A review by nicoleabouttown
The Omega Factor by Steve Berry

4.0

In all of the years, I have been blogging and reviewing books, there are only three authors whose books always make it into my TBR pile. Not only do they make it into my list of books to read, but I am also guaranteed to read every book they put out. If you haven't already guessed, Steve Berry is one of those authors. If he writes it, I'm reading it.

His latest offering is both a departure and still yet similar to his normal work. It's a departure in the fact that it isn't a Cotton Malone story; but it is similar because it is the same type of well-thought-out, researched, and developed story that combines history, religion, intrigue, drama, and action. The author also manages to make the story relevant to real-world events. In The Omega Factor: A Novel, Steve Berry manages to tackle some very serious issues in the Catholic church, that manage to prevent the story from just getting bogged down in details. It helps to make the story, although far-fetched, relevant to the reader.

It's a little different reading/listening to a Steve Berry book that isn't part of the #CottonMalone series, but it's still really good. I can't say that I am in love or have any attachment to any of the characters like I do to Cotton, but it's still a very interesting and informative story. It was also nice to get a new cast of main characters for a change. While Nicholas Lee is no Cotton Malone, he isn't half bad. To be honest, I'm 16 books into my adoration for Cotton Malone so I probably like him more because I feel like I know him better and have spent much more time with him.

I was lucky enough to receive both a digital review copy to read and one to listen to. Before I could crack open the digital copy to read, the audiobook version arrived and it was all over. Just like if Steve Berry writes it, I will read it; well if Scott Brick is the narrator, then I'm listening to it. His narration is just quality. He voices the various characters well, he has great inflection and pacing in his narration. When he narrates a book you know you have absolutely nothing to worry about. The story is going to unfold as you listen, you will not feel like someone is reading to you, but rather that someone is painting a word picture for you to imagine. I got the emotion, the gravitas, and the steady unfolding of the story over a two and half day period.