Product Description

When word reaches the President of the United States that a Chinese cargo ship is transporting chemicals to a rogue nation intent on creating new biological weapons, the president knows he must act quick to obtain the proof he needs.

Covert-One agent Jon Smith is sent to rendezvous in Taiwan with another agent who has acquired the ship's true manifest. But before Smith can get the document, he is ambushed, the second agent is murdered, and the evidence is destroyed. Smith escapes with only his life and a verbal message-the president's biological father is still alive, held prisoner by the Chinese for fifty years. As the mysterious ship draws closer to its end port, Smith is losing time in uncovering the truth about the vessel and its cargo-a truth that probes the secrets of the Chinese ruling party, the faction in Washington working to undermine the elected government, and the international cabal who is thrusting the world to the brink of war...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #193532 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-13
• Released on: 2004-03-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 496 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780312995454
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Ludlum stuffs more surprises into his novels than any other six-pack of thriller writers combined."-The New York Times

"Ludlum pulls out all the stops, and dazzles his readers."-Chicago Tribune

"Packed with all the classic Ludlum elements...the intricately engineered plot thunders forward at breakneck pace. Bottom Line: Perfectly executed."-People

"Robert Ludlum continues to jolt his readers with fresh juice...a page-turner of non-stop action that should leave his fans begging for more."-New York Post

"Welcome to Robert Ludlum's world...fast pacing, tight plotting, international intrigue."
-Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Dazzling...a clean launch of the 80's spy novel into a thrilling action/adventure web of intrigue mean for the twenty-first century."-Publishers Weekly

"Reading a Ludlum novel is like watching a James Bond film...slickly paced...all consuming."
-Entertainment Weekly

"Ludlum in light years-beyond his literary competition in piling plot twist upon plot twist, until the mesmerized reader is held captive...He dominates the field in strong, tightly plotted, action-drenched thrillers."-Chicago Tribune

"Readers will remain in the dark right up until the explosive climax."-The San Francisco Chronicle

"Gripping...Robust writing and a breakneck pace."-Boston Herald

"Don't ever begin a Ludlum novel if you have to go to work the next day."--Chicago Sun-Times
-- Review

Review

From the Back Cover
For three decades, Robert Ludlum's bestselling novels have set the standard in almost every country in the world against which all other novels of international intrigue are measured. Now comes the latest volume in the series of novels featuring Robert Ludlum's Covert-One.

The Altman Code

When word reaches the President of the United States that a Chinese cargo ship is transporting chemicals to a rogue nation intent on creating new biological weapons, the president knows he must act quick to obtain the proof he needs.

Covert-One agent Jon Smith is sent to rendezvous in Taiwan with another agent who has acquired the ship's true manifest. But before Smith can get the document, he is ambushed, the second agent is murdered, and the evidence is destroyed. Smith escapes with only his life and a verbal message-the president's biological father is still alive, held prisoner by the Chinese for fifty years. As the mysterious ship draws closer to its end port, Smith is losing time in uncovering the truth about the vessel and its cargo-a truth that probes the secrets of the Chinese ruling party, the faction in Washington working to undermine the elected government, and the international cabal who is thrusting the world to the brink of war...

Customer Reviews

Altman is the Code for suspense!
Outlined by Robert Ludlum, and written by Gayle Lynds, the Altman Code sizzles with action, a good plotline, good characterization, and crisp, realistic dialogue.
The latest installment in the Covert-One series with spy/physician hero Jon Smith, the story starts with a photographer who is murdered for pictures he has taken of a Chinese cargo ship transporting enough Iraqi chemical and biological weapons to make any city in the world a grave wasteland, uninhabitable for years to come. The ship's destination? The U.S., where else.
During a mission to obtain the ship's true manafest, Jon Smith and his contact are ambushed, and with his contact killed, and the manafest stolen, Smith is forced to find another way to abtain another copy of the manafest, or die trying.
Lynds leads Smith, and us on an action filled quest for the manafest, so that the ship can be boarded, and destroyed before it's deadly cargo reaches American shores.
Lynds further complicates the plot by throwing in the U.S. President's father being kept captive by the Chinese government, being used as a pawn in this dramatic affair, to "Look the other way, or else", the result is a great read from first page to last.
Hold on, and enjoy the ride! I did.

For some mind-candy entertainment, this works...
The other paperback I was using to kill time on the plane during my recent trip was Robert Ludlum's The Altman Code by Gayle Lynds. This is my first exposure to the Covert-One series, so I can't compare it to others for quality. But so far as political espionage yarns go, this wasn't bad...

The American government gets wind of a chemical shipment from China to Iran, and the material has only one use... as weapons. The official cargo manifest doesn't reflect that reality, and therein lies the problem. If the military stops the boat, they risk international condemnation for aggression (especially if they are wrong about the contents). But if they don't stop the boat, then the Iranian government has weapons of mass destruction. To complicate issues (because there *always* has to be complications), all the official channels that could be used to resolve this matter are taking stances that will move each country to the brink of a massive war. Not only does the boat need to be stopped before it enters the Gulf, but the government also needs to figure out who is pushing for war over peace...

In many ways, this is the typical "covert action, disavow all knowledge if anything happens" type story. There's a subplot involving the President and an old prisoner held in China who claims to be the President's biological father. It's a little "out there", but not so much that it distracts from the main story. Based on what I saw in this novel, I'd be inclined to look for a few more in the series if I was looking for some mind-candy...

The Whatever Code
THE SETUP
Set about the year 2000, prior to the last US/Iraq war, the Dowager Empress, sailing from Shanghai, China to Iraq is suspected of carrying chemicals destined to be used for chemical warfare, but is traveling under a false manifest. Because of peace talks underway with China, the U.S. is very hesitant to stop the ship without proof of its cargo. Covert 1, essentially the U.S. President's (Samuel Adams Castilla) private spy/security agency, is assigned to acquire a true manifest which can be used as justification for the U.S. to board and inspect the ship on the high seas. The principal protagonist is Jonathon Smith (a medical researcher and Lt. Colonel in the US Army ith USAMRIID, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, and an agent of Covert 1). His principle antagonist is (red-haired Chinese) Feng Dun, but he is also being watched by counter-intelligence agents led by Major Pan Aitu. CIA agent Randi Russell, the sister of Smith's dead wife, about whom Smith has mixed feelings, comes to his assistance.

DEVELOPMENTS -- possible spoilers.
Ultimately, the events reflect an internecine conflict between (corrupt hardliner) Wei Gaofan and (reformist) Niu Jianxing (aka "the Owl"), both members of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. The other characters are agents or puppets of these two powerful bureaucrats. Feng Dun is a triple agent working for Yu Yung Fu (CEO of the shipping company), Ralph McDermit (CEO of the Altman Group), and ultimately for Wei Gaofan. Major Pan Aitu (a classic low-profile intrepid detective-type) is working for Niu Jianxing.

In a side story, David Thayer, the father of President Castilla, believed to be long dead, has been in a Chinese prison since 1947. His situation is passed along by oppressed minority Uighers, seeking U.S. aid.

CAVEATS
Readers without excellent memories for names will find the numerous characters hard to remember, and therefore the plot hard to follow--especially because there are so many Chinese names. In my opinion, it is nearly impossible for an audiobook listener to keep track of who is who, which is why I include the "Developments" section above, which I hope is enough to keep readers on track.

As in all Ludlam, Ludlam "inspired", "derived", etc. books, there are numerous implausibilities, requiring "suspension of disbelief", but the reader is well compensated for this effort.

The title "Altman Code" is essentially meaningless, but catchy.

Lynds has a penchant for misusing geological similes. For example, "adrenalin following through his veins like lava" Not bloody likely, at the earth's surface, typical lava has the consistency of wet concrete, which will only flow downhill or under great pressure. *** Referring to the President (a pure anglo despite his name): "His face could have been carved of Monument Valley stone"--which would literally mean crumbly dark red-brown sandstone--not very complimentary "Marble" or "granite" would have made more sense.***After stabbing an intruder, then calling Washington, search the corpse, and after carrying the corpse a considerable distance from his room, Smith pulls out the dagger and "blood flowed like the Yangtze". Sure--ever hear of clotting? On the other hand, at Shanghai, the Yangtze is a very sedate, slow moving, river--but I doubt that is what the Lynds intended. ****Similarly, when Smith is in the penthouse office of a building, McDermit (in the same building) says that he will "come down" to meet Smith. What part of "penthouse" does Lynds not understand?

EVALUATION
"The Altman Code" is everything you could want from an espionage thriller. Fast paced, exciting, and featuring interesting characters.

RATING
It isn't the purpose of the Amazon ratings for Ludlum fans to argue the relative merits of the Ludlum branded novels, or to compare them with "real" Ludlum novels. The milking of the Ludlum name by his estate is atrocious--but the books should be judged on their own merits. While I agree that "The Altman Code" is not Ludlum, it is still a good read.