International bestselling author Steve Berry gives us a new main character. Nicholas Lee is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) investigator working in the CLIO (Cultural Liason and Investigative Office.) When Publishers Weekly says "Dan Brown fans will want to check this one out," I just had to see for myself.
Copyright: June 2022 (Grand Central Publishing) 465 pgs
Series: 1st in Nicholas Lee Thriller (maybe a stand alone)
Sensuality: Some action violence scenes
Mystery Sub-genre: Suspense Thriller
Main Characters: Summer Westin, Wildlife biologist for Save the Wilderness Fund
Setting: Modern day, Utah's Heritage National Monument
Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review
Book Blurb: "The Ghent Altarpiece is the most violated work of art in the world. Thirteen times it has been vandalized, dismantled, or stolen. Why? What secrets does it hold?
Enter UNESCO investigator, Nicholas Lee, who works for the United Nations’ Cultural Liaison and Investigative Office (CLIO). Nick’s job is to protect the world’s cultural artifacts—anything and everything from countless lesser-known objects to national treasures.
When Nick travels to Belgium for a visit with a woman from his past, he unwittingly stumbles on the trail of a legendary panel from the Ghent Altarpiece, stolen in 1934 under cover of night and never seen since. Soon Nick is plunged into a bitter conflict, one that has been simmering for nearly two thousand years. On one side is the Maidens of Saint-Michael, les Vautours—the Vultures—a secret order of nuns and the guardians of a great truth. Pitted against them is the Vatican, which has wanted for centuries to both find and possess what the nuns guard. Because of Nick the maidens have finally been exposed, their secret placed in dire jeopardy—a vulnerability that the Vatican swiftly moves to exploit utilizing an ambitious cardinal and a corrupt archbishop, both with agendas of their own.
From the tranquil canals of Ghent, to the towering bastions of Carcassonne, and finally into an ancient abbey high in the French Pyrenees, Nick Lee must confront a modern-day religious crusade intent on eliminating a shocking truth from humanity’s past. Success or failure—life and death—all turn on the Omega Factor."
My Thoughts: I am used to Steve Berry's series featuring Cotton Malone but this is a new series with Nicholas Lee as the main character. Nicholas Lee started in the army as an MP, tried to get into Magellan Billet at the Justice Department but didn't get hired on. That's when he got into UNESCO as an investigator. He is an official UN representative which grants him access during investigations to preserve the world's art treasures. Nicholas Lee pushs the envelope in this investigation because it involves a very special nun, Kelsey, who was the love of his life-until she left him for a convent. Kelsey is not just a nun, but a talented art restorer and she is the one who asks Nicholas to help.
The action starts with the building on fire where he was supposed to meet Kelsey. The pacing is on target with just enough breaks between action to catch your breath and understand more of the plot before more action. I loved the various settings, I always travel vicariously and these were great. The climactic confrontation had twists as well as high tension. The wrap-up explained all the events, the history, and how it all ties together.
I recommend for political/conspiracy thriller fans and I vote for this new character to be an ongoing series.
Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list
Here is a Steve Berry interview about this book:
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