Robert Ludlum's The Geneva Strategy

Covert-One #11

by Jamie Freveletti, Robert Ludlum

On one evening in Washington, DC, several high-ranking members of government disappear in a mass kidnapping. Among the kidnapped is Nick Rendel, a computer software coding expert in charge of drone programming and strategy. He is the victim with the most dangerous knowledge, including confidential passwords and codes that are used to program the drones. If revealed, his kidnappers could reprogram the drones to strike targets within the United States.

Jon Smith and the Covert One team begin a worldwide search to recover the officials, but as the first kidnapping victims are rescued, they show disturbing signs of brainwashing or mind-altering drugs. Smith's investigation leads him to Fort Detrick, where a researcher, Dr. Laura Taylor, had been attempting to create a drug to wipe memory from soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. But Dr. Taylor's research was suspended almost a year ago, when she was placed in a mental institution. Now, if Smith doesn't figure out the brainwashing drug, and track down the kidnapped Nick Rendel, the kidnappers will soon have the power to carry out drone strikes anywhere in the world....

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Action, Mystery, Espionage, Suspense, Audiobook

368 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2015

About the author

Jamie Freveletti is an internationally bestselling author of six novels, four short stories and is published in four languages. Her Emma Caldridge series of five books won an International Thriller Writers Best First Novel award, a Barry award, and was a VOX media pick in Germany. The latest, Blood Run, launched in November 2017. In addition to her own novels, she’s written The Janus Reprisal and The Geneva Strategy for the Estate of Robert Ludlum’s Covert One series and is a contributor to the 2017 non-fiction anthology, Anatomy of Innocence, Testimonies of the Wrongfully Convicted . A former lawyer, avid distance runner and black belt in aikido, a Japanese martial art, she lives in Chicago with her family.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

another fine thriller in the covert-one series, however i ddn't find this title as strong as fraveletti's other entry, the Janus reprisal. not quite a popcorn novel but a definite Beach read.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A run of the mill covert ops book (I listened to the audio version) it held my interest and was easy to follow. I have a feeling there were things about the other books that would have increased my understanding especially at the beginning. All in all, a solid 3 stars and fun listen.

[L.A. Starks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh and technologically sharp addition to the Ludlum line by Jamie Freveletti with plenty of action and--thank you, JF--more than one major female character.

Great for action and thriller readers.

[Una Tiers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice writing but there is so much action it gets old.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covert-One is back to delve into the world of bio-terrorism and disease dissemination. A number of high-ranking government officials are kidnapped without motive. Upon further examination, those who have key roles in America's drone programming and strategy are among those taken, leading officials to wonder who or what they have on their hands. As the victims begin turning up, they show signs of brainwashing. Jon Smith and the Covert-One team begin an investigation that takes them to Dr. Laura Taylor, currently in custody, whose created a drug to remove memories related to post-traumatic stress syndrome. Her research could have haunting parallels to the brainwashing Smith has seen in these victims. Smith must not only determine an antidote for the brainwashing, but also recover the head of the drone project before someone begins carrying out drone strikes all over the world and uses these drugs to overpower countless innocent victims.

Freveletti expressed thanks in the acknowledgements for being asked by the Ludlum family estate to create another Covert-One novel. Her premise is actually quite interesting and, at times, the story flows well and keeps its momentum for the reader to enjoy. However, for some reason or another, the story loses its excitement, even as the action does not dissipate. Freveletti has kept a handle on her Ludlum series writing, unlike a certain James Bourne author whose slaughtered the foundation that Ludlum put into all his work. However, as seems quite common amongst all those who carry on the Ludlum torch, the adaptations fall short of the original product.

Kudos, Madam Freveletti for your ardent effort. While Robert Ludlum has left some large shoes to fill, you try to tromp around and do him justice.

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Shubhra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fast-paced, but disjointed. Lots of interesting scenes, but the connection was not there. There were lots of characters and character groups, but they were neither well-developed, nor well-connected. Lots of unanswered questions: Where did the Chinese go? What was the Saudi link? Who are Stanton Reese? What's the Syrian game-plan?
Characters were underdeveloped, barely used and a few fail to appear - where is Victoria Metrace?
The action just petered off at the end - with key characters shooting each other, the drones just dropping off and the sense of dread just missing. And why did the two key villains just shoot each other?
Unless this is two-parter, it doesn't catch up with the intensity or spirit of the earlier Covert One series novels.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot started out fine, but the last half seemed to lose steam. I thought the conclusion was a waypoint, but abruptly ended the book. The book had an odd mixture of reasonable, interesting tech references and vague, misinformed or implausible tech references. There was also a number of implausible character actions, some implausible based on past behavior in the series and some just outright implausible. All in all, I didn't think this was up to series standards.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second Freveletti book for me and Running Dark. The plots were so similar it was disappointing. Still the writing is clear.

[Simon Grimmond · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK....decent enough read for the commute

[Tom Tischler · Rating 3 out of 5]

One evening in D.C. several high ranking members of government disappear in a mass
kidnapping. Among them is Nick Rendel a computer software coding expert in charge of
drone programming and strategy
He is the victim with the most dangerous knowledge including confidential passwords
and codes used to program drones. If revealed the kidnappers could program the drones
to hit targets within the U.S. Jon Smith and Covert One begin a worldwide search for them.
As the first victims are rescued they show signs of brain washing or mind altering drugs.
Smith's investigation leads to Ft Deterick where Dr Laura Taylor had been attempting to
create a drug to wipe memory from soldiers suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
Her research was suspended a year ago when she was placed in a mental institution.
Now if Smith doesn't figure out the brain washing drug and track down the kidnapped Rendel
the kidnappers will soon have the power to carry out strikes anywhere in the world. The story
wasn't to bad in this one but I thought that it was a little dragged out and not enough action.
I gave it a 3.5

[ShanDizzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad listen on a long road trip.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book is really good for those who like government stuff. I really liked this book because the author new how to get the readers into want to read more and more. I think that this book was man vs man because the book was just about fighting other people. The reason that they were fighting is because power some people wanted to still the drones from the government. The government never gave up, so it was just fighting one against one pretty much so that is why I think that this book was man vs man.

[Macjest · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to enjoy the Covert One books a lot, but this book was a bit of a let down. The main characters seemed liked a washed out version and I had a hard time getting invested in what was happening to them. It took two weeks to get through the book. It didn't help that the bioterrorism angle utilizing drones did nothing to spark my interest. There was never a real sense of tension and suspense for me.

[Graeme Waymark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not be bothered to finish the book - nor could my wife. So, I will not write a review either - I will copy one from a contributor herein:
"this was a terrible book. Very boring. I got into it because I saw Ludlum's name and I loved his books. I assumed it was written from an outline of his. Can't be as it was so slow and tedious to read."
We gave it one star as it kept us interested for almost 100 pages combined!

[Judy]

this was a terrible book. Very boring. I got into it because I saw Ludlum's name and I loved his books. I assumed it was written from an outline of his. Can't be as it was so slow and tedious to read.

[Joemodz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very average extension of Robert Ludlum's legacy, but if you're a fan, this one is acceptable-- nothing new, but everything you'd expect. I listened to it, and it served the purpose perfectly well.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another home run for the Ludlum Estate and especially Jamie Freveletti...thanks for the escape from the reality.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This does not live up to Robert Ludlum's books and the main Character "Smith" was more of an observer rather than an active participant. I would skip this one.

[Bruce Wert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredibly good read. I coudn't put it down, fast paced with lots of action.

[Bob Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a long-time fan of Ludlum, dating from years ago when his books turned me on to suspense reading. This Freveletti version came out in 2015, and involves scary drones and nasty drugs, plus intrusive cameras and bombs. But, for me, it lacked what made Ludlum - sudden shock.

This one started off with a lot of breathtaking action, as Lt.Col. Jon Smith managed to avoid being killed or kidnapped - thanks to Katherine Arden, a lawyer who represents victims of government overreach. It ended nicely too.

But in between, the writing was sluggish.

I had vowed to check out Freveletti’s stories after reading and liking one of her Emma Caldridge books.

“The Geneva Strategy” was good, easy to read, with plenty of action and yet, it was vaguely disappointing. I never really felt the tension that Smith’s predicament should have created. With tired dialogue, boring villains and unrealistic plot twists, the book never quite touches suspense greatness. A fun read? Yes. Special? No.

[Jonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book starts out strong with action. I thought it would be a solid 4 stars. Parts of the story were worthy of 4 stars, but the dialogue was often trite and juvenile. I liked the overall concept of drones, biological weapons, and mind erasing drugs. However, the plot became too convoluted with all the different factions involved.

Reading this in 2022, I had to appreciate the line Smith said to Arden about her making microbiology seem irrelevant noting that one day another pandemic may sweep the earth and you'll be thankful for microbiologists. I found Arden to be overly idealistic and frequently annoying. Darkanin, a megalomaniac drug company CEO, is in it for the money not seeming to care who he conspires with. Then later in the story he is shocked/enraged that his agenda and his co-conspirators' agenda do not align. There was one little twist that was revealed about halfway through the book. It was foreshadowed earlier in the book with the kidnapped people.

[Cocoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book rattled along at a frenetic pace and I felt I was living inside a blockbuster thriller. The characters were engaging and the threat all too real. The wonder of reading is escapism, it takes you to a whole new world. When I finished reading this I felt relief that it was just a book, but only for a split second. This book reminds you that though it’s a work of fiction it could very well become reality which is a chilling thought indeed.

I felt some of the external characters could have been more filled out, Dr Taylor for example felt rather empty which seemed strange as there would have been no plot without her.

[Pat Camalliere · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I read an ARC, not the final version, so perhaps that had something to do with my disappointment, but I expected more. It was full of errors that an editor should have caught, and that seriously affected my enjoyment. I liked the characters, and I liked the predicaments they got into, and the story itself. However, the details were not clear, the dialogue seemed forced and not natural, and I was constantly annoyed by inconsistencies. 3 stars is the best I can rate this book, but I saw enough to like that I’m willing to give this writer another chance with a different book.

[carl clause · Rating 5 out of 5]

CC1

Jamie really brought the Covert-one series to the top. First to include recent events like Jon Snowdon trading on secrets from NSA is excellent. With the Covert One characters are all used extremely well. It was nice to see Randy Russell getting a little of a personal life in between missions. Between Jamie and Kyle Mills to excellent authors to carry on Robert Ludlum series. Great read !!!! CC

[Mark Thiessen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I need to revisit this, based on what others have written here, but I was very disappointed in this book. It wasn't the Jon Smith character I've come to know; he seemed weak and indecisive, and the plot was frankly boring. I listened to the audiobook and concede the poor vocalizations by the narrator may have put me off the book. It's tough to visualize Randi Russell when the narrator made her sound like David Seders reading "Santaland Diaries."

[Magda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-crafted, compelling story that made me want to do nothing other than read this novel. So that’s what I did.
Much appreciated Ms Freveletti’s focus on the storyline and accuracy, and not on side details, like brands of computers or sunglasses. Also, it wasn’t crass, a welcome fact.
The only weird thing was that one of the bit characters, and a normal one at that, was named Madame Clochard, which is a term for a homeless person in French. And Mme Clochard was the opposite of homeless.

[Mr Ogologo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It read pretty well, I like the writer's style. It's not too weighty, she keeps it light but detailed enough to maintain one's interest 😉
I think it would be a good book for those interested in espionage. I came upon her book looking for another one by Robert Ludlum, the author of the Jason Bourne books and I was pleasantly surprised by her writing style. Although she hasn't swayed me from Robert who is very metaphor rich with his writing, I'd say Jamie Freveletti has a new fan.

[Michele Delimont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this one down -- great reading and pure action. Frankly, parts of the story felt like they were tied to things in the world right now (and some "characters" were real!). But this was written in 2015... I've always been a fan of Robert Ludlum stories and this is based on characters created in his stories. I'll definitely look for more of these books.

[Maureen Archibald · Rating 3 out of 5]

While an interesting premise. Several factors made it too unbelievable to be a good read. Drones cannot sneak in anywhere, they make noise, let alone into an embassy that is fully guarded. Time and distances do not match. Some of the journeys taken could only have been accomplished by a Time Machine. Though it was a good premise - hackable drones and a short lived poison.

[Yule Show · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read several books of Robert Ludlum, but this is the worst one. The start is big but the end is easy, the problem solved just by a gun fighting doesn't make any technical sense. I like the Pual Janson series more.