Robert Ludlum is a master in writing fiction which involves international espionage, intelligence agencies. No one can write better than Ludlum in this area.
The Hades factor introduces us to a new hero Jon Smith created by Robert Ludlum and Gayle Lynds. This is also the book where the Covert One is born. And is quite different from the other regular Robert Ludlum books. I had read Altman Code and Paris Option before reading the Hades factor. Now Altman Code and Paris Option both feature Covert One, Marty, Randy, Peter, Sam Castilla and hence, I wanted to get hold of the book where these characters were introduced.
The story is quite action packed and starts with a tragedy. The idea is just quite brilliant and throughout the book, the story is fast paced and is very very interesting. The villains here are again representatives of corporate capitalism - can do anything for financial gains. And that is how the story builds up. Lots of action and adventure. The hero Jon Smith loses his girlfriend Sophia and this is what forces him to go after the villains. In due course, lots of shady dealings, secrets are revealed. There are lot of questions which Jon Smith wants answered but then wherever he goes, he finds intrigue and attempts on his life. The search for answers leads him to an international conspiracy.
Now, now, now...saying all this, the end is where the book fizzles out. The ending of the book is quite mediocre and ordinary...something one does not expect from Robert Ludlum. I do not want to reveal the ending here, but definitely, the ending does not match with the pace of the book.
Overall, I would rate the book as worth reading.
The other good books by the same combination which I highly recommend are
Altman Code
Paris Option