"The King's Deception", by Steve Berry

Book 8, in the Cotton Malone series

This is another suspense thriller that weaves his tale around documented facts, events and known figures of history. Being a fan of conspiracy and the Tudor period I much enjoyed Mr. Berry’s spin on time.

Right from the start I was engaged by the secrets societies the political intrigue and the Tudor secrets although at the heart of the story is the all too real drama of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a former intelligence officer, convicted of 270 counts of murder for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. After tweaking some facts and adjusting them to fit his creation, the author has filled the pages with the right formula and provided us with a panoramic view of the past while slowly introducing the present day setting. I will skip the intricacies not to spoil the enjoyment of this action-filled and well-written mix of history with the spy action. Yes there is plenty of action and the Tudor secret that is behind the operation has a great romp of intrigue. We have three strands in this story that are interwoven in cinematic scenes, very visual as they move from one plot to another. If you can keep track of all the characters you are in for a treat. There are no loose ends everything is wrapped up nicely. As always we find at the end of the book a writer’s note separating fact and fiction.


Most part is quite entertaining however on the down side I did find the central mystery to be rather flimsy and the machinations which involved the CIA lacked logical consistency. But again this is a thriller and it wouldn't be fun if our imagination wasn't stretched to its limits..