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lunacaelum's review against another edition
2.0
I've been reading Steve Berry books for years. I have to say this is definitely not his best work.
Berry's fictional dives into history is one of the things I love about his work, and usually his weaving of historical info dumps is smooth enough to progress the story. But in this novel it just felt very disconnected, and frankly some of it could have been done without, it felt very forced. I got the impression this was a very phoned-in effort on his part.
It felt like there were two separate narratives to this novel: (1) Cotton Malone hired to hunt down some letters sent between Mussolini and Churchill and (2) intrigue within the Hospitallers and Catholic Church on the eve of a Conclave to elect a new pope. These two narratives were connected via the search for the Nostra Trinita, but they were not weaved together very well, it seemed very forced. Not to mention the Cotton Malone appearances seemed were disappointing at best, despite this being advertised as a Cotton Malone novel (Luke Daniels had most of the action, but failed at nearly every turn). The brief appearance of the Magellen Billet/Stephanie Nelle fell flat too.
And while I'm not religious, Berry's rant against religion in his acknowledgments section was petty and unprofessional. I certainly expect more from an author who's been in the game a while.
I hope his next book is better than this one.
Berry's fictional dives into history is one of the things I love about his work, and usually his weaving of historical info dumps is smooth enough to progress the story. But in this novel it just felt very disconnected, and frankly some of it could have been done without, it felt very forced. I got the impression this was a very phoned-in effort on his part.
It felt like there were two separate narratives to this novel: (1) Cotton Malone hired to hunt down some letters sent between Mussolini and Churchill and (2) intrigue within the Hospitallers and Catholic Church on the eve of a Conclave to elect a new pope. These two narratives were connected via the search for the Nostra Trinita, but they were not weaved together very well, it seemed very forced. Not to mention the Cotton Malone appearances seemed were disappointing at best, despite this being advertised as a Cotton Malone novel (Luke Daniels had most of the action, but failed at nearly every turn). The brief appearance of the Magellen Billet/Stephanie Nelle fell flat too.
And while I'm not religious, Berry's rant against religion in his acknowledgments section was petty and unprofessional. I certainly expect more from an author who's been in the game a while.
I hope his next book is better than this one.
jmartin31545's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
just_one_more_chapter_please's review against another edition
4.0
The lesser known locations make this one very fun to read. Some good plot twists, and enough fiction and history to make the severity of the situation believable. The ending seems odd, why would the US willingly aid a country knowing capital punishment would be implemented? Otherwise, I'm glad Steve's returning to his crusade order/treasure hunt roots. He does well there.
samanthawattam's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
westre01's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
4.0
mor89's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars, start well and the from the middle until the end was kinda boring..
michael_gallipo's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
maggie56's review against another edition
3.0
I don’t know why; but usually I read Steve Berry’s books with in a week or two... this one I had trouble with. It could have been the story plot and Cotton Malone’s involvement - I’m just not sure. But I plowed thru it and I will move on to the next two by him, need to see what mischief Cotton gets into and out of.
tuomosuominen's review against another edition
3.0
36-hour Die Hard story taking place in Italy and Malta involving Mussolini, the Catholic church, the Knights of Malta.
carolynro4's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Audiobook: character, voice, and speed. Easy to listen to.