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burgrvander1's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
kelseyb86's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good Malone novel. The best part was the history aspect, although I felt like there were two competing aspects - the treasure and the impostor which made it a little confusing. But still, a great read.
rowingrabbit's review against another edition
4.0
Cotton is back & digging up royal history
There are some authors that are good bets. If you enjoy one of their books, you'll probably like them all. You'll have favourites based on plot or story lines but it's the main character that keeps you coming back. Think Lucas Davenport, Harry Bosch, John Rain, Mallory, Harry Hole....and Cotton Malone.
I'm a fan so I'm happy to say this is a great page turner. Once you begin, you're well & truly hooked.
There's a really intricate plot here & for a longer break down of all the story lines, please see my review on amazon.ca with the same title.
Cotton has a lot on his plate. He & Gary are reeling from the news that he's not Gary's biological father. They take off for some bonding time but have to make a pitstop in London. There, they have to deal with a savvy street kid with a stolen flash drive, a rogue CIA agent, the head of MI6 & a shadowy group called the Daedalus Society. Needless to say, Cotton is drawn back into the world of political intrigue as he tries to keep the two boys safe while the body count rises.
In alternating chapters, we are taken back to the time of Henry VIII & Elizabeth I. There's a big secret from that era & someone is trying to make it public. It's explosive stuff & would potentially change the shape of Great Britain.
These events are recounted two years after they happened & right around the time Scotland was planning to release al Megrahi, the Lockerbie Bomber. America is pissed the Brits are refusing to intervene & this historical bombshell might just be the way to blackmail Downing St. into speaking up.
Many of the castles & towers of Tudor times are featured as the different factions race around gathering clues & the author has obviously done their historical homework. The characters are well written, dialogue is tight & the action nonstop. All the different story lines & agendas are tied up in a big finale deep inside the centuries old tunnels below the city of London.
And on the personal side, Cotton & Gary will have to come to terms with what defines a father as they meet Gary's biological dad.
All in all, a cracking good thriller wrapped around a spooky royal mystery that makes for a book you'll resent having to put down once you start.
There are some authors that are good bets. If you enjoy one of their books, you'll probably like them all. You'll have favourites based on plot or story lines but it's the main character that keeps you coming back. Think Lucas Davenport, Harry Bosch, John Rain, Mallory, Harry Hole....and Cotton Malone.
I'm a fan so I'm happy to say this is a great page turner. Once you begin, you're well & truly hooked.
There's a really intricate plot here & for a longer break down of all the story lines, please see my review on amazon.ca with the same title.
Cotton has a lot on his plate. He & Gary are reeling from the news that he's not Gary's biological father. They take off for some bonding time but have to make a pitstop in London. There, they have to deal with a savvy street kid with a stolen flash drive, a rogue CIA agent, the head of MI6 & a shadowy group called the Daedalus Society. Needless to say, Cotton is drawn back into the world of political intrigue as he tries to keep the two boys safe while the body count rises.
In alternating chapters, we are taken back to the time of Henry VIII & Elizabeth I. There's a big secret from that era & someone is trying to make it public. It's explosive stuff & would potentially change the shape of Great Britain.
These events are recounted two years after they happened & right around the time Scotland was planning to release al Megrahi, the Lockerbie Bomber. America is pissed the Brits are refusing to intervene & this historical bombshell might just be the way to blackmail Downing St. into speaking up.
Many of the castles & towers of Tudor times are featured as the different factions race around gathering clues & the author has obviously done their historical homework. The characters are well written, dialogue is tight & the action nonstop. All the different story lines & agendas are tied up in a big finale deep inside the centuries old tunnels below the city of London.
And on the personal side, Cotton & Gary will have to come to terms with what defines a father as they meet Gary's biological dad.
All in all, a cracking good thriller wrapped around a spooky royal mystery that makes for a book you'll resent having to put down once you start.
nostalgia_reader's review against another edition
3.0
As with the other books in this series, this one starts off seemingly rather haphazardly. The storylines don't seem like they'll ever weave together into one (even though you know they will), and I could have sworn that they would have nothing to do with one another.
But historical intrigue keeps me, well, intrigued, so I always end up splurge reading the rest of the book, right as it's starting to all make sense and fall into place. I wasn't that terribly fascinated by the setting (and although I haven't read the earlier books in the series, it seems like London and the area's history is common fodder), but the entire mystery of Elizabeth I, and using secret history as a political bribe was pretty great. And with the inclusion of the mysterious code book, my rating definitely gets bumped up to four stars.
I guess I may have cheated a bit, reading [b:Famous Imposters|13638148|Famous Imposters|Bram Stoker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478692188s/13638148.jpg|530608] before this, having the entire Bisley Boy story explained in fictional terms and applications gave a bit of a new life to Imposters.
(This was another found ARC, so I decided against calling out stylistic oddities, or confusing, repetitive bits.)
But historical intrigue keeps me, well, intrigued, so I always end up splurge reading the rest of the book, right as it's starting to all make sense and fall into place. I wasn't that terribly fascinated by the setting (and although I haven't read the earlier books in the series, it seems like London and the area's history is common fodder), but the entire mystery of Elizabeth I, and using secret history as a political bribe was pretty great. And with the inclusion of the mysterious code book, my rating definitely gets bumped up to four stars.
I guess I may have cheated a bit, reading [b:Famous Imposters|13638148|Famous Imposters|Bram Stoker|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478692188s/13638148.jpg|530608] before this, having the entire Bisley Boy story explained in fictional terms and applications gave a bit of a new life to Imposters.
(This was another found ARC, so I decided against calling out stylistic oddities, or confusing, repetitive bits.)
p010ne's review against another edition
4.0
We have been to see that "Tower of London" and also the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, and I have to say that the London one described in this novel does not impress me as a tower! I am impressed with all the exhaustive research the author has obviously performed to flesh out the British royal deception that is at the heart of this novel that is akin to the legend of such as "Pope Joan"! There is quite a bit of consequential felonious crimes that are imagined which are simply swept away under the carpet, so to speak!
This is really an enjoyable quasi-historical novel that encompasses Elizabethan England and contemporary 21st Century political ramifications.
This is really an enjoyable quasi-historical novel that encompasses Elizabethan England and contemporary 21st Century political ramifications.
capnmags's review against another edition
1.0
I enjoyed the other Cotton Malone books, but this one was bad. The "history" was interesting, but the plot was weak. The book was also very slow in places, spending too much time on some characters' backstories. However, if there was an "Ian and Miss Mary Adventures Spinoff," I would definitely read that.
mdpistilli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
tmdguru500's review against another edition
3.0
The History of this book does make you think; Elizabeth I a male. However the storyline and how things played itself out was in my opinion, somewhat weak. I would have thought the book would have been more like other works where the different clues and evidence would help further the study of History. Yet in this case, it wasn't so. More about protecting the nation and politics.
Nevertheless the ending (as in the author's note) was indeed interesting. So much in History that is not written, or left confused. I wonder if the truth will ever be revealed.
A good read nevertheless.
Nevertheless the ending (as in the author's note) was indeed interesting. So much in History that is not written, or left confused. I wonder if the truth will ever be revealed.
A good read nevertheless.
caffeinatedreviewer's review against another edition
4.0
I love suspense thrillers and find myself wrapped up in the secrets, agencies, secret societies and the quest to unearth the truth, so I was excited to read The King’s Deception by Steve Berry. While this is the eighth book in the Cotton Malone series, it can be read as a standalone. Filled with political intrigue and Tudor secrets this tale kept me on edge. Three word review: suspenseful, riveting and action-packed.
The tale begins as Cotton Malone sits down with his ex-wife and shares a story about events that occurred when he and their then fifteen year old son Gary traveled to Europe. Leaving out of Georgia, Malone, a retired Magellan Billet agent for the Department of Justice agrees to escort a teenage fugitive back to London. When they arrive, British operatives meet them but things quickly go awry. Gary and the fugitive go missing and Malone realizes he is in the middle of a diplomatic showdown regarding the release of a Libyan terrorist and it somehow revolves around Tudor secrets. The story that unfolds kept me flipping the pages and completely enthralled.
Cotton Malone is a likable character and it is easy to see why he was a highly successful and admired member of the Magellan Billet. He is level headed, quick thinking and is able to see the whole picture in the game of chess he finds himself thrust into. His son Gary is clever, questions everything and has a lot of baggage to deal with for one so young. Ian, the young fugitive is a pick-pocket who lives on the streets of London. He loves to read and often sleeps in Mary’s bookshop. He has been on the run ever since he witnessed a murder and picked the pocket of the dead man. He is smart, comes up with plans and added to the overall intrigue. Blake Antrim is a CIA operative in charge of operation, “King’s Deception” and I quite loathe this vile man. His movements in London have the CIA and MI6 involved as one works to reveal a secret and the other works to bury it. Kathleen is a SOCA (Serious Organized Crime Agency) officer currently on suspension who is called in by Thomas Matthews the head of MI6. She is a real firecracker and I enjoyed her role in the events that unfolded. Miss Mary and her twin sister both offer Malone invaluable knowledge and added to the tale.
The best formula for a suspense thriller is when the author weaves his tale around documented facts, writings, and real historical characters and events. Berry tweaked very few facts and created a tale that felt plausible right down to the present day reasons Britain wants to keep this secret from being revealed. I am quite fascinated by the Tudor period and have read many books pertaining to this period; both fictional and non-fictional. Queen Elizabeth I has always intrigued me, so seeing her and Robert Cecil, King Henry the VIII and more held me completely captive. The author brought the present day setting to life, as he weaved in the history of the places we visited making him a delightful tour guide. I had a panoramic view of the past and present, all while caught up in this brilliantly paced and action-packed thriller. I was impressed and felt the tale was tight, the characters fleshed out and the secrets, along with the political game that was afoot to be believable. Fans of Dan Brown will be delighted with The King’s Deception.
Copy received in exchange for unbiased review and originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
The tale begins as Cotton Malone sits down with his ex-wife and shares a story about events that occurred when he and their then fifteen year old son Gary traveled to Europe. Leaving out of Georgia, Malone, a retired Magellan Billet agent for the Department of Justice agrees to escort a teenage fugitive back to London. When they arrive, British operatives meet them but things quickly go awry. Gary and the fugitive go missing and Malone realizes he is in the middle of a diplomatic showdown regarding the release of a Libyan terrorist and it somehow revolves around Tudor secrets. The story that unfolds kept me flipping the pages and completely enthralled.
Cotton Malone is a likable character and it is easy to see why he was a highly successful and admired member of the Magellan Billet. He is level headed, quick thinking and is able to see the whole picture in the game of chess he finds himself thrust into. His son Gary is clever, questions everything and has a lot of baggage to deal with for one so young. Ian, the young fugitive is a pick-pocket who lives on the streets of London. He loves to read and often sleeps in Mary’s bookshop. He has been on the run ever since he witnessed a murder and picked the pocket of the dead man. He is smart, comes up with plans and added to the overall intrigue. Blake Antrim is a CIA operative in charge of operation, “King’s Deception” and I quite loathe this vile man. His movements in London have the CIA and MI6 involved as one works to reveal a secret and the other works to bury it. Kathleen is a SOCA (Serious Organized Crime Agency) officer currently on suspension who is called in by Thomas Matthews the head of MI6. She is a real firecracker and I enjoyed her role in the events that unfolded. Miss Mary and her twin sister both offer Malone invaluable knowledge and added to the tale.
The best formula for a suspense thriller is when the author weaves his tale around documented facts, writings, and real historical characters and events. Berry tweaked very few facts and created a tale that felt plausible right down to the present day reasons Britain wants to keep this secret from being revealed. I am quite fascinated by the Tudor period and have read many books pertaining to this period; both fictional and non-fictional. Queen Elizabeth I has always intrigued me, so seeing her and Robert Cecil, King Henry the VIII and more held me completely captive. The author brought the present day setting to life, as he weaved in the history of the places we visited making him a delightful tour guide. I had a panoramic view of the past and present, all while caught up in this brilliantly paced and action-packed thriller. I was impressed and felt the tale was tight, the characters fleshed out and the secrets, along with the political game that was afoot to be believable. Fans of Dan Brown will be delighted with The King’s Deception.
Copy received in exchange for unbiased review and originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer