The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power over kings and popes . . . until the Inquisition, when they were wiped from the face of the earth, their hidden riches lost. But now two forces vying for the treasure have learned that it is not at all what they thought it was–and its true nature could change the modern world. Cotton Malone, one-time top … Malone, one-time top operative for the U.S. Justice Department, is enjoying his quiet new life as an antiquarian book dealer in Copenhagen when an unexpected call to action reawakens his hair-trigger instincts–and plunges him back into the cloak-and-dagger world he thought he’d left behind.
It begins with a violent robbery attempt on Cotton’s former supervisor, Stephanie Nelle, who’ s far from home on a mission that has nothing to do with national security. Armed with vital clues to a series of centuries-old puzzles scattered across Europe, she means to crack a mystery that has tantalized scholars and fortune-hunters through the ages by finding the legendary cache of wealth and forbidden knowledge thought to have been lost forever when the order of the Knights Templar was exterminated in the fourteenth century. But she’s not alone. Competing for the historic prize– and desperate for the crucial information Stephanie possesses–is Raymond de Roquefort, a shadowy zealot with an army of assassins at his command.
Welcome or not, Cotton seeks to even the odds in the perilous race. But the more he learns about the ancient conspiracy surrounding the Knights Templar, the more he realizes that even more than lives are at stake. At the end of a lethal game of conquest, rife with intrigue, treachery, and craven lust for power, lies a shattering discovery that could rock the civilized world–and, in the wrong hands, bring it to its knees.
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Steve Berry’s The King’s Deception and a Cotton Malone dossier.
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Steve Berry never fails to draw me into his story and keeps me entertained until the last word!
Steve Berry is always a super read
Boring
great book
Loved every minute of reading this book!
Steve Berry does a great job combining history with adventure!
Surprise ending. A lot of folks miss it.
I enjoyed this a lot. An easy compelling read for those who like Dan Brown.
Mr. Berry goes from historical events and moves into current mysteries. great reads.
I have read all of his books and enjoy them all. Fast paced and can’t put down books
Good book, Steve Berry usually has good book. This one I would recommend.
I gave up
Great thinking book
got a bit bogged down in places, but overall a good read.
Extremely well researched as are all of Steve Berry’s books
Steve Berry never disappoints! Each one is unique and a fun read.
A great debut. Read it in one sitting!
Very disappointed that he trashed the entire Christian faith.
great read and information is educational
Any book by Steve Berry is worth the read!