The book opens three years in the past, where Bourne and his partner/lover, Nova, are in Estonia. They work for the Treadstone organisation, and their mission is to protect Grigori Kotov, a Russian ex-double agent and former KGB killer who is plotting to overthrow Vladimir Putin. Once Kotov is secured, Bourne introduces himself by his given Treadstone handle, “Cain”. Those who know the Bourne backstory are aware that he used to be David Webb. Jason Bourne was the name of his first kill, and the amnesia from which he suffers caused him to take the Bourne name as his own.
Bourne and Nova, however, are not successful in that mission, which will impact the plot going forward.The action then switches to present-day London, where once again, Bourne is handling an assignment involving Russian agents who are working for longtime US rival Putin. There are state-of-the-art gadgets and gimmicks featured in the story, like the case where an individual has a QR code embedded in a tattoo on his body. That is, until someone needs that info and has to get the tattoo off him, albeit painfully.
Bourne and Treadstone are after one of Interpol’s most wanted bad guys - the assassin known as Lennon. And the man is lethal. It is also ironic that Lennon works with an operative who answers to Yoko. They also have to confront the Gaia Crusade, a group of environmentalists who believe that world leaders are raping Mother Earth and who are willing to kill to protect her.As the suspenseful cat-and-mouse game is taking place between Bourne and Lennon, Bourne is stunned by the reappearance of someone he thought had been dead for three years - Nova. Once he has accepted that Nova is very much alive, they easily slide back into their former working relationship and go after Lennon together.
Apparently, the control of global energy is at the heart of the chess game between the US and Russia, and Bourne and Lennon are merely chess pieces destined to face off on the board at some point. Also, the past is the recurring theme threading through the whole series and plaguing the hero. Somehow, Bourne has to deal with the present, which is filled with bloody violence. And as the title suggests, there’s also treachery. Meanwhile, Lennon has surprises for Bourne and the readers towards the end.This is a tightly plotted, complex story with a fast pace that will keep readers turning the pages. Never mind that it’s formulaic. Of course, Bourne will never recall his past. He’ll continue to face mortal combat with an evil opponent. Though a good guy, our hero is also a killer. A fun and exciting read.