Martin Odum is a CIA field agent turned private detective, struggling his way through a labyrinth of past identities—"legends" in CIA parlance. Is he really Martin Odum? Or is he Dante Pippen, an IRA explosives maven? Or Lincoln Dittmann, Civil War expert? These men like different foods, speak different languages, have different skills. Is he suffering from multiple personality disorder, brainwashing, or simply exhaustion? Can Odum trust the CIA psychiatrist? Or Stella Kastner, a young Russian woman who engages him to find her brother-in-law so he can give her sister a divorce? As Odum redeploys his dormant tradecraft skills to solve Stella's case, he travels the globe battling mortal danger and psychological disorientation.
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"Oh, this is my kind of spy novel. Martin Odum (if that is indeed his real name) is a former CIA agent who now works as a detective in Brooklyn. Problem is, he can't quite remember which of his 'legends' (identities he's taken on during the course of his CIA career) is the real him. As he works his latest case, we learn more about each of his legends, and about the events that lead to his dismissal from the agency. A nearly perfect post-cold war spy novel." — Elaine (4 out of 5 stars)
"Oh, this is my kind of spy novel. Martin Odum (if that is indeed his real name) is a former CIA agent who now works as a detective in Brooklyn. Problem is, he can't quite remember which of his 'legends' (identities he's taken on during the course of his CIA career) is the real him. As he works his latest case, we learn more about each of his legends, and about the events that lead to his dismissal from the agency. A nearly perfect post-cold war spy novel."
“Robert Littell’s convincing spy story is brimming with great characters.”
“[Legends] makes it blazingly clear that Littell’s is one of the most talented, most original voices in American fiction today.”
“Littell provides plenty of inside intelligence info in his superb new thriller, but he adds a decidedly comic spin…Wonderful writing and a great sense of fun make this another winner.”
“Littell…delivers a smart, fun, strange adventure in the legendary tradition of Odysseus, yet another wily trickster who boasts to his peril that he is ‘no man.’”
“An entertaining romp through post–Soviet Russia.”
" Best spy book I have ever read. Littell is a master. "
" A spy who has quit the CIA has multiple personality disorder. Very tightly woven plot, great characters. "
" Reminded me of THe Spy Who came in from the cold. A little slow. Held my interest with lots of twists but not really my kind of book. "
" With the main protagonist having some kind of Multiple Personality Disorder, the stage is set for a chase for an elusive Russia from Brooklyn to Israel to Latin America and parts of Eastern Europe. Most enjoyable. "
" I had thoroughly enjoyed The Company. This one was disappointing: too many characters, too much going from past to present. "
" Cool idea, poor execution. Spy with multiple personalities. Interesting for real espionage fans, but otherwise it's a pass. "
" Reasonably good Cold-War spy novel. Interesting, but not too innovative. "
" am enjoying this espionage/spy/double agent kinda book "
" Outstanding and original spy fiction. The main character, Martin Odum, tries to discover which of his three (or is it four?) assumed identities is the real Martin. His journey makes for a fascinating and fun read. "
" Just started this spy novel. So far interesting without being to graphic, but...I reserve judgement until I read a bit more. "
" I'm not a big fan of spy novels, but the use of multiple personalities in the protagonist, and the ultimate reveal on why he has multiple personalities, was an interesting twist on the usual fare. "
" Another page-turner by the author of The Company. The book hinges on the fact that the protagonist has 3(4?) separate identities (legends). Which is the real one? ery interesting the way that the book is organized. "
" I read Littell's The Company first, which was great. This one is right up there. "
" Pretty good spy novel with a nice psychological twist. I'll probably read a few more Littell novels after this, so it can't have been terrible I guess. "
Robert Littell has written over twenty novels, including A Plague on Both Your Houses. A former naval officer and later a Newsweek journalist specializing in the Soviet Union, he also wrote For the Future of Israel (in collaboration with Shimon Peres), The Revolutionist, and Mother Russia. His novel The Amateur was made into a feature film, his novel Legends became a television series, and his New York Times bestselling novel The Company was adapted into a miniseries. He has been awarded the UK’s prestigious Gold Dagger and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for his fiction. Littell makes his home in France.
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.
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