Customer Reviews

Robert Ludlum's The Paris Option: A Covert-One Novel

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

If one is fond of this genre, one will find an interesting trend beginning to develop. Several well-known authors are taking on co-authors (apprentices actually) in their latest offerings. Patterson with his latest, Cussler with his latest, Clancy for some time and now, Ludlum with his previous two and this one, THE PARIS OPTION. Of course, Mr. Ludlum passed away over a year ago (an incredible loss to the literary world) and anything with his name will be co-authored or a reissue. For those of us who are die-hard Ludlumites, any taste from the Master is welcome. However, these co-authored books are less than authentic and THE PARIS OPTION is no exception.

Robert Ludlum was the absolute ruler of intrigue. If you are reading this review and haven't read a "real" Ludlum, pick up The Parsifal Mosaic or The Matarese Circle or the Bourne series (unlike a previous reviewer, I felt the Bourne movie didn't do the book justice). These books will absolutely put you on your heels. Ludlum had a way of telekenetically transporting the reader into the story. You are there...with the characters....truly spellbinding! In the co-authored books, apparently Mr. Ludlum's only contributions are the short outlines and a mentoring review (this, per an interview with Gayle Lynds). In the combined efforts, Ms. Lynds (and Philip Shelby in THE CASSANDRA COMPACT) develops the storyline and characters, which is what most hard-line Ludlum fans miss the most from Mr. Ludlum himself. While Ms. Lynds does a reasonable job of creating a suspenseful plot, it falls short of Ludlumite expectations. I would even go as far to say that if this was a standalone offering from Ms. Lynds, it might receive a more favorable critical review if for no other reason than not having to live up to the Ludlum standard.

To the story.......Jon Smith, our resident M.D. and superspy of Covert-One, returns from THE HADES FACTOR to unravel the mystery of the missing DNA computer. The brilliant French scientist, Emile' Chambord, is clandestinely putting the finishing touches on the world's first DNA computer (a computer combining life and computational sciences thereby creating a "living" machine) in Paris' own Pasteur Institute when an incredible explosion shatters the Institute and ostensibly Dr. Chambord and his invention. When Smith discovers that his friend, Marty Zellerbach, was in the Institute working with Chambord and was seriously injured in the blast, he drops his current research and heads for Paris.

Once there, the mysterious explosion, the frightening potential of the DNA computer and the uncertainty of Chambord's death throw Smith into the middle of an international crisis. An unknown cabal calling itself the Scarlet Shield, a pan-Islamic organization, is apparently behind the terror. Ultimately, Smith is joined by his spook cohorts from HADES, Randi Russell of the CIA and Peter Howell, retired (sort of) with MI6.

The plot is timely and has the requisite sharp edges. The character definition is moderate (better if one has previously read HADES) and the climax is probably the best part of the book. All-in-all, a decent read but if you're looking for this book to have the delictable flavor of a Ludlum thriller, you're likely to be sorely disappointed.

Fast paced. Good plot line. Sometimes hard to keep up with all the names. I remember characters from previous novel so I enjoyed going through another adventure with them. Ludlum, as usual, keeps you on the edge of your seat. I would recommend it.

Wow! Again I am very happy that I do not read the reviews before I read the novel. Of the 38 reviews 23 gave the book a bad rating (1-2 stars). I on the other hand gave it 4 stars. I have given all 3 books in this covert 1 series 4 stars. After skimming over a few of the reviews I realize how lucky I am. With every book I read I try to have a very open mind. So what if the truth is exaggerated. DNA COMPUTER! That is the basis of this book and If it gets too technical then I just skip over that section which usually is small.

The book grabbed my attention immidiately and never waned. Our hero again is Lt. Col. Jon Smith, MD. My wife is in the medical field and I was in a Navy hosiptal for quite awhile and never have I met a Doc like this Smith. Not only is he a top research doc but a super James Bond hero type. But, that does not stop me from enjoying the book. There are 3 more heroes and one of them is his nerd buddy from childhood days, Marty. The other two are Randi from the CIA who is also his sister-in-law and his old buddy from MI6 Peter Howell. The 4 of them make an interesting team.

Marty was working on the DNA computer with the genius DR. Chambord at the Pasteur Institute in Paris when there was a huge explosion. Marty is injured but he makes it okay in time to join the other 3 in their search for who did it and what happened to the computer. A number of twists and turns happen such as Chambord's daughter gets kidnapped. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope you do too.

The last few years I have been picking up 2nd hand Ludlum's at a local bookstore, and have a few 'Covert-One' books as well. Since I have never read much Ludlum I have no prior opinion as to what comprises his books.

The first thing to realize with the Covert-One books is that someone other than Ludlum wrote them. That would seem elementary with many answering, 'tell me something new'. I just think that needs to stated, possibly even restated, as many reviews want to grade the Covert-One series as though Robert Ludlum wrote them, which as most of us know, he did not. Whether the authors who write the Covert-One series are actually following a Ludlum template, or writing free style, making the plot up as they go, is beyond my knowledge and beyond my interest.

This present book, THE PARIS OPTION, I found to be very readable, a book that causes one to continue reading as I have been doing for the last few nights. I find nothing amiss in the plot nor with the characters, and whether it is a DNA or molecular computer I could care less, as the plot assumes a super computer with carbon as its base rather than silicone. Such a computer can over ride or take over lesser computers. Does such a computer exist? I don't know, but it is scary to think so, unless you have ownership of it.

I feel as Thomas Jefferson that "I cannot live without books", however, I will not tolerate a poorly written book nor will I continue reading a book that is boring, this book, THE PARIS OPTION, is neither poorly written nor boring. In fact I greatly enjoyed it.

Anyone stating an opinion that this is not a Robert Ludlum book is only stating the obvious. Of course the Covert-One series is not by Ludlum, but stands very well as a good read on its own. As far as 'using' his name, that is what the Ludlum estate wants, so there is no crime in that either. From what I have seen, both at the local library and here on Amazon, reader interest seems very high with all these books.

So for those that are die hard Ludlum fans, I suggest reading only books you are certain he wrote, while for those others of us that look for only an interesting tale, regardless of author, then I suggest these books on Covert-One can be both worthwhile and interesting reads.

Semper Fi.

I'm beginning to think that this book has gotten so many negative reviews because the reviewers have decided in advance to resent anything Ludlum coauthored with anyone. If you respect the man's other work, then let's respect his decision to collaborate on whatever level it worked out to be with Lynds, and give the Paris Option and the series a chance.

The Paris Option was, in my mind, even better than the two earlier ones and a heck of a lot better than a lot of Ludlum's standalones, particularly from 1992 to 2000. Many of them were tedious, painfully overwritten, almost unreadable.

This book reads fast, is highly suspenseful, and I learned a lot along the way. Obviously a lot of research went into the authors' creation of the molecular (or DNA) computer. We're going to see one in maybe twenty years, but in this novel we get quantum physics on an understandable and exciting level. I don't know anyone who's written so convincingly about a DNA computer.

Plus, there's the growing political and economic conflicts between the United States and the European Union. Again, Paris Option delivers. Political suspense at its best. Yes, of course, the world is in serious danger in this book. This is not just a spy thriller, it's a political thriller ... a THRILLER. If you want something small and intimate to be the source of conflict, go read one of the wonderful so-called literary books that are out there.

One of my favorite aspects of a Ludlum novel is the intricate intrigue he creates. I don't know how much of this is Ludlum, and how much is Lynds, but it's one heck of a terrific entwining of villains and maybe-villains. One group of terrorists seems to be behind everything, then . . . no! It's another group. Finally, the heroes figure out it's another party. And mind you, the clues are there all along. The authors play fair. When each twist happens, you feel as if you should've spotted it. For someone who usually does, I was really happy. It's no fun if you figure out everything in advance.

And finally, I found the supporting cast ... Peter, Marty, and Randi to be fresh and unusual. Interesting. They're tough, and fun, and they talk like real people. They have moments of black humor. There are times when they're on top of everything, and other times when they fail --- both individually and as a group. You stick with them because you know they're in there pitching, and you hope and hope that they'll triumph in the end. They make a great counterpoint to the seriousness of the hero.

And one final thought about who actually wrote and who actually outlined and who actually edited ... or whatever else one wants to complain about. If Lynds did it all, more power to her. If it was a collaboration based on outline and notes left behind after Ludlum's death, more power to both of them. I've heard that the way the two men who created Ellery Queen collaborated was that one wrote the outline and the other one wrote the book. They grew to detest one another and never met unless they had to. Nevertheless, that's a respected "collaboration." Let's get off our thrones and quit judging.

Personally, I'm going to give Lynds's books a try.

Too many characters make a story difficult to follow and that's the case with this book in the Covert One series. However, the premise of this super computer is startling and makes for a good story line. I do love the main characters, Marty, John Smith, Randy and the droll englishman. Worth a listen, especially on tape.

THE SETUP
Emile Chambord, a French scientist has developed a DNA-based computer, with the help of Aspberger-syndrome afflicted Marty Zellerbach. The lab explodes, presumably killing Chambord and leaving Marty in a coma. Coincidentally, John Smith (Marty's childhood friend), the antagonist, a medical doctor and U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, is also working on DNA-based computers. Smith happens to be an agent for Covert One (essentially the U.S. President private espionage agency) and is sent to investigate. He is ultimately joined by his almost-sister-inlaw CIA agent Randi Russell and semi-retired MI-6 agent Peter Howell. Thats the setup.

CRITIQUE
Although some of the premises strain credulity, these are easily forgiven in the spirit of "suspension of disbelief".

VERDICT
"The Paris Option" is an unrelentingly fast-paced, captivating suspense novel filled with intrigue and populated by interesting characters. A page turner which keeps you on the edge of your seat.

another solid 4 for the covert one series, enjoyable, non stop action, a fun thriller, nonthing more, nothing less,
worth checking out, imo.

Another job for Smith! Well, Smith and his CIA and MI6 counterparts, as well. As per previously, Smith is tasked to look into a bombing that is used as cover to enable the left of a supercomputer type device that has a biological basis.

People are desperate to get this computer because it supposedly has ORAC type capabilities, in being able to control other machines.

It's really not bad, considering... The descriptions in places like Toledo are fairly good. The author has a good grasp of how to describe (perhaps over describe) things. The plot is passable(almost).

Keep in mind all the other stuff that passes for books recently, and you will see. It's nowhere as good as Ludlum's early stuff, but even the Great Ones (can you say Clancy) have gone downhill recently.