Friday, January 18, 2008

Librarian Tim recommends:

The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry (F Berry, New Books)

The latest in Berry's line of Cotton Malone historical thrillers finds the ex-government agent and bookseller embroiled in yet another adventure. A despot that has brought together several previously fragmented Central Asian countries is on a murderous quest to find the grave of Alexander the Great, and the draught of eternal life that his physician supposedly possessed. The book whips through several locations in Europe and Asia as Malone and his associates attempt to stop the tyrant and her evil plan. While a suspension of belief is necessary, this potboiler should appeal to those who like fast paced thrillers. Berry's series draws upon a commendable amount of research (explained in the afterword of the novel) in history and medicine, and that buoys some of the novels more dubious aspects.

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