I didn't really find all that interesting nor believable. However, a little twist in the ending makes me hopeful things will pick up quite a bit in the next book. While you could read this one as a standalone, I do recommend you pick up the first book in the series to get some background information on our characters and what is happening.
https://curlingupbythefire.blogspot.c...
September 19, 2025
This was a struggle to get through. I kept hoping it would get better but it did not.
Let me summarize: Two sisters are born to Russian medical doctors. They are placed by the Russians with an American couple in the US to raise them (I guess this is normal Russian behavior). The youngest (by 2 + years) discovers a letter from her real father when she is 10 and realizes that she is Russian. She then she becomes committed to and gets recruited by the Russians. The older sister never finds this out and becomes part of the CIA (or like organization). The younger sister marries a wealthy US lobbyist. Her Russian handlers tell her that she must have 2 children (that she never wanted) to help her keep her Russian cover. Then this sister is extracted out of the US to become an international Russian assassin. Her extraction is covered up by faking her death. (Why did the Russians want her to leave? Where did she get the skills to become an assassin? We never find this out, but wait, there’s more!) The Russian assassin is paired up with a woman who is KGB and Ex politburo (never mind that there were very few female members of the politburo). Her mission is to infiltrate a group called Omega and eliminate them. The older CIA sister, coincidently, is also on that same mission. We then discover the original Russian Doctors/couple also had twin girls (named Anna and “Hell”). Anna and Hell were kept with the doctors (why? we don't know) but they have become the leaders of, or founded this Omega organization. They then kidnapped the two children of the Russian assassin (did you forget about them?). The Russian assassin is called back to mother Russia while the ex-politburo handler stays to finish the Omega mission. The older sister now meets up with the Russian handler, who apparently has been feeding Russian secrets to help her in her CIA role. They team up but the older sister is captured by her twin sister. She is drugged and tied up to a gurney, supposedly to be killed. But she somehow gets a knife and cuts through the bonds on one of her hands. One of the twins gets cut but overpowers the older sister and is choking her to death. As the older sister is “seeing stars and is about to pass out" she starts a conversation with the twin (how, when she is being choked, I don’t know) and gets the twin so angry that she stops choking her so she can punch the older sister. This creates an opportunity for the older sister to strike!
I don’t want to ruin it for anyone so I won’t say anything more.
As I said it doesn't get any better.
Let me summarize: Two sisters are born to Russian medical doctors. They are placed by the Russians with an American couple in the US to raise them (I guess this is normal Russian behavior). The youngest (by 2 + years) discovers a letter from her real father when she is 10 and realizes that she is Russian. She then she becomes committed to and gets recruited by the Russians. The older sister never finds this out and becomes part of the CIA (or like organization). The younger sister marries a wealthy US lobbyist. Her Russian handlers tell her that she must have 2 children (that she never wanted) to help her keep her Russian cover. Then this sister is extracted out of the US to become an international Russian assassin. Her extraction is covered up by faking her death. (Why did the Russians want her to leave? Where did she get the skills to become an assassin? We never find this out, but wait, there’s more!) The Russian assassin is paired up with a woman who is KGB and Ex politburo (never mind that there were very few female members of the politburo). Her mission is to infiltrate a group called Omega and eliminate them. The older CIA sister, coincidently, is also on that same mission. We then discover the original Russian Doctors/couple also had twin girls (named Anna and “Hell”). Anna and Hell were kept with the doctors (why? we don't know) but they have become the leaders of, or founded this Omega organization. They then kidnapped the two children of the Russian assassin (did you forget about them?). The Russian assassin is called back to mother Russia while the ex-politburo handler stays to finish the Omega mission. The older sister now meets up with the Russian handler, who apparently has been feeding Russian secrets to help her in her CIA role. They team up but the older sister is captured by her twin sister. She is drugged and tied up to a gurney, supposedly to be killed. But she somehow gets a knife and cuts through the bonds on one of her hands. One of the twins gets cut but overpowers the older sister and is choking her to death. As the older sister is “seeing stars and is about to pass out" she starts a conversation with the twin (how, when she is being choked, I don’t know) and gets the twin so angry that she stops choking her so she can punch the older sister. This creates an opportunity for the older sister to strike!
I don’t want to ruin it for anyone so I won’t say anything more.
As I said it doesn't get any better.
August 26, 2021
The Kobalt Dossier is the second installment in the Evan Ryder series by Eric Van Lustbader. Unlike the first part, this episode focused on Evan's family and their background, and therefore the element of a brutal thrill took a backseat. However, the book is fast-paced and engrossing with numerous twists and turns with a gradual revelation of suspense. After thwarting an international crime syndicate, Nemesis, Evan, and her partner soon realize that their secret ops program has been shut down by some powerful political allies and supporters of the Nemesis group. On her return from Sumatra, where she learns a disturbing reality of her dead sister's dual life as a Russian agent, she is aghast to learn the abduction of her niece and nephew. Soon she learns this act was staged by a cult known as Omega, who believes in purging mankind to revert to the ideologies of Christianity. While she has a daunting task to track her sister's children, she is also faced with a quagmire of a cold-blooded assassin, code name "Kobalt" who is working as an agent for deep undercover operations known as Zaslon controlled by the FSB and SVR. The plot toggles between Evan and Kobalt's POV with Evan's search taking them from DC to Germany, Odessa, and finally to the Carpathian Mountains of Romania, while the latter's operations are pivoted in Moscow after an exfiltration through Istanbul. Between them is the enigmatic Lyudmila, an ex-SVR operative who holds the key to a secretive past between Evan and Kobalt. Although all ends well, the author has strived to create a solid foundation for future sequels in the Evan Ryder series, by providing an elaborate family lineage and setting up characters. Hoping to see yet another stunning succession to the Kobalt Dossier soon.
May 22, 2021
Evan Ryder returns to Washington, D.C. after a successful mission that shut down a violent international organization known as Nemesis. However, she finds that her highly secretive unit of the Department of Defense has been shut down, and at the same time, her sister’s two children have gone missing. She teams with her former boss, Ben Butler, as she seeks the children, as well as another international cabal knows as Omega. The story moves between Russia, Istanbul, Odessa, and Romania - what they find along the way are clues to Evan’s past as well as adversaries who will kill without any hesitation. And what Evan does not find will be the subject of the next book in the series. My thoughts on rating this book ranged from 1 star to 5 stars so I ended up picking a number in the middle. This is the 2nd book in the Evan Ryder series (there will be another as it says so right at the end of the book) and I often felt that I was lost not having read the 1st one. If you like complicated, this is a book for you. Keeping all the players straight was difficult (perhaps tedious) at times - many had more than one name! And the locations changed frequently making you wonder where you were. My thanks to Forge Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my review.
June 18, 2021
This book is action packed and takes you from Washington D,.C, ti Russia and then to Romania. Evan will not quit until she finds the children she holds dear. Meanwhile Kobalt, the Russian assassin kills her way through the system and rises to the top.
This was a gresat followup to the Nemesis Manifesto. That was an introduction to Evan Ryder and now this book continues her story. I said she was a kick-ass heroine and the Kobalt Dossier continues in that vein. I can't wait to see where Evan takes us on the next adventure.
After thwarting the violent, international, fascist syndicate known as Nemesis, Evan Ryder returns to Washington, D.C., to find her secret division of the DOD shut down and her deceased sister’s children missing. Now the target of a cabal of American billionaires who were among Nemesis’s supporters, Evan and her former boss, Ben Butler, must learn to work together as partners – and navigate their intricate past.
Their search will take them from Istanbul to Odessa to an ancient church deep within the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. And all along the way, an unimaginable enemy stalks in the shadows, an adversary whose secretive past will upend Evan’s entire world and everything she holds dear.
This was a gresat followup to the Nemesis Manifesto. That was an introduction to Evan Ryder and now this book continues her story. I said she was a kick-ass heroine and the Kobalt Dossier continues in that vein. I can't wait to see where Evan takes us on the next adventure.
After thwarting the violent, international, fascist syndicate known as Nemesis, Evan Ryder returns to Washington, D.C., to find her secret division of the DOD shut down and her deceased sister’s children missing. Now the target of a cabal of American billionaires who were among Nemesis’s supporters, Evan and her former boss, Ben Butler, must learn to work together as partners – and navigate their intricate past.
Their search will take them from Istanbul to Odessa to an ancient church deep within the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. And all along the way, an unimaginable enemy stalks in the shadows, an adversary whose secretive past will upend Evan’s entire world and everything she holds dear.
June 17, 2021
The second book in the Evan Ryder series continues the story of the American spy. Written with the same fine craftsmanship an attention to detail fans have come to expect of Eric Van Lustbader. Ryder is a spy's spy - fearless, a bit reckless and viciously efficient, in this book she finds herself out of a job an hot on the trail of the fanatical white supremacist Omega who have kidnapped her niece and nephew..
As she follows that trail, Evan confronts revelation after revelation, while dodging bullets, evading crazed assassins and discovering, step by step, that very little she has believed about her life was true.
Meanwhile, the Russian asset Kobalt, an agent who is very much Evan's mirror image, follows her own path to truth and to power. The two never meet, but events work toward an inevitable confrontation to come, which makes me very happy to learn that there will be yet another book in the series.
If you're a fan of Bond, or Bourne or Jack Ryan, you'll probably love this series almost as much as I did. It's a wild rush on a runaway train and well worth your time.
As she follows that trail, Evan confronts revelation after revelation, while dodging bullets, evading crazed assassins and discovering, step by step, that very little she has believed about her life was true.
Meanwhile, the Russian asset Kobalt, an agent who is very much Evan's mirror image, follows her own path to truth and to power. The two never meet, but events work toward an inevitable confrontation to come, which makes me very happy to learn that there will be yet another book in the series.
If you're a fan of Bond, or Bourne or Jack Ryan, you'll probably love this series almost as much as I did. It's a wild rush on a runaway train and well worth your time.
October 11, 2021
Lustbader has the inate quality to take a simple story and create a intricate novel, full of twists and unexpected elements that is very engaging and entertaining. He is at his absolute best with this book, his characters are rich and complex; and his storytelling is first rate as always. It seems the more we find out about the cast of characters involved in this series the less we know for sure, he has the ability to meander through the plot and inject subtle mysteries, giving his cast of characters intimate secrets which we, the readers, are only partially party to. It is a fascinating ride, it helps to keep your attention squarely in the moment while breathlessly awaiting the next big reveal. With the ending of each book I instantly want to begin the next chapter of this delightful series, the characters inhabiting them are real in their humanity and the fact that they live Byzantine lives with differing faces exposed to the varied people with whom they interact. The highest compliment that I can pay to an author is to say that I cannot wait to read their next book, and for a great many years I've been lucky to be able to say that about the novels of this particular writer.
June 1, 2021
If you have the inclination to listen to listen to music while you read, I highly recommend listening to the Bourne Identity score while reading the Kobalt Dossier. It added so much to my reading experience that I found I couldn't focus unless that was playing.
Just as the Bourne Identity has more twists and turns than a pretzel, so does the Kobalt Dossier.
It's got everything - the lead is Evan Ryder who doesn't play by anyone's rules but her own. It's got Russians - current secrets within the existing orgs, power plays, infiltration, long remits... and Ryder's sister Bobbi.
It's got car chases (which I'm assuming in the movie would come with big budget explosions), romance (which thankfully does not derail from the plot or turn the strong women into sniffling idiots who can't decide things for themselves), and unexpected allies in unexpected places.
It's fast paced, exciting, and like they finally wrote a spy thriller for women that wasn't condescending or pedantic.
Just as the Bourne Identity has more twists and turns than a pretzel, so does the Kobalt Dossier.
It's got everything - the lead is Evan Ryder who doesn't play by anyone's rules but her own. It's got Russians - current secrets within the existing orgs, power plays, infiltration, long remits... and Ryder's sister Bobbi.
It's got car chases (which I'm assuming in the movie would come with big budget explosions), romance (which thankfully does not derail from the plot or turn the strong women into sniffling idiots who can't decide things for themselves), and unexpected allies in unexpected places.
It's fast paced, exciting, and like they finally wrote a spy thriller for women that wasn't condescending or pedantic.
July 1, 2021
This is basically the story of two sisters, one involved in the US intelligence community, and one who defected to Russia and is involved in the intelligence community there, but whom her US sister believes is dead for reasons unknown. The children of the Russian sister and the niece and nephew of the US sister, with whom she is very close since her sister's alleged demise, are missing. Odessa, a secret organization, is believed to be the kidnapper. So, the search is on, and there are alliances and a lot of intrigue and violence along the way. Whose side one of the characters is on still baffles me. This is an installment of an Evan Rider series, none of which I have previously read, and the ending paves the way for the next in the series. The language is very descriptive (sometimes so much that it bogs down the story) and his analogies are great. From time to time, I found the writing to be cumbersome, as if the writer didn't speak English as his first language.
July 3, 2021
I loved everything about this book. Eric Van Lustbader has done a magnificent job with a well thought out and tense story. Besides having an interesting plot, it’s the characters that really make this a wonderful book. Evan is definitely my favourite, she’s absolutely relentless.
Ben and Evan didn’t expect there to be any repercussions when they dismantled Nemisis, however they soon found out how upset they had made some powerful people. It was no coincidence when Evan’s niece and nephew go missing. Evan is keen to track them down by herself, however Ben wasn’t going to let her do this by herself, especially after an attempt was made on her life. Even worse was when Evan was told that her sister had been a spy for the Russians, which she thought had to be disinformation, I mean why would her sister do such a thing?
If you enjoy Thrillers, then you will love this book. It’s well worth a read. 5/5 Star Rating.
I received an advance copy of this book for an honest review.
Ben and Evan didn’t expect there to be any repercussions when they dismantled Nemisis, however they soon found out how upset they had made some powerful people. It was no coincidence when Evan’s niece and nephew go missing. Evan is keen to track them down by herself, however Ben wasn’t going to let her do this by herself, especially after an attempt was made on her life. Even worse was when Evan was told that her sister had been a spy for the Russians, which she thought had to be disinformation, I mean why would her sister do such a thing?
If you enjoy Thrillers, then you will love this book. It’s well worth a read. 5/5 Star Rating.
I received an advance copy of this book for an honest review.
August 27, 2021
This book is truly a hit or miss and it was a miss for me.
I didn’t really connect or care for any of the characters. And when I started to, something would make them feel inhuman and it was back to square one.
I especially had issues with the children’s chapters. The writing changed from 3rd to 1st, which I didn’t think was necessary. Then it was a bunch of self reflection, worded in such a way that is not in line with how children-especially kidnapped ones-would think. And overall, those chapters added nothing to the story.
The whole family drama also seemed kind of far fetched to me.
And while the Russian acronym people (I can’t keep the things straight but like cia, fbi, kinda things) were kind of used to fill in the gaps behind the scenes, those characters were often unnecessarily lewd in regards to sexual exploits. Which the reader really didn’t need to know about.
Not my favorite action adventure/spy novel. Will not be continuing the series.
I didn’t really connect or care for any of the characters. And when I started to, something would make them feel inhuman and it was back to square one.
I especially had issues with the children’s chapters. The writing changed from 3rd to 1st, which I didn’t think was necessary. Then it was a bunch of self reflection, worded in such a way that is not in line with how children-especially kidnapped ones-would think. And overall, those chapters added nothing to the story.
The whole family drama also seemed kind of far fetched to me.
And while the Russian acronym people (I can’t keep the things straight but like cia, fbi, kinda things) were kind of used to fill in the gaps behind the scenes, those characters were often unnecessarily lewd in regards to sexual exploits. Which the reader really didn’t need to know about.
Not my favorite action adventure/spy novel. Will not be continuing the series.
September 2, 2022
I did not read the first one... but was able to follow the characters in this one. Evan has a dead sister who is not really dead but a Russian agent and discovers at the end her Russian parents and that they also gave birth to twin girls who seem to be quite evil. We only meet one in this book.. Ana who is the the head of a group called Omega who the Russian government is afraid of turning the people... lots of stuff in Russia with Russian secret agents and political appointees. Evan and her boss are trying to figure out and rescue her " dead" sister's children... WEndy and Michael ( named after Peter Pan characters) who are going to be part of a science experiment by Ana an evil scientist. I did not totally understand what she hoped to gain from it other than a perfect race of people... which I thought she would have practiced on runaway before she practiced on her own bloodline???
August 4, 2021
Evan & her sister Bobbi decided to chose two different governments to believe in and this split the family apart as Evan thought that her sister was dead not a Russian spy. Evan has no choice but to find her nephew and niece after they have been kidnapped but she isn't going alone. Her former boss Ben is going along for the crazy ride that is about to take place. Bobbi knows that Evan is going to be disappointed in her choices but she did what she thought was right unfortunately her own people want to make sure that she stays dead but she is too resourceful. She needs to find her children before it us too late as she knows that they are in extreme danger. Will Evan be able to move on from the past and concentrate on the future? A great read full of action. I was lucky enough to receive a copy from Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review
August 27, 2021
It's summer as I am writing this, and in the summer I always manage to find time to read some beach books. To me, a beach book should be fast-paced, interesting, and fun to read. Eric Van Lustbader is one of those authors who has been around long enough to master his craft. He knows how to write a thriller that will keep my attention no matter how hot it gets. This one is set mostly in Europe and stars Evan Ryder and her recently unemployed boss, Ben Butler as they search to take down a religious cult that threatens the lives of Evan's sister's two kidnapped children. I rarely read Lustbader's books, but when I do, I enjoy them for what they are, an entertaining way to spend a few hours escaping the midday sun.
May 18, 2021
Evan Ryder is dealing with the loss of her sister Bobbi and her job at a now dismantled intel unit funded but not fronted by DOD. Then her sisters kids go missing, she's kidnapped, and the big global conspiracy is back. She teams up with Ben Butler, her former boss, to do a global run against evil. That's a simplistic way to described a fairly complicated plot. Not everything she took for granted is true. It's a little over the top at spots (many spots) but it's very entertaining. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Don't worry if you didn't read the first one, there's enough background to get you going. It would make a good beach or travel book.
April 23, 2021
As an early reader of EVL novels, I was disappointed when his stories ended and he wrote other people’s books. When he jumped back in to his own series, I wasn’t tremendously impressed, but the master storyteller has found his footing in this one. The characters, plot, and action don’t include the same violence as his earlier series, but the time is well spent in this addition to his new series. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
May 9, 2021
Evan Ryder is back and in full action form as she fights assassins sent to kill her who are trying to stop her search for her sisters kidnapped kids or are they part of the Nemesis’s group? Her search leads her across the continents and calling on her old friends to help her also leads her on a parallel tangent, one which is close to her family.
Action packed thriller with good twists and plots. This is a recommended read and I am thankful to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of this book for my unbiased feedback.
Action packed thriller with good twists and plots. This is a recommended read and I am thankful to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of this book for my unbiased feedback.
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September 12, 2022I won't write much of a review because this was one of my first spy/espionage novels (hence why I didn't rate it) but I will mention a few thoughts.
I like this one better than The Nemesis Manifesto! I liked the family aspect, the first-person POV and the parallels with the multiple pathways and characters.
I feel like this book did too much throwing information at you and then making you come to your own conclusions to understand what the characters were doing and why. However, that could be because I am not experienced in this genre.
I like this one better than The Nemesis Manifesto! I liked the family aspect, the first-person POV and the parallels with the multiple pathways and characters.
I feel like this book did too much throwing information at you and then making you come to your own conclusions to understand what the characters were doing and why. However, that could be because I am not experienced in this genre.
March 27, 2021
Un rotundo NO. Evan Ryder acaba de enterarse que su hermana era una espía y al mismo tiempo ha recibido orden de su jefe de regresar inmediatamente a Estados Unidos.
Los sobrinos de Evan han sido secuestrados, por lo tanto se embarcará en una misión con Ben para rescatarlos sanos y salvos, el principio de la historia es un poco interesante pero en el desarrollo las cosas toman rumbos demasiado convenientes y poco creíbles.
Super tedioso, me ha costado terminarlo.
Los sobrinos de Evan han sido secuestrados, por lo tanto se embarcará en una misión con Ben para rescatarlos sanos y salvos, el principio de la historia es un poco interesante pero en el desarrollo las cosas toman rumbos demasiado convenientes y poco creíbles.
Super tedioso, me ha costado terminarlo.
April 4, 2021
The Kobalt Dossier (Evan Ryder Book 2), my sixteenth read from author Eric Van Lustbader. The primary characters are well developed. Reminiscent of the work of Robert Ludlum. A captivating, page-turning, well-written read.“I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. I look forward to reading more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
June 3, 2021
What a ride this author gives you. Evan Ryder, a world class agent has come home to find her dead sisters kids missing. Fresh from an assignment that nearly cost her everything,this hits close too close. Knowing what she’s uncovered could be behind the kidnapping she reluctantly enlists her boss and sometimes partner Ben Butler. The writing is so taut you can’t read fast enough. The detail will have you dialing the airlines. The action jumps the page and makes your heart stutter. Happy reading
June 21, 2021
Although I did not find this second Evan Ryder novel as thrilling as the first (The Nemesis Manifesto), I still found it to my liking. Evan and her former boss, Ben Butler, must work together to find her sister's missing children. Evan still proves to be one tough gal. A number of secrets of Evan's past come to light in The Kobalt Dossier. Things get pretty suspenseful near the end.
I look forward to the next Evan Ryder novel in this series.
I look forward to the next Evan Ryder novel in this series.
July 11, 2021
An excellent spy and action story which is full of multiple plot lines gradually intertwining, characters with various agendas, cross, double cross and triple cross and keeping you guessing all the way through. The action is constant and occurring in different locations, never clear who is pulling what strings. As always with a good book, you look forward to seeing where the characters go next in the future books.
August 21, 2021
A bit off track for Lustbader. This book combined Russia-USA conflict with a flashback to Nazi medical experimentation of WW2. Two sets of sisters born to Russian parents in the US and then abandoned with foster parents to grow up as “wet work” agents on opposing sides. Not exactly a believable scenario Evan in this day and age. Add in another pair of sisters, both deranged and believing they are the new “Noah”.
September 18, 2021
The Kolbalt Dossier. Eric Van Lustbader
Book two in this excellent series. A spys life is full of intrigue, betrayal pain and sometimes death. This book captures it all. Who can Evan trust. As it turns out her former handler and now field partner Ben and her family, parents in Russia she was never aware of. Her early childhood was a smokescreen. Non stop action!!! Enjoyed immensely!!!My highest recommendation!!
Book two in this excellent series. A spys life is full of intrigue, betrayal pain and sometimes death. This book captures it all. Who can Evan trust. As it turns out her former handler and now field partner Ben and her family, parents in Russia she was never aware of. Her early childhood was a smokescreen. Non stop action!!! Enjoyed immensely!!!My highest recommendation!!
April 20, 2022
Excellent storyline following on from previous Evan Ryder tales.
Gripping from start to finish and the introduction of new members of the family take the reader to another level of intrigue and mystery surrounding Evan and her family whilst revealing the background of the people who are trying to kill her and her friends.
The author has brought to life the world of spies and killers for hire which are fictional in the context of this storyline but have an element of truth.
Gripping from start to finish and the introduction of new members of the family take the reader to another level of intrigue and mystery surrounding Evan and her family whilst revealing the background of the people who are trying to kill her and her friends.
The author has brought to life the world of spies and killers for hire which are fictional in the context of this storyline but have an element of truth.
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