Robert Ludlum's(TM) The Ares Decision

A Covert-One Novel

By: Kyle Mills

Narrated by: Jeff Woodman

Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

In northern Uganda, an American special forces team is decimated 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.  

Covert-One's top operative, army microbiologist 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 parasite had been purposely kept alive and crudely transmitted in acts of terrorism. Now the director of Iranian Intelligence is in Uganda trying to obtain this biological weapon to unleash it on the West.  

Smith and his team are ambushed and cut off from all outside support just as they begin to suspect that forces much more powerful than the Iranians are in play - forces that can be traced to Washington itself. 

©2011 Kyle Mills (P)2011 Hachette Audio

I swore I'd never read another Ludlum novel

I listened to The Ares Decision when I learned that Kyle Mills would write at least 3 novels in Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp series. My sole purpose was to try to determine Mills' capability as an espionage thriller writer. It's an excellent novel, but not up to Flynn's standards. Thankfully when The Survivor was released it did not disappoint. I've mostly listened to Jeff Woodman narrate lighter fare and was surprised with his outstanding narration of this novel

Welcome Back Covert-One

I think Kyle Mills did a great job in bringing back to life all the detail of character, plot and place that made the Covert-One series one of my all-time favorites. And props to Jeff Woodman for a narration well done . . .

More please!

Great Book

I was skepticle since I didn't really like the last book for Covert One written by James Cobb but Kyle Mills did an excellant job. He brought back Marty, Peter and Randi. It was fast paced and a good read.

Excellent It was worth the wait.

I've read the entire Covert One series and this was no disappointment. It was a real page turner and I found it difficult to find stopping points. I just wanted to keep listening late into the night. Adding one of the series background characters to the Covert One team is a good move. I can see where this will help new novels in the future. This is well worth the credit and time spent listening. I highly recommend it. The narrator did a good job but I would have been happier listening to Dick Hill or Scott Brick.

I’m a big fan

Of this author but initially skeptical of the series. Glad I took the chance! I really enjoyed, for a change, how the good guys and the bad guys were on the same sides. I also found it refreshing that things didn’t always go to plan, the bad guys got to win almost as much. Not in the end but much more realistically portrayed. My 2nd of the series and will soon be onto another

Reader

the Covert Ones top man Kline is a man in his 60's as noted in previous books... read them all.... this reader, Jeff Woodman, makes him sound like a 28 year old... all the voices are too young,,, he has no breath of ages in his reading.... Covert one is my favorite series.. and this reader really pushes me to finish the book....

Not as good as other Covert One novels

Would you try another book from Kyle Mills and/or Jeff Woodman?

Yes, I have some others and they are much better than this one.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Hard to tell as this was such a meandering mish-mash of story lines that were hard to follow for most of the book. It just lost my interest about 2/3 through the story.

What about Jeff Woodman’s performance did you like?

I have always liked Jeff Woodman's performances in the other Covert One books he has narrated. He is very good at portraying various voices and differing accents.

Do you think Robert Ludlum's(TM) The Ares Decision needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, this is just a really poorly put together story that loses the listener in its attempt to try to stuff too many aspects in a story that makes little sense.

Any additional comments?

I am a big fan of the "'Covert One" series and this is the first time I"ve come across one that I couldn't finish. It was almost as if the writer couldn't quite figure out where he was going with this and just kept adding bits and pieces to try and finish the story. Also, much more brutality than most of Robert Ludlum's other books.

Another great read

What made the experience of listening to Robert Ludlum's(TM) The Ares Decision the most enjoyable?

Having some of the characters introduced in other books make an appearance is great but the 'hero' is always Jon Smith. While the idea of a parasite taking over people & basically making them into a killing machine is a little over the top, it does make for a great book...actually the thought of a disease passed to the human population to wipe enemies out fits in the fears of the people globally in today's world.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Drake & Collins got what they deserved....to disappear.I was glad when it happened to them....I wanted to knock them off myself....

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Unfortunately the length of the audio book made it hard to accomplish that.I did

Any additional comments?

I love to read series books---as long as the books are interesting. Nothing turns a reader off faster than a book that feels like you're drowning in quicksand. Not the case with this series...the story line is interesting enough without being far-fetched and the action is realistic.

Not quite Ludlum but good...

I would recommend this book...it took a little while to get into.
A lot of double crosses...All the way to the end...

Good story, fair narrator

First 5 books were well told, but wondering what happened with narrator (s). Tedious to finish series.