Rating: 
Summary: Ludlum Does Cook
Review: Robin Cook was a pioneer, and remains a major figure, in the medical thriller sub-genre. In THE HADES PROJECT, Robert Ludlum has written a tale very reminiscent of Cook. Cook would have provided a little more clinical detail, but this is still very similar to much of his work. In fact, it's better than a lot of Cook's recent stuff.The similarity to Cook aside, though, this isn't one of Ludlum's best. That shouldn't be too surprising because Ludlum is listed as only a co-author along with Gayle Lynds. I'm not personally familiar with Lynds' work, but THE HADES PROJECT lacks Ludlum's usual intensity and sophistication. I have no idea how much input Ludlum had in it's writing, but it isn't, in my opinion, up to the standard generally set in his vintage works (THE OSTERMAN WEEKEND, THE RHINEMAN EXCHANGE, THE HOLCROFT COVENANT, THE GEMINI CONTENDERS, etc.). Further, the main character, Lt. Colonel Jonathan Smith, seems a bit of a super-hero caricature. Moreover, he swings from mourning the death of his fiancee one moment to participating in her autopsy the next. That strikes me as a bit more intimate than even a certified pathologist might care to get. Smith, although he is a medical doctor and researcher, isn't a pathologist. Nor is he the only character that's a little over the top. The "bad guys" are wooden and almost too evil to be believed. Only the aging CEO has any misgivings at all about what is going on. More interesting are Smith's friends Marty Zellerbach and Peter Howell. Both are quirky in a likeable way and the scenes in Marty's house are among this book's highlights. The scenes in Saddam's Iraqi police state are also interesting and probably quite realistic. While this isn't Ludlum at his best, it still isn't bad. There's plenty of action, some of the characters are very engaging, and the story fast-paced enough to keep you turning the pages. The ending is somewhat quick and it all shakes out a bit too easily, but most of the ride is sufficiently bumpy to be fun and entertaining. It may not be five stars, but it's better than average.
Rating: 
Summary: Robert Ludlum's "The Hades Factor"
Review: From the start, this is not a Ludlum book and his name should not be on it. Before Ludlum died, he may have developed an outline for the book but everything in the book is obviously not Ludlum. I will say that Gayle Lynds did do a pretty good job in writing the book. It did keep my interest, therefore the three stars.
Rating:
Summary: Overshadowed by the others but its still good
Review: Good story, this being one of Robert Ludlum's last book I felt I had to read it. The plot is excellent and it will keep you guessing until the very end.
There is only one part I didn't like, in some books and movies whenever there is a flat part the dialog something happens that is unique to that book or movie. This means that in such an instance Arnold Swartenager kills someone or a Christian in the Left Behind series would pray. In this book when there is a flat line the dialogue Jonathan Smith pines and moans over his wife to be. I am not saying this isn't nessacary but after the 5th time you just want to yell "SHUT UP AND GET ON WITH THE STORY MAN"! Overall-Very good I particularly like the character of Marty Zelerback and hope to read the next book in this series.
Rating: 
Summary: Poorly plotted, poorly written
Review: I'm guessing, as others have, that Gayle Lynds did most of the writing with this one. Not that I've read anything else by Gayle Lynds, but Ludlum seems so much superior to this. I'm hoping so, anyway. There aren't very many redeeming factors to this book. Most of the writing is very, very laboured. I could see the writer(s) trying to dig for the most dramatic way to put things, and the most dramatic circumstances, even if they would never happen. It never felt really natural. The relationship and loss, which is described on the backcover, is an over-drawn cliche that left me shaking my head. They knew they needed the relationship to be a strong, lovey-dovey type to make the suffering and loss seem real, but they never let the relationship develop on its own. It was just a gimmick. Similarly, there's a conflicted character who reallly baffled me. He's made a conscious decision to take part in a plan that could forseeably kill millions and millions of people, but finally sees the light when he realizes one of his former friends would be affected. WHAT???? You didn't think, with *millions* of people dying, that it *might* get personal??? They really force it. As they do the plot, which takes a few turns, but never really takes off. There are many cliches and few genuine surprises. With how many times this plot (big company starts epidemic, sells cure for big bucks) has to replicated in the past few years (MI2, multiple video games, Tom Clancy novels, etc.), there needs to be some new insight into it. This novel does not even come close to offering it. As far as the prose goes, any novel that can get away with saying "Some madman . . . decided to play God. Or Satan, if you will" just isn't worth reading. Pick up "The Bourne Identity". It's much much better overall. But, if you're looking for a fast-paced if cliched and occasionally groan-inducing read, you could do worse than this one. Matty J
Rating:
Summary: There's just something missing
Review: I enjoyed this book but felt like it could have been better in some parts. I found some of it to be predictable and I thouhgt there was too much action too close together, there were also some points that lost my interest. I felt that the writing could have been improved a little. Even so, it is pretty good and has me looking forward to the third Covert-One novel in June.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent diversion.
Review: In Robert Ludlum's "The Hades Factor," the improbably handsome, intelligent, and talented Lt. Col. Jon Smith, M.D. returns from a conference to find his similarly spectacular fiancée dying of a new, lethal virus she had been working to identify at their laboratory at USAMRIID. A warning from a friend and former FBI agent tells him to run for his life. He doesn't; he is determined to find out what killed her, and why. The story is gripping and suspenseful. Of course the bad guys are diabolical and powerful beyond reason, and the good guys resourceful beyond credulity. That's part of the deal with this kind of book. It's good entertainment, straining the limits of belief just enough to be a fun read while not crossing the line into complete silliness. The audiotape version is well-read, and I highly recommend it for listening to in the car during a trip or commute.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the earlier stuff
Review: I keep looking for something like the Matlock Paper or the Gemini Contenders, but this had all the traditional Ludlum themes: beautiful women, seemingly all powerful villians, and hero who gets most of the breaks.
Rating:
Summary: Great Intense Novel
Review: This simply was a great and intense book. Lots of action and likable characters. Although this was not as good as Vector from Robin Cook as far as introducing a lot of good knowledge about bio-war, it is still a great read. I don't think it's one of Ludlum's best but it is worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Vintage Ludlum
Review: No one will ever confuse Robert Ludlum with great literature. But, hey, that's ok. That's not his lot in life. Not everyone wants a thought provoking read or a novel with a message. For those of us who prefer cheesburgers to filet mignon, for those who thought "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the best picture ever made, this is a novel for you. End-to end, non-stop action. No real time to stop and think. A homeless man in Boston, an army major in California, and a teenager in Atlanta all succumb to a mysterious virus. The controller of a vast pharmaceutical corporation discovers a virus in the jungles of Peru that has no antedote except for an antibody that appears in monkey blood. So, he releases the virus on an unsuspecting world and, basically, blackmails humanity for the cure. Enter Ludlum and Lynd's soon-to-be Covert One team. Sounds exciting? You bet it is. Sure Ludlum has a lot of cartoon characters. For instance, our hero says to the villan "You're not a fool, just a ghoul." Bullets miss people's throats "...by the thickness of a hair" but when they hit they "...stab like searing ice" (?) Still, remember, this is make believe. This is escapism. So for those of us who want no moral, no message, no hidden meaning, let's grab that cheeseburger, put our feet up, put our minds in neutral, and enjoy the ride.
Rating: 
Summary: Ludlum's downward spiral, nearly complete
Review: After reading this weak entry, I'm convinced that it could not be of Ludlum's own. In his final days, He had simply regressed into a literary prostitute, lending his name to lesser authors, capitalizing on the very readers who once sat rivited to his past works, making him rich and famous. This weak story line cannibalized key words, phrases, and other medical jargon from "The Hot Zone" written by Richard Preston. The story line is utterly unbelievable, as are many of these so-called action scenes. Not to discourage the would-be readers..... If you think an autistic computer genius who is capable of,"zooming into never-never land, and be so out of control he's dangerous to himself and others, without his meds.".....or meeting a reclusive ex-SAS intelligence officer who has a "full-grown mountain lion that "sprang from a tree crouched and snarling, awaiting his masters' call to pounce."..... No I'm not exaggerating, these are quotes, and you should see the scene where the main character, the autistic, and the mountain version of "Crocodile Dundee" escape 14 armed assasins, two SUV's, and a helicopter, while driving an RV through a mountain ravine, taking shortcuts through narrow gorges and onto a busy interstate. Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention this RV is fully equipped with the latest sattelite tracking equipment, and a super computer. My advice is if you want to waste some of your life, take a nap, but do not help line the pockets of an ex- writer who is exploiting his loyal readers.
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