THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL—Steve Berry—An intriguing series of plots and sub-plots starring Berry’s hero, Cotton Malone, bookseller and former U.S. agent, Cassiopeia Vitt and super-wealthy Henrik Thorvaldsen pursue Irina Zovastina Supreme Minister of the Central Asian Federation. Zovastina idolizes Alexander the Great and plans to build an even larger empire moving from West to East. Use of biological weapons is in her plans through her association with the Venetian Council and it’s greedy and duplicitous leader, Enrico Vincenti.
Further, Zovastina seaches for the Tomb of Alexander and the elixir there which will help her in her quest. Not Berry’s best story, but very readable. Somehow the book keeps pushing, trying to do too much. [Ah, and the editing leaves something to be desired; people were “actually murdered” and the heroes climbed ‘inclining up’, and choices had to be made “between the three of us” or a “statement from both he and Cassiopeia”—all eyestoppers]. Yet, still a very readable story, but not one of his best.