Rating: 
Summary: FOR SOPHISTICATED MYSTERY LOVERS
Review: For over thirty years Robert Ludlum has entertained readers with a string of international thrillers. Who can forget the spellbinding The Bourne Identity or The Scarletti Inheritance? Now his Covert-One series is enthralling a new generation as well as veteran fans. Dan Leslie gives an excellent reading to the latest suspense propelled yarn. The scene is Shanghai where anything can happen and much does. Why is cargo being loaded onto a dockside ship under cover of night? Perhaps the photographer who is capturing the event knows, but he won't tell as he is murdered and his camera demolished. Segue to a conversation between Covert-One director Fred Klein and the President. Klein reports that there is word out that a Chinese ship may be carrying a large supply of chemicals. Will these chemicals be used to build biological weapons, and by whom? Klein is told to bring the White House proof of this potentially deadly cargo. Dispatched to Taiwan is Covert-One agent Jon Smith. His orders are to get the ship's actual cargo list from another agent. More easily said than done: the second agent is killed, and Smith barely escapes. In true Ludlum form there are more shockers to come, one involves the President's family. Few can come close to this author's crackling dialogue and gasp inducing scenes. Sophisticated mystery lovers, give a listen. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: FOR SOPHISTICATED MYSTERY LOVERS
Review: For over thirty years Robert Ludlum has entertained readers with a string of international thrillers. Who can forget the spellbinding The Bourne Identity or The Scarletti Inheritance? Now his Covert-One series is enthralling a new generation as well as veteran fans. Dan Leslie gives an excellent reading to the latest suspense propelled yarn. The scene is Shanghai where anything can happen and much does. Why is cargo being loaded onto a dockside ship under cover of night? Perhaps the photographer who is capturing the event knows, but he won't tell as he is murdered and his camera demolished. Segue to a conversation between Covert-One director Fred Klein and the President. Klein reports that there is word out that a Chinese ship may be carrying a large supply of chemicals. Will these chemicals be used to build biological weapons, and by whom? Klein is told to bring the White House proof of this potentially deadly cargo. Dispatched to Taiwan is Covert-One agent Jon Smith. His orders are to get the ship's actual cargo list from another agent. More easily said than done: the second agent is killed, and Smith barely escapes. In true Ludlum form there are more shockers to come, one involves the President's family. Few can come close to this author's crackling dialogue and gasp inducing scenes. Sophisticated mystery lovers, give a listen. - Gail Cooke
Rating: 
Summary: Too much criticism; Open your mind and enjoy
Review: Growing up with Ludlum and as an ardent fan, I too have been extremely critical of these co-authored books. So much so that I decided to research exactly how much of the Covert One offerings were Ludlum and how much belonged to the co-author. As I soon discovered Ludlum ostensibly framed the idea for each of the novels but the co-author, whether it be Gayle Lynds or Philip Shelby, actually penned the novel, I felt betrayed. When I thought I was getting a Ludlum and it was only his outline, obviously then, the story must wonk. After all, it wasn't written by the Master. Many, if not most of my reviews of the Covert One novels have reflected that attitude. But, with a bit of time, an open mind, and an understanding that Mr. Ludlum is gone, I've come to enjoy these novels. Now, to set the record straight, Lynds and Shelby aren't Ludlum but, the books are solid offerings. And, to boot, Lynds and Shelby actually worked with the Master, which gives them some insight into his psyche and style. So, enjoy a novel for its intended purpose...entertainment! THE ALTMAN CODE is the fourth offering in the Covert-One series, three penned by Gayle Lynds and one by Philip Shelby. In this book, our hero, Army Lieutenant Colonel and Covert-One operative Jon Smith is sent to unearth the shipping manifest of a Chinese ship rumored to be sailing for Iraq (timely event) with chemical-grade weapons materials. The U.S., already saddled with a black eye and international outrage over the boarding of a previous Chinese ship thought to be carrying illegal contraband, is not about to board this vessel without the requisite proof...the manifest. The timing could not be worse as the U.S. and China are on the precipice of signing a groundbreaking human rights treaty and entering a new period of open exchange and commerce. Smith's mission becomes tantamount to world peace. As Smith arrives in China, he is immediately engaged in a gun battle with unknown assailants, a gun battle claiming the life of his contact and only source of information relative to the manifest. As Smith begins the search for answers, the unknown assailants materialize with each step he takes. To add to the prescient action, U.S. President Castilla is presented with the unfathomable...his biolgoical father, who he thought dead since his childhood, is reportedly being held in a Chinese prison as a political prisoner...and has been for 50 years! As Castilla orders a Navy frigate to shadow the ship sailing for Iraq, the Chinese match wits with the U.S. miltary mind by sending a submarine to shadow the frigate. As the story winds, matters rapidly deteriorate to the brink of the unthinkable: a U.S.-Chinese war. Like most Ludlum and, now, Covert One novels, a diabolical cabal is introduced as the dark side. The storyline is complex (like a Ludlum novel) and presents some serious twists, some quite unforeseen (gotta love those!). As such, one must give co-author Lynds credit for bringing the intrigue to the forefront and managing what can be a very slippery slope, the complex plot. Lynds also portrays, in 'eyes wide open' fashion, the impressive and daunting presence of China as a world Superpower along with its devious political manipulations, vast populace, countless dialects and complex codes of behavior. Net, net, it's not Ludlum. But, if one enjoys complex intrigue and international settings, Lynds does a solid job of delivering. Enjoy it; it's just entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Good Ludlum, but not the Best!
Review: I listened to this story on CD and it was abridged. I enjoyed the story, as the protagonist has make several appearances in stories before, and has been well developed as the series has progressed. Some of the situations the capable Jon Smith encountered did seem a little far-fetched in his ability to extricate himself. There were a lot of interesting characters, all with their own agendas, who were well described in the flow of the story. Overall the story was entertaining, but not always grounded in believable reality. I do recommend the story to Ludlum fans in particular and to adventure story readers in general. While I rate it as a 4 overall, it does have a lot of entertainment in it.
Rating:
Summary: Good Ludlum, but not the Best!
Review: I listened to this story on CD and it was abridged. I enjoyed the story, as the protagonist has make several appearances in stories before, and has been well developed as the series has progressed. Some of the situations the capable Jon Smith encountered did seem a little far-fetched in his ability to extricate himself. There were a lot of interesting characters, all with their own agendas, who were well described in the flow of the story. Overall the story was entertaining, but not always grounded in believable reality. I do recommend the story to Ludlum fans in particular and to adventure story readers in general. While I rate it as a 4 overall, it does have a lot of entertainment in it.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: I LOVE Ludlum books! they are great for long plane trips (or study breaks) but this book was very disappointing. I was expecting the usual twists other Ludlum-isms but none could be found! I had been under the impression that Ludlum had written most of the book. Anyone who is familiar with Ludlum's style knows that in every book the character has rubber soled shoes when they are sneaking in to get the crucial bit of evidence. I don't think Mr. Ludlum had a whole lot to do with the writing of this book. It may have been his story line but he did NOT write any of it. The ending was telegraphed from the first chapter on. The publisher should not have made it seem like it was mostly Ludlum's work, his name is MUCH more prominent on the cover than Lynds' is (I missed her name when I bought the book in the store). While the book is not bad if you are looking for a great Ludlum try something else.
Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: I LOVE Ludlum books! they are great for long plane trips (or study breaks) but this book was very disappointing. I was expecting the usual twists other Ludlum-isms but none could be found! I had been under the impression that Ludlum had written most of the book. Anyone who is familiar with Ludlum's style knows that in every book the character has rubber soled shoes when they are sneaking in to get the crucial bit of evidence. I don't think Mr. Ludlum had a whole lot to do with the writing of this book. It may have been his story line but he did NOT write any of it. The ending was telegraphed from the first chapter on. The publisher should not have made it seem like it was mostly Ludlum's work, his name is MUCH more prominent on the cover than Lynds' is (I missed her name when I bought the book in the store). While the book is not bad if you are looking for a great Ludlum try something else.
Rating:
Summary: Torturous
Review: I stopped reading books written by Robert Ludlum approximately 20 years ago. I found them too complex and intricate for my somewhat simple mind seeking escape from my own complexities and intricacies. When I saw this book, I decided to try it - a new series conceived by the master, but written by a new author. I could understand the plot. My problem with the book is it was not worth the effort expended to do it. To end on a positive note, I finished reading it, so it rates two stars.
Rating: 
Summary: A Mediocre Posthumous Ludlum Covert-One Novel
Review: In addition to the novels Robert Ludlum wrote before his death and which are being published posthumously, he also created the idea for the Covert-One series. He wrote brief outlines (approximately eight pages) for the plots of the introductory books in the series and then critiqued the work of the authors assigned to write the stories. Thus, the early books were quite Ludlumesque in the intricacy of the plot and the intensity of the action. However, it is now sevral years since his death and this story could best be dubbed "Ludlum-Lite" since his actual involvement in this story appears minimal. The plot is complex but much more straightforward than his own novels; the action is not as heartstopping although just as deadly, and the geopolitical intrigue is much more straightforward. Gayle Lynds (this is her third Covert-One book) has the genre right, but not the Ludlum intensity and surprise factor. The story involves a potential showdown between the United States and China regarding a ship that has a cargo bound for Baghdad that is suspected to include chemicals used in weapons of mass destruction. The suppposedly true manifest of the ship's cargo has beeb acquired by an American agent in Shanghai. Captain Jon Smith is sent to rendezvous with that agent and obtain the manifest so that the US Government will have the proof required that any attempt to board and search the ship before it enters the Straits of Hormuz is not an act of aggression. However their meeting results in an ambush and the death of Smith's contact before the manifest can be transferred. However, the agent did have time to inform Smith before Jon's escape from the assasins that President's Castilla biological father is still alive after fifty years of captivity in a Chinese prison. The efforts to both obtain a copy of the manifest and ascertain the truth with regard to Castilla's father are complicated by the fact that a human rights treaty is in the final stages of negotiation and there are hard line factions in both governments that would like to destroy the increasing detente between them. Finally, there appear to be leaks at the highest levels of the US Government regarding all secret actions taken during the heightening crisis. As usual, Covert-One Director Fred Klein is the link to Smith's clandestine operations. And to the surprise of no reader of this series, CIA operative Randi Russell (the sister of Smith's dead wife first introduced in THE HADES FACTOR) plays a key role in Smith's survival and the ultimate success of his mission. As the above summary should make clear, this is an action spy thriller in the Ludlum style - the heroic operator with powerful forces arrayed against him and with only minimal help. There is also the usual cynicism regarding the political motivations of most leaders and the necessity for political considerations often overwhelming simple choices between right and wrong. What is missing is the Ludlum touch that turns the routine thriller into a story that you can't put down and are often surprised by the outcome. My rating is intended to convey that this is an average novel of this genre. I enjoyed it, especially the fact that the series involves a continuing cast of characters who we are gradually coming to know. So, if you have read and enjoyed the earlier books in the series, you will probably find this worthwhile. And it is a very fast read. But you should read this series in order. One warning, the book suffers from inferior editing and proofreading. Most importantly, unless you find Ludlum too time consuming and complex or the violence too graphic, all the books published under his name exclusively are far superior to this series. Their consistent quality helped create and define the genre, and even the recently published THE JANSON DIRECTIVE continues that tradition. Reading them will not only prove truly enjoyable but show you why he is the bestselling American author of all time. So read the BOURNE triology and all the others first, then read these if you have time and still want more.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting Read
Review: Ms. Lynds has surpassed herself once again! Altman Code with its return of solid characters is a page turner that will keep you reading well into the night! The genre is Ludlum but the intensity is Lynds! The issues are more than timely, the ending superior!!! And for those unfamiliar with weapons, the AK-74 is the newer model of the AK-47. Ms. Lynds is a stand alone author on her own and ALWAYS provides her readers with excellent material for a read that can only be described as 'The Best'! Read this book, you won't be disappointed!
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