The Charlemagne Pursuit; Steve Berry- Guest Reviewer

I borrowed this from the library for My Hubby since he likes this type of thriller. Click link in title above to go to Mr. Berry's website. TCP was published in 2008 by Ballantine. It is the latest (fourth) title in the ongoing series of adventures starring Mr. Berry's protagonist, Cotton Malone. The first book in the series is The Templar Legacy. I've only read one other Steve Berry book, The Romanov Prophecy which review you can read HERE. The Hubby wrote this review- he's tickled pink at my request & I'm happy to have his help. With no further delay:

In the latest story of Cotton Malone, a former Justice Dept. lawyer-agent & now bookseller, the circumstances surrounding the death of his father thirty eight years ago need to be revealed. In book four of the series, most of the world's treasures have been revealed to a select group of White House personnel. There are several groups who wish to investigate what happened to a nuclear submarine that was supposed to be in the north Atlantic. Survivors of the missing crew members want to know the specifics: who, what, where, when & why. How do ancient books, ancient civilizations and high level inside the Beltway power plays influence the outcome?

The Charlemagne Pursuit is an easy, take on vacation kind of book. Cotton Malone, the main character, seems to have gotten smarter as the series moved on, although he's always a pawn on the chessboard of higher authorities. I'm not sure why there are so many White House power players involved in an Indiana Jones type scavenger hunt but their influence makes hopping continents, carrying weapons and sliding past customs much easier. Then there is the usual spider web of FBI, intelligence and security advisors double crossing each other complicated with real and artificial connections to the past plus a few fortune hunters and lost civilizations thrown in for good measure.

While it's formulaic, TCP does make you wonder just how many warehouses filled with Indiana Jones type treasures do we have? Mr. Berry will certainly keep you guessing about where it will end. An almost believable ending. 3 out of 5 stars on the man-meter.

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