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    The Venetian Betrayal: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Venetian Betrayal: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Venetian Betrayal: A Novel
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    The Venetian Betrayal: A Novel

    Written by Steve Berry

    Narrated by Erik Singer

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In 323 B.C.E, having conquered Persia, Alexander the Great set his sights on Arabia, then suddenly succumbed to a strange fever. Locating his final resting place-unknown to this day-remains a tantalizing goal for both archaeologists and treasure hunters. Now the quest for this coveted prize is about to heat up. And Cotton Malone-former U.S. Justice Department agent turned rare-book dealer-will be drawn into an intense geopolitical chess game.

    After narrowly escaping incineration in a devastating fire that consumes a Danish museum, Cotton learns from his friend, the beguiling adventurer Cassiopeia Vitt, that the blaze was neither an accident nor an isolated incident. As part of campaign of arson intended to mask a far more diabolical design, buildings across Europe are being devoured by infernos of unnatural strength.

    And from the ashes of the U.S.S.R., a new nation has arisen: Former Soviet republics have consolidated into the Central Asian Federation. At its helm is Supreme Minister Irina Zovastina, a cunning despot with a talent for politics, a taste for blood sport, and the single-minded desire to surpass Alexander the Great as history's ultimate conqueror.
    Backed by a secret cabal of powerbrokers, the Federation has amassed a harrowing arsenal of biological weapons. Equipped with the hellish power to decimate other nations at will, only one thing keeps Zovastina from setting in motion her death march of domination: a miraculous healing serum, kept secret by an ancient puzzle and buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great-in a tomb lost to the ages for more than 1,500 years.

    Together, Cotton and Cassiopeia must outrun and outthink the forces allied against them. Their perilous quest will take them to the shores of Denmark, deep into the venerated monuments of Venice, and finally high inside the desolate Pamir mountains of Central Asia to unravel a riddle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people-depending on who finds the lost tomb first.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateDec 11, 2007
    ISBN9780739341292
    Unavailable
    The Venetian Betrayal: A Novel
    Author

    Steve Berry

    Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of The Patriot Threat, The Lincoln Myth, The King’s Deception, The Columbus Affair, The Jefferson Key, The Emperor’s Tomb, The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Amber Room. His books have been translated into forty languages with 19,000,000 copies in fifty-one countries. For more information, visit SteveBerry.org.

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    Reviews for The Venetian Betrayal

    3.5/5

    465 ratings36 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed the feel of this book, and as usual Steve Berry's writing style. The book is centred around Alexander the Great's history, and particularly his death and the location of his body - this was a very interesting facet of the book and left me wanting to find more out about Alexander. Within the modern day context we have Irina Zovastina, Supreme Minster of the Central Asian Federation, who has dreams of Empire Building. What can this have to do with Alexander's body and the chemists Irina has working for her? Amongst all this mix we have Cotton Malone and Henrik Thorvaldsen helping Cassiopeia avenge the death of her friend and treasure hunters searching for medallions and destroying museums by fire as they go.This is quite an epic adventure taking place across Europe and Asia, with sub-plots aplenty. It does keep you wanting to read on and find out what the next twist is, and there are plenty. I have to say Steve Berry pulled out a few surprises on this one that I didn't see coming. It was also good to have a book where us mere mortal readers had a chance of solving the clues, it always gets you more involved in the book. I really enjoyed this book and the only thing that let it down for me was a few inconsistencies in a couple of the characters, and the ending which I felt stretched credibility a bit too much. That said though I can't wait to launch onto the next book in the series as I do love Steve Berry's writing, plotting and the incorporation of historical facts within the book.
    • 2/5
      So many things in this story make one too many appearances

      it's like a house of mirrors - you're reading along and then so and so sees something or does something that someone else just saw or did 5 pages before or fifty pages before, or both - and then as if that's not enough, someone else'll see it or give it a go one more time just in case you didn't forget you'd already seen it, heard it, read it before - argggh - it's like sitting next to a drunk who says "did I tell you about the one where . . . " um, yeah you did!
    • 3/5
      A fairly typical "action thriller with historical references." Fast-paced and absorbing, although there is a rather lot going on, to the point where I'm not entirely sure all the threads were tied up by the end of the book, because I lost track. Still, a good read if this is the sort of genre you like.
    • 5/5
      Like the author.
    • 4/5
      This action styled mystery starts out in 323 B.C.E, with Alexander the Great dying from a mysterious fever. Fast forward to present day and the Central Asian Federation, ruled by it's ambitious Supreme Minister, Irina Zovastina. She rules with a totalitarian twist and plans to release a deadly virus in surrounding countries that only she will be able to cure. Cotton Malone, a former U.S. Justice Department agent is contacted by Cassiopeia Vitt and Henrik Thorvaldson, and becomes drawn into the plan to keep Zovastina from releasing her poison. Of course, this will involve solving a riddle found on eight legendary medallions commemorating Alexander's conquest and finding the lost Tomb of Alexander the Great.

      The characters are interesting and often trade witticisms back and forth during the battles they engage in. I did like the way each book, and I've only read three, start to fill out each character with some backstory. In the last book, the Alexandria Link, it concentrated on Cotton and in this book we get some additional layers to Cassiopeia Vitt. Vitt is an especially compelling female character who embodies that mysterious woman who is intelligent and can be counted on in a tight spot. The twists and turns in this book were amazing. If you like action and international thrillers, give him a try.
    • 4/5
      Interesting story, the author always puts so much effort into it! I do also like the ending notes that tell what was real and what was just for the story. Scott Brick is also an excellent narrator for these, I really enjoy them!
    • 4/5
      This is the third installment of the Cotton Malone series by Steve Berry. As with the previous books, the history was well researched, the story/mystery intriguing and the characters interesting.Cotton and his friends (Cassiopeia, Henrik and Stephanie) are in a race to locate the final resting place of Alexander the Great and to unravel a mystery that either could destroy or save millions of people. Challenging them at every turn is Irina Zovastina, the Supreme Minister, of the newly-formed Central Asian Federation - a nation that has risen from the remnants of the former Soviet Union.In comparison to the previous 2 books, I would have to rank this as second - ahead of Templar Legacy but behind Alexandria Link.Rating: 4 Stars
    • 3/5
      Scott Brick gave a good read to this spy/hero encyclopedic historical medical political thriller. The dialogue and action are dreamt for the big screen. But for the continuing characters in the Cotton Malone universe, this comes off as a first novel of heavy-handed promise. The Venetian Betrayal is a lesser Berry.
    • 1/5
      okay story (not Berry's best)...didn't like the reader. and didn't like the editing of the abridged version...
    • 5/5
      Great coverage of Greek and Asian History. Cotton Malone is the Man!
    • 3/5
      Wasn't bad, didn't really have a surprising plot but it kept me interested and didn't get boring.
    • 2/5
      Scott Brick’s hyper-emotive over-dramatization ruined what might have been a good story.
    • 4/5
      Alexander the Great, an Asian Federation dictator and a cure for AIDS hidden in a cave
    • 2/5
      Steve Berry is getting very formulaic. Not one of my favorites. Entertaining enough if you want an easy read.
    • 4/5
      Synopsis: Once again Cotton Malone is sucked into the Justice Department intrigue, along with Cassiopeia Vitt, Henrik Thorvaldsen, and Stephanie Nell. This time they must deal with Supreme Minister Irina Zovastina of the Asian federation, biological warfare, and the riddle of the tomb of Alexander the Great.Review: Once again Steve Berry has pulled together a great deal of research to produce an entertaining book. The plot has some nice twists and the ending, although anticipated, has some surprises.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting plot and deftly woven by Berry to combine current issues with the debate of where Alexander the Great was buried. I was just shy of considering this a great book due to the characters being slightly on the thin side in terms of development, but overall a good read and worth the time.
    • 4/5
      After some disappointment with book 2 of the Cotton Malone series, I was glad to see more historical fiction back into the story on this, the third book. It helps that the historical subject was one of my favorites: Alexander the Great. Part of the story line includes the 2000-year mystery of what became of his body.Cotton's friend Henryk watches his Copenhagen museum burned by what turns out to be "Greek fire", the medieval weapon whose recipe was lost after the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Henryk had the foresight to remove his priceless artifacts and replace everything with counterfeits, so aside from the building, nothing was actually lost. It turns out that this arson was connected to the leader of the Central Asian Republic, a fictional coalition of all of the 'stans (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, etc.) She is collecting "Elephant medallions" of which 8 are known to exist. These coins were minted after Alexander the Great's victories in Indian, commemorating the extent of his empire. The medallions, however, have a microengraving that point to a secret the chairwoman is intent on uncovering.Meanwhile, an intersecting story line includes a shadow group called the Venetian League. A group of rich illuminati, they exert influence throughout the world. One of these are working on a cure for AIDS, of interest to the chairwoman after a former lover is found to have the disease. On to book 4!
    • 4/5
      So many plot twists and unknowns. The mystery in here was kinda neat (although not generally in my history wheelhouse), but I was getting tired of all the various subplots and lack of information. If people would just freaking tell each other what was going on (on the side of the good guys... I get the "bad" guys plotting), that would have been better. I'm hoping for a bit more character development, although some nice revelations came about.

      Also, the medical storyline left me feeling kind of "meh". Nice dream, but so far from reality. Then again, so is a united Central Asia.
    • 4/5
      Another great read from Steve Berry with his Cotton Malone character. I loved the history of Alexander the Great weaved into a present day story.
    • 5/5
      A professor from my university recommended this book to me because he knew that I based my research around Hephaestion and Alexander the Great. I was hesitant at the recommendation at first because for some reason whenever someone fictionalizes Alex... it's rather embarrassing. Yet, hardly ever does an author mention Hephaestion, let alone the relationship of the two, so out of love I decided to try it out. I accepted his copy to borrow and brought it with me when we went to Egypt. I have to admit that I am impressed. The short chapters kept the story flowing quickly, and while the story and its relation to Alex was...unlikely, it was catchy and I could choose to not let it interfere. I think I will follow Cotton into another adventure.P.S. - Beginning with the execution of the doctor was awesome ;)
    • 4/5
      I just finished The Venetian Betrayal by Steve Berry. This is the perfect audiobook when you want a thriller that is fun and exciting with a bit of background history thrown in. A great listen with Scott Brick as the narrator. The book travels all over Europe and Asia and features characters from Russia (can't have a spy novel without a Russian!), the U.S. and Europe. Brick does a fantastic job with the Russian accents. But I think what really made me enjoy this book is one of the main characters, Cotton Malone. A former CIA operative, he lives in Denmark where he owns a bookstore. Wouldn't it be so much more exciting if instead of being high tech refugees, Ann, Lilly, and I were former spies? Of course part of why he is so effective catching the bad guys is all of the history and culture that he has acquired as a bookstore owner. The story is filled with lots of interesting tidbits about Alexander the Great. It makes me want to start reading more about ancient Greece...after I become fluent in Russian with Pimsleur Russian...
    • 4/5
      The Venetian Betrayal by Steve BerryCotton Malone series Book # 34&#9733'sFrom The Book: n 323 B.C.E, having conquered Persia, Alexander the Great set his sights on Arabia, then suddenly succumbed to a strange fever. Locating his final resting place–unknown to this day–remains a tantalizing goal for both archaeologists and treasure hunters. Now the quest for this coveted prize is about to heat up. And Cotton Malone–former U.S. Justice Department agent turned rare-book dealer–will be drawn into an intense geopolitical chess game. After narrowly escaping incineration in a devastating fire that consumes a Danish museum, Cotton learns from his friend, the beguiling adventurer Cassiopeia Vitt, that the blaze was neither an accident nor an isolated incident. As part of campaign of arson intended to mask a far more diabolical design, buildings across Europe are being devoured by infernos of unnatural strength.And from the ashes of the U.S.S.R., a new nation has arisen: Former Soviet republics have consolidated into the Central Asian Federation. At its helm is Supreme Minister Irina Zovastina, a cunning despot with a talent for politics, a taste for blood sport, and the single-minded desire to surpass Alexander the Great as history’s ultimate conqueror. Backed by a secret cabal of power-brokers, the Federation has amassed a harrowing arsenal of biological weapons. Equipped with the hellish power to decimate other nations at will, only one thing keeps Zovastina from setting in motion her death march of domination: a miraculous healing serum, kept secret by an ancient puzzle and buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great–in a tomb lost to the ages for more than 1,500 years.Together, Cotton and Cassiopeia must outrun and out think the forces allied against them. Their perilous quest will take them to the shores of Denmark, deep into the venerated monuments of Venice, and finally high inside the desolate Pamir mountains of Central Asia to unravel a riddle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people–depending on who finds the lost tomb first.My Thoughts:Anyone that is a history fan will surely find that this series is well worth your time to pursue. Steve Berry admits that he does take literary license with some of the facts but for the most part he does well planned research and stays as close to actual historical recollection as the story line allows.The twists and turns in this book are truly amazing. I will have to confess that following the plot line from one place to another sometimes became truly exhausting. Also there is so much going on that it makes it nearly impossible for the reader to possibly solve the riddle. The characters however are extremely interesting and very diversified in personality. Overall it was a very good read but I believe I was more interested in the previous two books dealing with The Templar treasure and the lost library of Alexandria.
    • 5/5
      Book DescriptionIn 323 B.C.E, having conquered Persia, Alexander the Great set his sights on Arabia, then suddenly succumbed to a strange fever. Locating his final resting place–unknown to this day–remains a tantalizing goal for both archaeologists and treasure hunters. Now the quest for this coveted prize is about to heat up. And Cotton Malone–former U.S. Justice Department agent turned rare-book dealer–will be drawn into an intense geopolitical chess game. After narrowly escaping incineration in a devastating fire that consumes a Danish museum, Cotton learns from his friend, the beguiling adventurer Cassiopeia Vitt, that the blaze was neither an accident nor an isolated incident. As part of campaign of arson intended to mask a far more diabolical design, buildings across Europe are being devoured by infernos of unnatural strength.And from the ashes of the U.S.S.R., a new nation has arisen: Former Soviet republics have consolidated into the Central Asian Federation. At its helm is Supreme Minister Irina Zovastina, a cunning despot with a talent for politics, a taste for blood sport, and the single-minded desire to surpass Alexander the Great as history’s ultimate conqueror. Backed by a secret cabal of powerbrokers, the Federation has amassed a harrowing arsenal of biological weapons. Equipped with the hellish power to decimate other nations at will, only one thing keeps Zovastina from setting in motion her death march of domination: a miraculous healing serum, kept secret by an ancient puzzle and buried with the mummified remains of Alexander the Great–in a tomb lost to the ages for more than 1,500 years.Together, Cotton and Cassiopeia must outrun and outthink the forces allied against them. Their perilous quest will take them to the shores of Denmark, deep into the venerated monuments of Venice, and finally high inside the desolate Pamir mountains of Central Asia to unravel a riddle whose solution could destroy or save millions of people–depending on who finds the lost tomb first.My ReviewI loved learning about Alexander the Great and enjoyed Berry's writing and research. I found Irina Zovastina a fascinating character even though she was so wicked. It helps if you read the first two books of the series so you will be a bit familiar with the major characters but it's not too difficult of a read if you haven't read the other books as character descriptions reveal some of things that happened in the past. There are plenty of riddles to solve and lots of adventure which holds your interest until the very end. I can't wait to read the next book in the series and continue the adventures with Cotton Malone, Stephanie, Thorvaldsen and Cassiopeia. If you love history with your adventure reads, you will definitely enjoy this series.
    • 3/5
      I listened to the audio version of this. Probably if I had read it for myself I would have given it three stars. The narrator's tone and intensity put me off, in addition to his accents. Possibly it is my ear, but every character who had an accent sounded like a smarmy version of Dracula to me.As for the story, the action and descriptions were fun, the premise of finding a cure for aids and all the political and corporate power struggles involved rang true. The weird search for Alexandar's tomb I could swallow, but I think a real archaeologist would have a fit about what the characters (several of them trained and smart enough to know better) did when the tomb was found. As to the characters themselves, by the end of the story I was hoping for death on all fronts. There was not one character I cared about in this story, they all were intensely annoying.
    • 2/5
      A fascinating insight into the life and times of Alexander The Great. The political scenes in the story were a bit heavy going at times but other then that this book is a great read.
    • 4/5
      A good basic "save the world" type of book this!Alexander the Great is the pivotal point of the story and the grip he has over Zovastina who wants to find his secret burial place and rule the world in the modern day much as he did in the 300 BC's.Zovastina does this by forming a coalition with other Asian Federation countries to form the new Central Asian Federation. She runs on the platform of wanting to give these countries the power they deserve and the lifestyle they never had. In reality she wants her country to expand to epic proportions.With this in mind she joins up with the Council of 10. A group of Venetian business men who work outside governmental rules to try and make their businesses succeed. All seems good until we see that both groups want different things and follow their own agendas. Which leads to Cotton Malone and his friends trying to find the coins of Alexander the Great and the cure behind the virus' which are being generated. Virus' which will help with the plan to expand the Asian Federations grip.Well if this does not grab you attention to read it then I am lost what to say! It is a book to lose yourself in and is one of a series - so there are more where this one came from :-)
    • 2/5
      Interesting read. Made me want to learn more about Alexander the Great. I enjoyed the premise of the book but the jumping back and forth between the characters made it a bit difficult to follow. Still an enjoyable read as I love books that mix in a bit of history and archeology.
    • 4/5
      This book is the third installment of the Cotton Malone mystery series and it continues to utilize the historical mysteries of the past to entertain in the here and now. In this story Cotton is drafted out of his retirement by friends to assist them in preventing the Supreme Minister of the Central Asian Federation from utilizing biological warfare to take over the world.Okay, I know that that sounds pretty melodramatic, but basically that's the plot. It doesn't seem that it would be plausible but Steve Berry somehow manages to take these unusual situations and make you suspend your belief, and go with the characters through their trials and emerge from the dangers triumphant. I really like this series and look forward to the future installments.
    • 4/5
      A book in a similar genre as the Da Vinci code. Its a fast paced book which kept me interested throughout with quite a few good twists. Its not a great piece of literature but doesn't pretend to be. Nor does it pretend to be rooted in 100% fact and bends some to add to the plot. A good read which won't require too much mental investment.
    • 4/5
      I've read Berry's series out of order, but, unfortunately, there is not enough character development that it was a problem.The Venetian Betrayal is in line with Berry's Malone's series, informative, gripping and entertaining . I wrote this before, but the author's note at the end of the book are really great.