The Columbus Affair

It's been seven years since Steve Berry last did a standalone book. Was this as good as a Cotton Malone book? Well I have to say no to that. I really enjoy the Malone series and at times this felt like a weaker version. But once I got pass the idea of no Malone I started enjoying this a lot more.

A two-fold adventure one storyline centers on Jamaican Bené Rowe who is searching for a hidden mine to help out his people, the other on US ex-journalist Tom Sagan who is pulled into a web of conspiracy due to his estranged father.

This is a Steve Berry novel so it's full of ancient conspiracies, myths and legends. This time it is based around Christopher Columbus and the "real" reason for his voyages of discovery. Compared to his other books though this one is fairly toned down. There's a lot less action (that's what happens when you replace a super-spy with a journalist), and a lot less travel. Though the settings in Jamaica sounded great. I would like to visit there one day.

Overall this wasn't up to the same level of the Malone books. It was enjoyable though and I can understand Berry wanting to take a break. Can't wait for him to return to what he does best though. ( )

Another story of who and why Christopher Columbus explored the seas. Journalist Tom Sagan having committed fraud in his war-torn region now finds himself looking the answer to a 500 year old secret. His estranged daughter
works against him under the impressed he doesn't love her. One of Berry's best ( )

The Columbus Affair is a little different than his previous books in that it is not a thriller. I would categorize it as a treasure hunt mystery. I enjoyed it just the same and was glad that it read slow because I could savor it as I was reading. Alot of times when I am reading a thriller, I read it in one sitting and then am depressed that I have finished it because I want the story to go on. Here is the book description from the front cover blurb:

"Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Tom Sagan has written hard-hitting articles from hot spots around the world. But when a controversial report from a war-torn region is exposed as a fraud, his professional reputation crashes and burns. Now he lives in virtual exile - haunted by gad decisions and the shocking truth he can never prove: that his downfall was a deliverate act of sabotage by an unknown enemy. But before Sagan can end his torment with the sqeeze of a trigger, fate intervenes in the form of an enigmatic stranger with a request that cannot be ignored.

Zachariah Simon has the look of a scholar, the soul of a scoundrel, and the zeal of a fanatic. He also has Tom Sagan's estranged daughter at his mercy. Simon desperately wants somethng only Sagan can supply: the key to a 500 year old mystery, a treasure with explosive political significance in the modern world. For both Simon and Sagan the stakes are high, the goal intensely personal, the consequences of opposing either man potentially catastrophic. On a perilous quest from Florida to Vienna to Prague and finally to the mountains of Jamaica, the two men square off in a dangerous game. Along the way, both of their lives will be altered-and everything we knopw about Christopher Columbus will change."

I loved this book. It took me a week to read it because it is slowly paced. The historical questions about Christopher Columbus are intriguing and make me want to read more about him. Berry took liberties with the Christopher Columbus story but explained at the end what was fact and what was fiction. I highly recommend The Columbus Affair to mystery lovers. ( )

I liked this book. The author presented a different reason as to why Columbusmat have decided to travel to the West and ultimately discover Jamaica. I know that it is all conjecture on the author's part but, raises an interesting theory. The one thing that I didn't like was the constant telling of history to the introduction of a new person or place. It was especially aggrevating when it happened during an exciting part of the story. The reader felt like yelling, "forget the history lesson and get back to the story!" ( )

I have always enjoyed Berry's book - light - easy reads - kind of a quick but interesting ride - mostly based on historical fact. This book is not up to the level of his others. I was never able to connect with the story or the characters. I hope he gets back to his previous level of quality and excitement. ( )