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    The King's Deception: A Novel
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    The King's Deception: A Novel
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    The King's Deception: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    The King's Deception: A Novel

    Written by Steve Berry

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This Cotton Malone adventure blends gripping contemporary political intrigue, Tudor treachery, and high-octane thrills into one riveting novel of suspense.

    Cotton Malone and his fifteen-year-old son, Gary, are headed to Europe. As a favor to his former boss at the Justice Department, Malone agrees to escort a teenage fugitive back to England. But after he is greeted at gunpoint in London, both the fugitive and Gary disappear, and Malone learns that he's stumbled into a high-stakes diplomatic showdown-an international incident fueled by geopolitical gamesmanship and shocking Tudor secrets.

    At its heart is the Libyan terrorist convicted of bombing Pan Am Flight 103, who is set to be released by Scottish authorities for "humanitarian reasons." An outraged American government objects, but nothing can persuade the British to intervene.

    Except, perhaps, Operation King's Deception.

    Run by the CIA, the operation aims to solve a centuries-old mystery, one that could rock Great Britain to its royal foundations.

    Blake Antrim, the CIA operative in charge of King's Deception, is hunting for the spark that could rekindle a most dangerous fire, the one thing that every Irish national has sought for generations: a legal reason why the English must leave Northern Ireland. The answer is a long-buried secret that calls into question the legitimacy of the entire forty-five-year reign of Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, who completed the conquest of Ireland and seized much of its land. But Antrim also has a more personal agenda, a twisted game of revenge in which Gary is a pawn. With assassins, traitors, spies, and dangerous disciples of a secret society closing in, Malone is caught in a lethal bind. To save Gary he must play one treacherous player against another-and only by uncovering the incredible truth can he hope to prevent the shattering consequences of the King's Deception.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 11, 2013
    ISBN9780449009017
    Unavailable
    The King's Deception: A Novel
    Author

    Steve Berry

    Steve and Phil were founder members of the TV Cream nostalgia website and have written several books on popular culture.

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    Reviews for The King's Deception

    3.5/5

    175 ratings18 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      A great history lesson filled with intrigue and fast paced action.
    • 4/5
      Cotton is back & digging up royal history

      There are some authors that are good bets. If you enjoy one of their books, you'll probably like them all. You'll have favourites based on plot or story lines but it's the main character that keeps you coming back. Think Lucas Davenport, Harry Bosch, John Rain, Mallory, Harry Hole....and Cotton Malone.
      I'm a fan so I'm happy to say this is a great page turner. Once you begin, you're well & truly hooked.
      There's a really intricate plot here & for a longer break down of all the story lines, please see my review on amazon.ca with the same title.
      Cotton has a lot on his plate. He & Gary are reeling from the news that he's not Gary's biological father. They take off for some bonding time but have to make a pitstop in London. There, they have to deal with a savvy street kid with a stolen flash drive, a rogue CIA agent, the head of MI6 & a shadowy group called the Daedalus Society. Needless to say, Cotton is drawn back into the world of political intrigue as he tries to keep the two boys safe while the body count rises.
      In alternating chapters, we are taken back to the time of Henry VIII & Elizabeth I. There's a big secret from that era & someone is trying to make it public. It's explosive stuff & would potentially change the shape of Great Britain.
      These events are recounted two years after they happened & right around the time Scotland was planning to release al Megrahi, the Lockerbie Bomber. America is pissed the Brits are refusing to intervene & this historical bombshell might just be the way to blackmail Downing St. into speaking up.
      Many of the castles & towers of Tudor times are featured as the different factions race around gathering clues & the author has obviously done their historical homework. The characters are well written, dialogue is tight & the action nonstop. All the different story lines & agendas are tied up in a big finale deep inside the centuries old tunnels below the city of London.
      And on the personal side, Cotton & Gary will have to come to terms with what defines a father as they meet Gary's biological dad.
      All in all, a cracking good thriller wrapped around a spooky royal mystery that makes for a book you'll resent having to put down once you start.
    • 4/5
      Clever historical twist and unpredictable thriller set in London with good reading by Scott Brick.
    • 4/5
      I love this guy's stuff!!! He is right up there with Dan Brown as far as I am concerned. His historical fiction writing is well researched and the plausibility is top notch. Cotton Malone is a great character too with good depth to him. Keep them coming Steve!!!
    • 3/5
      By and large, I dislike prequels. This is no exception. Taking place before the other Malone novels, this tale involves his son shortly after finding out the boy isn't his, and the ne'er-do-well biological father who is in Scotland, looking to foment upheaval in the British government. Once again, a mystery from long ago threatens modern society. In this case, the last Tudor monarch is the root of the issue. King's Deception indeed. And once again, the assumption is made that if certain information was ratified as correct, some how everything that has happened since is invalid and...medieval times are here again? It's necessary to check ones brain at the door pondering the consequences that are the plot of these novels. In this case, omitting most of the characters that have been developed to date takes away a lot, and this story was just not very compelling. If you're reading this series, you will miss out on nothing by skipping this book.
    • 4/5
      Excellent as usual. A thrilling dive into Tudor history.
    • 4/5
      Despite my addiction to the Olympics, I managed to finish book #15, [The King's Deception] by [[Steve Berry]]. I am a fan of this type of book, and of Mr. Berry's Cotton Malone series. Like past books, this one takes a new perspective of an historical fact that seems surprising at first, but more and more likely during the course of the book. Mr. Berry's descriptions of British landmarks are richly detailed and a pleasure to read, while the intrigue was engaging. Even though the reader knew from the opening chapters that Cotton and his son make it through the book safely as the tale is told retrospectively, it kept my attention. There were characters that were introduced that were not fully fleshed out, particularly Miss Mary's twin sister. I hope that means we will see her again. If you like historical mysteries of the Dan Brown ilk, put this one on your wishlist.
    • 4/5
      Retired Magellan Billet agent Cotton Malone is back and pulled into service by his old friend and boss Stephanie Nelle. Asked to deliver a prisoner to the English in London in route to vacationing with his son Gary, Cotton agrees. It doesn't seem like much, the prisoner is a teenage boy who witnessed a murder. All Cotton needs to do is release the boy into English custody and he goes on his way.So it begins as Cotton is attacked and not only the boy, but his son Gary are taken. The English are determined to capture the boy and what he has in his possession. A key to unlock a secret that the British empire has kept quiet from not only the world, but from themselves as well.Steve Berry is one of the best authors around today at weaving tales of intrigue and suspense on the world stage. And his main character Cotton Malone is one of the best flawed heroes to be found. A retired assassin and spy now turned bookstore owner, Cotton cannot help be pulled into dangerous situations.The main mystery of The King's Deception is the reign of Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen and a conspiracy once set forth by none other than Dracula Author Bram Stoker. The tale of the Bisley Boy.I will not go into the mystery of Elizabeth and how it figures into this intrigue as it is worth reading the novel to delve into it. Be it known that there is plenty of double and triple cross going on as allies become enemies and Cotton must weave his way through this one while protecting both his son and the young witness.Another fast paced and highly charged novel by Steve Berry.
    • 3/5
      Very very average. Lacked the pace and excitement of so many of Berry's other books. Weak characters. The sub-plot regarding the biological father of his "son" was poor.
    • 2/5
      I must admit that I managed to get through the half of that novel only - as hard as I tried to stay the course. It was boring, plot is trivial and predictable. There are all kinds of history facts but for anybody who has at least basic familiarity with English history, these will not be catching imagination.
    • 4/5
      I am still amazed at how much hardcore history Berry puts into his books, and this one is no exception. While the historical perspectives provide for a rich background for the plot, and gives Berry a nice playground to try certain fictional ideas along with it, the characters to me are just not quite as strong or compelling as one would expect in a truly great novel. The idea of the U.S. willing to expose that Queen Elizabeth was actually a man during her 16th century reign, thus voiding all land treaties of Northern Ireland today, as blackmail to prevent the Lockerbie bomber from being released to Libya was very interesting alongside the history revealed in this book. However, Berry needs to have characters strong enough to exist in this vehicle. He falls just shy here.
    • 4/5
      I must admit to enjoying a suspense/thriller every once and again and it there is a bit of the historical within it all the better! This is not my first book by Steve Berry and I doubt it will be my last - he does know how to keep the pages turning. This time he takes on the big guns though, the Tudors. They are mighty popular these days with readers who might not have shown interest in the past but with the advent of the cable series and more books than a person can possibly read the Tudors are definitely a dynasty quite au courant.I'm sharing no spoilers if I tell you that the plot involves the possibility that Queen Elizabeth I might have been a man! Go and google the Bisley Boy, I'll wait. It gives you the basics.The US wants Britain to do something it does not seem likely to do so it wants proof of Queen Elizabeth's true sex as leverage. There is also a search for the missing treasure of King Henry VII. They send in CIA agent Blake Antrim to dig up the proof but of course many in England, including a secret society, do not want said info found or released. Blake has issues to settle with Berry's hero Cotton Malone so he arranges for Malone and his son, Gary to bring a witness to England. It all breaks loose from there and graves are robbed, London's underwater rivers are discussed (ad nauseum) and many shots are fired as Cottom Malone races to keep England's secrets safe and save his son from evil kidnappers.The plot does move along with short chapters ending in cliff hangers. It is a fast paced read with not a heck of a lot of substance but that is what a beach read is all about. The bad guys are B.A.D. and the good guys are G.O.O.D. and there is not much in between. The book did keep me turning the pages and I enjoyed the sections that took place back in Tudor times. Do I believe that Elizabeth I was a man? Well, that is neither here nor there but no, I don't. It didn't take away from my enjoying a diverting, not have to think too much book perfect for taking my mind off of whatever else is going on in the world.
    • 4/5
      Cotton Malone and his son get involved in international intrigue in London that dates back to the time of Queen Elizabeth I. As per Berry's usual way of storytelling, the reader picks up lots of interesting bits of history about the red-haired queen and her relatives. The story flies along, and of course, Malone has numerous narrow escapes. Given some of the settings in London, I sometimes had to stop and think if I was reading Steve Berry or Dan Brown. If you like contemporary thrillers with a historical twist, you will enjoy this one.
    • 4/5
      The King's Deception by Steve Berry is a good summer read. Quick paced and difficult to put down.The story is about the transfer of the Libyan bomber of the Pan Am flight over Scotland after being diagnosed with cancer. Supposedly the US is attempting to blackmail Great Britain to block the transfer. The story is about the CIA attempting to find a secret about Elizabeth I from the 1600's that would force the British hand.The CIA agent leading the effort does uncover the secret. The story revolves around the SIS efforts to thwart the CIA from finding the final pieces of the secret and making it public. Cotton Malone, the hero in Steve Berry's novels, is dragged into the story over his son.
    • 4/5
      THE KING'S DECEPTION was a taut, well-paced thriller that had me on the edge of my chair. This was the first book I have read in the Cotton Malone series but I did not feel that I was missing anything. Berry provided enough backstory that I felt comfortable. This book was peopled with an overabundance of villains. I didn't really think any of the viewpoint characters, excepting perhaps Cotton Malone himself, were very likable people. The CIA guy Antrim was a self-centered abuser and the SIS guy Sir Thomas Mathews was pragmatic to the point of being indifferent to the loss of life among innocents. While I thought each one of them had worthy goals, I hated the things they were willing to do to achieve them. I was fascinated with the Tudor and Elizabethan history that formed that background of this thriller. I kept going to the internet to see if Berry was making things up or if the events happened. I loved the way the story mixed current and past history and showed that events--even events that happened 400 years ago--can still have modern consequences. I liked Cotton's relationship with his son Gary though the relationship was tested in this one because of something they both recently learned. I liked the characters of Miss Mary and Tanya and want to be that kind of old lady myself someday. The writing was excellent and the plot nicely twisty. Fans of thrillers will enjoy this story.
    • 4/5
      The King's Deception by Steve Berry is the eighth novel featuring Cotton Malone. Berry has a knack for finding obscure ways to link totally unrelated historical events and tie them to the fictional present and make it make sense. His stories always keep you guessing, trying to work out what is going on and why, and this one doesn't disappoint.Malone and his son are kidnapped in London while escorting a thief to the authorities.The young thief is in possession of information so incredible that it would rock the world, and the British government will stop at nothing to keep the secret hidden. A secret that would threaten the existence of the Monarchy as it stands.I like how Steve Barry adds factual information at the end of his novels to allow you to distinguish between history and his story telling. Nice little tidbit and certainly interesting.
    • 4/5
      I must admit to enjoying a suspense/thriller every once and again and it there is a bit of the historical within it all the better! This is not my first book by Steve Berry and I doubt it will be my last - he does know how to keep the pages turning. This time he takes on the big guns though, the Tudors. They are mighty popular these days with readers who might not have shown interest in the past but with the advent of the cable series and more books than a person can possibly read the Tudors are definitely a dynasty quite au courant.I'm sharing no spoilers if I tell you that the plot involves the possibility that Queen Elizabeth I might have been a man! Go and google the Bisley Boy, I'll wait. It gives you the basics.The US wants Britain to do something it does not seem likely to do so it wants proof of Queen Elizabeth's true sex as leverage. There is also a search for the missing treasure of King Henry VII. They send in CIA agent Blake Antrim to dig up the proof but of course many in England, including a secret society, do not want said info found or released. Blake has issues to settle with Berry's hero Cotton Malone so he arranges for Malone and his son, Gary to bring a witness to England. It all breaks loose from there and graves are robbed, London's underwater rivers are discussed (ad nauseum) and many shots are fired as Cottom Malone races to keep England's secrets safe and save his son from evil kidnappers.The plot does move along with short chapters ending in cliff hangers. It is a fast paced read with not a heck of a lot of substance but that is what a beach read is all about. The bad guys are B.A.D. and the good guys are G.O.O.D. and there is not much in between. The book did keep me turning the pages and I enjoyed the sections that took place back in Tudor times. Do I believe that Elizabeth I was a man? Well, that is neither here nor there but no, I don't. It didn't take away from my enjoying a diverting, not have to think too much book perfect for taking my mind off of whatever else is going on in the world.
    • 4/5
      Secret societies, british and american spies with hidden agendas, and a centuries old secret involving Henry VIII and Elizabeth I lie at the heart of The King’s Deception. Cotton Malone is dragged unknowingly into a CIA plot to discover a secret the British government would prefer to remain secret.This book is a lot of fun. Part of the fun is the excellent historical detail which Steve Berry sprinkles into the story. A generous helping of fact with some plausible speculation form the backdrop for an exciting thriller. Cotton Malone is a great character. He is clever, resourceful and, while not superhuman, still pretty good at handling himself in a sticky situation. Elevating the tension here is that his son is in jeopardy, along with a british boy Malone was delivering to authorities in London.The action moves along swiftly, aided by short passages shifting perspective among the many characters. The backstory involving the british monarchy is perhaps the most interesting part. The only drawback in this story was that the bad guys didn’t really seem to be all that much of a threat. They were violent, ruthless, and arrogant, but not very competent. Malone and others seemed credibly in danger much of the time. They were so clearly superior to their adversaries, though, that the threats didn’t seem all that scary. That being said, Cotton and some of the other characters, particularly Miss Mary and her sister were very likeable.This is a quick, fun book and a great summer read. The historical backdrop was both informative and entertaining. The theories behind Elizabeth I are perhaps the thing that will stick with me longest. I look forward to reading more Cotton Malone thrillers. Highly recommended. 3.5 stars.I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.