In the increasingly turbulent atmosphere of international politics, the once grassroots anti-globalisation movement has been slowly absorbed and taken over by the underground radical anti-technology group fronted by a mysterious figure known only as Lazarus. All attempts to infiltrate the group have failed and the intelligence agents involved have all disappeared without a trace. Now a sudden surge in the 'deep chatter' detected by US intelligence leads everyone to believe one thing - Lazarus is preparing to make his boldest move yet. With Lazarus increasingly bringing deadly pressure to bear against the leading research facilities focusing on nano-technology, Lt. Col. Jon Smith - publicly a researcher for USAMRIID - is activated by Covert-One to bring his skills to bear in uncovering the truth behind the terrorists. With his friend and cohort CIA agent Randi Russell missing in the field, Jon must recruit former MI6 agent Peter Howell and computer whiz Marty Zellerbach, to help find and uncover the truth about the mysterious figure known as Lazarus. For unbeknownst to the world at large, the Lazarus Movement is on the brink of setting in motion a deadly scheme that will risk the lives of billions and forever change the nature of the world.

Robert Ludlum was an American author of 25 thriller novels. There are more than 290 million copies of his books in print, and they have been translated into 32 languages. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.

Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.

Ludlum died in 2001 of a subdural hematoma.