Robert Ludlum's The Altman Code

Robert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Timesbestseller. There are more than 225 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series—The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum—among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001.

Gayle Lynds is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of 10 spy novels, including The Book of Spies, The Assassins, and Masquerade. Library Journal calls her “the reigning queen of espionage fiction.” Her books have been published in 30 languages and sold millions of copies worldwide. She’s been interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning as well as by other media. Among her many awards is the Military Writers Society of America Award for Best Novel. With Robert Ludlum, she created the Covert-One series. The first book, The Hades Factor, was a CBS miniseries. With David Morrell, she cofounded International Thriller Writers and ThrillerFest.

Gayle began her writing career as a reporter for The Arizona Republic,where her investigative reporting made such an impact that it led to changes in state legislation. Later she was an editor with rare Top Secret security clearance at a government think tank, where assorted shadowy figures passed through. She was intrigued and inspired.

Soon she began writing literary short stories, which were published in literary journals, and at the same time in what some considered to be surely schizophrenic, she also wrote male pulp adventure novels set around the world in the Nick Carter and Mack Bolan series.

Her first Gayle Lynds novel, Masquerade, was a New York Times bestseller and a People magazine “Page-Turner of the Week.” The Last Spymaster won Best Novel from both the American Authors Association and the Military Writers Society of America. The Coil won Best Contemporary Novel from Affaire de Coeur. Mosaic was RT Thriller of the Year. Mesmerized was a Daphne du Maurier Award best novel finalist. The Assassins won the Founder’s Award for Best Novel from MWSA.  About her work, reviewers have written: “superb,” Chicago Tribune; “immensely satisfying,” Wall Street Journal; “a potent storyteller,” Denver Post; “teeth-grinding suspense,” Publishers Weekly;“roller-coaster thrills,” Los Angeles Times; “terrific,” Cosmopolitan magazine; and “authentic,” Chicago Sun-Times.

With Robert Ludlum, she created the Covert-One Series and wrote three of the novels. Besides The Hades Factor becoming a CBS miniseries, The Paris Option, was a People magazine “Beach Read of the Week.”

A member of the Association for Former Intelligence Officers, she cofounded International Thriller Writers with David Morrell and was copresident for several years. ITW’s annual convention is ThrillerFest, which is held in New York City. She lives in Maine with her husband, retired judge John C. Sheldon, three computers, and one old, opinionated cat.