Loved Plum Island and thought Up Country was a masterpiece on many levels, then couldn't believe The Talbot Odyssey was written by the same author. I suspect it is a parody, a spoof of a bad Robert Ludlum novel, and I think DeMille was pulling our legs when he inflicted this silly, overwrought item on his unsuspecting readers. Not even a glimpse of his wry humor this time...just wanted us to keep on suffering to the totally predictable end.