Robert Ludlum's(TM) The Ares Decision (Covert-One, #8) by Kyle Mills

Mar 03, 2013 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure

Covert - One. An agency so secret that only the President knows it exists. In fact, he organized it and asked his closest advisor, Fred Klein, to run it. When no one else can handle an explosive global situation, you send in Covert - One.

An American special forces team is sent into northern Uganda to find and eliminate a known terrorist. Instead the group is decimated by a group of normally peaceful farmers. Video of the attack shows even women and children possessing almost supernatural speed a...more

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Dec 20, 2012 The-vault rated it 3 of 5 stars

By Kyle Mills. Covert-One #8. Grade: B+
Before I begin with the dissection of Robert Ludlum’s The Ares Decision written by Kyle Mills, newbies may need some introduction. Jon Smith, our protagonist, was initially Robert Ludlum’s creation. But alas, the brilliant author passed away about a decade back, and since then, many other talented thriller writers have immortalized this character. Kyle Mills is the fifth writer to try his hand with the eighth book of this series, which has led to highly inc...more By Kyle Mills. Covert-One #8. Grade: B+
Before I begin with the dissection of Robert Ludlum’s The Ares Decision written by Kyle Mills, newbies may need some introduction. Jon Smith, our protagonist, was initially Robert Ludlum’s creation. But alas, the brilliant author passed away about a decade back, and since then, many other talented thriller writers have immortalized this character. Kyle Mills is the fifth writer to try his hand with the eighth book of this series, which has led to highly inconsistent and varying reaction from readers – as well as characters.
The Ares Decision reeks of terrorism, biological weapons and a marathon of panic soaked in blood. In this Covert-One Series, Kyle Mills pierces his readers with bullets and barks at with a parasite. A weapon that may cause more damage and hysteria than the ones that plagued Hiroshima and Nagasaki for almost half a century.
With U.S. intelligence agencies wracked by internal power struggles and paralyzed by bureaucracy, the President is forced to establish his own clandestine group – Covert-One – selected from the very best operators America has to offer. It is only activated as a last resort, when the threat is on a global scale and time is running out.
In Uganda an American Special Forces team is wiped out by a group of normally peaceful farmers. Video of the attack shows even women and children possessing almost supernatural speed and strength, consumed with a rage that makes them immune to pain, fear, and all but the most devastating injuries.

The Ares Decision by Kyle Mills
Covert-One’s Colonel Jon Smith, is sent to investigate the attack and finds evidence of a parasitic infection that for centuries has been causing violent insanity and then going dormant. This time, though, it’s different. The infection is purposely being kept alive. And as Smith and his team are cut off from all outside support, they begin to suspect that forces much more powerful than the Iranians are in play…
Covert-One’s army microbiologist Colonel Jon Smith is sent on a mission to look into the matter related to a parasite that may swallow the U.S. There are people who are working on the parasite to exploit the bio weapon and it is left to Smith and his team to put an end to it. Sarie van Keuren, a South African biologist and Peter Howell, former Special Air Services member join Smith in untangling the mystery behind the parasite.A video of villagers pouncing on an American Special forces team in Northern Uganda triggers Smith’s men to delve into the possibility of a bio weapon.
Robert Ludlum’s The Ares Decision is a wild sheep chase with an army of characters killing and getting killed. It is this pace that sets the texture of the novel. By borrowing Robert Ludlum’s mind for TAD, Kyle Mills rolls his thriller with little scope for anything else. He writes with an intention of being read in a tensed mood.
The book talks about countries and cultures and how a person becomes a traitor and what he does to become a patriot. There’s a mole in every country and a hole to accompany it. People working for the government work against it too, and you need a hero to save the nation. Friends help each other in times of crisis and otherwise. You never know when a bottle of mineral water crawls to you in the middle of the desert. Randi Rusell, a friend of Jon’s, and a former colleague, pulls him out of the soup just in time. He is that bottle of mineral water here; very much handy and helpful in lending her hand to her friends and to the nation. Hasty decisions result in sinking into murky seas. And slow thinking will work only in the Arctic region. Kyle Mills stays away from slowing and slurring his narration.
Kyle Mills’ first attempt at Covert One has turned out be a gripping plot with not many split ends, but plenty of slippery slopes.
Too much blood and cuts and bruises make this novel little violent for people aged below fifteen, but for those devouring guns and bombs, this is perfect.
P.S.: If only Robert Ludlum could read this, it would have been a surprise to find out what he would have done (to the characters and to Kyle Mills).

Originally reviewed at : http://vaultofbooks.com/(less)

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Nov 19, 2012 VaultOfBooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

By Kyle Mills. Covert-One #8. Grade: B+
Before I begin with the dissection of Robert Ludlum’s The Ares Decision written by Kyle Mills, newbies may need some introduction. Jon Smith, our protagonist, was initially Robert Ludlum’s creation. But alas, the brilliant author passed away about a decade back, and since then, many other talented thriller writers have immortalized this character. Kyle Mills is the fifth writer to try his hand with the eighth book of this series, which has led to highly inc...more By Kyle Mills. Covert-One #8. Grade: B+
Before I begin with the dissection of Robert Ludlum’s The Ares Decision written by Kyle Mills, newbies may need some introduction. Jon Smith, our protagonist, was initially Robert Ludlum’s creation. But alas, the brilliant author passed away about a decade back, and since then, many other talented thriller writers have immortalized this character. Kyle Mills is the fifth writer to try his hand with the eighth book of this series, which has led to highly inconsistent and varying reaction from readers – as well as characters.
The Ares Decision reeks of terrorism, biological weapons and a marathon of panic soaked in blood. In this Covert-One Series, Kyle Mills pierces his readers with bullets and barks at with a parasite. A weapon that may cause more damage and hysteria than the ones that plagued Hiroshima and Nagasaki for almost half a century.
With U.S. intelligence agencies wracked by internal power struggles and paralyzed by bureaucracy, the President is forced to establish his own clandestine group – Covert-One – selected from the very best operators America has to offer. It is only activated as a last resort, when the threat is on a global scale and time is running out.
In Uganda an American Special Forces team is wiped out by a group of normally peaceful farmers. Video of the attack shows even women and children possessing almost supernatural speed and strength, consumed with a rage that makes them immune to pain, fear, and all but the most devastating injuries.

The Ares Decision by Kyle Mills
Covert-One’s Colonel Jon Smith, is sent to investigate the attack and finds evidence of a parasitic infection that for centuries has been causing violent insanity and then going dormant. This time, though, it’s different. The infection is purposely being kept alive. And as Smith and his team are cut off from all outside support, they begin to suspect that forces much more powerful than the Iranians are in play…
Covert-One’s army microbiologist Colonel Jon Smith is sent on a mission to look into the matter related to a parasite that may swallow the U.S. There are people who are working on the parasite to exploit the bio weapon and it is left to Smith and his team to put an end to it. Sarie van Keuren, a South African biologist and Peter Howell, former Special Air Services member join Smith in untangling the mystery behind the parasite.A video of villagers pouncing on an American Special forces team in Northern Uganda triggers Smith’s men to delve into the possibility of a bio weapon.
Robert Ludlum’s The Ares Decision is a wild sheep chase with an army of characters killing and getting killed. It is this pace that sets the texture of the novel. By borrowing Robert Ludlum’s mind for TAD, Kyle Mills rolls his thriller with little scope for anything else. He writes with an intention of being read in a tensed mood.
The book talks about countries and cultures and how a person becomes a traitor and what he does to become a patriot. There’s a mole in every country and a hole to accompany it. People working for the government work against it too, and you need a hero to save the nation. Friends help each other in times of crisis and otherwise. You never know when a bottle of mineral water crawls to you in the middle of the desert. Randi Rusell, a friend of Jon’s, and a former colleague, pulls him out of the soup just in time. He is that bottle of mineral water here; very much handy and helpful in lending her hand to her friends and to the nation. Hasty decisions result in sinking into murky seas. And slow thinking will work only in the Arctic region. Kyle Mills stays away from slowing and slurring his narration.
Kyle Mills’ first attempt at Covert One has turned out be a gripping plot with not many split ends, but plenty of slippery slopes.
Too much blood and cuts and bruises make this novel little violent for people aged below fifteen, but for those devouring guns and bombs, this is perfect.
P.S.: If only Robert Ludlum could read this, it would have been a surprise to find out what he would have done (to the characters and to Kyle Mills).

Originally reviewed at: http://vaultofbooks.com/(less)

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Oct 31, 2011 Tom Tischler rated it 5 of 5 stars

In northern Uganda a team of American Special Forces are destroyed by a
group of normally peaceful farmers. Videos of the attack show woman and
children with super human strength. Covert One's top operative Lt Col.
Jon Smith is sent to investigate the attack. He finds evidence of a
parasitic infection that for years has been causing violent insanity and
then going dormant. This time though the parasite has been kept alive and
crully transmitted into acts of terrorism. The director of Iranian Intellig...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Rick F. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very Hard to review this book, Kyle Mills is one of my favorite thriller writers- his previous books have all been superb. The Ares Decision is a very well written thriller about terrorists trying to get their hands on a Centuries' old parasite and weaponize it. The MAJOR PROBLEM is that this is the 8th book featuring main character Jon Smith, and Kyle Mills is the 5th writer to work on this series- How can a writer fully realize a book, when he/she is forced to use a character that has been wri...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Gail rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, spy-thriller

An interesting story with action that goes from America to Africa and Iran. Likeable and well developed characters and villains. A believable story that really does not portray the governments of America, Britain or Iran in a very favorable light but which has elements of truth within it. Its about countries in power who think that they call control all other countries and people and dictate to them and spy on them and dispose of or use them however they choose. It may succeed for a time... But...more

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May 08, 2012 Mike Philbin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Look, I've finally got to terms with the fact that ROBERT LUDLUM'S DEAD AND HE'S NEVER COMING BACK.

Eric Van Lustbader FINALLY took the Bourne Bull by the horns and OWNS that borrowed franchise in his own sick way - good.

Most of the COVERT ONE books are formulaic shite, like this one. I didn't even finish it. There was no need to. I didn't like the story, the setting, the characters, or the writing. It was just by-the-cynical-numbers shite.

I'm going to finish THE REINEMANN EXCHANGE, as it's prope...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Bill Sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure

Wow!
This was a novel won in a Goodreads Giveaway and after just finishing it I realize that I would gladly have paid the full price.
This is the latest Covert One novel. Covert One is a secret security organization set up by the President of the United States that is known to only a handful of people. An army doctor is the hero of the series. He is also a trained operative in addition to being a doctor.
In this story an African madman has found a parasite that turns infected people into beserkers...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Rick Fisher rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

This is my least favorite in Robert Ludlum's Covert One series. I'm not sure if it's because there has been to much time between reading these books or because there have been to many authors with their hands in the ink since the unfortunate passing of Mr. Ludlum, the master of this genre.
I normally enjoy the works of Kyle Mills, but he fell short in this one. I felt the premise of the book was great but he did little with the material to hold it up against the previous works.
There was the un...more

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Nov 26, 2011 Matt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook

I remember stumbling on this series when all but the last two books were written. I read them like mad (listened to them actually) and then THE ARCTIC EVENT came out, so I added that one to the list. Then, it seemed like years and some book titled THE INFINITY AFFAIR appeared on fanatasticfiction.co.uk as though it were set to come out. Nothing anywhere here in North America... and then up pops Mills's THE ARES DECISION. Was James Cobb bumped off the project and Mills saved the day? No idea.

Good...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Prince rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, thrillers

The latest Covert One adventure The Ares Decision finds Lt. Col. Jonathan Smith and company race across the globe from the scenic Cape Town to the sweltering jungles of Uganda to the icy mountains of Iran to stop a deadly parasite from being unleashed. The book (as well as the series) has no pretensions of being a thinking man's ingenious thriller. Instead we get a highly enjoyable edge of the seat tale with likeable characters.

The opening scene features an elite American strike force being atta...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Simon Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some people have written in the reviews that this is one hell of a read and you tend to have to agree with Ludlum fans. However, I agree with the few who believe that Jon Smith has become a bit of a franhise-based book and thus lost the Ludlum-vibe/factor to it. For example, I felt nothing when Jon Smith asked Fred Klein to nuke him and his good mate Peter Howell. I was like ... "Sure, nuke him and then maybe some other super-doctor/commando will have to deal with the next new super virus invent...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Lee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kyle-mills, robert-ludlum

This latest installment of the Covert One series opens in Africa with a Special Forces team being killed by a bunch of unarmed villagers. Jon Smith is sent into investigate and finds that a parasite is giving the African villagers superhuman strength before killing them and is being used for evil ends by an evil warlord. The Iranians are seeking to get this to unleash on the U.S. I like a lot of Kyle Mills books but this one is just a so so read.

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Apr 05, 2012 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was sadly my frist read of a Robert Ludlum book, and it is written by Kyle Mills. I have been a huge fan of Kyle Mills and love how he brings the reader into the story quickly. I got started on this book and could not put it down. The good guy characters are just who you would want to be in your corner if something like this were to happen. I reccommend this strongly!

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Jul 18, 2012 Deborah Parker rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love the Covert One Series books. This one did a great job of bringing in other parts of the world to current security concerns with the focus on Central Africa.. Characterd were well developed, especially continuance of Jon Smith's secret agent style. Liked his side kicks Howell and the South African doctor.

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May 11, 2013 Macjest rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not one of the better Covert One books. The whole effort seemed lackluster. I never really got into the characters and the name of the book didn't really seem to make sense. Every time the action tried to ramp up it seemed to drop off quickly.

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May 11, 2013 Sean Goh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Good reintroduction to Jon Smith after a long personal break, though the number of unlikely saves calls for high level suspension of disbelief. Good pacing nonetheless, though the many threads might take a bit of effort to wrap your head around.

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Apr 12, 2012 Gabriel Lopez added it

This is an extremely suspensful book. There is a lot of action for those the like suspense but there is a lot of science involved for those who love science fiction. it is part of the Covert One series and is an extremlly good book.

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Feb 10, 2012 Johanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

hm. I don't know why I expected this to be a continuation of the Bourne stories. Well, it isn't -- not that anyone says it is, mind you. So once I got over that, it was a good story, lots of gore, yes, fast-moving, lots of twists and turns. And still, didn't grab me as the Bourne books had.

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Jan 17, 2013 Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jon Smith, Randi Russel, Marty Zellerbach, Peter Howell; i got hooked on them since the Hades Factor, guns, Africa, Iran, CIA, biological weapon, action, thrills, and more action...can't hardly put it down. an interesting read!

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Jan 26, 2013 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was the first of the Covert One novels that I had read and really liked it. I will look for others in the series and read them and will probably look for other books by Kyle Mills. Definitely a good read.

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Nov 22, 2011 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

LOVED this book. I was hesitant, not really liking someone else "riding the Ludlum train" like I thought Mr. Kyle Mills was, but I have to say, this was a very good book. Very "Robert Ludlum like". I now am going to go read the rest of Kyle Mills' books. Excellent!!!

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Sep 05, 2012 Julian Hoffman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Though they annoyingly continue to call these books "co-written" years after Ludlum's death, Kyle Mills is a great author in his own right, and this is a great addition to the Covert One series.

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May 20, 2012 Rick rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't think this book lived up to the Ludlum name. The storyline was farfetched and not very intriguing. I wouldn’t recommend wasting time with this book.

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Feb 05, 2012 Jayw added it · review of another edition

Rogue CIA head wants war with Iran. Teams with African warlord to deliver zombie disease to like minded Iranian spy chief. Covert One's Jon Smith stands in the way

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Sep 08, 2012 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

The first book I read in this popular series, and as I do with new authors, I read it large print so it'd go by quicker should I lose interest.

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Jan 03, 2013 Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Robert Ludlem and Kyle Mills - thriller every page turn and the scary thing is that everything written could be happening any where on the Earth. This was a book you read all night until finished - thank you again for the thrills and excitement.

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Sep 09, 2012 Chandler Edwards added it · review of another edition

Struggled to get started with this book. However, when it got to the nuts and bolts - I couldn't put it down. I have become a Kyle Mills fan. Hope his own stuff lives up to this!

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Jan 20, 2012 Sheldon Lehman rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like Mills as an author. The issue is, with waiting this long for this book (and it was originally going to be by James Cobb, who wrote other Covert-One books) and with having four different authors trying to communicate Ludlum's idea, you just lose your sense of character development. Story was good, though, if predictable.

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Feb 10, 2013 Velu Karthikeyan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting read. But when compared to other covert one books, this borders around unreasonable at times.

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Robert Ludlum's(TM) The Ares Decision (Covert-One #8)

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