The devil's bible

At the outset of Berry's latest fun if far-fetched thriller featuring Cotton Malone (after The Medici Return), the retired U.S. Justice Department operative is happily operating a bookstore in Copenhagen. Soon, however, he's called back to action by his old boss and friend Stephanie Nelle. She tells Cotton that Princess Lysa, the sister of Swedish King Wilhelm I, is being held ransom for the Devil's Bible, a massive 13th-century book said to contain the sum of human knowledge. The Swedes believe that Russian agents are behind the kidnapping and plan to give the book to the Czech Republic in exchange for that country's continued efforts to block Sweden from joining NATO. Russia may have gotten inside information about the captive royal from her husband, John Westlake, a suspected Russian sleeper agent. Malone, along with his love interest and former colleague Cassiopeia Vitt, sets out to thwart the extortion scheme, knocking plenty of heads along the way. Cotton's narrow escapes and larger-than-life heroics are as outlandish and thrilling as ever. Series fans will get just what they came for. Agent: Simon Lipskar, Writers House. (Feb.)

A royal kidnapping and a religious relic feature in the 20th Cotton Malone thriller. Princess Lysa, the 68-year-old sister of the king of Sweden, is kidnapped, and a mysterious note demands the Devil's Bible in exchange for her safe return. The ancient tome dates to 1295 and is said to include "all the world's wisdom"; it's the world's largest illuminated medieval manuscript. There's a lot at play in this complex thriller. Sweden took the book during a war in 1648 and the Czechs want it back as part of their cultural heritage. The Czechs can and will veto the NATO membership Sweden covets and Russia wants to prevent Sweden's success in any case. So the Magellan Billet, a covert U.S. Justice Department intelligence agency, wants to rescue Lysa and help America's friend Sweden. The group's founder, Stephanie Nelle, calls on fellow series regulars Cotton Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt to take on a perilous mission ultimately involving aerial combat, an ancient ship housed in a museum, an attempted assassination in a Russian circus, and a good old-fashioned gunfight. Princess Lysa and her billionaire husband, Sir John Westlake, are an odd and imperfect match. She's a devout member of the Church of Sweden and takes Scripture seriously, accepting Ephesians' edict that wives must obey their husbands. She loves John, who's on bad terms with the king for being a commoner, satisfies his carnal urges outside of marriage, and, according to Stephanie, once was and maybe still is a "covert Russian asset." Much hangs in the balance with the relationship between John and his trusting wife. An appreciative colleague nicknames Cotton and Cassiopeia "Captain America and Wonder Woman," which fits well with their derring-do. Incidentally, the National Library of Sweden in Stockholm houses the real Devil's Bible, but the book's role as an obstacle to Sweden's NATO membership is the author's invention. An exciting tale of blood, betrayal, and bravery. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.