Robert Ludlum's The Cassandra Compact: A Covert-One Novel

Covert-One #2

by Robert Ludlum, Philip Shelby

For over thirty years, Robert Ludlum has been acknowledged as the master of international suspense and intrigue. In 2000, Ludlum managed to raise the bar yet again with his widely acclaimed bestsellers The Prometheus Deception and The Hades Factor, the first novel in his exciting Covert-One series. Now Covert-One is back, in a novel that could only have come from the imagination of the world's greatest storyteller."What they're going to do, I never would have believed it. It's insanity!" They were the final words spoken by Yuri Danko, an officer in the medical division of Russia's security service, before his body was ripped apart by a spray of assassins' bullets. In possession of Danko's classified papers, Covert-One operative Jon Smith and CIA undercover agent Randi Russell have unearthed a terrifying global conspiracy that threatens to unleash a plague of immeasurable proportions. A Serb terrorist has been dispatched from Russia to spirit hazardous vials of deadly bacteria into the United States. His deliver it to an unknown American government agent-- a shadowy figure whose own motives for acquiring the bioweapon are made all the more unfathomable when both men are found murdered, and the strain is stolen. Now Smith and Russell must track it down, find the madman who possesses it, and stop him before he holds a defenseless world hostage with the power to render the human race extinct.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Espionage, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Action

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2001

About the author

Robert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series--The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum--among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.

Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.

Reviews

[هادی امینی · Rating 3 out of 5]

داستان خوبی داشت. البته قسمت اولش یعنی الهه مرگ‌آور به مراتب پرکشش‌تر بود.
چند تا نکته در مورد ترجمه:
1) اسم کتاب رو نفهمیدم چرا ضربه کاساندرا بود. البته مترجم در انتخاب اسم کتاب آزاده، ولی ترسم از اینه که Compact رو با Impact اشتباه کرده باشه. اسم اصلی کتاب Cassandra's Compact بود.
2) مسلسل برتا واقعاً وجود داره، هرچند کارخانه برتا بیشتر به دلیل ساخت سلاح‌های کمری معروفه. نکته اینجاست که مسلسل برتا توی جیب کت جا نمیشه. پس منظور نویسنده از برتا، سلاح کمری بوده و نه مسلسل. این مشکل در الهه مرگ‌آور هم بود و جان اسمیت بارها یک مسلسل برتا رو توی جیب کتش میگذاشت!!!!
3) کامیون و وانت با هم فرق دارند.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give 5 stars when the book I’ve been reading bring me into a different reality and allow me to experience something different and vivid. Loved this book. Looking towards another covert-one book.

[Anastasia Pergakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful continuation to the Covert One Series. Though written by a separate author than the first book (The Hades Factor), Mr. Shelby keeps true to Robert Ludlum's vision and the tone set up by Gale Lynds in the first book.

I listened to the audio book edition of this book, rather than reading it. I found it an interesting experience and added a new dynamic to the story that I did not have with the first one - actually hearing Jon Smith's and other characters' voices.

I was most intrigued by this story, because of some of the locations where the plot unfolds. I don't want to give too much away, but it was a nice addition that the story not only took place in many places around the world, but also in orbit around the planet on a space shuttle. You'll have to read it to find out why!

This book had a lot more suspense - or maybe it just felt like it since I was listing to the audio book - than the first one. I loved that some of the characters from the first book made a revisit but the addition of some new faces was great too. Especially, since as I said before, Mr. Shelby kept with the tone set up by Ms. Lynds. All the characters had their own unique personalities, quirks, and backstories that made them rich three-dimensional people, rather than cardboard cutouts.

I look forward to what book 3 of this series has to offer. Jon Smith has a lot more story to tell and I can't wait to read it.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Smith and Randi Russell are involved in a bioweapon thriller...
Ludlum's second novel in the Covert-One series...

[itchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

eponymous sentence:
p237: What the hell is the Cassandra Compact?

This is surprisingly good. I've not had Shelby before so I've no way to tell the chaff from the wheat, so to speak. Plus, at this point Ludlum has evolved to near unrecognizable.

There's just the correct amount of fancy mixed in with action to keep one riveted. I never did understand what Cassandra stood for, though.

[Stewart Sternberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much better than the first of the series. It could have used a little editing. It dragged at times. But still compelling. Good conclusion

[Stavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that had been found on my aunts library. Never heard of it, never saw it. I am incredibly happy that I saw it now. Read it in 2 days, an amazing story, plot writing. Getting ready to read the first book as well. Yup I starred backwards...Definitely recommended!

[Chuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

A conspiracy to steal and alter a smallpox virus to create the ultimate
bio-weapon. This is a follow up to The Hades Factor and another in the
Covert One series. An OK story but the writing is obviously Shelby and not Robert Ludlum.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exciting plot and romance. Well narrated and recommended.

[Matthew Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic book , once again one of those books were all hell breaks loose quite fare into the novel , i really enjoyed this , its quite interesting how the first book the plot take place over a week or two an this book takes place over what seems to be 48 hours

[⚔️Kelanth⚔️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

E' certo, ne sono sicurissimo, si sta rivoltando e girando all'infinito nella sua tomba. Povero Ludlum, poveri quegli scrittori che vengono riportati in vita sulle copertine dei libri per far vendere di più, per riportare sulla carta filoni narrativi

Se ha potuto leggere il suo nome sulla copertina di questo insulso libro non ne può fare a meno. Uno che ha scritto la "trilogia di Bourne" o "Aquitania", solo per citarne due a caso della sua sterminata e vasta vita da scrittore non può avere scritto una cosa del genere e infatti il vero autore è questo mediocre Philby che ha avuto probabilmente il compito gigantesco e improbo di ricreare il mondo di "Covert-One" dopo la morte di Ludlum.

Questo "libro" è un accozzaglia di stereotipi senza senso, personaggi che definire macchiette è riduttivo, una storia che è scritta con i piedi. Se avessi un cane potrei dire che lui scriverebbe di meglio.

Ora ho il sano terrore di leggere gli altri libri che avevo acquistato dopo la morte dell'autore ed usciti postumi arrangiati da altri. Ho ancora i brividi a ripensare a questa storia... finito tappandomi il naso.

Altamente pericoloso per la salute mentale.

[Erwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

There story wasn't easily predictable, and it was fast paced enough to be interesting - but overall not an excellent read.
It wasn't horrible, but it doesn't seem worth recommending to anyone else.

[Paul Lyons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am always suspect of a book published posthumously (or near so), in a famous author's name, coupled with a co-writer of less renown. Reading "The Cassandra Compact," I could not help but wonder what portions were written by the great author Robert Ludlum, and what exactly were the contributions of co-writer Philip Shelby. If I had my guess, I would estimate that the more complex parts of "The Cassandra Compact" originated with Ludlum, while the broader and dare I say...more streamlined parts were Shelby. Will probably never know. Whichever way it written, the novel succeeds on various levels of concept, interest and execution, yet not entirely.

The set-up of "The Cassandra Compact" was solid enough. After a good friend and important Russian contact Yuri Danko is brutally gunned down in Venice, military-medical-specialist and covert Covert-One agent Jon Smith works with his superiors and those below his security credentials in order to track down the cause of the assassination, and its intricate link to the clandestine "Cassandra Contact," an evil conspiracy involving members of the Italian police, the U.S. military, the National Security Agency, NASA and the head of a giant, multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical company that involves smuggling of vials of the deadly Smallpox into the United States and into space (via the Space Shuttle) in order to create the ultimate weapon: the most deadly and fast-acting incurable virus in human history, to be used against any organization or country that poses a threat, as well as to boost the stock of the multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical company. It's a most intriguing plot.

And...for the most part the Ludlum-Shelby compact pulls story off well. There were times where I could not put the book down, and other times where the bookmark easily landed on a given page, to be revisited another time. There were times where "The Cassandra Compact" stretched the dimension of disbelief very near the breaking point, yet for the most part the story and its shifts and turns made sense. That said, I felt frustrated by the portions of the book that did not make sense, nor land well.

STILL don't understand the beat where helpful British operator Howell discovered that his old smuggler friend betrayed him. Something about trying to open a lock that was already opened? It was very vague, which weakened an otherwise exciting beat. Also did not entirely track the demise of the diabolical Bauer. So...WHAT happened now? Smith locked an escape hatch that Bauer was going to use to escape from the cocoon thingy? Couldn't Bauer try to get were Smith was going to in order to escape himself??? I didn't get it. The ending, and its post-mortem with the government keeping it all quiet, and Megan having to consider herself dead and form a brand new identity didn't sit right with me...nor did it make a lot of sense. Why couldn't the world know NASA medical scientist Megan was alive again? Guess I missed that part.

In truth, gotta be honest, I wanted to NOT like "The Cassandra Compact" just because of my bias and cynicism about the integrity of the Robert Ludlum-Philip Shelby co-authorship. In the novel's defense, it was pretty good, and sometimes better than good! Yet, the weaknesses of some of the story beats, the sometimes, strangely simplistic style of writing that felt very unlike Robert Ludlum, and the disappointing finale all led me to feel less than overjoyed with the novel, yet still grateful for the passages that captured my attention, and excitement.

[Elmer Foster · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story felt vaguely familiar but not in a good way.

Cold war Russia, defector trying to escape due to unforeseen reasons. American agent doggedly follows the trail of a small-pox strain being reconstituted for world domination efforts.

Just the premise makes me sleepy.

I guess this is a #2 to the Hades Factor (which I probably should have read first) due to the mentioned grief and familial connections to start the story. However, the author never really builds any depth or real tension into the story.

The "do-gooder" leads seemed highly egotistical, leapt immediately to solve the underwhelming plot, and held no credentials for their merit.

Quick thoughts:
Clearly, has no problems killing off witnesses, and what was with handing the virus off for transport - only to meet the guy on the other side and kill him? especially after the backstory build up.

Nice space tangent (sarcasm)- improbable, highly unlikely, and quite far-fetched. Was the writer watching Moonraker at the time of writing?

Nagging dislike of the method used for suspense attempt. How are we going to do X? Lead replies with, "here's how" and chapter ends without any reveal, like the writer hadn't thought of it yet and came back after dinner to write more. But didn't deliver any/much impact, at least for me.

Can't say I am excited for any further Covert-One stuff.

Thanks for reading.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 Stars

The Cassandra Compact is the second book in the Covert-One Series by Robert Ludlum. It is a gripping thriller, with action, adventure, drama, danger, agendas, high stakes, and all the other ingredients and clever touches that I have come to expect from a Ludlum novel.
->2023 Reading Challenge.
->Glennie's Collection
Robert Ludlum novels were a familiar fixture in our household when I was growing up, as both my parents loved his books. He was amongst the first ‘adult’ reads that I explored at the time, and over the years I have read everything he’s written.
Since my mother passed away over a year ago, I have been making my way through her book collection, finally. I decided to make reading her entire collection a part of my reading challenge for the next couple of years (as she has a HUGE collection), as well as a way to pay tribute to my mum, who was such a voracious reader..... Reading her collection of books has stirred up a lot of memories, bittersweet ones, and our shared love of reading. I am forever grateful that she passed on her love of reading to me. 🥰🙏💗📚📖
This one's for you Glennie 🥰🙏💗📚📖

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cassandra was the goddess of true prophecies that are not believed. In The Cassandra Compact, this must refer to a strain of smallpox on steroids that is capable of wiping out entire countries. In typical Ludlum fashion, the authors provide non-stop action and a rollercoaster of thrills as the bad guys always seem to elude our hero, Jon Smith (couldn’t the authors think of a more original name) at the last minute.

This book might have earned 5 stars except that Smith lacks credulity. He is a superman, both a doctor and a colonel, and a perfect physical specimen that no man can beat in combat. Frankly, this strong silent type has no personality.

Also, the space lab and spacecraft docking station are a little hard to imagine from the written word. I hope someone makes a movie out of this.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is based on an unabridged audio version of the book read by Paul Michael. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. In part, I’m sure that was due to Mr. Michael’s excellent narration. He did a great job of differentiating the characters’ voices. The plot is non-stop action, with no time to waste on character development. Why bother, because so many of the characters get killed off anyway, in a variety of spectacular ways. But our hero Jon Smith gets through it all unscathed, popping up all over the world just in time to get the evidence / get the job done / get the bad guy. With this much going on, who cares whether any of it is believable? Just go along for the ride and enjoy the fun.

[Dante Carlisle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I picked up in the middle of the series, so I doubt I got the full effect of the story. As much as I hate picking up books in this manner, when you're in jail you kind of have a limited supply to pick from.

Because of this I can only give the book two stars. As always, Ludlum is an amazing writer, but the story fell flat for me. But, I missed a few things by skipping the first book. Not a reflection of the writer, so I really feel bad for writing this review, but if you pick this up then please read the first one beforehand. Not a stand-alone novel, but I doubt it's supposed to be. That's not how Ludlum works.

[Andrea George · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little gem had been sitting in my tbr list for a while. "The Cassandra Compact" is the second installment in the Covert-One series. The first in the series, "The Hades Factor", was written by Robert Ludlum. This novel was co-written with Philip Shelby. "The Cassandra Compact" certainly didn't lose any of its steam. The plot was intriguing and action-packed from the first page to the last. The characters and their dialogue were believable. If you're looking for an older, great mystery-thriller, you won't go wrong with this one!

[Rod · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Hades, I was hanging out for this one. I finished it, but if anyone is thinking Hades2...think again.
I think Robert has achieved such a standard in Hades that it will be a struggle to do that again.
This book was ok...just lacked the fierce intensity of Hades. The shallow relationships and one level plot was a bit sad.
I’m keeping on with Covert One cos I reckon better is to come!
Go for it Robert!!!

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again an evil mastermind with more money that God, decides he wants to unleash a bioweapon upon the world and it is up to Covert-One to stop him. Smith and company jet around the world employing questionable tactics to get as much information as possible. Using the space shuttle was interesting. The book moves quickly from location to location as they track down the latest threat to life on earth.

[Roy Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep, I'd definitely recommend this one. My wife bought it for me so I had no idea what I was in for. It turns out it's about the smallpox virus. It has been stolen from a Russian lab to be genetically modified and used as a bio weapon. This book was written about twenty years ago when Ludlum was going strong. These guys knew things, even back then. The comparisons to what is happening now are scary. So yes, go for this one.

[Lisa Jackie Grima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! This book is so superbly written that it was literally like watching a movie with all the exciting ingredients like espionage, betrayal, international incidents and even space flights thrown into the mix! When you're almost at the end of this thrilling novel, you feel like cheering when the good guys save the day! Five stars don't seem enough for this exhilarating ride through the most secret and highly dangerous echelons of the world's leading governments. Absolutely recommended.

[Monzenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of my issues with Hades Factor are gone in Cassandra Compact. MC is now seen to be working closely with a structure, and is not too much of a Superman now. The too-convenient romantic angle is not the center of the plot anymore; it's now part of the backdrop. The villain is definitely more potent now. I guess I still find a few scenes to be too convenient, but the second entry to the medical agent thriller series at least works as a cohesive novel now.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t enjoy the writing style as much as the hades factor. I enjoyed the plot and certain sections of the book held my attention and encouraged me to keep going, it is important to read this for the series. I just found there was a bit of waffle that wasn’t need.
However I still enjoyed the story and idea of the book.

[Cathy Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a really good read, the action building up through out the book meant by the end it was very hard to put down.
The theft of small pox samples from a lab in Russia which end up in a very unexpected place to be weaponised lead to a race to stop the bio terrorists.
A predictable ending maybe but still an exciting one.

[Graeme Whitton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK thriller. Fast paced and plenty of twists and turns though in the end it's fairly predictable. This is the 2nd in the Covert-One series and, even though this one is co-authored by someone different from the 1st in the series, they might have come up with something different than a world threatening virus as that's exactly the same as book 1.

Still quite enjoyable.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was only one Robert Ludlum...and I loved him. Never read a bad or boring book from him. This one will keep you at the edge of your bed (this is where I do most of my reading) from start to finish. Loved it!

[Manishad Haroon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good old fashioned spy thriller. Wouldn’t say it hits the heights of other Ludlum classics (this being a collaboration)but still it offers a fast paced storyline with enough intrigue to keep the pages turning.

[Αμαλία Μοιρασγετή · Rating 4 out of 5]

Πολύ καλή πλοκή. Γρήγορες εναλλαγές ,δεν με κούρασε καθόλου. Παρόλο που είχε πολλά ονόματα δεν μου αποσπούσαν την προσοχή. Πλοκή με συνοχή και χωρίς να σου αφήνει ερωτηματικα. Είναι λίγο σαν να παρακολουθείς αμερικανική ταινία δράσης με κατασκόπους, απόρρητα κ.α.