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Steve Berry always offers up some fascinating history in his Cotton Malone mystery series. This time his focus is on the 16th Amendment and long-time speculation that the imposition of federal income tax was never fully passed into law, but imposed by the government nonetheless.
The story begins with a meeting of two titans, Andrew Mellon and President Franklin Roosevelt, arch enemies as a result of their political views. Their last meeting provided Mellon (who had long been politically pursued by FDR for back taxes) an opportunity to not only lay the foundation for the creation of the National Gallery of Art, but also to leave FDR with a warning. Soon finding himself in the throes of World War II, FDR never followed up on Mellon's cryptic message until shortly before his own death, and never got to the heart of the matter.
Fast forward to the present day and a modern day conspiracy theorist who has penned a book about not only the Mellon-FDR encounter, but also about the illegal nature of income tax generally. He's managed to draw in a disgruntled Treasury official, and classified documents are involved that should further his cause. Along with the Treasury official's interest is that of a North Korean heir apparent, who was forced out of the line of succession in his own country. He sees this potential US crisis as a means to return himself to power in North Korea. He just needs all the facts.
Enter Cotton Malone, who's been tasked with following the Treasury official to Venice, where the stolen documents are to trade hands. Yet, before that can happen...and right from the first page of the novel, things are off to a rollicking start on another matter.
Like Berry's previous books, he knows how to mix the right amount of actual historical fact with fiction to create the perfect storyline. Shedding insight into both US history and the current state of North
Korea, he offers up (painlessly) some valuable learning along with his entertainment. This thoroughly enjoyable thriller is up to the best of what Berry has to offer. It's action-packed, provocative, and will
keep readers engaged throughout the length of the novel.
§ Christine Zibas is a freelance writer and former director of publications for a Chicago nonprofit.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, April 2015
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