Definitely the worst of the series. No real plot twist and Cotton doesn’t even have to think to get through this one. Seems all authors of this genre have a bone to pick with the former president and this just seems cheap compared to the rest of the novels. I may read the next one but this was so much different than all the rest it makes me wonder if the author even wrote this one. I guess after enough novels in a series this is inevitable, see Allon and Reacher for similar examples of poor writing late in the series. I love the history and puzzle solving in this series and this seemed a sophomoric representation of whet the series represents to me.

Great historical information tied neatly into intrigue and excitement.

and overly tedious history lesson surrounding a weak, predictable story.

This is the last Steve Berry book I will ever read. It is so blatantly anti-Trump. He uses every Trump hating stereotype. I almost never quit a book in the middle, but I did this one.

One of the best Cotton Malone books to date. The characters are well-developed & intriguing.

Of the 15 Berry novels that I have read, this is the weakest. The plotline was just boring and could almost predict what was going to happen on a scene by scene basis. The less than obvious references to the 45th president were a lazy indulgence. I am in for one more novel, but if it is like this one, it’s time to find a new author.

Of the fifteen Cotton Malone novels this effort is by far the weakest. It was a chore just getting to the end of the book. Couple that with the author’s obvious and poorly hidden dislike of the 45th American president and my advice is to save time and skip the book. Hopefully Berry’s next effort will be better and he’ll leave out his personal political feelings.

Another standard recipe for Steve Berry and Cotton Malone—but this time introducing readers to Bruges and key historical sites in Poland. Enjoy learning some historical information on international locations—but why not introduce or talk at all about the Palace of Culture in central Warsaw? That seems ripe for some cool spy angle... All in all, a good 3-day read!

Berry’s cartoonish Trumpian president detracts from what could have been an interesting story. The underlying premise is also a wee bit far fetched as all movements (Solidarity in this case) all have their broken eggs to make the omelette. These eggs hardly seem worth killing over. While I want to cheer for the good guy, this story lacks any.

Terrible, I have enjoyed all the Cotton Malone books, but this book is awful.