A great mix of action, adventure and history. Cotton Malone is back in action. When a Italian politician seeks answers regarding his ancestry, he is met with a long history and more questions. Cotton is asked to find a large sum of money, finds himself in the middle of a cover up.  Cotton finds himself in the middle a very high stakes horse race, in which he must outrun his fellow racers and an assassin's bullet. Lots of history and non stop action.

5 stars

The narrator, Scott Brick,  was great was great he is able to inflect the accents perfectly. The production quality was top notch.

I've read all of the Cotton Malone books and thoroughly enjoyed them all.

This one is a little more of a dilemma, while it was engaging, it just didn't hit the mark as much as previous books

Cotton is asked by Stephanie Nell to complete an assigment but as always things don't turn out as expected. There was an awful lot of historical detail, which you expect, but this was more than usual, and it felt a very slow read.

OK read but not one of his best

I have been a fan of the Cotton Malone series for a long time and in fact have enjoyed all of the books in the series but this one I had a hard time with.

In typical Cotton fashion he finds himself doing a task for his friend Stephanie Nell but not all turns out as expected - like every other time he is in this position. With what was supposed to be a simple take turns into quite the adventure and mystery that one can only expect Cotton to be in the middle of and that is before we discuss that this is yet another Vatican heavy mystery that only he can solve.

Yes, this book was full of the typical history mixed with fiction that one can expect in Mr. Berry's stories but this time I had a hard time staying invested in the tale. It felt reminiscent of the Malta Exchange and some of the points of the mystery were a bit hard to believe but that is just me. It was the typical action packed read and while I did enjoy the story I just had a hard time staying invested.

Overall, this is just an okay read for me but I would still recommend it to others.

Boring!!! There was a reason I stopped reading Malone books. But the allure of Medici pulled me in, except this book had too many droning historical details and was very slow paced.

#netgalley #TheMediciReturn

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Steve Berry, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Never one to shy away from controversy, Steve Berry is back with his latest Cotton Malone thriller. Delving deeply into the world of the Medicis and the power they held amongst the Vatican decision-makers, Berry pulls his protagonist into the middle of a mystery centuries in the making. With the power of the Vatican and the subtlety of the Medici mystery fuelling this piece, the reader can never be sure where things are headed or what Malone might uncover, should he live long enough to share. Berry delivers once more and leaves readers in awe of all they learn.

When it comes to mysteries, Cotton Malone is never one to turn the other way. However, he vow that he is not one to seek out danger. After being thrust into the middle of a new and historical mystery by the Magellan Billet, Cotton finds himself chasing after the 16th century Pledge of Christ, a promise made by Pope Julius II that locks in a debt owed by the Vatican to the powerful Medici Family, whose bloodline stopped at some point in the 18th century. The origins of the debt are murky, but Cotton is never one to turn away from a little digging.

Malone discovers not only that the Medicis were once a powerful and highly influential family, especially in the papal world, but also that their lineage may not have entirely ended as abruptly as many once presumed. An up and coming Italian political figure could hold the truth to the Medici past and plans to use it to score significant victory in the upcoming election. Could the truths he possesses prove essential to understanding the Medici past, as well as using the long-held debt to tip the scales in his favour?

All the while, there are added mysteries about the future papal selection. These could also be tied to the Pledge and the hunt for a Medici heir. Cotton will have to put all the pieces together before he can make a pronouncement, but that will require that he stay alive long enough to do so. Some have an agenda all their own, which does not include revealing the Pledge, or the truth about the Medici family. Berry sends readers into yet another tailspin with this well-crafted piece and finds new ways to astonish series fans.

I have long been a fan of Steve Berry and his numerous stories that pull history into the mix. With a great deal of action, there is never a lack of adventure for the reader to enjoy. Berry develops a strong narrative that lays out the foundation of the story and builds from there. Adding depth and great characters, Berry keeps the reader hooked, while delving into the far corners of history and many forgotten aspects that provide a springboard for success. The plot points are both steeped in history and modern in nature, which provides many a surprise for the attentive reader. This series has not lost any of its momentum, which is sure to keep going for as long as Cotton Malone is eager, or can stay alive.

Kudos, Mr. Berry, for another winning piece in this well-crafted series.

Great edition to the Cotton Malone series. I enjoyed the information about the Medici dynasty and their connections to the Vatican and popes. The new characters were well-developed and the plot flowed. Narrator Scott Brick is one of the best and he did his usual superb job here.