" The Venetian Betrayal", by Steve Berry

Book 3 in the Cotton Malone series

This is another historical thriller in the Cotton Malone saga. Mr Berry’s protagonist simply can’t stay retired. His colorful past as a clandestine agent for the U.S. government will once again drag him back into action.

“The Venetian Betrayal” has Malone on his toes. The action starts with Cotton narrowly escaping the inferno that consumed a well known Danish museum. Cassiopeia Vitt informs him that this catastrophe is no accident but is part of a massive campaign to destroy historic buildings across Europe.

This novel is composed mainly of two stories that are nicely intertwined. In the first: we learn about the cunning and ruthless Irina Zovastina who is obsessed in finding Alexander the Great’s lost tomb and obtaining all eight of the legendary medallions commemorating his conquests.

In the second, as Supreme Minister of the Central Asian Federation Irina goes to all means to reach her objectives. With the help of a shadowy organization “The Council of Ten” and its leader Enrico Vincenti, a pharmaceutical magnate, she plots to release a deadly virus that only she will have the antidote to. Enrico, nearing the end of his tenure develops his own agenda and becomes determined to profit from this alliance.

The best laid plan of the two conspirators is put in jeopardy with the botched assassination of Cotton. When Cotton and his two colleagues Cassiopia and Henrik Thorvaldsen team up to get to the root of the mysterious events, they realize they are up against two evil minds. The importance of outwitting them and ultimately saving millions of people are in their hands…..will they succeed…..

This is another exciting adventure around action packed scenarios with nail biting twists and turns throughout. The characters are globe trotters that hold secrets or have the key to decipher them. Like in his previous novels, the author has masterfully created a suspenseful tale around tit-bits of history. This is once again a very ambitious novel that pushes the boundaries and provides us with pure entertainment.