- Hardcover: 473 pages
- Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1 edition (11 Dec 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0345485777
- ISBN-13: 978-0345485779
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.7 x 4.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 919,053 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
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 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 outthink 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.
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 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 outthink 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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Malone adventure,
By
This review is from: Venetian Betrayal (Hardcover)
Another historical adventure thriller with Cotton Malone and Cassiopia Vitt. The factual discrepency on the whereabouts of the embalded body of Alexander the Great is mixed in with a fictional theory that he had unearthed a healing potion that can cure most diseases/ viruses. Now in the 21st century Central Asia has consolidated under a new despot with an infactuation on finding Alexander, as too is a Pharmaceutical giant for the formula as a cure for HIV. Rare book seller, Cotton gets involved tracing the clues left by Ptolemey, and we get all the staple action from Berry in Venice and large parts of Central Asia (Uzbek, Kyzak). Overall I preferred the earlier books as I found this dragged a bit and the story line took too many liberties that seemed too incredulous. Having said this, if like me, you are a fan of Malone's adventures, it is a must- read!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
top notch - Steve Berry simply does not disappoint his reader,
By
This review is from: Venetian Betrayal (Hardcover)
I have to admit that Steve Berry is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. He just does not disappoint his readers.No. 6 in the Cotton Malone mysteries is not exception. As in the previous five novels Steve Berry offers the reader a fast moving plot linking present and past. It is a gripping plot from page No. 1 onwards. The plot is slightly weird and amusing: if one puts it very short: a power hungry dyke and head of state who fancied herself as the new Alexander the Great goes for world domination and an HIV cure to save her estranged and HIV infected lover. At the same time an equally power hungry financial cartel tries to dominate the world markets. All before the background of a new super power in Asia. There is enough background to make it not too unrealistic while at the same time keeps it clearly in the realm of a novel. The chapters are short and easy to read and one simply wants to know what happens next. The main characters are the same as in books 1 to 5 and they develop further, becoming rounder and more human. It is not the so often lovingly portrait US vision of the (male) hero saving all on his own the world. Here it is a team, male and female, strong, but weak as well who fight the evil. But Steve Berry writes in such a way that one does not need to have read the first five novels in order to understand these characters. This novel is sequence but stands as well alone and makes perfect sense. All in all, I just loved to be entertained by Steve Berry's writing: top notch. I am looking forward to his next novel.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fast and Furious,
By
This review is from: Venetian Betrayal (Hardcover)
Steve Berry lives on the Georgia coast in Camden County. He's a lawyer who, for twenty-five years, has helped people both in and out of the courtroom.The Venetian Betrayal is not the first book to use as its storyline a race to find the long lost tomb of Alexander the Great and it certainly won't be the last. The Alexander Cipher by will Adams, recently published was a book along the same broad outline and was extremely readable. Steve Berry's offering is just as readable and for those familiar with some of his other books, Cotton Malone will seem like a long lost friend. Steve Berry got his main characters ironed out several books ago. Cotton Malone, one time US Justice Department agent turned rare book dealer just does not seem able to shake off the ties of his former job nd is constantly being drawn into things he would prefer to steer clear of, either by circumstances or his old associates. This book as I said at the start is a race by Cotton Malone and an old friend Cassiopeia Vitt, who has helped Malone out of a tight squeeze on more than one occasion. They travel across Europe on through Denmark following a trail of fire. caused by an arsonist who is causing infernos of frightening ferocity to buildings across Europe. The pair reach Venice but still have a long way to travel to the mountains of Central Asia. There quest is to find the lost tomb of Alexander the Great. Why? Well that would be giving too much away. Suffice to say that they are not the only people searching for the tomb and the other ones don't fight fair. Steve Berry fans will love this book as it re-introduces them to characters that seem like old friends. For those who haven't read his books, give this one a try. Maybe you will start looking for other books by this author.
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