Robert Ludlum’s The Ares Decision: A Covert-One Novel

The action never flags in the eighth entry in the Covert-One series (The Arctic Event, etc.), based on a concept created by the late Robert Ludlum. When a special ops team dispatched to Uganda to take out a vicious terrorist, Caleb Bahame, is quickly wiped out by unarmed civilians who appear to possess superhuman strength and speed, Fred Klein, the head of Covert-One, the supersecret intelligence unit created by the U.S. president, worries that a lethal bioweapon may have been used and that Bahame might share it with Iran. Dr. Jon Smith, the leader of the Covert-One team sent to investigate, discovers that Bahame is using a parasite to kill people. Smith and Namibian biologist Sarie van Keure race to prevent the parasite from being released on American soil. Mills (Lords of Corruption) nicely integrates relevant military and scientific details into the story line, while his skill at characterization will leave many hoping he’ll become a permanent posthumous collaborator with Ludlum. (Oct.)