The Last Kingdom (Cotton Malone Thrillers) - book cover
Action & Adventure
  • Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
  • Published : 21 Feb 2023
  • Pages : 400
  • ISBN-10 : 153872099X
  • ISBN-13 : 9781538720998
  • Language : English

The Last Kingdom (Cotton Malone Thrillers)

From celebrated New York Times bestselling author, Steve Berry, comes the latest Cotton Malone adventure, in which the discovery of a lost historical document challenges the global might of the United States.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria was an enigmatic figure who was deposed in 1886, mysteriously drowning three days later.  Eccentric to the point of madness, history tells us that in the years before he died Ludwig engaged in a worldwide search for a new kingdom, one separate, apart, and in lieu of Bavaria.  A place he could retreat into and rule as he wished.  But a question remains:  did he succeed? 

Enter Cotton Malone.  After many months, Malone's protégé, Luke Daniels, has managed to infiltrate a renegade group intent on winning Bavarian independence from Germany.  Daniels has also managed to gain the trust of the prince of Bavaria, a frustrated second son intent on eliminating his brother, the duke, and restoring the Wittelsbach monarchy, only now with him as king.  Everything hinges on a 19th century deed which proves that Ludwig's long-rumored search bore fruit--legal title to lands that Germany, China, and the United States all now want, only for vastly different reasons.  

In a race across Bavaria for clues hidden in Ludwig's three fairytale castles--Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee--Malone and Daniels battle an ever-growing list of deadly adversaries, all intent on finding the last kingdom.

Readers Top Reviews

ReviewerMonnie Ry
There is too much repetition and description of historical facts that detract from the story line. Writing messages in German and French and then translating immediately below is tiresome. We know that Malone can speak German and French so he could be translating it in his head . I never pass on a Steve Berry book and think it is worth reading but it didn’t keep me as interested as his books usually do.
John S Burke Jr
As usual Steve Berry does a great job researching the facts and weaves an excellent story with Cotton Malone his main character.
Ahhhh! So good to have Cotton back! It’s been too long! Berry’s new book The Last Kingdom, was a page-turner. I read it in two days, thoroughly enjoying the intricate historical details about Ludwig II and Bavaria, the twist and turns of the complicated plot, and of course, the boldness and daring of the one and only Cotton Malone. And without giving anything away, I loved the ending. Can’t wait to continue another journey with Cotton next year.

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