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Even with Robert Ludlum's recent death, his legacy continues to grow strong. Several years ago, Ludlum conceptualized a series of novels that he would co-write with other authors regarding a secret organization of civilians working for the government. His estate had several outlines left behind regarding the series and Gayle Lynds picks up the reigns with this one. She has proven herself by collaborating on the first Covert-One novel, THE HADES FACTOR as well as writing great novels including MOSAIC and MASQUERADE. In THE ALTMAN CODE, the U. S. government is caught in a political dilemma. A Chinese cargo ship has departed from Hong Kong and it is on its way to Iraq. American intelligence has reason to believe that the ship is carrying contraband for the Iraqi president with materials for biological weapons. The only reason the Americans have not intervened was due to an incident several years ago. The U.S. had boarded a Chinese ship suspected of smuggling. When nothing illegal was found aboard, the President wound up apologizing to the world ending with egg on his face. Now, it is déjà vu all over again. The President does not want to recreate the incident, so he needs to get proof before committing to an action. Somewhere in China there is a copy of the manifest of the Dowager Empress. He has to find a way to get it without arising the suspicions of the Chinese. Dr. Jon Smith, an operative for the ultra-secret Covert-One organization is attending a medical conference nearby. He is activated and he will hunt high and low for the document. He will use his contacts, his training and his wit. If he does not get that manifest in time, there might be a new international incident – something the U. S. cannot afford. Gayle Lynds creates a taut thriller not seen since Tom Clancy's debut novel, THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. The suspense and action is found throughout the novel. Don Leslie, the narrator of the unabridged audio book does a great job portraying the villains in the novel from the smug bureaucrats all the way to the mindless thugs, not missing a beat. The heroes face danger at every turn, but somehow, they always find a way to foil the bad guys. When people want to have fun reading or listening an audio book, THE ALTMAN CODE is what you are looking for. It is an entertaining spy thriller that moves along and does not confuse its readers. Give it a try, how else will you know what you are missing?
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, September 2003
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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