THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT by Steve Berry
In his seventh novel author Steve Berry finally reveals the details of Cotton Malone’s father’s death. Malone has been the central focus of all of Berry’s stories and his father’s untimely demise has been haunting Cotton for years. Getting to the bottom of this mystery is the crucial plot point of Berry’s new book THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT.
Forest Malone, Cotton’s father, was on a mission to Antarctica when he was killed. Cotton was only ten years old at the time but he remembers vividly the impact his father’s death had on his mother and also on the way Cotton’s life progressed. Now many years later the desire to know all the facts behind his father’s death is becoming an obsession with Cotton.
The secret to this knowledge appears to rest with twin sisters living in Europe. Dorothea Lindauer and Christl Falk indicate to Cotton that they have information which he needs, but it is difficult to locate and they need help. Cotton throws himself into helping them even though the people who don’t want this mystery solved are trying to kill him.
In a related plot Cotton’s boss Stephanie Nelle is pursuing a man she thinks is behind several murders. He is Commander Logan Ramsey and he wants to be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and will do anything to obtain this position. Stephanie is joined by Edwin Davis, a member of the President’s staff, in this pursuit.
As the book progresses Berry reveals how these two plot issues are related. He even throws in a third plot which follows the trail of Ramsey’s hired guns. They do Ramsey’s biddings whether it be action against Cotton or action against various people who get in Ramsey’s way.
One story thread takes place in Europe, another in Washington, DC and a third in the southern part of the United States. Berry balances all this and gives details of the surroundings. The man can describe a city or a place with amazing precision.
Berry gets better with each book, offering more excitement and more adventure. THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT is chock full of suspense and danger. With three locales from which to draw, Berry can end each section with a cliff hanger and move to another area to keep the reader guessing.
How much of the information in Berry’s book is fact and what is fiction is anybody’s guess but it all reads like it is totally true. At least I bought it all. And when you throw in a cast of characters who are fascinating to meet you get a book that has to be read.
Steve Berry is a genius at taking a concept and making it read like truth. He has done it before and he does it again in THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT. Therefore this book should follow his others to the best seller lists.
THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT is published by Ballantine Books. It contains 509 pages and sells for $26.00.