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Cotton Malone #9.5
The Devil's Bones: Cotton Malone vs. Gray Pierce
In this short story from the thrilling anthology FaceOff, New York Times bestselling authors Steve Berry and James Rollins—along with their popular characters Cotton Malone and Gray Pierce—team up for the first time ever.
In a visit to Copenhagen, Gray Pierce happened upon a bookshop owned by an ex-lawyer named Cotton Malone, but he never had a chance to really get to know the owner. Too bad, because they had a lot in Both men were ex-military, both worked for covert agencies—Malone as a freelancer under the auspices of the Justice Department; Pierce via the Department of Defense—and both are good at what they do.
Flash forward a few years to when Malone and Pierce finally get together for more than a passing hello. Halfway around the world from Denmark, Malone and Pierce are passengers on a luxury riverboat out of Brazil, both on the hunt for a maniacal botanist who’s scheming to sell the spoils of his latest Amazonian excursion—a rare orchid containing a deadly neurotoxin—to the highest bidder. That means Malone and Pierce have the length of the river boat cruise to stop him before the poison falls into the wrong hands. It’s definitely an action-packed several hours. For more exciting pairs, check out all eleven short stories in FaceOff!
In a visit to Copenhagen, Gray Pierce happened upon a bookshop owned by an ex-lawyer named Cotton Malone, but he never had a chance to really get to know the owner. Too bad, because they had a lot in Both men were ex-military, both worked for covert agencies—Malone as a freelancer under the auspices of the Justice Department; Pierce via the Department of Defense—and both are good at what they do.
Flash forward a few years to when Malone and Pierce finally get together for more than a passing hello. Halfway around the world from Denmark, Malone and Pierce are passengers on a luxury riverboat out of Brazil, both on the hunt for a maniacal botanist who’s scheming to sell the spoils of his latest Amazonian excursion—a rare orchid containing a deadly neurotoxin—to the highest bidder. That means Malone and Pierce have the length of the river boat cruise to stop him before the poison falls into the wrong hands. It’s definitely an action-packed several hours. For more exciting pairs, check out all eleven short stories in FaceOff!
31 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2014
200 people are currently reading
1983 people want to read
About the author
Steve Berry
110 books7,508 followersSteve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of twenty-two novels, which include: The Last Kingdom , The Omega Factor , The Kaiser's Web, The Warsaw Protocol, The Malta Exchange, The Bishop’s Pawn, The Lost Order, The 14th Colony, 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. Steve has also co-written a novel with Grant Blackwood, The 9th Man (a Luke Daniels Adventure), and four novellas with M. J. Rose: The End of Forever, The House of Long Ago, The Lake of Learning, and The Museum of Mysteries, all Cassiopeia Vitt tales. His books have been translated into 41 languages with over 25,000,000 copies in 52 countries. They consistently appear in the top echelon of The New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller lists. Somewhere in the world, every thirty seconds, one of his novels is sold.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 10, 2024
As I'm catching up on the Sigma series by James Rollins, there are several short stories between each of the novels. In The Devil's Bones, Rollin's teams up with Steve Berry by penning a short story for his Gray Pierce with Berry's Cotton Malone protagonist. In the forward, I learned a bit about how the two men became friends, as well as the reason for writing these tales. It was a good one, but definitely very short and probably not as impactful without understanding all of the characters. Truthfully, it felt like two men swooping into the Amazon to save the world... where everything was quick, a verbal sparring offered some personality conflicts, and sharp warfare provided the suspense. Without a real plot to connect to, these types of tales aren't as absorbing for me. That said, it was easy to read, had some clever scenes, and I might consider picking up Berry's series once I finish this Rollins one.
December 28, 2020
A nice, short little ditty teaming up Gray Pierce of Sigma Force and Steve Berry's Cotton Malone. They both are after the same nuerotoxin in the Amazon. I've read all of the Sigma Force novels. I haven't read any of the Cotton Malone books but I'll be checking them out now.
June 10, 2020
جالب بود، برخورد شخصیت گری پیرس از مجموعه سیگما اثر جیمز رولینز با کاتون مالون از مجموعه کاتون مالون اثر استیو بری.
ظاهراً این دو تا در رمان حلقه سیاه مجموعه سیگما هم عمدا و با هماهنگی دو نویسنده به هم برخورد کردند و با فیدبکهای جالب خوانندهها، دوباره در چند قسمت کاتون مالون هم اشاراتی به سیگما و فرمانده پیرس شده.
این داستان کوتاه هم برخورد اتفاقی قهرمان این دو رمان در یک ماجرای مشترک بود.
ظاهراً این دو تا در رمان حلقه سیاه مجموعه سیگما هم عمدا و با هماهنگی دو نویسنده به هم برخورد کردند و با فیدبکهای جالب خوانندهها، دوباره در چند قسمت کاتون مالون هم اشاراتی به سیگما و فرمانده پیرس شده.
این داستان کوتاه هم برخورد اتفاقی قهرمان این دو رمان در یک ماجرای مشترک بود.
July 1, 2022
Bookopoly 2022. – Read a favorite author
Globalni ciljevi: nastavak serijala
Ovo je bilo čisto ok. Prekratko i čovjek se ne može baš ufurati u radnju, ali ideja da dva autora zajedno napišu priču u kojoj se pojavljuju njihova dva glavna lika mi je fora. I sad me priča povukla da probam pročitati kojeg Berryja.
Globalni ciljevi: nastavak serijala
Ovo je bilo čisto ok. Prekratko i čovjek se ne može baš ufurati u radnju, ali ideja da dva autora zajedno napišu priču u kojoj se pojavljuju njihova dva glavna lika mi je fora. I sad me priča povukla da probam pročitati kojeg Berryja.
September 25, 2021
eponymous sentence:
p11: "Six months into the jungle I heard a rumor of a plant called Huesos del Diablo," Trask said, keeping his lips still.
Malone silently translated.
The devil's bones.
I caught the reference in the Venetian Betrayal (2007) but I wasn't aware of the one before that (Black Order, 2006, by James Rollins) since I never read any Steve Berry prior.
Intriguing game these three (with Raymond Khoury) are playing.
p11: "Six months into the jungle I heard a rumor of a plant called Huesos del Diablo," Trask said, keeping his lips still.
Malone silently translated.
The devil's bones.
I caught the reference in the Venetian Betrayal (2007) but I wasn't aware of the one before that (Black Order, 2006, by James Rollins) since I never read any Steve Berry prior.
Intriguing game these three (with Raymond Khoury) are playing.
August 9, 2020
The Devil's Bones was an action-packed short story that was a nice addition to the Sigma Force series.
Onboard a luxury riverboat in Brazil, Gray Pierce has one shot to stop the sale of a deadly neurotoxin before it disappears forever. But as he's searching the target's room for the deadly vials, he finds himself unexpectedly not alone in that search. Joined by ex-lawyer Cotton Malone, the race is on to stop the neurotoxin from falling into the wrong hands.
This story is a cross-over of the Cotton Malone and Sigma Force universes. I have not previously read any of the Cotton Malone books, but I am currently making my way through the Sigma Force series. As an addition to the Sigma Force series, the story a nice extra that follows Gray with Seichan being the only other character in the series mentioned. After reading this story I am definitely interested in picking up the Cotton Malone books at some point in the future.
Gray and Malone work well together as they both have similar backgrounds, ex-military and connected to covert agencies. For being such a short story, there isn't a ton of background given on either character with just the minimum information about who they are and what they do. The story is entertaining with an action-packed plot that doesn't let up from start to finish. The neurotoxin storyline was interesting and I was curious how the two men would work together to stop the sale.
Overall while The Devil's Bones doesn't have a ton of substance, it's an entertaining short read.
Onboard a luxury riverboat in Brazil, Gray Pierce has one shot to stop the sale of a deadly neurotoxin before it disappears forever. But as he's searching the target's room for the deadly vials, he finds himself unexpectedly not alone in that search. Joined by ex-lawyer Cotton Malone, the race is on to stop the neurotoxin from falling into the wrong hands.
This story is a cross-over of the Cotton Malone and Sigma Force universes. I have not previously read any of the Cotton Malone books, but I am currently making my way through the Sigma Force series. As an addition to the Sigma Force series, the story a nice extra that follows Gray with Seichan being the only other character in the series mentioned. After reading this story I am definitely interested in picking up the Cotton Malone books at some point in the future.
Gray and Malone work well together as they both have similar backgrounds, ex-military and connected to covert agencies. For being such a short story, there isn't a ton of background given on either character with just the minimum information about who they are and what they do. The story is entertaining with an action-packed plot that doesn't let up from start to finish. The neurotoxin storyline was interesting and I was curious how the two men would work together to stop the sale.
Overall while The Devil's Bones doesn't have a ton of substance, it's an entertaining short read.
May 1, 2020
I mean, how do you rate a story that takes less time to read than your average dump? It was great I guess, but embarrassingly short. This 'short story' is like if a short story married another short story, got knocked up, did a bunch of meth and chain smoked, then squirted out a hairlipped squid. I don't know how that even made sense in my damaged skull, but it's what I had.
January 3, 2021
Doesn’t get much better than this, James Rollins teamed with Steve Berry to write this short story. The result is a story with Gray Pierce and Cotton Malone working together to prevent the use of a toxin as a weapon of mass destruction.
February 21, 2015
Love the 2 together. Would love to see a full novel!
April 20, 2025
A perfect pair of authors to collaborate and combine their characters into a joint adventure. They had already dropped a link into their own writing like leaving an Easter Egg in the story which fans quickly picked up on with delight.
So now for the anthology Face Off edited by David Baldacci they instantly raised to the task. The resulting thriller takes them to the Amazon, cruising down the river intent on retrieving a nerve agent before it could be sold to a terrorist group.
I loved the separate missions they were engaged on and their ability to cease to be independent and work as part of a team. I also valued their desire to prevent collateral damage and risk the lives of the local inhabitants.
It is a shocking story of greed and the lack of compassion for others and life in general.
It is also a rescue mission where not all goes to well and a number of setbacks add to the tension. With lengthening odds of success the strength of these protagonists must see them achieve a positive result. Surely?
So now for the anthology Face Off edited by David Baldacci they instantly raised to the task. The resulting thriller takes them to the Amazon, cruising down the river intent on retrieving a nerve agent before it could be sold to a terrorist group.
I loved the separate missions they were engaged on and their ability to cease to be independent and work as part of a team. I also valued their desire to prevent collateral damage and risk the lives of the local inhabitants.
It is a shocking story of greed and the lack of compassion for others and life in general.
It is also a rescue mission where not all goes to well and a number of setbacks add to the tension. With lengthening odds of success the strength of these protagonists must see them achieve a positive result. Surely?
September 19, 2025
Team up story set in Brazil with both heroes looking for a pathogen
July 24, 2019
For a short story, this was one of my favorites in the Cotton Malone Universe. The story is smooth and quick but the connection between the two main characters is what I like the most. I have only read a couple of James Rollins books and I am going to start reading those in order because of this story. The story even mentions the times that the series cross over and mention the other. I have read Steve Berry talk about Rollins when he was at a lecture so it seems natural that they would work together. I will go and read Sandstorm by James Rollins and try to get an idea of the Universe that Gary Pierce lives in.
July 21, 2021
The Devil's Bones: Cotton Malone vs. Gray Pierce. A fast-paced, enjoyable, well-written thriller with well-developed characters & a captivating storyline from the cooperative writing efforts of Steve Berry & James Rollins. Since I've read more than four dozen of their books it's no wonder I wanted to read it! I'll definitely be reading more from these authors. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
January 15, 2018
Two for the price of one
This is a short novella which puts two key players together to take care of a little problem together because their separate agencies failed to inform each other. Good thing as a single agent would not have survived but together, these two took care of the problem.
This is a short novella which puts two key players together to take care of a little problem together because their separate agencies failed to inform each other. Good thing as a single agent would not have survived but together, these two took care of the problem.
May 1, 2019
Not bad for a first collaborative short story. The plot has a guerrilla military feel, with a chase through the jungle, and chemical warfare. Berry's Malone and Rollins's Pierce make an admirable team.
January 23, 2020
The penultimate book in the Face Off anthology and another two authors I have never read previously, so there is no knowledge of the characters chosen. Another average story, that may have been better had I known more about the characters.
Face Off #10
Face Off #10
September 12, 2025
Sigma Force 9.5; Cotton Malone 9.5
4 out of 5.
Commander Gray Pierce runs into Cotton Malone while searching the riverboat cabin of Edward Trask, a man Gray considers a dangerous fraud. Trask, who was missing in the Amazon for three years, just recently returned with various plants and information that are supposedly unknown or lost to time. However, Trask discovered a rare flower that holds an organic neurotoxin that is deadlier than sarin. A toxin that he is putting up for auction. Now it's up to Malone and Pierce to stop that from happening.
It's been too long since I last read a Sigma Force adventure, having essentially overdosed on the novels after binge reading them. Steve Berry is a new to me author. Based on what I read in this short story, I immediately went to my local library to check out "The Templar Legacy". These types of thriller are my favorites. With Sigma Force, you get lots and science with a bit of history. It appears that with Magellan Billet, Malone's former employers who he does some freelance work for, there is lots of history and a bit of science.
This was a rousing tale that deserved more of a finish. It just seemed too abrupt. I believe the story might've ended with a 4.5 or even 5 rating if that hadn't been true. Still loved it!
4 out of 5.
Commander Gray Pierce runs into Cotton Malone while searching the riverboat cabin of Edward Trask, a man Gray considers a dangerous fraud. Trask, who was missing in the Amazon for three years, just recently returned with various plants and information that are supposedly unknown or lost to time. However, Trask discovered a rare flower that holds an organic neurotoxin that is deadlier than sarin. A toxin that he is putting up for auction. Now it's up to Malone and Pierce to stop that from happening.
It's been too long since I last read a Sigma Force adventure, having essentially overdosed on the novels after binge reading them. Steve Berry is a new to me author. Based on what I read in this short story, I immediately went to my local library to check out "The Templar Legacy". These types of thriller are my favorites. With Sigma Force, you get lots and science with a bit of history. It appears that with Magellan Billet, Malone's former employers who he does some freelance work for, there is lots of history and a bit of science.
This was a rousing tale that deserved more of a finish. It just seemed too abrupt. I believe the story might've ended with a 4.5 or even 5 rating if that hadn't been true. Still loved it!
May 22, 2023
Another quickie read. Full of excitement (and maybe a new author to try).....
In a visit to Copenhagen, Gray Pierce happened upon a bookshop owned by an ex-lawyer named Cotton Malone, but he never had a chance to really get to know the owner. Too bad, because they had a lot in common: Both men were ex-military, both worked for covert agencies—Malone as a freelancer under the auspices of the Justice Department; Pierce via the Department of Defense—and both are good at what they do.
Flash forward a few years to when Malone and Pierce finally get together for more than a passing hello. Halfway around the world from Denmark, Malone and Pierce are passengers on a luxury riverboat out of Brazil, both on the hunt for a maniacal botanist who’s scheming to sell the spoils of his latest Amazonian excursion—a rare orchid containing a deadly neurotoxin—to the highest bidder. That means Malone and Pierce have the length of the river boat cruise to stop him before the poison falls into the wrong hands. It’s definitely an action-packed several hours.
In a visit to Copenhagen, Gray Pierce happened upon a bookshop owned by an ex-lawyer named Cotton Malone, but he never had a chance to really get to know the owner. Too bad, because they had a lot in common: Both men were ex-military, both worked for covert agencies—Malone as a freelancer under the auspices of the Justice Department; Pierce via the Department of Defense—and both are good at what they do.
Flash forward a few years to when Malone and Pierce finally get together for more than a passing hello. Halfway around the world from Denmark, Malone and Pierce are passengers on a luxury riverboat out of Brazil, both on the hunt for a maniacal botanist who’s scheming to sell the spoils of his latest Amazonian excursion—a rare orchid containing a deadly neurotoxin—to the highest bidder. That means Malone and Pierce have the length of the river boat cruise to stop him before the poison falls into the wrong hands. It’s definitely an action-packed several hours.
November 11, 2023
This was such a fun little short story. I had never heard of the Face Off Anthology until I stumbled upon this book. The idea of Cotton Malone and Gray Pierce interacting was so creative to me.
Both had been send to South America, but their respective agencies, to track down a biologist and a plant he had found in the jungle that had deadly capabilities. It was really entertaining to see the two work together, bounce ideas off each other and collaborate to accomplish a goal. Both characters personalities were on fill display.
A short, high octane exciting story.
Both had been send to South America, but their respective agencies, to track down a biologist and a plant he had found in the jungle that had deadly capabilities. It was really entertaining to see the two work together, bounce ideas off each other and collaborate to accomplish a goal. Both characters personalities were on fill display.
A short, high octane exciting story.
May 15, 2019
Disappointing
Love both authors but this story was just mediocre. I expected more - more history, more science, more story. They just called this one in. Sad...a waste of two fine writers.
Love both authors but this story was just mediocre. I expected more - more history, more science, more story. They just called this one in. Sad...a waste of two fine writers.
October 8, 2021
A great little crossover event in international thrillers. A new deadly neurotoxin, 2 US operatives, and a jungle cruise in the Amazon-perfect set up for this thrilling short. Fans of both Berry's and Rollins' series will enjoy.
February 13, 2022
Excellent! It was fast paced and no down time. I don't think I have read any James Rollins before. I may have to check out some of his books. I love crossover stories. Being set in the Amazon was exotic.
April 7, 2024
Haven't met a Steve Berry book I didn't like.
This was a great, fast read. I love James Rollins but haven't read the Sigma Force series yet. This is encouraging me to do so. I really hope we see this pairing again sometime.
This was a great, fast read. I love James Rollins but haven't read the Sigma Force series yet. This is encouraging me to do so. I really hope we see this pairing again sometime.
January 19, 2018
Steve Berry gives us a short story from Cotton Malone's time in the Magellan Billet in The Devil's Due.
April 15, 2018
Would love to see the story longer in a full book with both ladies as well. Great short story.
March 20, 2019
Enjoyable!!
Well written as expected but I wish this book was longer. Just got into the story and it was all over.
Well written as expected but I wish this book was longer. Just got into the story and it was all over.
April 20, 2019
Not bad but entirely too short!
Good story and live the cross over, but it was way too short. Wish they would collaborate on a full length novel! The pair make a good team.
Good story and live the cross over, but it was way too short. Wish they would collaborate on a full length novel! The pair make a good team.
June 12, 2019
Nice short story
September 22, 2019
Quick and Fun
Love both of these characters and cool to see their personalities come together in a quick jaunt in the jungle. Fun read!
Love both of these characters and cool to see their personalities come together in a quick jaunt in the jungle. Fun read!
October 1, 2019
Read as part of the anthology book faceoff
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews