UNESCO investigator Nick Lee goes to Belgium to visit a woman from his past and stumbles into a conflict that has lasted for centuries. The Maidens of Saint-Michael is an order of nuns who guard an incredible secret, one which the Vatican wants to find – and possess – the treasure the Maidens guard. And Nick has unintentionally drawn a map for Rome, leading them directly to the Maidens.

Steve Berry is one of the few authors whose books automatically go on my to-read NOW list. I was disappointed to learn that this newest book is not another of Cotton Malone's adventures, but it didn't take long to overcome that disappointment. Mr. Berry is very good at painting the scene for his readers, and drawing them into the story almost from the very first page. This book was laced with historical facts and flashbacks to past events, but not so much as to distract from the main story.

As usual, I learned a lot while reading it, maybe even more than many readers, as I have very little knowledge of the Catholic faith. Since reading the first Cotton Malone book years ago, I've admired the way Mr. Berry is able to blend historical fact with just enough writer's imagination to result in an engrossing story, with all of the different threads eventually coming to a satisfying conclusion by the end of the book. Unlike many books, I make sure to read the author's notes that follow the novel, so I was happy to learn that we are likely to see Nick Lee again, possibly even on an adventure with Cotton. I look forward to reading whatever book Mr. Berry releases next.

I really liked this one! Usually I read Steve Berry’s series, but this was a stand alone. I like his new character, Nick Lee, and the historical references. I always love his settings, he writes in a way that makes me want to be there immediately, this was no exception. I had a feeling where it was going, and I was right. I am usually very surprised by his stories, so that was different for me. I will now wait impatiently for his next book, going back to his regular series.

A cultural artifact is discovered that has roots in past centuries. The artifact was stolen in the 1930s and the reemergence takes Nick Lee into a history of a female group that continues into the present. They are attempting to maintain the truth of their order.

A corrupt vatican fights them tooth and nail to replace that truth with lies.

Berry writes nail-biting fiction and The Omega Factor continues this lovely habit

In The Omega Factor, Steve Berry introduces us to new protagonists, Nick and Kelsey. I’ve read numerous of Berry’s Cotton Malone books, so I was interested to see how this new duo would be, and while they are no Cotton and Cassiopeia, they make for a fun new crime fighting duo.

As always, I really enjoyed the history and religious aspects of the book. While many things are real, and Berry goes over the list at the end of the book, even many of the fictional parts are so in depth that it always makes me wonder if some of those could have really happened too.

I do feel like Nick’s character needs to be explored more. He feels like a lighter version of Cotton. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, I hope future books will dig deeper into his character. But I really enjoyed Keley, her determination and spirit was a nice change of pace to see in a female lead written by a male author in a more male dominated book series.

The one thing that I missed in The Omega Factor was the surprise bits that I often find in the Cotton Malone series. In this one, you knew who all the bad guys were right away and there was really no mystery to solve or an interesting twist towards the end.

All in all, a well researched and fast paced start to a new series, and one that I’ll be reading future books in.

The author of the popular Cotton Malone series has come up with a new hero who, he says, is likely to get more books all to himself. Given that Nicholas Lee, a United Nations employee tasked with protecting cultural artifacts throughout the world including those in the religious realm (the focus of this book), this first effort made me a fan, so I'm hoping that happens.

More than a decade ago, Nick was in a serious relationship with a woman named Kelsey that didn't end as planned. She's since been a nun who specializes in art restoration, and she just began work on a panel from the historic Ghent Altarpiece, a major work that's been stolen and otherwise violated many times and is thought to hold secrets that could bring the Catholic Church to its knees. She's called Nick to meet with her in Belgium and see the panel; he arrives just in time to save her from a fire that totally destroys the panel but prevents the theft of Kelsey's laptop, on which she's stored photographs of her restoration work. Everything points to a secret group called the Maidens of Saint-Michael, aka the Vultures, who have been the target of a centuries-old and so far unsuccessful search by the Vatican, which has a vested interest in learning - and debunking (if not burying) the "truth" the nuns have pledged their lives to protect.

Running concurrently is a second story line, that of an archbishop who will do just about anything to become a cardinal and a cardinal who will do just about anything to become Pope - and one of them has a side gig that involves resolution of abuse that happened before he was born. When Nick's actions to save Kelsey's laptop results in exposure of the Maidens whereabouts, the two men are charged with following up on behalf of the Vatican as they struggle to realize their own ambitions and get retribution for old wounds.

It all makes for an exciting and educational reading adventure, although if I have a complaint it's that the amount of history, while quite interesting, tends to be so extensive that it almost overwhelms the story at times. And while I find religious history - whether real or theoretical - absolutely fascinating, I suspect the hot-button issue of sexual abuse by church leaders and questions surrounding a couple of the church's most venerated saints might be unsettling to some readers.

Overall, I must say the amount of research that must have gone into the writing is nothing short of impressive. Nick's job promises to lead to other intriguing adventures, so I'm definitely looking forward to his next adventure (and I wouldn't mind seeing more of Kelsey, even if she and Nick can't be more than good friends). Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this one. Good job!

Steve Berry has given us the beginning of a new series, featuring UNESCO cultural troubleshooter Nick Lee. Nick travels to Ghent to reconnect with the woman he once planned to marry, until she entered the convent.

Kelsey is an art restorer, working on the recovered panel of the Ghent Altarpiece, the most vandalized/stolen art in the world. As he arrives at her workshop, he finds it on fire and, rushing in, sees Kelsey fighting with an assailant and the panel destroyed.

Who would destroy this priceless art? What secrets did it hold? Nick and Kelsey battle unknown forces to find the answers. Highly recommended.. #TheOmegaFactor #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

UN cultural liaison Nicholas Lee travels to Belgium to visit the woman he thought he would marry, but became a nun. Kelsey has been asked to restore a panel of the Ghent altarpiece, missing since 1934, by the maidens of St. Michael. But Kelsey is attacked, the panel destroyed, and her laptop, with the only pictures of the panel, stolen. Nick is able to follow the thief, ultimately leading him on a wild chase through France and the Pyrenees to a reclusive order of nuns who’ve been protecting a secret for centuries.

Berry does it again in this standalone. An amazing mix of historical fact, treachery, and religious secrets with just enough fictional story to make a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced book in exchange for an honest review.

4*

Steve Berry introduces a new character, Nick Lee, an United Nations' Cultural Liaison and Investigative Officer, who protects the world's cultural artifacts. While Nick goes to Belgium to visit an old girlfriend, he gets involved with a 2000 year old mystery.

I enjoyed the story and I am always amazed at how Steve Berry takes historical events and turns them into a great story.

A great stand alone action adventure by Steve Berry. As with all is books, Berry blends 80% real history with 20% fictionalized plot and gives us fast paced, books that actually teach us a lot about bits of unknown history as part of his novels. Here he has a brand new character, Nick Lee, who comes to Belgium at the request of his ex-girlfriend (who is now a nun!), who is involved with the restoration of the missing panel of the Ghent Altarpiece. Upon arrival there is a fire that destroys the painting and Nick is after a laptop that holds the only remaining images of that restored panel. So what do we have here? Well we spend much time in Brussels and France, we learn a lot about the history of the Ghent Altarpiece, we have a mysterious order of nuns, Joan of Arc, the Catholic history of Mary the mother of Jesus, the Marion Legend, the Inquisition and the Cathars. Whew! I am sure I missed something, but you get the gist. This is a wonderful read, with a new character (Nick Lee), who works for UNESCO and may just appear in future books.
Berry has a wonderful mind for history and for this blend of history and fiction that makes even non-historians love his works. It is an easy flowing novel and one that will be another best seller.

I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Ghent Altarpiece is the most violated work of art in the world. Thirteen times it has been vandalized, dismantled, or stolen.
Why? What secrets does it hold?

Enter UNESCO investigator, Nicholas Lee, who works for the United Nations’ Cultural Liaison and Investigative Office (CLIO). Nick’s job is to protect the world’s cultural artifacts—from countless lesser-known objects to national treasures.

When Nick travels to Belgium for a visit with a woman from his past, he unwittingly stumbles on the trail of the twelfth panel for the Ghent Altarpiece, stolen in 1934 under cover of night and never seen since. Soon Nick is plunged into a bitter conflict, one that has been simmering for nearly two thousand years. On one side is the Maidens of Saint-Michael, les Vautours, Vultures, a secret order of nuns and the guardians of a great truth. Pitted against them is the Vatican, which has wanted for centuries to both find and possess what the nuns guard. Because of Nick the maidens have finally been exposed, their secret placed in dire jeopardy—a vulnerability that the Vatican swiftly moves to exploit utilizing an ambitious cardinal and a corrupt archbishop, both with agendas of their own.

From the tranquil canals of Ghent, to the towering bastions of Carcassonne, and finally into an ancient abbey high in the French Pyrenees, Nick Lee must confront a modern-day religious crusade intent on eliminating a shocking truth from humanity’s past. Success or failure—life and death—all turn on the Omega Factor. (Goodreads Synopsis)

I have read Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone series, and enjoyed the series. That said, this story felt like Cotton Malone’s little brother following the footsteps of his big brother.

I enjoyed the historical references and the possibility of “maybe this could be true”. I also enjoyed the fact that if it were true, then religious views would be significantly impacted as well as history being rewritten. However, these are things that Steve Berry writes with Cotton Malone as well. The only difference I saw was that Nick would get himself into dangerous situations with no thought to consequences. On one hand I understood his reluctance to use a weapon. On the other, it put himself and Kelsey in unnecessary danger.

Overall I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars, and hope that Nick has another story in the off chance that I can understand him better.

3.5 stars, rounded up

I am a big fan of Steve berry's Cotton Malone books so I was a little disappointed to be sans Cotton but Nicholas Lee turned out to be a deep, interesting character.

Nick travels to Belgium to meet up with his ex-fiancé who left him several years earlier to join the convent and become a nun. Nick is a UNESCO investigator and ex-military so he has a lot of knowledge of stolen art and also hand to hand combat. When a priceless art piece that is burned while his ex-fiancé was restoring it, a two thousand year old mystery deepens. There are nuns, priests, an Arch Bishop and even a cardinal all involved and Nick is trying to find out why these nuns want to hide what could have been detected on the artwork.

There are a lot of twists and turns which are common in Berry novels, but I had to ask myself a number of times "why is he doing that?" Nick put himself into some very questionable situations where I had a hard time understanding his motivation. That is my only reason for the lower rating.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for this honest review.

Once again Steve Berry has woven a tale spanning centuries of religious and political intrigue. What message is hidden in the newly restored Ghent Altar piece that needs to remain hidden? The answer will lead to the French Pyrenees, Carcassonne, and their history of religious conflicts. Enjoy!
This is a review of an eGalley provided by NetGalley.

I was eager to read this and see what Steve Berry did with a new character (love Cotton!). I was not disappointed! This was a great book. I flew through it and didn't want it to end. I love the mystery and the story so much. I really hope this turns into a new series.

Another special and well-written and interesting book by Steve Berry. His plots are always interesting and encourage the reader to continue reading. After I read one book by Steve Berry I always look for some of his older books. His plots and character development make each novel very interesting

I'm generally a big Steve Berry fan...I've read everything he's ever written and greatly enjoyed the combination of historic fact, action adventure, and intrigue. However, I'm not a fan of the new character...he's definitely no Cotton Malone...and that was a detraction for this read. The subject matter as well was just difficult to get into. There have been other books regarding this era and the church, but this one was pretty obscure. It's still worth a read for Berry fans, but I'm hoping to see Cotton, and his cowboy brand of problem solving, return to the pages in the next book.

This latest Steve Berry will be familiar to fans of his Cotton Malone series with heavy emphasis on the intersection of history, art, and crime. I've seen this novel billed as a stand-alone and also as the first of a new series. Not sure which, but either way, I'm here for it. I do love Cotton Malone, but, of course, if this re-invigorates the author, as a fan I'm here for whatever Berry puts out.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. I was very skeptical when Berry announced he'd be taking a break from Cotton Malone for 2022, and introduce us to a new character. To be fair, the last novel was SO GOOD that he raised the bar exceptionally high. I was instantly drawn to Nicholas Lee, who embodies so many of the themes and elements that Berry writes. Lee is a great, factual, driven, deeply intelligent and clever, mature character who I am hoping to see more of. The entire premise was just like bait for me-this type of religious mystery, espionage, plotting, thrilling, secret organizations, religious secrets ready to change the world...I love books like this! I love how Berry builds Lee's backstory and his present, woven together to create a very solid character.

Nick Lee, a Cultural Liason and Cultural Investigative with UNESCO, was in Ghent visiting his ex-fiancé Kelsey Deal when he became involved in saving the Ghent Alterpiece. Kelsey, now a nun, was restoring the Ghent Alterpiece when a section of it was burned. Kelsey’s laptop with detailed photos of the original pieces of the Alterpiece, was stolen. The Alterpiece, created by Jan Van Eyck, had been removed from the basilica where it was created in the 1400s, several times. There had also been restorations a few times.
Nick followed the person who stole the laptop. soon found himself involved up against the Cathars, a heretical group thought to be eliminated hundreds of year before, and some Catholic officials.
This book takes place in Belgium and parts of France. The author describes the geography of those areas as well as the history of the Albigensian Crusade and the Inquisition.
I have enjoyed other books by Steve Berry but this one was special since I have a knowledge of Catholic Church history. I have also traveled in some of the areas mentioned in the book.
I received this ARC from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Omega Factor by Steve Berry is an historical masterpiece with well rounded characters you wish you could invite over for dinner to get to know them even better. Berry has managed to capture the beauty of France and the magic of Ghent’s surrounding mountains while still delving into the conflicts within religious groups and especially Catholics. The art world is also exposed as having many secrets. I certainly enjoyed learning more about Jan van Eyck.
Nick Lee and Kelsey are strong main characters. Berry would be wise to follow him on another adventure in the art world and if he does, find a way to include Kelsey in the process. They are both resourceful, interesting and help make the book a thriller and page turner. I highly recommend.

The Omega Factor is a twisting tale of duty, danger, and dogma. Steve Berry blurs the lines of fact and fiction like no one else in the genre. This standalone book is no different. Berry had me second guessing what I thought I knew about the most stolen piece of art in the world, as well as the history of the Catholic church.

When UNESCO investigator Nicholas Lee finds himself present during an attack on a panel from The Ghent Altarpiece, he instinctively follows the suspect as they flee the scene of the crime. The chase takes an unexpected turn and the mystery surrounding the attack and assailants only grows.

Working for the United Nations’ Cultural Liaison and Investigative Office (CLIO), Nick’s job is to protect the world’s cultural artifacts. While this would be enough for him to insert himself into the investigation, the restorer working on the Altarpiece when it was attacked just happens to be a woman from his past.

Now squarely involved in a two centuries old battle between the Vatican and a secret order of nuns who guard one of the greatest secrets in Christendom, Nick has no choice but to follow the clues to the south of France into the lands once occupied by Cathars. The Albigensian Crusade is still alive and well and the only question is… will Rome finally finish the job they started in the 13th century?

There are few, if any, authors that do a better job of intertwining intricate plotlines into a single cohesive story. Berry’s ability to both inform and entertain is unrivaled. As an individual who possesses both a Religious Studies degree and a more than passing interest in Catharism, Berry has the uncanny ability to simplify incredibly complex tenets of faith and dogma into an easy to understand format that does not simply support, but actually propels the storyline forward.

While this is currently billed as a ‘standalone’ novel, we have to hope that this is not the last we’ll see of Nick Lee and the Maidens of Saint-Michael.