There is only one thing that prevents ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE
ARCTIC EVENT from being perfect: the title. I'm not referring to
the "Robert Ludlum's" portion, either; it's "The Arctic Event" part
that is as exciting as one hand clapping. It conjures up the vision
of a penguin giving birth. However, this latest installment of the
Covert-One series, written by James H. Cobb, is otherwise
a flawless locomotive ride from front to back --- a true thriller
from beginning to end.


Once you get past the title, the book kicks off in grand fashion,
with a team of researchers in the Arctic wilderness discovering the
wreckage of an aircraft. With some embarrassment, the Russian
government admits that the plane is one of theirs and that it
disappeared with its crew more than a half-century ago carrying a
deadly two-ton payload of anthrax. This is precisely the type of
mission for which Covert-One was designed --- one requiring
swiftness, effectiveness and, above all, secrecy --- so that the
President of the United States dispatches a Covert-One team led by
Colonel Jon Smith to the site.


Two other entities are at play, however. One is a ruthless
international arms dealer who is ready for retirement and for whom
the anthrax will provide the means for a comfortable pension. The
other is a group of Russians bent on keeping the even deadlier
secret involving the downed plane from being discovered. What is
worse for Covert-One is that there is a traitor among them, making
an already dangerous situation even deadlier as Covert-One is
caught between two teams of highly trained adversaries and the
weather, which proves to be the deadliest enemy of all.


Cobb is a marvel. He sets several clocks ticking along within his
storyline so that just as one problem is resolved --- or not ---
another two or three rear their dangerous, ugly heads. And while
the plot would drive the story along quite nicely, the author also
introduces a new player to the series: Valentina Metrace, an
historian whose knowledge of weaponry is matched and even exceeded
by her ability to use same. Intelligent, deadly and extremely
attractive, who can possibly resist her? Not this reader, that's
for sure. Hopefully she will appear in future volumes, as well as
Cobb, who brings new life to an already lively series.