Steve Berry (1) (1955–)
Author of The Templar Legacy
For other authors named Steve Berry, see the disambiguation page.
About the Author
Steve Berry was born in 1955. He is a graduate of Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law. He was a practicing attorney when he started writing in 1990. His first book, The Amber Room, was published in 2003. His other works include The Romanov Prophecy, The Third Secret, The Columbus show more Affair, The Patriot Threat and the Cotton Malone series. He also writes e-book original short stories including The Balkan Escape, The Devil's Gold, and The Admiral's Mark. He and his wife founded History Matters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding the preservation of our heritage. In 2015, The Patriot Threat made The New York Times Best Seller List. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Steve Berry
Three Tales from the World of Cotton Malone: The Balkan Escape, The Devil's Gold, and The Admiral's Mark (Short Stories) (2012) 65 copies, 1 review
The Lost Symbol 1 copy
All 1 copy
Shadow Tag 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Berry, Steve
- Legal name
- Berry, Stephen L.
- Birthdate
- 1955-09-02
- Gender
- male
- Education
- Mercer University (J.D. | 1980)
Valdosta State College (B.A. | 1977) - Occupations
- lawyer
judge
novelist
short story writer - Organizations
- History Matters (Foundation)
International Thrillers Writers (Co-President)
Camden County Board of Commissioners
Court of St. Mary's, Georgia - Awards and honors
- Georgia Writers Association Author of the Year (2005)
- Agent
- Simon Lipskar
- Relationships
- Berry, Elizabeth (wife)
- Short biography
- Married to Elizabeth Berry.Steve Berry (born September 2, 1955) is an American author and former attorney currently living in St. Augustine, Florida. He is a graduate of Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law. He was a trial lawyer for 30 years and held elective office for 14 of those years. He is a founding member of International Thriller Writers—a group of more than 4,200 thriller writers from around the world—and served three years as its co-president.
Berry first appeared in print with his historical thrillers The Amber Room and The Romanov Prophecy in 2003 and 2004. A practicing attorney at the time, Berry had been writing fiction since 1990, and it took him 12 years and 85 rejections before selling a manuscript to Ballantine Books. Berry credits the nuns who taught him in Catholic school with instilling the discipline needed both to craft a novel and to find a publisher.
Berry's novels have been listed on The New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and BookSense bestseller lists. He has more than 25 million books in print, which have been translated into 40 languages and sold in 51 countries.
Berry is among several thriller writers who reside in the northeast Florida area.
In 2012 and 2013, Berry's historic preservation work was recognized by the American Library Association, which named him spokesperson for National Preservation Week. Among his other honors is the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award; the 2013 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award given by Poets & Writers; the 2013 Anne Frank Human Writes Award; and the Silver Bullet, bestowed in 2013 by International Thriller Writers for philanthropic work. He was also appointed by the Smithsonian Board of Regents to serve on the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board to help promote and support libraries in their mission to provide information in all forms to scientists, curators, scholars, students, and the public. A 2010 NPR survey named The Templar Legacy one of the top 100 thrillers ever written. - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Places of residence
- Camden County, Georgia, USA
St. Mary's, Georgia, USA
St. Augustine, Florida, USA - Associated Place (for map)
- Georgia, USA
Members
Discussions
Chat in Book Discussion : The Warsaw Protocol by Steve Berry (January 2025)
Let’s Meet the Author in Book Discussion : The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry (March 2024)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry (March 2024)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Bishop’s Pawn by Steve Berry (May 2023)
Let’s Meet The Author in Book Discussion : The Bishop’s Pawn by Steve Berry (May 2023)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Lost Order by Steve Berry (January 2020)
Let’s Meet... in Book Discussion : The Lost Order by Steve Berry (December 2019)
Let’s meet.... in Book Discussion : The 14th Colony by Steve Berry (May 2019)
Chat in Book Discussion : The 14th Colony by Steve Berry (May 2019)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Patriot Threat by Steve Berry (November 2018)
Meet the Author... in Book Discussion : The Patriot Threat by Steve Berry (November 2018)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry (August 2018)
Meet the Author in Book Discussion : The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry (August 2018)
Chat in Book Discussion : The King’s Deception by Steve Berry (April 2018)
Meet the Author in Book Discussion : The King’s Deception by Steve Berry (April 2018)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry (January 2018)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry (September 2017)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry (May 2017)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry (February 2017)
Chat in Book Discussion : The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry (December 2016)
Pre Group Read Discussion / Chat in Book Discussion : The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry (October 2016)
Reviews
I’ve loved Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone series for years now, but have always been fascinated by Cassiopeia as a character, always wishing that she play major roles in Malone’s stories. So, it’s been wonderful to see the author give her a series of her own.
While The Museum of Mysteries (my last encounter with Cassiopeia) was an okay read, I still wanted more adventures with her and this book didn’t disappoint. I’m always interested to know which historical aspect Berry would show more decide to dive into, so I was not surprised to be immersed into a new religion, the Cathars, which I knew nothing about. While it’s not possible for a newbie reader like me to discern fact from fiction in the story, I’m amazed by how seamless the incorporation of historical elements was in this book. And I was definitely intrigued by this religion which believed in duality (which is also the basis for the Dvaita school of thought in Hindu philosophy though a bit different) because it feels like such an antithesis to the beliefs of Christianity. Reading about the crusades is always painful, but getting to know that people of the same religion fought and slaughtered because of differences in the way they practiced it was even more horrifying. And as informative as the whole thing was, I also thought it worked wonderfully as the backdrop for this novel, and was exactly what I would usually expect from a full length Malone book.
I think the medieval religious historical find worked perfectly for Cassiopeia as well because of her intense respect for historical preservation. This was an adventure that I completely believed she would embark on and I enjoyed following her. She is also a very cool thinker and doesn’t go headlong into confrontations, unlike the heroes we read about in similar spy thrillers. She kept her wits about in every situation and acted at the right moment, only doing what was necessary. I also really liked seeing her as the owner of her family enterprise and how she handles the business, because that’s not a side of her we usually get to see when she is hanging out with Malone. I was also pretty amused by her thoughts about him, remembering his words when finding herself in a bit of a trouble, because he hardly seems to follow those words himself.
In the end, this is a short novella which thoroughly entertained me and I didn’t want it to be over. It also had a pretty abrupt ending and could have done with an epilogue or another chapter. If you have enjoyed the Cotton Malone series by Berry and always wanted to know more about Cassiopeia, then this series is perfect for you. It’s also perfect for fans of books which utilize the trope of archeological/historical mysteries being solved in contemporary settings. It is also possible to be read as a standalone, but I don’t know if the emotional connect will be the same as those of us who have known these characters for many books now. Now my only wish is that the author duo decide to make the next book a bit longer. show less
While The Museum of Mysteries (my last encounter with Cassiopeia) was an okay read, I still wanted more adventures with her and this book didn’t disappoint. I’m always interested to know which historical aspect Berry would show more decide to dive into, so I was not surprised to be immersed into a new religion, the Cathars, which I knew nothing about. While it’s not possible for a newbie reader like me to discern fact from fiction in the story, I’m amazed by how seamless the incorporation of historical elements was in this book. And I was definitely intrigued by this religion which believed in duality (which is also the basis for the Dvaita school of thought in Hindu philosophy though a bit different) because it feels like such an antithesis to the beliefs of Christianity. Reading about the crusades is always painful, but getting to know that people of the same religion fought and slaughtered because of differences in the way they practiced it was even more horrifying. And as informative as the whole thing was, I also thought it worked wonderfully as the backdrop for this novel, and was exactly what I would usually expect from a full length Malone book.
I think the medieval religious historical find worked perfectly for Cassiopeia as well because of her intense respect for historical preservation. This was an adventure that I completely believed she would embark on and I enjoyed following her. She is also a very cool thinker and doesn’t go headlong into confrontations, unlike the heroes we read about in similar spy thrillers. She kept her wits about in every situation and acted at the right moment, only doing what was necessary. I also really liked seeing her as the owner of her family enterprise and how she handles the business, because that’s not a side of her we usually get to see when she is hanging out with Malone. I was also pretty amused by her thoughts about him, remembering his words when finding herself in a bit of a trouble, because he hardly seems to follow those words himself.
In the end, this is a short novella which thoroughly entertained me and I didn’t want it to be over. It also had a pretty abrupt ending and could have done with an epilogue or another chapter. If you have enjoyed the Cotton Malone series by Berry and always wanted to know more about Cassiopeia, then this series is perfect for you. It’s also perfect for fans of books which utilize the trope of archeological/historical mysteries being solved in contemporary settings. It is also possible to be read as a standalone, but I don’t know if the emotional connect will be the same as those of us who have known these characters for many books now. Now my only wish is that the author duo decide to make the next book a bit longer. show less
Having read another book in the Cotton Malone series, and being interested in the Knights Templar and other Medieval organizations, I was really intrigued that there would be discussion of the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights of Malta, and even letters between Churchill and Mussolini. What fun!
Unfortunately, this book was a bit too disjointed. Yes, there was discussion about the structure of the Knights Hospitaller and the mysterious documents case held by Benito Mussolini at the time of show more his death, but the latter sort of fizzled out on Malta and the former was a bit eclipsed by a cast of characters that were in, then out, then trying to be mysteriously involved.
While I can appreciate multiple chapters with multiple points of view, this one jumped from Cotton Malone to Luke to the mysterious Knight to other events, and all those jumps made following the plot just way too hard. So, while I enjoy this genre, I was left without that wonderful conspiracy puzzle that I had expected. show less
Unfortunately, this book was a bit too disjointed. Yes, there was discussion about the structure of the Knights Hospitaller and the mysterious documents case held by Benito Mussolini at the time of show more his death, but the latter sort of fizzled out on Malta and the former was a bit eclipsed by a cast of characters that were in, then out, then trying to be mysteriously involved.
While I can appreciate multiple chapters with multiple points of view, this one jumped from Cotton Malone to Luke to the mysterious Knight to other events, and all those jumps made following the plot just way too hard. So, while I enjoy this genre, I was left without that wonderful conspiracy puzzle that I had expected. show less
Cotton Malone has retired from his government job and opened a book shop in Copenhagen. When his former boss (not a field agent) seems to be getting herself embroiled in intrigue, he involves himself, rescuing her from danger, but putting himself in the line of fire. Stephanie Nelle's late husband was investigating, and wrote a popular novel about, an area in France that may hold clues to the lost Templar treasure. The Templars themselves, in hiding for centuries, are also on the trail of show more the treasure and will stop at nothing to gain access to Lars Nelle's diary and other clues he's uncovered, putting Stephanie and Cotton on the run to figure out the mystery and avoid getting themselves killed.
Berry very helpfully includes information at the end of the narrative that sorts historical facts from what he's just made up for the book. This was helpful because I feel like I learned so much about the history of the Templars and this region in France, so it was good to know what to believe and what to dismiss as Berry's fictions.
The tale was fascinating, suspenseful and informative with great action sequences as well as character development. None of the historical information felt like unnecessary exposition and none of it was shoveled into the narrative in an awkward way. Berry also kept me guessing as to who was friend or foe as they related to our main characters. Steve Berry is the author Dan Brown wishes he could be and I very much recommend this work. show less
Berry very helpfully includes information at the end of the narrative that sorts historical facts from what he's just made up for the book. This was helpful because I feel like I learned so much about the history of the Templars and this region in France, so it was good to know what to believe and what to dismiss as Berry's fictions.
The tale was fascinating, suspenseful and informative with great action sequences as well as character development. None of the historical information felt like unnecessary exposition and none of it was shoveled into the narrative in an awkward way. Berry also kept me guessing as to who was friend or foe as they related to our main characters. Steve Berry is the author Dan Brown wishes he could be and I very much recommend this work. show less
Steve Berry does it all right in The Charlemagne Pursuit. He starts right, in the pulse-pounding submarine accident that triggers the action in the book; he ends right, with late-night antics about to begin; he keeps his story moving at a fast clip in between, with love, murder, betrayal, revenge, more betrayal, hate, then love again.
It's a pleasure to give yourself over to a plot-drive thrill ride of a book at least four or five times a year. I couldn't make a diet of them myself, because show more they take so much out of me. At least the good ones do, and this is very much a good one. Cotton Malone, our main character, is a man with a bitter past: A lost father, a failed marriage, a career he sacrificed what he now knows is too much to keep. His emotional landscape is a frozen tundra, or so he wants to believe, and he works hard to sustain that fantasy for more than half this book. Why, then, is it such a pleasure to read his adventures? Because Cotton Malone's chill is real, ladies and gents; because we're clued in to his brokenness and not required to experience it with him as it happens, but asked to believe it happened as it's told, most current readers and reviewers seem to be dismissive of the character's reality.
This is puzzling. Cotton Malone develops as a rounded and complex character during the course of this novel. The knock on thrillers is that the characters are simply cut-outs that move through the paces the author has designed for your entertainment, and I have certainly read my share of thrillers that fit this description. The Charlemagne Pursuit is not one of them, and neither was The Venetian Betrayal. Steve Berry writes a whacking good story, and he tells it through the actions of well-drawn characters. His villains are motivated by things that make sense in their world, his heroes are likewise people whose reasons to do what they're doing are consistent with the story we're told about them; if readers are not satisfied by the author's technique, I suggest that the fault could easily be said to reside in them, not in Mr. Berry's writing.
This is a very satisfying read, and Cotton Malone makes my list of people I'm glad I met in 2008. show less
It's a pleasure to give yourself over to a plot-drive thrill ride of a book at least four or five times a year. I couldn't make a diet of them myself, because show more they take so much out of me. At least the good ones do, and this is very much a good one. Cotton Malone, our main character, is a man with a bitter past: A lost father, a failed marriage, a career he sacrificed what he now knows is too much to keep. His emotional landscape is a frozen tundra, or so he wants to believe, and he works hard to sustain that fantasy for more than half this book. Why, then, is it such a pleasure to read his adventures? Because Cotton Malone's chill is real, ladies and gents; because we're clued in to his brokenness and not required to experience it with him as it happens, but asked to believe it happened as it's told, most current readers and reviewers seem to be dismissive of the character's reality.
This is puzzling. Cotton Malone develops as a rounded and complex character during the course of this novel. The knock on thrillers is that the characters are simply cut-outs that move through the paces the author has designed for your entertainment, and I have certainly read my share of thrillers that fit this description. The Charlemagne Pursuit is not one of them, and neither was The Venetian Betrayal. Steve Berry writes a whacking good story, and he tells it through the actions of well-drawn characters. His villains are motivated by things that make sense in their world, his heroes are likewise people whose reasons to do what they're doing are consistent with the story we're told about them; if readers are not satisfied by the author's technique, I suggest that the fault could easily be said to reside in them, not in Mr. Berry's writing.
This is a very satisfying read, and Cotton Malone makes my list of people I'm glad I met in 2008. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.Lists
al.vick-series (1)
TDCD BOOK LIST (1)
Awards
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Statistics
- Works
- 61
- Also by
- 16
- Members
- 35,482
- Popularity
- #531
- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 1,198
- ISBNs
- 995
- Languages
- 23
- Favorited
- 84
