Eight stars
Steve Berry returns with another stellar Cotton Malone novel that is sure to keep the reader hooked throughout. The story, touching on historical events and modern-day tech, provides a great deal of action and education for the receptive reader. Looking at a cache of hidden gold the Japanese left buried at the end of the Second World War and a plan to push bitcoin into the mainstream financial conversation, Berry provides a brilliant bit of storytelling that will have series fans quite impressed.
In the waning days of World War II, the Japanese Military needed a place to hide their plundered gold in the Philippines. The mystery, known as Yamashita's Gold, has left many trying to uncover its location, with only a portion ever having seen the light of day. That said, the United States secretly procured a sizeable portion of the stash and has left it in European banks, away from the public eye. Calling this cache the Black Eagle Trust, the money has apparently helped keep communism from rising for decades.
As former Magellan Billet agent, Cotton Malone, find himself in Switzerland to help a friend, he is caught in the middle of a battle between American Intelligence and one of the world's oldest banks, nestled in the heart of Luxembourg. The central issues remains the Black Eagle Trust's secrecy and the fallout of how the world will react when the truth is revealed. It is soon apparent that a woman from Cotton's past, Kelly Austin, is at the centre of the struggle, whose sudden reemergence with explosive secrets could shift things significantly and leave a trail of destruction in her wake.
With the rise of bitcoin's popularity, the cryptocurrency proves to be more a weapon than a reasonable form of alternative currency accumulation and trading. Some eye it as the future of currency and a means of trading for goods, though its finite nature makes that less appealing. However, Cotton soon learns that the cryptocurrency has some inherent issues and could prove explosive should its lies become too readily accepted. Working with Kelly, who holds other secrets that could cripple him, Cotton will span the globe to dismiss the bitcoin wave as a means of protecting world economic stability. With a group seeking to find the Japanese gold treasures and using bitcoin to control other secrets, Cotton and those closest to him will have to make a play to neutralise it all before the world falls into a pit from which it cannot find a way out. The Atlas Maneuver is only the beginning of the trouble, but Cotton is not yet ready to give up. Berry delivers a stunning story for all readers to enjoy with ease.
There is nothing like reading a novel by an author you respect, knowing that it is a gem, no matter the topic. Steve Berry is once such author for me, able to educate and entertain me with each twist of the plot. The narrative begins quickly and keeps gaining momentum as the story gets more intense. There is nothing impeding the story's progress with strong chapters and characters who flavour things with each bit discovered about them. Berry offers some intriguing backstory on his protagonist, sure to spice things up and shock series fans. I have high hopes for Cotton Malone.
The plot of this piece balances two time periods, as well as a number of impactful events. The story relies on these aspects, leaving the reader hanging onto Berry's every word. The twists that emerge prove fruitful and help push things along, allowing Berry to mix fact and fiction in his superior writing style. I always learn so much from Steve Berry and can only hope Cotton will emerge once more from his Copenhagen book shop!
Kudos, Mr Berry, for another stunning addition to the Cotton Malone series.
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