Description
The first case of New York Times bestseller Steve Berry’s iconic hero, Cotton Malone.
History notes that the ugly feud between J. Edgar Hoover and Martin Luther King, Jr., marked by years of illegal surveillance and the accumulation of secret files, ended on April 4, 1968 when King was assassinated by James Earl Ray. But that may not have been the case.
Now, fifty years later, former Justice Department agent, Cotton Malone, must reckon with the truth of what really happened that fateful day in Memphis.
It all turns on an incident from eighteen years ago, when Malone, as a young Navy lawyer, is trying hard not to live up to his burgeoning reputation as a maverick. When Stephanie Nelle, a high-level Justice Department lawyer, enlists him to help with an investigation, he jumps at the opportunity. But he soon discovers that two opposing forces—the Justice Department and the FBI—are at war over a rare coin and a cadre of secret files containing explosive revelations about the King assassination, information that could ruin innocent lives and threaten the legacy of the civil rights movement’s greatest martyr.
Malone’s decision to see it through to the end —— from the raucous bars of Mexico, to the clear waters of the Dry Tortugas, and ultimately into the halls of power within Washington D.C. itself —— not only changes his own life, but the course of history.
Steve Berry always mines the lost riches of history —— in The Bishop's Pawn he imagines a gripping, provocative thriller about an American icon.
About the Author
Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of the Cotton Malone novels (The Bishop's Pawn, The Malta Exchange), among other books, and several works of short fiction. He has 25 million books in print, translated into 40 languages.
With his wife, Elizabeth, he is the founder of History Matters, which is dedicated to historical preservation. He serves as an emeritus member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board and was a founding member of International Thriller Writers, formerly serving as its co-president.
Praise For…
"A compelling historical mystery with a terrific payoff...he nails it. Berry’s most personal novel to date.”
- Associated Press
“As fast-paced and exciting as all his previous books, this is another winner in the author’s best-selling series. Berry’s fans will not be disappointed. He has a knack for presenting alternative history that seems as though it might be true.” – Library Journal (starred review)
“Berry's most personal novel to date.” – Associated Press
“An effective conspiracy yarn.”- Publishers Weekly
"[An] exciting tale of historical intrigue." -- Booklist
“Berry has always ‘hit it out of the park’ with his books; with this, he’s basically hit it to the moon and back. It is that good. Berry is outstanding, taking people on a hunt through the past that brings even more suspense to a crime that has never been forgotten.” – Suspense Magazine
“This Cotton Malone case is a fast-paced, heart-pounding thriller with dark corners and passageways. The action hits the ground running and does not let up until the end. Steve Berry is a talented author who shakes things up by presenting alternate versions to historical events.” – RT Book Reviews
“Berry mixes historical facts with his own fictions in a manner that readers of this terrific series have come to love. The Bishop’s Pawn…keeps the suspense building until the final pages. It’s one of the best books in a wonderful series.” – Connecticut Post
“As fast-paced and exciting as all his previous books, this is another winner in the author’s best-selling series. Berry’s fans will not be disappointed. He has a knack for presenting alternative history that seems as though it might be true.” – Library Journal (starred review)
“Berry doesn’t so much as up the ante here as change the game. And the result is a tour de force that’s everything a great thriller is supposed to be.” – Providence Journal
“Bery deftly weaves historical facts and made-up fiction.” – Florida Times Union
“A riveting adventure told in Berry’s trademark style of pairing meticulously researched history with unexpected twists.” – Southern Seasons