
Cindy B. (
cinithea) wrote on 7/29/2007...
I am only letting this go because I picked up 2 copies by accident. Not as good as the books Ludlum wrote himself, but a good read.

Susan P. (
sewpie) wrote on 2/10/2007...
At an international conference in Prague, Lt. Col. Jon Smith, an Army research doctor specializing in infectious diseases and secretly an agent attached to Covert-One, is contacted by a Russian colleague, Dr. Valentine Petrenko. Petrenko is concerned about a small cluster of mysterious deaths in Moscow and about the Russian governments refusal to release publicly any information or data on the outbreak. When the two meet, they are attacked by a group of mysterious men and Petrenko is killed, his notes and medical samples are lost, and Smith barely escapes with his life. At the same time, a series of government officials around the world are coming down with a mysterious, fast-acting virus with a 100% fatality rate. These deaths are somehow related to the increasing militarism from the new Russian government, headed by the autocratic and ambitious President Victor Dudarev. With few clues and precious little time, Smith and Covert-One must unravel this mysterious plot and find the mysterious figure who stands at the center of it all
quick read, good story, enjoyed another n the Ludlum series

Riley B. (
Riley) wrote on 10/3/2006...
A fast moving Covert One novel with tons of twists and turns.

CHRIS P. (
MaineMan) wrote on 7/19/2006...
This is the sixth novel in Ludlum's "Covert-One" series, which has developed somewhat of a cult following (Covert-One even has its own website). And no wonder- it's got a little bit of everything you want in a thriller: espionage, nanotechnology, neat subplots, plenty of action and intrigue, strong and stoic heroes, spectacular international settings. What more can you ask for?!

MIKE S. (
RED27) wrote on 7/19/2006...
THIS WAS A GREAT BOOK IN THE LUDLUM TRADITION. THE MAIN CHARACTER DIDN'T SEEM TO FIT HIS BACKGROUND BUT ONCE I GOT OVER IT THE BOOK WAS GREAT
At an international conference in Prague, Lt.Col. Jon Smith, an Army research doctor specializing in infectious diseases and secretly an agent attached to Covert-One, is contacted by a Russian colleague, Dr. Valentin Petrenko. Petrenko is concerned about a small cluster of mysterious deaths in Moscow and about the Russian government's refusal to release publicly any information or data on the outbreak. When the two meet, they are attacked by a group of mysterious men and Petrenko is killed, his notes and medical samples are lost, and Smith barely escapes with his life.
At the same time, a series of government officials around the world are coming down with a mysterious, fast-acting virus with a 100% fatality rate. These deaths are somehow related to the increasing militarism from the new Russian government, headed by the autocratic and ambitious President Viktor Dudarev. With few clues and precious little time, Smith and Covert-One must unravel this mysterious plot and find the mysterious figure who stands at the center of it all...
A high level spy-suspense story set in Russia concerning a strange disease and deaths.
Fast-paced medical spy thriller. Good stuff

Allison W. (
sealady) wrote on 5/29/2006...
From Publishers Weekly:"One might think that time would have taken its toll on the crusty, disgruntled Soviet dinosaurs who want to return Russia to its Communist glory days, but evidently not. Larkin, helming Ludlum's Covert One series, has dreamed up a new bunch of hard-liners, armed with HYDRA, a designer poison that singles out and kills victims based on DNA. With HYDRA having dispatched numerous U.S. and allied intelligence agents, Russian President Viktor Dudarev is poised to launch Operation ZHUKOV, a takeover strike against Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and half of Ukraine. Leading a covert investigation of HYDRA is series regular Lt. Col. Jonathan Smith, U.S. Army molecular biologist and chief operative of supersecret spy agency Covert One...." Copyright © Reed Business Information