Berry’s writing is so interesting and effective because he focuses on an historic event where there is much conjecture with few definitive answers. In this case; What really happened in the Fürherbunker at the end of WWII ? Capitalizing on the current expansion of “The New Right” worldwide Steve Berry brings the theme to Germany and sets it amidst a heated election.

The candidates each think they have the goods to take the other down. Each is fierce in their political beliefs and each has formidable political allies. But there is more involved than either of them knows. This is a Cotton Malone installment, so he is front and center along with his girlfriend, Cassiopeia Vitt and the former U.S. President, Danny Daniels, has more than a passing part. There is a whole cast of good guys, bad guys and some in between but they keep shifting and you are kept wondering who can be trusted. Each thinks they know everything to find out they know nothing. There is bloodshed, ruthless people who pray to the Gods of Power and Money without having any idea of what is at stake. So much of the book was based on distraction, illusion, half told truths, lies and fanaticism that it was almost too much to attempt to figure out who was losing or winning . Politicians flaying each other because of their unshakeable belief that their ideals, visions and morals are sacrosanct .

So much was based on Hitler’s mantra: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe.” Scary, could it be happening again? Impossible to say more without spoiling the reveal.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Publishing and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Cotton Malone. It's no secret. I have followed this series for years, give it consistently high ratings, and buy a hardcover copy of every entry for display on my bookshelves religiously.

Alas, it was inevitable that eventually, one would come that I didn't love. This novel deals heavily with the conservative and far right movement taking over through the use of propaganda and misinformation, specifically in the nation of Germany - a country with a notorious history involving the far right and the damage that it can do to the world. Sadly, while this would normally intrigue me, the similarities in the fictional German election in this novel and the last four years of conservative politics in the US were too much for me. It felt all too similar and all too real. That made it harder to read, for me at least, because my anxiety and disgust with a huge chunk of people in our nation who could support and vote for a monster were all overwhelming feelings.

In addition to this, there was one thing I absolutely despise in books/movies/tv shows (the unnecessary death of a beloved animal/pet), and I also was appalled at the ending to this novel, what Cotton essentially condones and participates in. It bothered me deeply.

All in all, I would probably give this book around 2.5 stars. Because I have faith that the author will redeem himself in the next book, I can round that up to 3 stars... but it does mean I'm going into the next installment with a wary and guarded attitude.

Whenever someone says that they enjoy Dan Brown or Tom Clancy, I’ll ask them if they’ve read Steve Berry… and I get so happy when they say they haven’t because I know they are really going to enjoy the Cotton Malone series.
Berry always does a fantastic job incorporating true historical events and facts into his fiction, and I always read his extra bit at the end where he tells you what is all true.

The Kaiser’s Web takes a look at Hitler and WWII which happens to be very timely subject matter for the United States. It made some of the recent events in our government even more interesting to think about after reading book 16 in the Cotton Malone series.

While I still really enjoyed The Kaiser’s Web and it does have the great twist at the end that I have come to look forward to, it seemed to me that this one wasn’t quite as good as previous ones. Now Do Not let this stop you from reading it because it’s still very good, but the thing that I thought was not as enjoyable throughout a lot of the book was that you already knew who all the players were. In previous books there would be big surprises in regards to various characters turning out bad (or good) that I didn’t see coming. But this one had no surprises in that regard.
And this is just a teeny tiny thing, but it really stuck out to me. A previous book had a very intense scene with a bear and Berry has an animal scene again which just didn’t have the impact and felt a bit recycled.

But these are just my observations, and I still think fans of the series will still enjoy it. If you are new to the series you should start with book one, The Templar Legacy.

This was gripping from start to finish. Berry is always on the cutting end of ripped-from-headlines + conceivable reality+ historical basis. This was such a well paced, well researched book and the plot twist just about had me picking my jaw up off the floor. The global impacts of WWII weren't unfamiliar to me, but to actually be in some of those places reading how WWII and post-WWII actions shaped various countries and communities was really fascinating. At the time I read this, the US 2020 election hadn't been called yet (do not read a book about political futures during a very unsettled political time in your own country, I cannot stress this enough) and seeing how possible this whole election process in Germany played out was riveting. Malone has always been such a fascinating character and this time was no different. I was fascinated by the tantalizing possibility of "what if Eva Braun DID survive?" and how that could impact world events down the road. As always, the sheer amount of history and research that goes into each of Berry's books is evident in how well the whole thing is written. I loved this one, and I'm already impatient for the next installment.

In typical Steve Berry style he skillfully blends current events with history and takes his readers on a journey where fact and fiction are so well blended together that it's hard to imagine where one ends and the other begins. German elections are approaching and for the first time the German chancellor is threatened by a political rival who if her sources are correct may have have more than surface leanings to the German right wing movement.
Cotton and Cassiopeia are on the hunt at the behest of the ex-president of the United States and the chancellor to track down the clues and get to the truth behind the story. What they uncover is so explosive that things will never be the same again but along the way they battle with constant danger and death as they race against time and travel between South America, Africa and Europe following all those clues from the fall of the third Reich and displaced Nazi's who escaped in the aftermath of the events in Hitler's bunker.
For some reason I found myself dragging a bit in the early part of the book but then I caught the scent and couldn't put it down until it was done. The ending is not totally unexpected but it still comes as a surprise as the clues all add up to an inevitable conclusion though there are a few hidden surprises that will keep the adrenaline flowing in the getting there.
All in all an excellent read that I will recommend to fans of the author and readers of the genre.

Here comes the time for my yearly ritual, a new Cotton Malone book. They never fail to make me excited and I definitely needed that today, when I’m feeling sick. And I’m even more glad that I got to read this early.

Every book in this series has been something I’ve read mostly in a single sitting because the author captures my attention right from the prologue and I can’t stop myself. As someone who loves books related to Nazi Germany and WWII, the plot of this one was fascinating and I really loved how the author mentioned all the actual historical events in his note. That’s definitely one of the things which brings me back to this series every year - in the middle of all the impossible plot lines and amazing chases and action sequences, I also get to know some real history and visit some amazing new places through the book. I especially loved the descriptions of the locales in South Africa and some of the estates which were visited by the characters.

It was also exciting to see Cotton and Cassiopeia together for a whole book after a long time. They really do make a wonderful team and I enjoyed this adventure with them. All the side characters were also well developed, especially the two politicians whose dramatically opposite ideologies were fascinating to read about. I was actually surprised that the author didn’t shy away from expressing his political views through the characters, but his alarm over the rise of far right political parties and their violent extremism all across Europe is genuine and something we all need to keep an eye over.

In the end, this book gave me everything I was expecting - a cool adventure, an interesting twist on historical events, lots of political intrigue and some fun globetrotting. If these are some elements you enjoy, you should totally read this book. Even though this is part of a series, I think it works fine as a standalone. But as a huge fan of the series, I would always recommend that you start at the beginning and enjoy the journey.

In typical Steve Berry fashion, this book enthralled, shocked, kept me on the edge of my seat, and held me to the very last. Once again Cotton Malone is back, and he has been tasked with finding the answer to the question - where did Eva Braun and Martin Bormann end up after World War II and escaping Nazi Germany? This book was well-thought out and meticulously researched, as Berry's work ALWAYS is. To top it off, it was wonderfully descriptive and deliciously imaginative, though I would have expected nothing less. It was a wonderful guilty treat for me when reading dry and boring things for school the rest of the day. However, it was also very timely because it directly approached the rise of nationalism and fascism in Germany, which many of us have seen recently echoed in the US. It was absolutely compelling and even if you haven't read any of the other Cotton Malone books, this works just as well as a stand-alone book because most of the action revolves around the other characters.

HIGHLY recommend.

This e-book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a huge fan of the author and Cotton for years now I’ve been very disappointed with his books lately and this book has guaranteed it will be the last time I bother with this author. This series has been very hit or miss and no longer books I excitedly await. Recently they’ve gotten annoyingly political and the quality of the story has very much declined. The premise of this book had the historical hook I’ve always loved about Berry’s novels but it’s a chore to force myself to read it unfortunately. I find myself wondering if Berry is phoning it in or has turned his franchise over to a ghost writer. This book opens with what should be an action packed scene but even a stolen airplane chase had me bored.

The story takes place in Germany and much like his book set in Poland I’m bored with the emphasis on politics which seem a flimsy excuse to attack politicians and policies he does not like. The “good” politician hates populism and criticizes Brexit. I want well written stories not more politics and a global agenda that can be found everywhere. Ex-President Danny advocates for even unsubstantiated rumor to take out the “bad” candidate. After all win at all costs. It’s a bad combination of boring German politics with an agenda and a slow plot that’s not up to Berry’s previous works. Unfortunately the POV often stays with the different politicians and their henchmen which only shows us their motivations and keeps any action at bay. Like the other novels in this series lately the stories are becoming less and less about Cotton and more focused on other characters that are only relevant to the current politics of the book and not capable of holding the story or the reader’s attention. There is far too much talking and internal monologues and very little action. It’s also very thin on the actual historical gems I’ve always loved in this series.

Another reason I wonder if Berry has passed on the series to a ghost writer is odd word choices that I don’t remember before, like “traversing” being used in a sentence where it makes no sense. Talking about phone calls to his mother Cotton is thinking “she seemed equally satisfied traversing only occasionally.” Possibly a mistake in my galley but I’ve read other novels in this series before publication where I never noticed that. I’m not very nit-picky but I do notice when something makes no sense.

Annoyingly throughout this book there are references to people killed and action having taken place previously that is never explained. A murder is central to important motives that drive some of the action that changes the action of the novel but is never detailed. In the Author’s Note Berry says there is similarity to his novel The Devil’s Gold and looking up the description it appears that could explain much of the events alluded to. I can’t say I remember that novella but if you want to bother with this novel you may wish to know that backstory.

Berry ends the novel in his Author’s note with his disdain for popularism which he paints as akin to the rise of Hitler. He actually quotes Hitler by saying, “The masses have little time to think. And how incredible is the willingness of modern man to believe.” I find it outrageous that Berry is literally calling people too stupid to think for themselves while leveling such an inflammatory charge that sounds like he is the ignorant one. He is outraged Europeans many want their own countries in charge instead of the EU. He paints this as outright racism and his disdain for the people is very evident in this novel. Clearly this explains why this novel is focused on German politicians and is a bore. The author wanted to write his political opinions and gave up any pretense of being a writer of thrillers with compelling plots. That elitism Berry feels is very evident in this novel and I found it very off-putting. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Once again, Steve Berry has blended history, possibilities, and fiction into a captivating read. Although you can read each of his books as a stand-alone story, I've enjoyed the character development that progresses through each installment including the short stories. The Kaiser's Web is a great blend of satisfying my thirst for a great story and leaving me wanting more, especially of Cotton and Cassiopea and their travels, adventures, and relationship. As somebody who has lived in Germany, the attitudes and their potential outcomes ring true. He also makes a clear distinction between people and characteristics of the past and those of the present.

If this is your first foray into Berry's writing, I think you'll enjoy it. If you've read his previous works, you'll find this an enjoyable addition to the collection!

Steve Berry is an expert at using history within his plots to make his Cotton Malone thrillers fast paced reads. The Kaiser's Web was brilliantly written. Love the characters and the plot. Can't wait to put it into the hands of customers.

THE KAISER'S WEB is a tense and tightly written story that spans three continents. With all of the historical mystery and plot twists that STEVE BERRY'S fans have come to love and expect, this book is entertaining and informative from the opening page.

When the two leading candidates for the Chancellor of Germany ratchet up the political pressure in the final days before the election, details from the past will shape the country's future. Cotton Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt are conscripted into unraveling the mystery of what actually happened surrounding Hitler's final moments in the Fürherbunker. The truth could have dire consequences, not just for those involved, but for the entire continent.

With the beautiful and detailed description of each local and setting, readers are immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of various high range valleys of the Alps and Andes to the sun soaked fields of Africa. Reading BERRY's descriptions is often like closing your eyes and picturing a postcard. The level of attention to the surrounding environment is always appreciated.

BERRY also deftly inserts and discusses one of the most pressing political issues of modern Europe, the rise of the 'New-Right' political parties across the continent.

One of Steve Berry’s best in years! Cotton Malone is back in action trying to stop the rise of a man believed to be Nazi Martin Bormann’s son. Cassiopeia Vitt is back and the two criss-cross the globe from Berlin to Austria to South America in search of answers. The action sequences are classic Berry and the dialogue flows. Unlike a lot of action :stories, this one is not filled with blood and gruesomeness.

I loved this book and look forward to Berry’s storytelling! Highly recommend!

The Kaiser’s Web by Steve Berry is the sixteenth book in the Cotton Malone series. This is a political thriller and suspense novel with some historical fiction meshed into it. As always, Berry does an excellent job of combining fact and fiction in an action adventure thriller that is superb. In the Author’s Note, he delineates what incidents and places are real.

When the previous president of the United States, Danny Daniels contacts Cotton Malone and asks for his and Cassiopeia Vitt’s help, they accept. Despite Cotton being retired from the Justice Department and now owning a rare book store in Copenhagen, he and Cassiopeia are eager for some excitement. A secret dossier has come to light that could not only rewrite history, it could impact Germany’s national elections. Of course this goes back to World War II and what really happened on April 30, 1945. What could possibly go wrong with trying to validate the dossier?

Cotton is a strong protagonist with a lot of depth. His resilience, courage, and love for Cassiopeia as well as his love for history and truth shine in this story line. The secondary characters had varying degrees of depth with a couple of familiar faces and many new characters to enliven the tale.

Berry does a great job of world-building and makes the locations in the book come alive. He also adds cultural and historical aspects to the places and people making the reading experience an immersive one. This takes talent when the book covers multiple countries and sometimes multiple locations within those countries. The plot is full of history, intrigue, lies, mystery, and twists and turns.

Overall, this was an entertaining and fast-paced novel and a great addition to the series. I look forward to the next book. I have read 10 books by this author and own several others that are on my to-be-read bookshelf. If you enjoy a mixture of history, action, and intrigue, then this may be the next series for you.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Steve Berry for an ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for February 23, 2021.

Proving you just cannot keep a good Nazi down, Cotton and Cassiopeia are asked by former President Daniels, and on behalf of his friend, the German Chancellor, to vet a strange tale being told to the Chancellor by a courier of unknown provenance. This courier purports to have information linking the Chancellor's opponent in the coming election to an old Nazi network and treasure. Thus begins a three continent hunt to determine the veracity and scope of the claim. Fans of Cotton Malone will enjoy this latest installment of the series.

Cotton Malone’s 16th adventure and Steve Berry is still going strong. Lots of twists and turns here. A bit of telling not showing to get the history in, and some heavy monologue-ing in places. But, overall, a fun read.

Steve Berry/ Cotton Malone go hand in hand in my life. I eagerly await a new installment in the lives of both. Why, you might ask? Because of the attention to historic detail in each book. A history buff, I'm almost as eager to see where I'm taken by historical fact...and fiction...as well as Cotton's twists, turns, dips, etc. throughout each book. As you see, I'm not telling you anything about The Kaiser's Web because I want the reader to discover the story for themselves, as I did. Just know, it's another great tale of intrigue and espionage.

In Cotton Malone's 16th adventure, a search for Nazi fugitives runs from Germany to Chile to South Africa and back to Europe. Upon the request of ex-President Danny Daniels, on behalf of current German Chancellor Marie Eisenhuth, Cotton and his bestie Cassiopeia Vitt attempt to locate Hitler's girlfriend/wife Eva Braun and his right hand man Martin Bormann, acting on the possibility that they actually escaped Hitler's Bunker during the fall of Berlin.

In real life, witnesses have convincingly attested that Eva Braun died in the bunker with Hitler, and Bormann's death in Berlin shortly after leaving the bunker has been confirmed by multiple witnesses as well as DNA evidence. Nevertheless, there are still doubters, at least as far as Bormann is concerned. The Last Kaiser plays on those doubts, speculating what might have happened to Bormann (and Braun) if they indeed survived the last days.

Starting with speculation about these long-held doubts of a historical event, Steve Berry adds parallel contemporary issues, history in the making so to speak. In this case, the context is an election campaign in Germany between the Merkel-like incumbent and a right wing nationalist who may have ties to the bunker survivors. The issue is whether Germany should continue to acknowledge the errors of its past or whether it should move on, opening the door to a new nationalism based on ethnic lines.

I'm more interested in history and speculation than action sequences, but even I felt a distinct lack of action in this book. A lot of talk. In fact, the entire plot seems almost an afterthought, just a vehicle for exploring the twin pillars of the story -- Bormann/Braun and New Nationalism. There are a couple of slow reveals that keep you guessing, and I guess that has to be good enough in this case -- a good entry in the Malone canon, but not a five-star entry.

I also was able to feel a difference in how Berry handles settings that he didn't get to visit firsthand, no doubt due to travel restrictions. I particularly felt it when the story moved to South Africa, which I myself visited two years ago. Berry relies on accounts from other people, but in his past books, his personal passion for the locales he writes about is palpable -- this time, it's not really all there. Which is a shame, but only marginally affects the final result.

Overall, a solid but unspectacular entry that all Cotton Malone fans will want to read either way.

Cotton Malone is back and this time he and Cassiopia are following a strange trail of clues that real or fake can influence the upcoming German elections. Did Hitler really die in that bunker? Did Martin Barmann help himself to all of the Nazi treasures? Two people vying to be Chancellor; both with many secrets. And, what if anything will the long ago secrets of the past play in both the lives of the two who each want to rule Germany...Will either even survive the scandals that could and should come to light as the truth will ultimately be told to all.

A woman was sent to Bavaria with incriminating documents about Nazi activities to give to Maria Eisenhuth, the chancellor of Germany. The chancellor asked her friend Danny Daniels, the former President of the US, to interrogate the woman. During the interrogation, the woman was poisoned.

So Daniels called upon Cotton Malone, a retired intelligence operative, and his girlfriend, Cassiopeia Vitt, to investigate the allegations made in the documents from the dead woman.
Eisenhuth was in the final stages of an election to retain the post of Chancellor that she had held for 16 years. Her opponent, Thomas Pohl, was running on a platform against immigrants to Germany. After World War II and the defeat of Hitler and the Nazi party, Germany was forced to open their borders to any immigrant who wanted to live there. Now seven decades later, many German people were no longer interested in open borders and refuge to anyone who sought it. Eisenhuth was a moderate and she had been popular for her whole reign but Pohl’s extremist views were gaining support.
As Cotton and Cassiopeia sought to authenticate the claims made by the documents the dead woman possessed, they had to travel to Chile and Africa before everything came to a head back in Bavaria. Along the way the two investigators met several obstacles and even an attempt to kill them.
This is the 16th book in the Cotton Malone series. The author keeps us interested with loads of action and intrigue. He also gives breathtaking descriptions of the scenic locations Cotton and Cassiopeia travel to in search of the truth.

I received this ARC from the publisher and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this latest book of the Cotton Malone series. The Kaiser's Web centers around a mystery surrounding what happened in Hilter’s bunker as the allies defeated the Germans. Cotton Malone and his partner/girlfriend, Cassiopeia Vitt, are asked to investigate a murder by Former President Danny Daniels. The woman is tied to two candidates who are running to become Chancellor of Germany. Both harbor secrets, but they are on a collision course, all turning on the events of one fateful day and what happened deep beneath Berlin in the Fürherbunker. Did Adolph Hitler and Eva Braun die there? Did Martin Bormann, Hitler’s close confidant, manage to escape? From Chile, to South Africa, and finally into the secret vaults of Switzerland, former-Justice Department agent Cotton Malone and Vitt discovers the truth about the fates of Hitler, Braun, and Bormann. The book is extremely compelling and I loved it.