The Devil's Bible

This twentieth Cotton Malone spy thriller was just published last month. It takes place in the modern era and concerns a codex called the Devil's Bible. The Devil’s Bible contains the complete Bible as well all the knowledge in the world. A formula for immortality might be found in its pages. In this installment of the series we see retired spy Cotton Malone coming out of retirement to help his former employer with a job. The Devil's Bible is a tale of mystery and intrigue stretching back over four centuries.

Steve Berry's plots are so complex that it is impossible for me to summarize them. Here is the summary from the publisher:

Former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, is called to Sweden when the younger sister of King Wilhelm I is kidnapped. The ransom demand? Hand over an 800-year-old book, the Codex Gigas—the largest illuminated medieval manuscript in the world. Claimed as war loot from Bohemia in 1648, it’s been kept in Stockholm for nearly 400 years. Along the way it also acquired another more mysterious moniker ... The Devil’s Bible.

Now the Czech Republic wants the codex back, and Sweden has agreed to return it, but forces are at work to stop that deal from happening. The likely instigator? Russia. Who is also top of the list for possible kidnappers. It’s up to Cotton and Cassiopeia Vitt to locate the king’s sister, secure the codex, and thwart the Russians. Yet nothing is as it seems.

Trusted allies become hostile enemies. Long-standing enemies suddenly shift into partners. Making matters worse, an array of conflicting personalities re-emerge from Cotton’s past, transforming an already chaotic international situation into something far more personal and deadly.

From the cobbled streets of Stockholm with its placid waterways and picturesque islands, to the hostile skies over the Baltic Sea, and finally onto a fabled 16th century Swedish warship, Cotton and Cassiopeia come face-to-face with the unthinkable—changing both of their lives forever.

As is usual with a Steve Berry thriller it is part history, part mystery and part political. There are only two settings in the book. Normally there are more but here we see action in Stockholm and Prague. I was expecting to read more about the codex in the story. All we read about it is that Sweden took possession of it from the Czech Republic as war bounty hundreds of years ago. I was hoping to get more background info about it but the story was only about Sweden trying to regain it after a loan to the Czech Republic.

The characters were divided into two groups. One group worked on locating Swedish Princess Lysa. The other group worked to remove the codex as well as find the treasure hinted at in the manuscript. The chapters alternated between the actions of each group. Another feature of Berry's writing is the use of current events in the story to further his plot. It makes the story that much more compelling and exciting to read.

So why is the codex called the Devil's Bible? The book contains the complete Christian Bible as well as all of the knowledge about the world. On one of it's pages there is a drawing of the devil. From this drawing the codex gets its name. The book was a fast read and enjoyable. Mystery fans will want to read it.

4 out of 5 stars.