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Covert-One #10
Robert Ludlum's The Utopia Experiment
With U.S. intelligence agencies wracked by internal power struggles and paralyzed by bureaucracy, the President was forced to establish his own clandestine group - Covert-One. It is only activated as a last resort, when the threat is on a global scale and time is running out.
When Christian Dresner of Dresner Industries unveils a device that will revolutionize the world - the Merge, a personal computer that communicates directly with your brain - army microbiologist Colonel Jon Smith is assigned to assess its military potential. In addition to giving you the ability to control all your applications using only your mind, the Merge also gives you perfect eyesight, infrared vision, and incredibly accurate aim with a gun.
Meanwhile, in the wilds of Afghanistan, Randi Russell encounters an entire village of murdered Afghans - who all have Merge studs in their skulls. As Smith and Russell begin to delve into the circumstances surrounding the Afghans' deaths - and the bizarre fact that they all have Merges weeks before the official on-sale date - they're quickly blocked by someone at the highest level of the military. Is the Merge really as innocuous as Dresner claims? And what secrets is the military hiding about its development?
Smith and Russell are determined to learn the truth. But they may pay for it with their lives...
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 26, 2013
395 people are currently reading
2319 people want to read
About the author
Kyle Mills
35 books2,492 followersI grew up in Oregon but have lived all over—D.C., Virginia, Maryland, London,
Wyoming. My father was an FBI agent and I was a bureau kid, which is similar to being an army brat. You tend to spend your time with other bureau kids and get transferred around a lot, though, I fared better on that front than many others.
One positive aspect of this lifestyle is that you can’t help but absorb an enormous amount about the FBI, CIA, Special Forces, etc. Like most young boys, I was endlessly fascinated with talk of chasing criminals and, of course, pictured it in the most romantic terms possible. Who would have thought that all this esoteric knowledge would end up being so useful?
I came into writing from kind of a strange angle. When I graduated from college in the late eighties, I had the same dream as everyone else at the time—a corporate job, a nice car, and a house with lots of square footage.
It turns out that none of that really suited me. While I did go for the corporate job, I
drove a beat-up Jeep and lived in a tiny house in a so-so Baltimore neighborhood. Most of the money I made just kind of accumulated in my checking account and I found myself increasingly drawn to the unconventional, artistic people who lived around me. I was completely enamored with anyone who could create something from nothing because I felt like it was beyond me.
Enter rock climbing. I’d read an article on climbing when I was in college and thought it looked like an incredible thing to do. Someday, I told myself, I would give it a try. So one weekend in the early ’90s, I packed up my car, drove to West Virginia, and spent a
weekend taking lessons. Unknown to me at the time, this would be the start of an
obsession that still hangs with me today. I began dating a girl who liked to climb and we decided we wanted to live somewhere with taller rocks and more open space.
Moving to Wyoming was the best decision we ever made. The place is full of the most amazing people. You might meet someone on a bike ride and find out they were in the Olympics, or climbed Everest, or just got back from two months trekking in Nepal. In a roundabout way, it was these people who made it possible for me to write a novel. They seemed to have no limitations. Everything was possible for them and I wanted to be that type of person, too.
I was working for a little bank in Jackson Hole, spending my days making business loans and my afternoons and weekends climbing. For some reason, it finally occurred to me that I’d never actually tried to be creative. Maybe I could make something from nothing. Why not give it a shot?
My first bright idea was to learn to build furniture. That plan had some drawbacks, the most obvious of which being that I’m not very handy. It was my wife who suggested I write a novel. It seemed like a dumb idea, though, since I majored in finance and had spent my entire college career avoiding English courses like the plague. Having said that, I couldn’t completely shake the idea. Eventually, it nagged at me long enough that I felt compelled to put pen to paper. Eight months later, I finished Rising Phoenix and about a year after that I managed to get it published.
The success of Rising Phoenix and my subsequent books has allowed me to make my living as a writer, which isn’t bad work if you can get it. Other than that, my life hasn’t changed all that much. Aging elbows have forced me to replace climbing with backcountry skiing and mountain bike racing. I got the not-so-smart idea of restoring an old pickup to replace the dying Jeep. And, I still live in Wyoming...
Wyoming. My father was an FBI agent and I was a bureau kid, which is similar to being an army brat. You tend to spend your time with other bureau kids and get transferred around a lot, though, I fared better on that front than many others.
One positive aspect of this lifestyle is that you can’t help but absorb an enormous amount about the FBI, CIA, Special Forces, etc. Like most young boys, I was endlessly fascinated with talk of chasing criminals and, of course, pictured it in the most romantic terms possible. Who would have thought that all this esoteric knowledge would end up being so useful?
I came into writing from kind of a strange angle. When I graduated from college in the late eighties, I had the same dream as everyone else at the time—a corporate job, a nice car, and a house with lots of square footage.
It turns out that none of that really suited me. While I did go for the corporate job, I
drove a beat-up Jeep and lived in a tiny house in a so-so Baltimore neighborhood. Most of the money I made just kind of accumulated in my checking account and I found myself increasingly drawn to the unconventional, artistic people who lived around me. I was completely enamored with anyone who could create something from nothing because I felt like it was beyond me.
Enter rock climbing. I’d read an article on climbing when I was in college and thought it looked like an incredible thing to do. Someday, I told myself, I would give it a try. So one weekend in the early ’90s, I packed up my car, drove to West Virginia, and spent a
weekend taking lessons. Unknown to me at the time, this would be the start of an
obsession that still hangs with me today. I began dating a girl who liked to climb and we decided we wanted to live somewhere with taller rocks and more open space.
Moving to Wyoming was the best decision we ever made. The place is full of the most amazing people. You might meet someone on a bike ride and find out they were in the Olympics, or climbed Everest, or just got back from two months trekking in Nepal. In a roundabout way, it was these people who made it possible for me to write a novel. They seemed to have no limitations. Everything was possible for them and I wanted to be that type of person, too.
I was working for a little bank in Jackson Hole, spending my days making business loans and my afternoons and weekends climbing. For some reason, it finally occurred to me that I’d never actually tried to be creative. Maybe I could make something from nothing. Why not give it a shot?
My first bright idea was to learn to build furniture. That plan had some drawbacks, the most obvious of which being that I’m not very handy. It was my wife who suggested I write a novel. It seemed like a dumb idea, though, since I majored in finance and had spent my entire college career avoiding English courses like the plague. Having said that, I couldn’t completely shake the idea. Eventually, it nagged at me long enough that I felt compelled to put pen to paper. Eight months later, I finished Rising Phoenix and about a year after that I managed to get it published.
The success of Rising Phoenix and my subsequent books has allowed me to make my living as a writer, which isn’t bad work if you can get it. Other than that, my life hasn’t changed all that much. Aging elbows have forced me to replace climbing with backcountry skiing and mountain bike racing. I got the not-so-smart idea of restoring an old pickup to replace the dying Jeep. And, I still live in Wyoming...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
January 2, 2014
I normally avoid reading books in the Ludlum "franchise", but The Utopia Experiment was given to me as a present and I thought it would be a good way to spend some time. I was pleasantly surprised: Kyle Mills is a natural storyteller who has that gift of combining plot and characters in a intriguing and entertaining manner, and combining them with topical elements like cutting edge technology. This is a very good action thriller; I strongly recommend it.
April 2, 2017
Plot-4.5 Stars
Characters-4 Stars
Setting-4 Stars
This is one of my favorite in the Cover-One series. Action and humor are my cup of tea. This book has Lt. Smith and Randi Russell team up together and their back and forth banter is great. Their friend Marty should get his own stand alone book. He is a funny yet exasperating hacker.
I like my spies to be smart. Bourne etc. and Smith fits in that category. Normally he is one of the smartest yet in this book, he gets the Merge technology (Very advanced computer system that is implemented in your body) and studs in his head no problem. This is unusual, for John Smith would have normally been very hesitant to use it for the fact of hacking etc. He would have covered all his bases.
One of the best parts of this book is the question they ask. If you could take out all the bad guys (corrupt world leaders, financial and political, murderers, etc) and only sacrifice thousands of innocents lives, would you? and if you could take out the biases of doing such an act to make sure it is mainly the bad guys who would die? Yeah. Interesting. Of course would always have to worry it wouldn't be used for evil but interesting.
Overall, I loved the moral dilemma, action, humor and of course Marty. and that guy Smith and Russell.
Would I read the next book? If I tell you, I would have to kill you.
Characters-4 Stars
Setting-4 Stars
This is one of my favorite in the Cover-One series. Action and humor are my cup of tea. This book has Lt. Smith and Randi Russell team up together and their back and forth banter is great. Their friend Marty should get his own stand alone book. He is a funny yet exasperating hacker.
I like my spies to be smart. Bourne etc. and Smith fits in that category. Normally he is one of the smartest yet in this book, he gets the Merge technology (Very advanced computer system that is implemented in your body) and studs in his head no problem. This is unusual, for John Smith would have normally been very hesitant to use it for the fact of hacking etc. He would have covered all his bases.
One of the best parts of this book is the question they ask. If you could take out all the bad guys (corrupt world leaders, financial and political, murderers, etc) and only sacrifice thousands of innocents lives, would you? and if you could take out the biases of doing such an act to make sure it is mainly the bad guys who would die? Yeah. Interesting. Of course would always have to worry it wouldn't be used for evil but interesting.
Overall, I loved the moral dilemma, action, humor and of course Marty. and that guy Smith and Russell.
Would I read the next book? If I tell you, I would have to kill you.
August 26, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. The first half was likable but a bit hard to follow due to all the point-of-view changes and a somewhat difficult-to-track passage of time. But the second half really took off and had some very enjoyable "wow" moments. :)
I considered not reading this book since it's part of a series and I haven't read any of the preceding books, but since it's my August sci-fi book club selection at my library, I decided to give it a chance. And I'm very glad I did!
There seemed to be a few references to events from the previous books, but not having read those books turned out to not be a problem. On the contrary, this story makes me want to read the rest of the Covert-One series. More books for my TBR shelf, what a shock! ;)
I really liked the characters in this story. Colonel Jon Smith and CIA Agent Randi Russell were wonderful. Randi especially was fun: I really loved her spunk (or should I say her piss and vinegar, lol!). And Marty Zellerbach was really great, too. He had a couple literally laugh-out-loud lines in the dialogue. :)
The plot to the book - the Merge and what Christian Dresnor planned to use it for - was quite chilling. The premise behind the technology was quite intriguing. I wonder if scientists are trying to create such a thing now? I sort of hope not, since I'm having trouble thinking of a way to make it work without any adverse effects. It seems to me that such a thing would have a high chance of abuse.
For a fiction story, though, it was wonderful. The story was really suspenseful, especially once I got past the first half.
I'm very interested in reading the rest of this series, and I very much hope to see more of Jon, Randi, Klein, and Marty. :)
I considered not reading this book since it's part of a series and I haven't read any of the preceding books, but since it's my August sci-fi book club selection at my library, I decided to give it a chance. And I'm very glad I did!
There seemed to be a few references to events from the previous books, but not having read those books turned out to not be a problem. On the contrary, this story makes me want to read the rest of the Covert-One series. More books for my TBR shelf, what a shock! ;)
I really liked the characters in this story. Colonel Jon Smith and CIA Agent Randi Russell were wonderful. Randi especially was fun: I really loved her spunk (or should I say her piss and vinegar, lol!). And Marty Zellerbach was really great, too. He had a couple literally laugh-out-loud lines in the dialogue. :)
The plot to the book - the Merge and what Christian Dresnor planned to use it for - was quite chilling. The premise behind the technology was quite intriguing. I wonder if scientists are trying to create such a thing now? I sort of hope not, since I'm having trouble thinking of a way to make it work without any adverse effects. It seems to me that such a thing would have a high chance of abuse.
For a fiction story, though, it was wonderful. The story was really suspenseful, especially once I got past the first half.
I'm very interested in reading the rest of this series, and I very much hope to see more of Jon, Randi, Klein, and Marty. :)
June 12, 2013
What if something emerged that made the smartphone, with all its apps, an obsolete piece of plastic? Could the body, more specifically the mind and eyes, become a living and breathing battery to run this ‘live-in app’ and lets people make connections with others based on numerous key criteria, all shown as an aura around the bodies in front of them? Mills presents this in his latest installment of the Robert Ludlum Covert-One series. Filled with strong and ongoing characters, a great plot, and thoroughly intriguing medical and scientific possibilities, Mills presents an exciting case and leaves the reader to wonder. As things heat up and this technology (the MERGE) turns out to be more than anyone bargained for, lives are in the balance and the world could be in jeopardy, if our dashing hero cannot save the day. *cue timpani drums*
Mills uses the book as an excellent way not only to inform the reader of the possibilities when it comes to technology, but also its dangers, should it fall into the wrong hands. While many have said that cell phones and smartphones will soon become a part of the person, this novel pushes the envelope ever further. Not overly technical, Mills keeps the reader hooked and funnels information (and surely opinions) into the story from all angles. Well worth it, especially for Covert-One admirerers.
Great job Mr. Mills. If only you could help resurrect the dying (dead) Bourne series!
Mills uses the book as an excellent way not only to inform the reader of the possibilities when it comes to technology, but also its dangers, should it fall into the wrong hands. While many have said that cell phones and smartphones will soon become a part of the person, this novel pushes the envelope ever further. Not overly technical, Mills keeps the reader hooked and funnels information (and surely opinions) into the story from all angles. Well worth it, especially for Covert-One admirerers.
Great job Mr. Mills. If only you could help resurrect the dying (dead) Bourne series!
February 24, 2014
This well written story contains interesting leads who contribute significantly to make this techno thriller a good read. 8 of 10 stars
April 12, 2013
I was really surprised by this book. After the last one I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much. I'm glad to see Kyle Mills back writing in this series (He wrote The Ares Decision and then the next Covert One book The Janus Reprisal was written by Jamie Freveletti, which wasn't bad but somewhat disappointing). I like his use of the main characters of Jon Smith, Randi Russel, and Fred Klein. I also like the inclusion of Marty Zellerbach in the series again (he's one of my favorite side characters). The story was fun with the invention of the ultimate user/computer interface and the somewhat crazed plan of it's creator.
Overall a fun book and I had a great time reading it. I hope Kyle Mills is able to return to write the next Covert One book (if and when it gets written).
Overall a fun book and I had a great time reading it. I hope Kyle Mills is able to return to write the next Covert One book (if and when it gets written).
April 27, 2013
Kyle Mills has done an excellent job carrying on Ludlum's heritage. I love Dr. Smith and Randi and especially Zellerbach the hacker. It's like meeting up with old friends after a long absence. The plot was solid and carried through to the end. I especially liked the bleeding edge technology. Where do we go from the smartphone? This one has the answer. Although they advertise the Ludlum books as being "from the creator of Jason Bourne," I like these guys better -- less shoot 'em up and more techie. Great book, if you like the genre.
October 17, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
Read
May 3, 2013interesting very close to truth
March 3, 2017
Thank you, Kyle Mills, for making Marty Zellerback very famous in this installment! :)
May 29, 2015
Good read but too much tech talk .
The author has not been in enough close calls to express the proper emotions that you feel when they happen.
The author has not been in enough close calls to express the proper emotions that you feel when they happen.
July 29, 2018
I picked the audio of this up from the library and listened to it weeks ago (and forgot to review it). I had no idea it was part of a series and while Robert Ludlum and Jason Bourne are prominent on the cover, Ludlum has been gone a long time. But it is in the Bourne style spy thriller which I'm rapidly realizing isn't my genre. There isn't anything necessarily bad about this book (it is long) but it's nothing that sticks with me. It's sort of cyberpunk light.
Tech genius Dresner has released a beta test of his VR, wet-wired direct to the nervous system known as the Merge. Colonel (and medical doctor) John Smith is testing it for the military and it makes all forms of warfare obsolete. He is blown away by how well it works and better yet, even his PTSD interrupted sleep can be overridden and he can sleep.
Meanwhile in Afghanistan, CIA agent Randi Russell is facing a mystery. One of the villages she knows has been eradicated. THe women and children seemed to have fought. THe men didn't and weirder still someone cut off all their heads and carted them off into the desert.
Eventually John and Randi come together (and obviously not for the first time) to wonder if the Merge and it's ability to instantly scan a person's civil and criminal records via the layercake app and judge them as a good person or one to avoid, is everything it's cracked up to be. Worse, much of the population, especially the world leaders and the rich are already Merged up.
Or has Dresner's tragic past made him insert something darker into the Merge. Suspecting that he has John, Randi and their hacker friend have to save the world from Dresner's 'utopian' vision of it.
Over all it was enjoyable and neither Dresener's damage nor even the SF direct to brain tech is that unbelievable. I do, however, think it went on too long especially in the beginning with John testing the Merge and some of the action is that eye rolling action movie sort that you have to suspend disbelief to buy into.
That said I'm not really motivated to read more Covert One books as it's just not my genre.
Tech genius Dresner has released a beta test of his VR, wet-wired direct to the nervous system known as the Merge. Colonel (and medical doctor) John Smith is testing it for the military and it makes all forms of warfare obsolete. He is blown away by how well it works and better yet, even his PTSD interrupted sleep can be overridden and he can sleep.
Meanwhile in Afghanistan, CIA agent Randi Russell is facing a mystery. One of the villages she knows has been eradicated. THe women and children seemed to have fought. THe men didn't and weirder still someone cut off all their heads and carted them off into the desert.
Eventually John and Randi come together (and obviously not for the first time) to wonder if the Merge and it's ability to instantly scan a person's civil and criminal records via the layercake app and judge them as a good person or one to avoid, is everything it's cracked up to be. Worse, much of the population, especially the world leaders and the rich are already Merged up.
Or has Dresner's tragic past made him insert something darker into the Merge. Suspecting that he has John, Randi and their hacker friend have to save the world from Dresner's 'utopian' vision of it.
Over all it was enjoyable and neither Dresener's damage nor even the SF direct to brain tech is that unbelievable. I do, however, think it went on too long especially in the beginning with John testing the Merge and some of the action is that eye rolling action movie sort that you have to suspend disbelief to buy into.
That said I'm not really motivated to read more Covert One books as it's just not my genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2017
I liked how it started as a high-tech-medical thriller. I had forgotten the Covert 1 novels but had no problem picking up the characters. However as the plot rolled along it broke my ability to "suspend disbelief" and found it laughable at a few spots. Also there were some threads that seemed to serve no purpose. Even the plot thread related to the title, "Utopia Experiment", never seemed to fit into the book.
Ok if you like hero military spy doctors.
Ok if you like hero military spy doctors.
August 18, 2022
Kyle Mills is taking one of Robert Ludlum's characters and definitely updating the style. Although Mills has written books with his own characters, he also has taken on existing characters for decreased writers, for example the Mitch Rapp series when Vince Flynn passed away. I like Mills style, he keeps the action going and does some character development. He does well with the military aspects of this story.
September 16, 2024
The book provides a heart-throbbingly thrilling experience. Even though at the beginning it seemed long and boresome, it got better later. However, the chapters could be less numerical and more connected. The tiny chapters make excitement dissipate easily. And how Christian Dresner is attacked in the end seems hazy and obscure. It needed an apparent description rather than a description of prolonged jumbled-up thoughts of characters
July 6, 2018
This was a very enjoyable action novel. It uses the Covert-one team to try to cope with actions of someone who was probably a very brilliant mad man. But he invents a very seductive electronic device that everyone wants. Sound familiar. This one is way over the top though. It has some intriguing ideas in it. Read it, you might enjoy it.
July 3, 2019
This was my first Kyle Mills book. The concept is interesting and well presented. The writing is crisp. And the story is kept moving for the large part. Towards the end, the plot does get predictable - gives you the feeling that the author wanted to get it done with.
If this had not had the "Ludlum" tag, I might have rated it higher.
If this had not had the "Ludlum" tag, I might have rated it higher.
October 19, 2019
I recently read The Janus Reprisal, a Covert-One novel with Colonel Jon Smith. I enjoyed that, so I got a copy of The Utopia Experiment.
I thought it was a bit slow in some parts. But it picked up toward the end, although it wasn't to hard to figure out how it would go.
Otherwise, I am glad I read it. I particularly liked how Jon Smith works with CIA operative Randi Russell.
I thought it was a bit slow in some parts. But it picked up toward the end, although it wasn't to hard to figure out how it would go.
Otherwise, I am glad I read it. I particularly liked how Jon Smith works with CIA operative Randi Russell.
August 18, 2017
2.5 stars. I am surprised so many people liked this book. It felt like a made for TV movie or series. Cliched characters who are paper thin. I managed to finish it and am ready to forget it and the series.
March 22, 2019
If I could give this less than 1 start I would. Any military leader who buys a technology where the sellar has all control over the security, deserves to have their military taken over by the sellar.
Made the book very hard to read.
Made the book very hard to read.
June 11, 2020
Good thriller for reading on a plane or on the beach. It is all that you would expect from a thriller - fast paced, plot driven with a good mixture of action and humour. Don't let the techno babble put you off - just enjoy the ride
January 2, 2024
I loved the story. Kyle Mills has become a great writer. The only thing that kept me from giving this book a 5 was that not enough time was spent getting to know the characters. I might have to start from the beginning of the series. Damn…another series.
November 4, 2024
Five stars for the interesting topic of the day and the surprising twists. It does follow the same formula as the other Covert One books so the key is how interesting the parts are. A giant morality technology problem is definitely interesting, and this time the cast was receptive in multiple ways.
December 11, 2017
Nonfat action
My husband who'd already read this book several years ago suggested I might enjoy it. I couldn't put it down!
My husband who'd already read this book several years ago suggested I might enjoy it. I couldn't put it down!
January 22, 2018
Non stop action that I couldn't put down.
March 21, 2018
Creepy - that's all I can say about this story line. . .
July 10, 2018
Brilliant storyline....
July 29, 2018
Enjoyable, easy read, though "too" easy...characters and story lack depth.
July 29, 2018
I enjoyed the audiobook of this book. Jeff Woodman does stellar narration of this title.. it is a well constructed book.
August 18, 2018
I used to read Robert Ludlum's novel until he died. It would take me few days to read a novel. It took me a month to read this book. Need I say more?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews