“The Patriot Threat” by Steve Berry - Built on Lies

The many laws and economic systems we have in place today are, in a certain sense, taken granted by most of us... at least in the sense that we trust them to have been developed properly and legally a long time ago when our country was founded.

The idea of finding evidence that would prove a country has been built on illegalities and lies is one that could certainly hurt anyone, and that's precisely the kind of scenario Cotton Malone faces in Steve Berry's The Patriot Threat.

The ex-elite intelligence operative-turned bookshop owner in Denmark is trying to enjoy his retirement,  but of course that is not to be as his former boss, Stephanie Nelle, gets in touch with him to discuss a most serious matter: a rogue North Korean who may have files that could crumble the United States... files that prove the federal income tax is illegal.

Needless to say, Malone doesn't miss a beat and sets out on his grandiose journey across Europe from the canals of Venice, along the way encountering (in one way or another) fascinating historical characters and mysteries, such as Franklin Roosevelt and his secret meeting with rival Andrew Mellon.

As you would expect with any Cotton Malone thriller, this book is a page-turner filled to the brim with murders, conspiracies, fascinating espionage tricks and manoeuvres, more plot twists than you can count, all coming together at a stunning pace that never loses its speed.

Needless to say, this makes for a novel that is much more accentuated on actions and events rather than character development, and that is quite alright for in all his likeability, Malone sometimes feels like just a vehicle Steve Berry needs to unravel complex and promising mysteries.

One thing that may be problematic for certain readers is the idea of the threat that Malone is actually facing. It is based on the idea that if the Sixteenth Amendment was to be invalidated, federal income tax would have to be abolished, which in turn would create a series of events that could heavily destabilize global economy.

Looking at that from a real-world perspective, it is rather difficult to imagine the U.S. Courts declaring illegal their own laws that they have been following for over a century and upon which their economic system is heavily reliant.

If you can suspend your disbelief though and remind yourself that after all, it is a piece of fiction that you are reading, then I can guarantee you'll enjoy this book a whole lot more for what it is: a damn exciting and fast-moving spy thriller.

All things taken into consideration, The Patriot Threat is definitely a solid and welcome entry into the Cotton Malone series, despite the tiny flaw revolving around the real-world plausibility of the plot. Steve Berry takes us on an epic ride throughout the continent and ensures there is never a dull moment to be had.

If you are into spy thrillers and don't mind them being based on slightly re-imagined history, you'll most certainly have a blast with this novel.

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Steve Berry Personal site Steve Berry is an American professor, author, as well as a former attorney who graduated from Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law. He is known for his Cotton Malone series, as well as his short stories and standalone novels, including The Romanov Prophecy and The Third Secret.