The 14th Colony (Cotton Malone Series)

By Steve Berry

Rating 3/5 Stairs

Steve Berry releases a new Cotton Malone novel every year, and I always look forward to reading them. The 14th Colony was his 2016 release.

As always, you don’t have to have read any of the previous Cotton Malone stories to pick this book up. Mr. Berry ensures that new readers will not be lost if they pick up any Cotton Malone adventure. Mr. Berry meticulously researches the history and locations used in his novels. He adds a small twist to the real historical facts that set the novel’s events into motion. I especially enjoy the last chapter of each book, where he sorts out the facts and fiction for the reader.

The 14th Colony felt pretty timely when I read it. It centers around president Danny Daniels last days in office leading up to the January 20th inauguration of the country’s new president. The new president plans to dismantle the Magellan Billet (an elite intelligence division within the Justice Department), thus ending Stephanie Nelle’s career (and Cotton Malone’s moonlighting for the Billet).

Of course there’s time for one last mission for the gang to save the United States (and possibly the world) as we know it.

Cotton Malone novels are fast-paced and fun reads, and The 14th Colony is no exception. Normally these are 4- or 5-stair reads for me, but this outing fell a little short. While the actual loophole in the Constitution was an interesting twist (and it really exists), the Russian spy story line wasn’t as engaging for me as previous Cotton Malone books.

While I don’t have my usual enthusiasm, The 14th Colony hasn’t damped my Cotton Malone interest. I’m really looking forward to reading this year’s book The Lost Order, which centers around The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.