Another well written historical novel by Steve Berry surrounding returning characters, Cotton Malone, Henrik Thorvaldsen, and Stephanie (Cotton’s former boss). In this story, Malone is reunited with his ex-wife on an adventure from country to country in search of the lost Library of Alexandria and the tomes located within that will unlock both the mysteries of the world as well as provoke political unrest in the Middle East. Berry once again pens his unique political spy style with sophistication and detail that separates him from the genre’s typical style of writing. I found this novel to be more intriguing than The Templar Legacy and it started with more of an attention getting bang than the previous book.
I still am at odds with the author regarding his personal quest to disprove the veracity of Scripture with hit and miss facts from somewhat obscure sources. In this book his premise focuses on the validity of the Old Testament record and in particular the geographical authenticity of God’s promise to Abraham. To be fair, Berry continues to acknowledge at the end of the book what he believes is historical fact and what he has made up in his imagination. This follows the pattern of The Templar Legacy.
In spite of my disagreement with Berry’s theological foundation, I still respect the quality of his writing and storytelling. So much so, that I have purchased and started reading his next novel in this series, The Venetian Betrayal. I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy political intrigue, stories of espionage, and “good guy vs. bad guy” storytelling.