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Paul Janson is the lead character in the Paul Janson series of novels written by popular American crime thriller writer Robert Ludlum. The first novel in the series was “The Janson Directive” that was first published in 2002 and went on to achieve massive popularity.
Order of Paul Janson Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Janson Directive | 2002 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | The Janson Command | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | The Janson Option | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | The Janson Equation | 2015 | Description / Buy |
Paul Janson is a retired Navy SEAL and former intelligence officer with Consular Operations, a covert federal government agency. He is now a corporate security consultant and due to his extensive military background finds his services so much in demand that he picks and chooses his jobs. But even as a highly successful independent contractor, his memories in Vietnam where his psychopathic and sadistic mentor had him captured by the Viet Cong still haunt his days.
The first novel in the series starts at an explosive pace when Peter Novak a philanthropist, international financier, and Nobel laureate is kidnapped and held for execution by The Caliph. Novak’s associates engage the services of one of the most accomplished persons with the skills to overcome impossible odds – Paul Janson. Having made a name for himself as one of the best at the Consular Operations intelligence agency, there is no one more suited to rescue the kidnapped billionaire.
But the mission goes terribly wrong and Jason the supposed rescuer is now marked for death by the very government he once worked for. He is now running for his life pursued by one of the US government’s most nimble and intelligent young agents – Jessica Kincaid. To win and escape with his life, he needs to unravel a conspiracy all the while outwitting an agent that counters and anticipates his every move. It is a thrilling novel with an explosive end that shows why Ludlum is considered one of the best detective thriller writers of the century.
Paul Janson Authors
The first book in the series, The Janson Directive, was written by Robert Ludlum and was released in 2002 after his death. There have been rumors that other writers contributed to the project or that Ludlum himself hired them, but this is all unconfirmed and this book is classic Ludlum.
The following two books in the series were written by Paul Garrison who had written thrillers like Fire and Ice, Red Sky at Morning, and Buried at Sea that were well received. His two books in the series were highly regarded.
For the fourth book, the Ludlum estate selected Douglas Corleone to continue the series. Corleone made his name with the Simon Fisk series and has continued the high quality we’ve come to expect from Paul Janson novels.
PAUL JANSON BOOKS INTO TV/MOVIES
The first novel of the Paul Janson series “The Janson Directive” is set to be adapted for the big screen. Produced by Universal Pictures and Ludlum Entertainment, the movie will star Dwayne Johnson as the Navy SEAL Paul Janson. “The Rock” Johnson is one of the biggest movie stars on the planet so this movie should be a major tent pole film.
The movie, which is being written by Akiva Goldsman (Transformers) and James Vanderbilt (White House Down) is expected to be the first in a new “Robert Ludlum cinematic universe”, similar to how the Marvel movies all share an inter-connective tissue and work in sequence with one another. The movies that Universal has in development for this new universe include other Robert Ludlum properties: The Parsifal Mosaic, The Sigma Protocol and Covert One. Oddly enough, the Bourne movies are not expected to be a part of this new universe as they would involve retconning the films.
BEST PAUL JANSON BOOKS
The Janson Directive: The first novel in the series that is set to be made into a movie, is one of the series favorite novels. Starring former Navy SEAL, Paul Janson an expert security consultant, it is an explosive story of the determination of one man to survive and save the world from an age-old conspiracy against all odds.
The Janson Command: The second novel in the series sees Paul Janson the retired covert operative team up with his former nemesis to rehabilitate disillusioned former agents and help them make a life for themselves outside of the intelligence world. Combining his work of security consultant with offering a network of support for ex intelligence operatives, Janson has his hands quite full. Some of his most important work is when he is hired to help in the resolution of a range of international crises. But even with his commitment to three simple rules of no killing of non-combatants, no killing of anyone not gunning for them, and no torture, he is still never sure if he is fighting for the greater good, or even if he is on the good side.
The Janson Option: The third novel in the series is another highly popular novel in the Paul Janson detective mystery series by Robert Ludlum. Still working with Jessica Kinkaid in helping rehabilitate ex agents, life could not be any more exciting as he gets a range of interesting security consultant jobs. Things get even more interesting when Allegra the wife of Kingsman Hems an oil executive is taken and held hostage by Somali pirates. The executive seeks the services of Janson to rescue his wife. But once they start the investigation, they find that the most lethal threat they would be facing is American Synergy’s plans to take over the oil resources of sovereign nations on the East African coast. Facing plots and counter plots, they are facing one of the biggest dilemma of their lives.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE
Paul Janson fans also recommend the “Sean Dillon” series of novels by Jack Higgins. These are detective thrillers about former IRA operative Sean Dillon turned British Special Agent, who tracks down and eliminates dangerous terrorists targeting British interests.
Many fans of the Paul Janson series of novels are also fans of the “Presidential Agent” series of novels by W.E.B. Griffin. These are detective thrillers featuring Charley Castillo, a Delta Force Major with a sharp eye for facts, and what the implications of those facts are in complex situations.
What Is The Next Book in The Paul Janson Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Paul Janson Series. The newest book is The Janson Equation and was released on June, 2nd 2015.
