Rating: 
Summary: Fast-paced early Ludlum classic!
Review: A great story which concerns Jack Tanner, a TV journalist who is drawn into a CIA plot to uncover the clandestine Soviet OMEGA group. Only one snag - OMEGA is in his neighbourhood in a small town - and when friend Bernie Osterman brings his family and friends over for a weekend get-together - one of them is the OMEGA plant, but which one? Several unexpected twists and turns along the way which reach fever pitch when Tanner's family become threatened in many ways! And who is the man giving the orders? A classic conspiracy thriller which paved the way for several more that came later, and one could say it inspired the movies ENEMY OF THE STATE and CONSPIRACY THEORY with its the-bad-guys-are-really-the-government ideas! THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND was also made into a movie itself in 1983, which is also well worth tracking down.
Rating:
Summary: Fast-paced early Ludlum classic!
Review: A great story which concerns Jack Tanner, a TV journalist who is drawn into a CIA plot to uncover the clandestine Soviet OMEGA group. Only one snag - OMEGA is in his neighbourhood in a small town - and when friend Bernie Osterman brings his family and friends over for a weekend get-together - one of them is the OMEGA plant, but which one? Several unexpected twists and turns along the way which reach fever pitch when Tanner's family become threatened in many ways! And who is the man giving the orders? A classic conspiracy thriller which paved the way for several more that came later, and one could say it inspired the movies ENEMY OF THE STATE and CONSPIRACY THEORY with its the-bad-guys-are-really-the-government ideas! THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND was also made into a movie itself in 1983, which is also well worth tracking down.
Rating: 
Summary: A good second effort
Review: A major step forward from the disaster that was The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Osterman Weekend is a fast-paced tale of intrigue that may surprise even Ludlum fans. Being one of his earliest works, he was still developing his style and finding his niche, and this book clearly shows that.Gone (or, not yet arrived) are the mammoth chase sequences, the far reaching conspiracies (this conspiracy is on a somewhat limited scale), the beautiful but strong-willed women who only want to help their men, but aren't sure if they can trust them. Instead, we have a family man who finds himself threatened no matter which way he turns. Large portions of the book are written with dialogue only. The book is already his shortest, and the combination makes for a very fast read. However, those used to large narrative sequences from Ludlum will feel a bit out of place, and rightfully so: there are many places where a little bit of narration would have come quite in handy. On the whole, though, I recommend it to suspense fans. It is by no means Ludlum's best book, but it is a good book, and well worth the limited time it takes to read it.
Rating:
Summary: A Ludlum Who-Dun-It
Review: A refreshing change of Ludlum's thriller, instead of a globe-trotting hero who speed through Europe escaping mysterious gunmen, this time, the action is much confined to the small élite township of Saddle Valley, though the catasthrophe still threatens the entire the free-world. A weekend gathering of 4 couples - husbands all successful financially in their careers, hosted by John Tanner has the making of a classical who-dun-it. Beneath the normally jovial relaxing surface are strong undercurrents that each member of the party knows that things are not what they seem - one or more among their number knows a deadly secret and threatens to expose it or utilise it for self-gain. The CIA operation recruited John Tanner to expose Omega, a Soviet mole who holds numerous influential people in the US hostage. Omega has a time-table when he will squeeze these hostages to do as he bid, resulting in financial, social and economic catasthrophe in the Western world. Action is seen much through the eyes of John Tanner, a man trapped by the CIA, who has no choice but to see his family at risk to catch the Omega. But Omega seems to be on the game, leaving a bloody trail of hints and attempts on Tanner's family. The good thing about this novel is you never know where the author will take you next, the twists and turns are more of classical mysteries rather than a thriller. Ludlum did a fair job, but he could have done better if he had concentrated more on the suspense and leaving of clues. Instead, he gave the settings and characters of a mystery, the plot of a "save-the-free-world" thriller, and the between both worlds, he was unable to maintain a proper pace in either.
Rating: 
Summary: Ludlum's Early Work
Review: After Robert Ludlum passed away, I decided to read several of his books, having loved The Bourne Identity when I read it several years ago, but having stopped reading his books when The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum disappointed. I started with The Holcroft Covenant, reported to be one of the classics, which I really enjoyed. Then I read the final book he wrote, The Prometheus Deception, which I enjoyed more than most. This year, I decided to go back to his early books. I found the second book he ever wrote, The Osterman Weekend, in a used bookstore. The book tells the story of John Tanner, a TV news executive who is summoned to Washington one day and told by a CIA operative that one or more of his best friends, the Ostermans, the Cardones and the Tremaynes is a traitor. They are all gathering for the weekend at Tanner's house in suburban New Jersey and Tanner's job is to get the traitors to reveal themselves so the CIA can swoop in and deal with them. On its own, the book is probably worth three stars. It is a quick and easy read, the suspense grows and the reader has no idea where the plot will lead although double-crosses seem likely. However, until the last few chapters, it doesn't really grip you. However, the book shows flashes of the greatness Ludlum achieved later. An ordinary person is thrown into extraordinary circumstances and must get by on his own wits. Ludlum is a genius at making the ordinary person seem believable and scared and yet be the hero who saved the world. The action in the last few chapters is a foreshadowing of the wall-to-wall action that will be Ludlum's trademark in other books. The insight this gives the reader into Ludlum's evolution as a writer was worth an extra star to me.
Rating:
Summary: Not Up To The Hype!
Review: Being a Ludlum reader I have hear of "The Osterman Weekend" for years. The book was not what it was cracked up to be. After reading Ludlum classics such as "Gemini Contenders",Holcroft Covenant",and "Scorpio Illusion" this book was a letdown. It had a great conspiracy plot. The action scenes were short of even being exciting. The conspiracy was as weak as water. The couples who were gathered for the weekend were just as boring. The book never got off the ground. The ending of the book was also very dissapointing. A potential good story was never brought up to a good writing. A major dissapointment.
Rating:
Summary: Not Bad...
Review: I enjoyed reading it but it lacked oomph at certain parts... Still, I didn't put the book down until I finished it. So, to all Ludlum fans out there...just read it.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best or worst from Ludlum
Review: I have been a huge Ludlum fan for most of my adult life. This is one of his very early works and pales in comparison to most modern thrillers. However, considering it was written 30+ years ago, it is somewhat intersting.
One additional note: I wouldn't recommend this as a first read for someone new to Ludlum, because it might turn a person off permanently.
Rating: 
Summary: not much to this one
Review: Not much to this novel at all; might provide an easy diversion, but that's about it. A good thriller should have a complex plot and memorable characters - The Osterman Weekend has neither.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh please!
Review: The book starts off as a decent read, not great. The the following flaws are encountered: 1. A very DUMB idea for a conspiracy--ooh, Omega might blackmail businessmen around the country and create a depression! Better to try it in 2002, not 1972, heh heh. 2. A very STUPID plot, which just isn't believable. EG, if your family were gassed with ether and left in an abandoned railway depot, would you just keep following the advice of this one CIA guy who was your only contact? I think not. And in the end, none of it makes any sense at all. 3. Ludlum is no master dialog writer. His adults mumble, grumble, fix each other drinks, smoke cigs, and try to act like good 1970s grownups, but it's just silly, just plain silly. 4. Corny, off-key elements that make the book seem even dumber: a dog's head is severed, etc. In short, this book is flat-out FOOLISH. The recommendation must therefore be DO NOT READ. Thanks for reading this review.
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