Robert Ludlum's The Ares Decision

This is a novel with such an absurd premise that almost nothing else about it matters. The writing is certainly competent enough by author Kyle Mills, but there isn’t a shred of believability in any aspect of the novel, starting off with the ridiculous premise. The concept here is that in Uganda, there is a warlord who has harnessed a parasite that gives people who have it maniacal, almost super-powers. At the beginning of the novel, a special force team is decimated by a group of African villagers who have the parasite, even though the special force group is highly trained and armed, while the villagers have nothing except their bare hands. As if that is not enough, the reader is supposed to believe that a fat African woman with the show more parasite is able to sprint at a pace that would set a world record in a 50 yard dash. There is such a thing as body mechanics and bone structure that would prevent that from happening. As if someone with a parasite would be faster that Ussain Bolt. And it doesn’t get better from there. The novel expands to the Iranians getting this parasite in order to weaponize it. Meanwhile Colonel Jon Smith goes to Uganda and then Iran to stop it. There is the ultra cliché head of security guy who is in an evil conspiracy to allow the Iranians to go through with the parasite so that they can nuke the country. Everything about this novel other than the quality of the writing is awful. I would highly recommend skipping it.
Carl Alves – author of Blood Street show less

At first glance, I thought that I had picked up a book written by Robert Ludlum. The series was created by Mr. Ludlum; however, this novel was actually written by Kyle Mills. Mr. Mills definitely did a good job of developing the plot, characters, and setting to the eighth novel in the Covert-One series. He is a talented writer, and I look forward to reading additional novels by him.
Here is an overview of the novel as posted on the Amazon website:
"The Ares Decision" follows a clandestine group activated by the U.S. President in response to global threats. The story begins in northern Uganda, where an American special forces team is ambushed by seemingly ordinary farmers who exhibit extraordinary strength and rage. This attack leads to show more the investigation of a parasitic infection that has been weaponized and is causing violent insanity among the local population".
I found the novel to be action-packed, and a "page-turner" from the first page to the last. Just a warning, there are some gruesome scenes throughout. show less

Robert Ludlum's The Ares Decision, written by Kyle Mills, is another solid entry in the Covert One series.

This time the team is up against Iran who is attempting to acquire a parasitic weapon from a Ugandan rebel to use against the United States of America. Meanwhile the CIA is caught with it's hand in the cookie jar.

Adventure