The Venetian Betrayal

The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry
Cotton Malone series Book # 3
4★'s

From The Book:
n 323 B.C.E, having conquered Persia, Alexander the Great set his sights on Arabia, then suddenly succumbed to a strange fever. Locating his final resting place–unknown to this day–remains a tantalizing goal for both archaeologists and treasure hunters. Now the quest for this coveted prize is about to heat up. And Cotton Malone–former U.S. Justice Department agent turned rare-book dealer–will be drawn into an intense geopolitical chess game.

After narrowly escaping incineration in a devastating fire that consumes a Danish museum, Cotton learns from his friend, the beguiling adventurer Cassiopeia Vitt, that the blaze was neither an accident nor show more an isolated incident. As part of campaign of arson intended to mask a far more diabolical design, buildings across Europe are being devoured by infernos of unnatural strength.

And from the ashes of the U.S.S.R., a new nation has arisen: Former Soviet republics have consolidated into the Central Asian Federation. At its helm is Supreme Minister Irina Zovastina, a cunning despot with a talent for politics, a taste for blood sport, and the single-minded desire to surpass Alexander the Great as history’s ultimate conqueror.

Backed by a secret cabal of power-brokers, the Federation has amassed a harrowing arsenal of biological weapons. Equipped with the hellish power to decimate other nations at will, only one thing keeps Zovastina from setting in motion her death march of domination: a miraculous healing serum, kept secret by an ancient puzzle and buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great–in a tomb lost to the ages for more than 1,500 years.

Together, Cotton and Cassiopeia must outrun and out think the forces allied against them. Their perilous quest will take them to the shores of Denmark, deep into the venerated monuments of Venice, and finally high inside the desolate Pamir mountains of Central Asia to unravel a riddle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people–depending on who finds the lost tomb first.

My Thoughts:
Anyone that is a history fan will surely find that this series is well worth your time to pursue. Steve Berry admits that he does take literary license with some of the facts but for the most part he does well planned research and stays as close to actual historical recollection as the story line allows.

The twists and turns in this book are truly amazing. I will have to confess that following the plot line from one place to another sometimes became truly exhausting. Also there is so much going on that it makes it nearly impossible for the reader to possibly solve the riddle. The characters however are extremely interesting and very diversified in personality. Overall it was a very good read but I believe I was more interested in the previous two books dealing with The Templar treasure and the lost library of Alexandria. show less

I just finished The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry. This is the perfect audiobook when you want a thriller that is fun and exciting with a bit of background history thrown in. A great listen with Scott Brick as the narrator. The book travels all over Europe and Asia and features characters from Russia (can't have a spy novel without a Russian!), the U.S. and Europe. Brick does a fantastic job with the Russian accents. But I think what really made me enjoy this book is one of the main characters, Cotton Malone. A former CIA operative, he lives in Denmark where he owns a bookstore. Wouldn't it be so much more exciting if instead of being high tech refugees, Ann, Lilly, and I were former spies? Of course part of why he is so effective show more catching the bad guys is all of the history and culture that he has acquired as a bookstore owner. The story is filled with lots of interesting tidbits about Alexander the Great. It makes me want to start reading more about ancient Greece...after I become fluent in Russian with Pimsleur Russian... show less

From Amazon:

In 323 B.C.E, having conquered Persia, Alexander the Great set his sights on Arabia, then suddenly succumbed to a strange fever. Locating his final resting place–unknown to this day–remains a tantalizing goal for both archaeologists and treasure hunters. Now the quest for this coveted prize is about to heat up. And Cotton Malone–former U.S. Justice Department agent turned rare-book dealer–will be drawn into an intense geopolitical chess game.

After narrowly escaping incineration in a devastating fire that consumes a Danish museum, Cotton learns from his friend, the beguiling adventurer Cassiopeia Vitt, that the blaze was neither an accident nor an isolated incident. As part of campaign of arson intended to mask a far show more more diabolical design, buildings across Europe are being devoured by infernos of unnatural strength. And from the ashes of the U.S.S.R., a new nation has arisen: Former Soviet republics have consolidated into the Central Asian Federation. At its helm is Supreme Minister Irina Zovastina, a cunning despot with a talent for politics, a taste for blood sport, and the single-minded desire to surpass Alexander the Great as history’s ultimate conqueror.
Backed by a secret cabal of powerbrokers, the Federation has amassed a harrowing arsenal of biological weapons. Equipped with the hellish power to decimate other nations at will, only one thing keeps Zovastina from setting in motion her death march of domination: a miraculous healing serum, kept secret by an ancient puzzle and buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great–in a tomb lost to the ages for more than 1,500 years. Together, Cotton and Cassiopeia must outrun and out think the forces allied against them. Their perilous quest will take them to the shores of Denmark, deep into the venerated monuments of Venice, and finally high inside the desolate Pamir mountains of Central Asia to unravel a riddle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people.

My Thoughts:

Steve Berry's characters make things happen. The action is continuing and you continually want to read another chapter. Is the history always authentic? No. Berry's real talent is finding "holes" in the authentic history and filling them with stories about what "could have" or "might have" been, or what didn't happen. Readers will need to read his novels reminding themselves that it's fiction and it's a well told story. The possibilities that history presents enables the author to weave into your mind the possibilities that there might still be some unsolved mysteries from our ancient past which remain to be solved. 4 stars. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed the feel of this book, and as usual Steve Berry's writing style. The book is centred around Alexander the Great's history, and particularly his death and the location of his body - this was a very interesting facet of the book and left me wanting to find more out about Alexander. Within the modern day context we have Irina Zovastina, Supreme Minster of the Central Asian Federation, who has dreams of Empire Building. What can this have to do with Alexander's body and the chemists Irina has working for her? Amongst all this mix we have Cotton Malone and Henrik Thorvaldsen helping Cassiopeia avenge the death of her friend and treasure hunters searching for medallions and destroying museums by fire as they go.

This is show more quite an epic adventure taking place across Europe and Asia, with sub-plots aplenty. It does keep you wanting to read on and find out what the next twist is, and there are plenty. I have to say Steve Berry pulled out a few surprises on this one that I didn't see coming. It was also good to have a book where us mere mortal readers had a chance of solving the clues, it always gets you more involved in the book. I really enjoyed this book and the only thing that let it down for me was a few inconsistencies in a couple of the characters, and the ending which I felt stretched credibility a bit too much. That said though I can't wait to launch onto the next book in the series as I do love Steve Berry's writing, plotting and the incorporation of historical facts within the book. show less

This action styled mystery starts out in 323 B.C.E, with Alexander the Great dying from a mysterious fever. Fast forward to present day and the Central Asian Federation, ruled by it's ambitious Supreme Minister, Irina Zovastina. She rules with a totalitarian twist and plans to release a deadly virus in surrounding countries that only she will be able to cure. Cotton Malone, a former U.S. Justice Department agent is contacted by Cassiopeia Vitt and Henrik Thorvaldson, and becomes drawn into the plan to keep Zovastina from releasing her poison. Of course, this will involve solving a riddle found on eight legendary medallions commemorating Alexander's conquest and finding the lost Tomb of Alexander the Great.

The characters are interesting show more and often trade witticisms back and forth during the battles they engage in. I did like the way each book, and I've only read three, start to fill out each character with some backstory. In the last book, the Alexandria Link, it concentrated on Cotton and in this book we get some additional layers to Cassiopeia Vitt. Vitt is an especially compelling female character who embodies that mysterious woman who is intelligent and can be counted on in a tight spot. The twists and turns in this book were amazing. If you like action and international thrillers, give him a try. show less

A professor from my university recommended this book to me because he knew that I based my research around Hephaestion and Alexander the Great. I was hesitant at the recommendation at first because for some reason whenever someone fictionalizes Alex... it's rather embarrassing. Yet, hardly ever does an author mention Hephaestion, let alone the relationship of the two, so out of love I decided to try it out. I accepted his copy to borrow and brought it with me when we went to Egypt. I have to admit that I am impressed. The short chapters kept the story flowing quickly, and while the story and its relation to Alex was...unlikely, it was catchy and I could choose to not let it interfere. I think I will follow Cotton into another show more adventure.

P.S. - Beginning with the execution of the doctor was awesome ;) show less

Ik had nog nooit van Steve Berry gehoord en thrillers lees ik ook al niet vaak. Ik zag Het Venetiaans Bedrog op het boekenfestijn in Kortrijk (april 2013) en na het lezen van de tekst op de achterkant vond ik het interessant genoeg om het boek te kopen.

Thuis ontdekte ik dan dat het deel uitmaakt van een reeks (Cotton Malone als terugkerend hoofdpersonage), maar gelukkig staat elk boek op zich. Hoewel het wellicht helpt om de voorgaande boeken in de reeks te lezen om wat achtergrond te hebben over de andere personages die Malone bijstaan en waarmee hij de avonturen beleeft.

Het feit dat Steve Berry historische feiten met fictie vermengt, maakt het lezen des te aangenamer. Het is weliswaar geen historische fictie, want het speelt zich af show more in moderne tijden. Dus geen verhalen à la Bernard Cornwell, waarbij het verleden wel degelijk het decor is.

In Het Venetiaans Bedrog wordt de geschiedenis van Alexander De Grote aangehaald in combinatie met een middel om hiv en vooral aids aan te pakken. Daarbij speelt de grootheidswaanzin van een minister-president een rol om, zoals Alexander De Grote, de wereld te veroveren (d.m.v. biologische oorlogsvoering - dus met bacillen e.d.), maar in de omgekeerde richting (oost naar west). Maar de Amerikaanse overheid heeft het in de mot en vindt het niet zuiver. En zo wordt Malone (ex-medewerker van Justitie) weer "opgeroepen" en dient hij z'n boekenwinkel in Kopenhagen nogmaals voor geruime tijd achter te laten.

Het verhaal terzijde, moet ik zeggen dat het boek heel vlot geschreven is en Steve Berry wel de spanning weet erin te houden. Maar het helpt natuurlijk ook als de vertaler z'n werk correct doet en Hugo Kuipers heeft m.i. uitstekend werk verricht. In tegenstelling tot bijv. de boeken van Alex Kava is de vertaling/het Nederlands van iets hoger niveau. Ook leuk is hoe op het einde Steve Berry, zoals Bernard Cornwell in zijn boeken doet, uitlegt wat er waarheidsgetrouw is en wat er fictief is.

Of Steve Berry steeds hetzelfde patroon gebruikt in zijn boeken, of ten minste in de Cotton Malone-reeks, weet ik niet, maar na het lezen van Het Venetiaans Bedrog (deel 3 in de reeks) heb ik wel zin in meer, ofte de rest van de reeks? Wie weet.

In ieder geval, een aanrader, wat mij betreft. show less