The Medici Return
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4.3 • 6 Ratings
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- £12.99
Publisher Description
Don't miss the next utterly gripping novel in the Cotton Malone series from New York Times Bestselling author Steve Berry!
Former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, has been asked to assist the Swiss guard with determining whether Cardinal Jason Richter has engaged in bribery and theft. It's a favor for Stephanie Nelle, once his boss at the Magellan Billet, who is doing a favor for the Vatican. But nothing is as it seems. Three hundred thousand euros are found, a Swiss Guardsman is murdered, and a killer sets his sights on both Cotton and the cardinal.
Together they are thrust into a search for a forgotten document, a 16th century Pledge of Christ executed by Pope Julius II that reveals a debt owed by the Vatican, still valid after five centuries, now worth in the trillions of dollars. But when the trail to collecting that debt leads Cotton to the famed Medici of Florence-a family that history says died out, without heirs, centuries ago-he realizes that two more things also hang in the balance. Who will be the next prime minister of Italy, and who will become the next pope.
From a quiet hilltop village in central Germany, to the ancient city of Siena with its famed Palio horse race, and finally to the historic piazzas, churches, and crypts of Florence, Cotton Malone uncovers the answers, one by one, everything hinging on when, and if, the Medici return.
READERS LOVE STEVE BERRY:
'Steve Berry is at the top of his game, blending history and fiction into a propulsive thriller. Highly recommend!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Steve Berry has produced a masterpiece' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I love Steve Berry's mix of intrigue, adventure, and historical context. I zipped through this novel and I am anxiously awaiting the next one' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Impressed as always, and again sad that I finished the book so fast and can't wait for his next book' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I thoroughly enjoyed, as I always do, the blend of history and adventure to be found within the pages of Mr Berry's latest and couldn't put it down' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Berry's scorching latest thriller featuring Cotton Malone (after The Atlas Maneuver) finds the retired U.S. Justice Department operative once again battling violent men over events in the distant past. After a dozen years with the government, Malone has started a new life as a bookstore owner. But he's drawn back into the fray by his former handler, Stephanie Nelle, after the Vatican is roiled by a scandal: a church official on trial for embezzlement and theft has implicated Cardinal Jason Richter—a close friend of the current pope, who will help select his successor—in his schemes. Malone breaks into Richter's home and verifies that he's in possession of stolen items, but suspects the cardinal has been framed. The plot thickens when right-wing Italian politician Eric Casaburi claims the Vatican owes him hundreds of billions of euros as a descendant of the Medici family, whose members, centuries earlier, bailed out the church with a sizeable loan guaranteed by the Pledge of Christ. Malone joins church officials on a dangerous search for that rarely issued promissory note. The plot offers few surprises, but series fans are likely to stick it out for the fast-paced, well-oiled action. This may not be top-shelf Berry, but it gets the job done.
