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Cotton Malone #5
The Paris Vendetta
Former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone wakes to find an intruder in his Copenhagen bookshop: an American Secret Service agent with assassins on his heels. Narrowly surviving a ferocious firefight, the two journey to the secluded estate of Malone’s friend Henrik Thorvaldsen. The wily Danish tycoon has uncovered the insidious plans of the Paris Club, a cabal of multimillionaires bent on manipulating the global economy. But Thorvaldsen also harbors a hidden agenda—a vendetta—that will force Malone to choose between friend and country, past and present. Starting in Denmark, moving to England, and ending up in the storied streets and cathedrals of Paris, Malone is forced to match wits with a terrorist for hire and to plunge into a desperate hunt for Napoleon’s legendary treasure, lost for two hundred years. It’s a breathless game of duplicity and death, all to claim a prize of untold value. But at what cost?
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Steve Berry’s The Columbus Affair and a Cotton Malone dossier.
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Steve Berry’s The Columbus Affair and a Cotton Malone dossier.
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2009
1736 people are currently reading
6228 people want to read
About the author
Steve Berry
110 books7,501 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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July 20, 2025
‘যুদ্ধ সমাজের জন্য খুবই ভালো জিনিস।’
ভাবছেন, যে যুদ্ধ এত মৃত্যু বয়ে আনে সেটা ভালো হয় কী করে? উঁহু.. খতিয়ে দেখতে গেলে যুদ্ধ আসলেই ভালো বটে।
‘যদি এটা ভুল বা খারাপ কাজই হত, তাহলে শত-শত বছর ধরে এটা চলে আসতে পারত? উত্তরটা খুব সোজা। যুদ্ধ আসলেই কাজের। মানুষের প্রযুক্তিগত যত অর্জন, তার সবই এসেছে যুদ্ধের ফলে। শেষের বিশ্বযুদ্ধের কথাই ধরো। এটাকে কেন্দ্র করেই পরমাণু ভেঙে ফেলার বিদ্যে শিখে নিয়েছি, বানিয়ে ফেলেছি পারমাণবিক বোমা। আকাশে ওড়াটাও আরো ভালো করে আয়ত্তে এনেছি। আর ইলেকট্রনিকস, মেডিকেল, সায়েন্স, মেডিসিন, ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিংয়ে যে কি পরিমাণ বিপ্লব এসেছে সেটা নাহয় বললামই না। আর এই সবই তখন হয়েছে যখন আমরা একে অপরকে মেরে ফেলায় ব্যস্ত।’
কী কঠিন! এবং এই জিনিস আরো একজন মানুষ ঢের আগেই বুঝতে পেরেছিলেন– নেপোলিয়ন। লক্ষ করলে দেখা যাবে, সম্রাট তার জীবনের অধিকাংশ সময় যুদ্ধেই ব্যয় করেছেন; হিসেবমতে যুদ্ধ থেকে অর্জিত সম্পদও অনেক হবার কথা। কিন্তু মারা যাবার কালে তার কোনো যোগ্য উত্তরসূরী ছিল না, যে কারণে তার ধনসম্পদের হদিস অস্পষ্টই রয়ে গেছে।
কিন্তু কোনো একভাবে সেই গুপ্তধনের সূত্রের টুকরোটাকরা উদ্ধার করতে থাকে কয়েকজন। প্রচণ্ড লোভ, বিশ্বাসের দোলাচল অবস্থা, প্রতিশোধ-পরায়ণতা সবমিলিয়ে কোন পক্ষ যে বিজয়ী হবে, তা নির্ধারিত হবার আগপর্যন্ত পাঠকের নিঃশ্বাস বন্ধ হয়ে যাবে!
▪️▪️▪️
বইটা শেষ করা কিছুটা কষ্টের। প্রথম ২০০ পৃষ্ঠার অনুবাদ মোটেও স্বচ্ছন্দ ছিল না। তবে তারপর থেকে সাবলীল ছিল। একটি দুর্দান্ত থ্রিলার হতে গিয়েও হয়নি প্রথমদিকের অতি-ধীরগতির জন্য। আর দুটো মানুষের নাম এখানে এসেছে–ক্যাসিওপিয়া ও গ্যারি, অথচ মানুষগুলোকে চিনিই না! সে সম্পর্কে কোনো কথাও নেই। মূল চরিত্র কটন ম্যালন সম্পর্কেও নেই তেমন কোনো তথ্য। এসব ছাড়া ভালো ছিল।
ভাবছেন, যে যুদ্ধ এত মৃত্যু বয়ে আনে সেটা ভালো হয় কী করে? উঁহু.. খতিয়ে দেখতে গেলে যুদ্ধ আসলেই ভালো বটে।
‘যদি এটা ভুল বা খারাপ কাজই হত, তাহলে শত-শত বছর ধরে এটা চলে আসতে পারত? উত্তরটা খুব সোজা। যুদ্ধ আসলেই কাজের। মানুষের প্রযুক্তিগত যত অর্জন, তার সবই এসেছে যুদ্ধের ফলে। শেষের বিশ্বযুদ্ধের কথাই ধরো। এটাকে কেন্দ্র করেই পরমাণু ভেঙে ফেলার বিদ্যে শিখে নিয়েছি, বানিয়ে ফেলেছি পারমাণবিক বোমা। আকাশে ওড়াটাও আরো ভালো করে আয়ত্তে এনেছি। আর ইলেকট্রনিকস, মেডিকেল, সায়েন্স, মেডিসিন, ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিংয়ে যে কি পরিমাণ বিপ্লব এসেছে সেটা নাহয় বললামই না। আর এই সবই তখন হয়েছে যখন আমরা একে অপরকে মেরে ফেলায় ব্যস্ত।’
কী কঠিন! এবং এই জিনিস আরো একজন মানুষ ঢের আগেই বুঝতে পেরেছিলেন– নেপোলিয়ন। লক্ষ করলে দেখা যাবে, সম্রাট তার জীবনের অধিকাংশ সময় যুদ্ধেই ব্যয় করেছেন; হিসেবমতে যুদ্ধ থেকে অর্জিত সম্পদও অনেক হবার কথা। কিন্তু মারা যাবার কালে তার কোনো যোগ্য উত্তরসূরী ছিল না, যে কারণে তার ধনসম্পদের হদিস অস্পষ্টই রয়ে গেছে।
কিন্তু কোনো একভাবে সেই গুপ্তধনের সূত্রের টুকরোটাকরা উদ্ধার করতে থাকে কয়েকজন। প্রচণ্ড লোভ, বিশ্বাসের দোলাচল অবস্থা, প্রতিশোধ-পরায়ণতা সবমিলিয়ে কোন পক্ষ যে বিজয়ী হবে, তা নির্ধারিত হবার আগপর্যন্ত পাঠকের নিঃশ্বাস বন্ধ হয়ে যাবে!
▪️▪️▪️
বইটা শেষ করা কিছুটা কষ্টের। প্রথম ২০০ পৃষ্ঠার অনুবাদ মোটেও স্বচ্ছন্দ ছিল না। তবে তারপর থেকে সাবলীল ছিল। একটি দুর্দান্ত থ্রিলার হতে গিয়েও হয়নি প্রথমদিকের অতি-ধীরগতির জন্য। আর দুটো মানুষের নাম এখানে এসেছে–ক্যাসিওপিয়া ও গ্যারি, অথচ মানুষগুলোকে চিনিই না! সে সম্পর্কে কোনো কথাও নেই। মূল চরিত্র কটন ম্যালন সম্পর্কেও নেই তেমন কোনো তথ্য। এসব ছাড়া ভালো ছিল।
August 30, 2020
4,5 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover 🦋🌹🦋
Steve Berry heeft de spanning goed verdeeld in dit boek. Hij heeft het voor elkaar weten te krijgen de spanning beter te verdelen, het verhaal nog wat makkelijker uit te leggen voor de beginneling in dit genre en hij
Durf om dit onderwerp in een boek te behandelen. Het boek begint zoals altijd met een voorstukje ergens in een ver verleden, ditmaal bij Napoleon in zijn gloriedagen. Na de proloog begint het meteen goed, maar dat heeft ook te maken met het einde van zijn vorige boek; Het Geheim van de Kathedraal. Uiteindelijk gaan we niet zoveel excotische locaties af als in zijn vorige boeken, maar dat is voor de verandering ook helemaal niet erg. Het boek heeft vaart, veel meer dan zijn vorige titels en bovendien word je aan het einde getrakteerd op een ongemakkelijke verrassing. Nelle terug, Malone terug, Thorvaldsen terug, zo nu en dan president Daniels, waar ik wel sympathie voor op kan brengen. Kan als stand alone gelezen worden maar raad toch aan eerst het geheim van de kathedraal te lezen.
Steve Berry heeft de spanning goed verdeeld in dit boek. Hij heeft het voor elkaar weten te krijgen de spanning beter te verdelen, het verhaal nog wat makkelijker uit te leggen voor de beginneling in dit genre en hij
Durf om dit onderwerp in een boek te behandelen. Het boek begint zoals altijd met een voorstukje ergens in een ver verleden, ditmaal bij Napoleon in zijn gloriedagen. Na de proloog begint het meteen goed, maar dat heeft ook te maken met het einde van zijn vorige boek; Het Geheim van de Kathedraal. Uiteindelijk gaan we niet zoveel excotische locaties af als in zijn vorige boeken, maar dat is voor de verandering ook helemaal niet erg. Het boek heeft vaart, veel meer dan zijn vorige titels en bovendien word je aan het einde getrakteerd op een ongemakkelijke verrassing. Nelle terug, Malone terug, Thorvaldsen terug, zo nu en dan president Daniels, waar ik wel sympathie voor op kan brengen. Kan als stand alone gelezen worden maar raad toch aan eerst het geheim van de kathedraal te lezen.
December 13, 2023
Față de celelalte volume, am avut mai puțină istorie și mai mult plan personal. Din păcate unul din personajele importante a dispărut, iar faptul că întreaga intrigă este construită în jurul lui a făcut ca volumul să nu se ridice la nivelul celorlalte.
June 6, 2012
I’m a huge fan of Steve Berry. The amount of research he does for each one is just amazing. He takes us on travels that most of us will never go on ourselves. I always learn something new.
The Paris Vendetta focuses on Napoleon Bonaparte. Most of us probably know the following facts about Napoleon:
He was short.
He stuck his hand inside his coat all of the time.
He lost at Waterloo.
He was exiled to some island.
Small bit of trivia – I had a pen pal from the island to which he was first exiled, Elba.
Anyway, I have to be honest and say that this was not my favorite book by Berry. I just didn’t take an interest in the story the way I usually do. Where was Cassiopeia Vitt? Did this really take place just two weeks after the last novel ended?
The book just didn’t focus enough on Cotton’s life, which is what we have come to expect. While Thorvaldsen is a great character as well, there was hardly any interaction between Cotton and Thorvaldsen and that is such great relationship. Also, why is Thorvaldsen so crippled by his son’s death now, but seemed okay in earlier books?
In any case, it’s still better than Twilight.
The Paris Vendetta focuses on Napoleon Bonaparte. Most of us probably know the following facts about Napoleon:
He was short.
He stuck his hand inside his coat all of the time.
He lost at Waterloo.
He was exiled to some island.
Small bit of trivia – I had a pen pal from the island to which he was first exiled, Elba.
Anyway, I have to be honest and say that this was not my favorite book by Berry. I just didn’t take an interest in the story the way I usually do. Where was Cassiopeia Vitt? Did this really take place just two weeks after the last novel ended?
The book just didn’t focus enough on Cotton’s life, which is what we have come to expect. While Thorvaldsen is a great character as well, there was hardly any interaction between Cotton and Thorvaldsen and that is such great relationship. Also, why is Thorvaldsen so crippled by his son’s death now, but seemed okay in earlier books?
In any case, it’s still better than Twilight.
April 23, 2014
With the 5th novel in the Cotton Malone Series, the author has written another well-crafted book, where he skillfully blends modern day suspense and historical mystery, featuring Cotton Malone, ex-member of the Magellan Billet, now living a quite life as a bookstore owner in Copenhagen. I love the fact that Malone has a love for books………just like me!!! And he has something I would have loved to have owned……his very own bookstore!!!
To do this, he becomes a member of the secret and dangerous Paris Club, a cabal of some of the richest people in the planet, who plan to destabilize the global economy, destroying famous landmarks and causing world chaos, thus gaining more power and riches. This gets him closer to his son’s killer, who is also a member of the club.
Malone is in a race against time, as he tries not only to discover the truth of what Henrik has told him but also trying to keep him from being killed. .
The historical part of the plot is about Napoleon Bonaparte
We are given bits of real history interwoven with the WHAT IF?
Napoleon had stolen many treasures on his “conquering” trips but until his death in 1821, had never revealed the locations where they were hidden. But did he tell his secret to someone in his last days?
A member of the Paris Club believes that the treasure exists
The history presented is really fascinating and I really want to know more ….…in fact, after I finished this book, I did look up a lot of information on Napoleon. I loved this quote of his
We follow Malone on a breathless journey of treachery, deception, death and surprise that takes us to Denmark, London and Paris and along the way, we see characters we have met before like Stephanie Nelle, Malone’s ex boss at Magellan Billet and the new character, Ross Collins, FBI agent on the run and helping Henrik. I hope he plays a part in the next books.
The history that this author incorporates into the story is really impressive and one can see the amazing research he did.
Another quote which I thought fitted well in with the Paris Club cabal’s greediness and hunger for power -
A really amazing book in this series.
This story focuses primarily on Malone’s friend and mentor, Henrik Thorvaldsen, who has discovered who the person responsible for the tragic death of his beloved son, and is bent on destroying him.
To do this, he becomes a member of the secret and dangerous Paris Club, a cabal of some of the richest people in the planet, who plan to destabilize the global economy, destroying famous landmarks and causing world chaos, thus gaining more power and riches. This gets him closer to his son’s killer, who is also a member of the club.
Malone is in a race against time, as he tries not only to discover the truth of what Henrik has told him but also trying to keep him from being killed. .
The historical part of the plot is about Napoleon Bonaparte
that starts with him conquering Cairo and ends with his exile in St. Helene.
We are given bits of real history interwoven with the WHAT IF?
Napoleon had stolen many treasures on his “conquering” trips but until his death in 1821, had never revealed the locations where they were hidden. But did he tell his secret to someone in his last days?
A member of the Paris Club believes that the treasure exists
she has inherited books and documents supposedly written by Napoleon, and she will do anything to discover it. Not only is she in the race to find the legendary treasure, but others as well.
The history presented is really fascinating and I really want to know more ….…in fact, after I finished this book, I did look up a lot of information on Napoleon. I loved this quote of his
We follow Malone on a breathless journey of treachery, deception, death and surprise that takes us to Denmark, London and Paris and along the way, we see characters we have met before like Stephanie Nelle, Malone’s ex boss at Magellan Billet and the new character, Ross Collins, FBI agent on the run and helping Henrik. I hope he plays a part in the next books.
The history that this author incorporates into the story is really impressive and one can see the amazing research he did.
Another quote which I thought fitted well in with the Paris Club cabal’s greediness and hunger for power -
A great thriller that pulled me in from the very beginning and with the most surprising and the unexpected twist at the end that left me kind of reeling!!!!!
A really amazing book in this series.
October 15, 2016
Yes, Yes, Yes !!! At last I have finished the book. What can I say this book? A mixed pickle or something? To be very honest, it's an atom bomb.
Whenever I first saw this book at Adee Prokashoni, Banglabazar, I was little hesitating to buy this book. But it caught my attention right after I read the back cover summery. Napoleon Bonaparte is always a mysterious character to me. So his grave in this super fast action thriller.
I don't want to say much about the story. It's about Napoleon's Hidden Treasure and its Hint, a puzzle, was already buried in his grave. It's about Lord Ashby and his search for Napoleon's Treasure. It's about Henrik Thorvaldsen and his revenge of his son's death. It's about Eliza Larocque and the story of her Paris Club. It's about Sam Collins and Megan Morisson and their search for the truth. It's about Peter Lion, the top terrorist and his greed, violence and wickedness. It's about Cotton Melon and his perplexed situation to choose one between patriotism and friendship. It's all about Treasure Hunting, Puzzle Solving, History, Death, Mystery, Terrorism, Wickedness, Greed, Conspiracy, Re-Conspiracy, Loyalty, Friendship and much more. It's all about a super fast, page turner, thrilling story.
The Bengali Translation is good. But the translator should have been more careful about sentence formation. Sometimes it was very difficult to understand what he meant to say. The formation was not so easy to understand. And the editing was not so good. I found so many printing mistakes. Cotton Melon became Throvaldsen, Throvaldsen became Lion, again Melon becam Lion in many places. But as long as I understand the situation, I don't mind. :)
If you like thriller, the book is a must read for you. Just a sweet 4 star. Now I wanna finish my hotchpotch review with a quote from the book. This quote has won my heart....
"True friends live and die together. And every good friend was once Unknown."
Whenever I first saw this book at Adee Prokashoni, Banglabazar, I was little hesitating to buy this book. But it caught my attention right after I read the back cover summery. Napoleon Bonaparte is always a mysterious character to me. So his grave in this super fast action thriller.
I don't want to say much about the story. It's about Napoleon's Hidden Treasure and its Hint, a puzzle, was already buried in his grave. It's about Lord Ashby and his search for Napoleon's Treasure. It's about Henrik Thorvaldsen and his revenge of his son's death. It's about Eliza Larocque and the story of her Paris Club. It's about Sam Collins and Megan Morisson and their search for the truth. It's about Peter Lion, the top terrorist and his greed, violence and wickedness. It's about Cotton Melon and his perplexed situation to choose one between patriotism and friendship. It's all about Treasure Hunting, Puzzle Solving, History, Death, Mystery, Terrorism, Wickedness, Greed, Conspiracy, Re-Conspiracy, Loyalty, Friendship and much more. It's all about a super fast, page turner, thrilling story.
The Bengali Translation is good. But the translator should have been more careful about sentence formation. Sometimes it was very difficult to understand what he meant to say. The formation was not so easy to understand. And the editing was not so good. I found so many printing mistakes. Cotton Melon became Throvaldsen, Throvaldsen became Lion, again Melon becam Lion in many places. But as long as I understand the situation, I don't mind. :)
If you like thriller, the book is a must read for you. Just a sweet 4 star. Now I wanna finish my hotchpotch review with a quote from the book. This quote has won my heart....
"True friends live and die together. And every good friend was once Unknown."
February 19, 2010
I recieved this book as part of a first reads giveaway. Overall, I really enjoyed it. It's pretty fast paced, action packed. I also really enjoyed the characters. This book reminded me a bit of a Dan Brown novel, in the way that history becomes an integreal part of the story. I really enjoyed the parts about Napolean!
My one real problem was that this book is in the middle of a series. And I've never read the other books in the series! I'm sure that if I had already read the other books, I would have enjoyed this more, and probably have given it 5 stars. Of course, that's not the books or the authors fault! Just the way the giveaways sometimes happen. But I really enjoyed this book and have every intention of going back and starting the series from the beginning!
If you are a Dan Brown fan, check out this author!
Check out my blog on www.kelleysbooks.blogspot.com
My one real problem was that this book is in the middle of a series. And I've never read the other books in the series! I'm sure that if I had already read the other books, I would have enjoyed this more, and probably have given it 5 stars. Of course, that's not the books or the authors fault! Just the way the giveaways sometimes happen. But I really enjoyed this book and have every intention of going back and starting the series from the beginning!
If you are a Dan Brown fan, check out this author!
Check out my blog on www.kelleysbooks.blogspot.com
June 24, 2019
Cotton Malone’s Danish mentor and friend, Henrik Throvaldsen, has finally put everything in place to take revenge for his son’s murder that took place years ago. A vendetta. But to do so gets him tangled up with an international cabal that is attempting to locate and plunder Napoleon’s lost treasure. Meanwhile, Cotton is roped into a related effort to catch a notorious terrorist. All of these plots intersect, sometimes at cross purposes which creates wonderful tension and drama. Their journey’s take them from Denmark to England, and finally, to Paris for a rather shocking conclusion.
This 5th novel in the Cotton Malone series once again offers a good mix of action adventure mixed with interesting history. Obviously, the history this time around revolves around Napoleon, and specifically about his coded messages to his son and heir about where the treasure is hidden. I’ve been a fan of Steve Berry’s work for a while now and this book will not change my opinion. I suspect the popularity of any one of his books will revolve around the reader’s interest in whatever historical aspects are involved. Napoleon was a complicated figure to be sure, part-time devil and part-time saint. As such, I will likely appreciate almost any well-written historical novel involving him. This, of course, isn’t a historical novel, but rather an action-spy-thriller with historical plot points.
I feel like I know these characters after five novels and so the conclusion was difficult to read. No spoilers but suffice to say the author seems intent on moving things forward rather than simply re-writing previous novels with different circumstances. I certainly admire that and look forward to the next one in the series.
This 5th novel in the Cotton Malone series once again offers a good mix of action adventure mixed with interesting history. Obviously, the history this time around revolves around Napoleon, and specifically about his coded messages to his son and heir about where the treasure is hidden. I’ve been a fan of Steve Berry’s work for a while now and this book will not change my opinion. I suspect the popularity of any one of his books will revolve around the reader’s interest in whatever historical aspects are involved. Napoleon was a complicated figure to be sure, part-time devil and part-time saint. As such, I will likely appreciate almost any well-written historical novel involving him. This, of course, isn’t a historical novel, but rather an action-spy-thriller with historical plot points.
I feel like I know these characters after five novels and so the conclusion was difficult to read. No spoilers but suffice to say the author seems intent on moving things forward rather than simply re-writing previous novels with different circumstances. I certainly admire that and look forward to the next one in the series.
September 5, 2020
This was good but not quite as good as the previous ones. It seemed to be concerned more with "action" scenes than the characters.
August 2, 2015
I crawled to the end of this book. Very disappointed and will not return to this author. Was expecting a page-turner, but simply could not get drawn in. There are several reasons for this:
1. The characters and story so full of stereotypes, they turn kitschy
2. Poor writing technique
3. The lack of cadence and a nonexistent writing style
4. Poor fact checking and realism.
Examples:
1. Stereotypes: multivalent hero, lone-wolf, with billionaire friends, US president on speed-dial etc.
2. Writing technique: formulations which throw you off when trying to picture the described scene - "using the overhangs from the closed shops as an umbrella" induces the idea that the character was somehow wielding several objects to act as one... Many times it feels as if you are reading a poor translation of the original text.
3. Writing style: jumbling contemplative descriptions within passages where the rhythm of the story is much faster. The impression is that unassorted flourishes have been added in post-production, without paying attention to whether they fit to the surrounding text.
4. Ineptitudes: assigning the French Airforce with Tornado fighters; or French authorities unfathomably accommodating to violent foreign operations on their soil; or easy conversions of light aircraft into drones; or French security services oblivious to the wonders of radio jamming equipment. Etc. etc.
1. The characters and story so full of stereotypes, they turn kitschy
2. Poor writing technique
3. The lack of cadence and a nonexistent writing style
4. Poor fact checking and realism.
Examples:
1. Stereotypes: multivalent hero, lone-wolf, with billionaire friends, US president on speed-dial etc.
2. Writing technique: formulations which throw you off when trying to picture the described scene - "using the overhangs from the closed shops as an umbrella" induces the idea that the character was somehow wielding several objects to act as one... Many times it feels as if you are reading a poor translation of the original text.
3. Writing style: jumbling contemplative descriptions within passages where the rhythm of the story is much faster. The impression is that unassorted flourishes have been added in post-production, without paying attention to whether they fit to the surrounding text.
4. Ineptitudes: assigning the French Airforce with Tornado fighters; or French authorities unfathomably accommodating to violent foreign operations on their soil; or easy conversions of light aircraft into drones; or French security services oblivious to the wonders of radio jamming equipment. Etc. etc.
October 29, 2010
When I picked this book up, I'd seen reviews saying that it wasn't like Berry's previous novels. Some of the reviewers liked it, some didn't. I have to admit, they were right- the book isn't much like any of Berry's other novels. Rather than focus on the pursuit of some forgotten bit of history, the main focus of the book is about revenge, politics & pride. It reads more like a spy mystery mixed in with a crime drama than anything else.
The story finds Cotton Malone's bookstore home being broken into by an eager young agent by the name of Sam. Sam claims that he's working for Cotton's old friend Henrik Thorvaldsen, which Cotton initially doubts- but since there's several baddies trying to kill Sam, Cotton follows along in order to keep alive as well as discover the truth. What he discovers is that Henrik is on a path of revenge against the people who killed his son Cai so many years ago. As Cotton is pulled into this scheme, he also discovers the existence of an organization (The Paris Club) bent on controlling the world's wealth & power as well as the plans of several organization members (Erika & Ashby) to uncover a secret cache of wealth hidden by Napoleon himself.
Seriously, the whole hidden treasure thing was a back story. The main focus of the book was Thorvaldsen's quest for revenge & Erika's (leader of the Paris Club) quest for power as well as her desire to also get revenge on past wrongs done against her ancestors by Napoleon. The treasure was just Erika's way of getting said revenge.
The book had two serious flaws. One is that for the average Berry reader, this was sort of a bait & switch. I can understand that eventually Henrik would have to get his revenge, but the plot just wasn't what I'd come to expect from one of Berry's books. It wasn't terrible, but since I wasn't expecting it, I didn't get into the book at first. After a while I got into it enough to give it the rating I did.
The second flaw of the book is that there's just too freaking much going on in it. Too many characters, too many plot arcs bouncing around... too much of everything except the one thing I wanted from one of Berry's works- history treasure hunting. I just didn't really feel enough for the characters to really want to keep track of all of them & honestly... I kind of struggled to finish the book. I enjoyed it well enough to give it three stars, but I can safely say that if Berry's next work doesn't improve I'll won't be rushing out to buy any of his books anymore. I'll be waiting for the paperbacks.
Now let me justify my 3 star rating. When the book *does* go well, it's usually during the times that the actual treasure hunting or history building is underway. That's one thing that Berry does well & the Napoleonic history & treasure in this book is no exception. I did like seeing Thorvaldsen's desire for revenge, although that's pretty much the only emotion he truly showed in the book. (It almost seemed out of character for him, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt, given how much he cared for his son.)
Fans of the series will be a little disappointed by this book. New readers will be slightly lost by all of the references to previous books, but they may actually fare better as they don't have any prior expectations for Berry to live up to.
The story finds Cotton Malone's bookstore home being broken into by an eager young agent by the name of Sam. Sam claims that he's working for Cotton's old friend Henrik Thorvaldsen, which Cotton initially doubts- but since there's several baddies trying to kill Sam, Cotton follows along in order to keep alive as well as discover the truth. What he discovers is that Henrik is on a path of revenge against the people who killed his son Cai so many years ago. As Cotton is pulled into this scheme, he also discovers the existence of an organization (The Paris Club) bent on controlling the world's wealth & power as well as the plans of several organization members (Erika & Ashby) to uncover a secret cache of wealth hidden by Napoleon himself.
Seriously, the whole hidden treasure thing was a back story. The main focus of the book was Thorvaldsen's quest for revenge & Erika's (leader of the Paris Club) quest for power as well as her desire to also get revenge on past wrongs done against her ancestors by Napoleon. The treasure was just Erika's way of getting said revenge.
The book had two serious flaws. One is that for the average Berry reader, this was sort of a bait & switch. I can understand that eventually Henrik would have to get his revenge, but the plot just wasn't what I'd come to expect from one of Berry's books. It wasn't terrible, but since I wasn't expecting it, I didn't get into the book at first. After a while I got into it enough to give it the rating I did.
The second flaw of the book is that there's just too freaking much going on in it. Too many characters, too many plot arcs bouncing around... too much of everything except the one thing I wanted from one of Berry's works- history treasure hunting. I just didn't really feel enough for the characters to really want to keep track of all of them & honestly... I kind of struggled to finish the book. I enjoyed it well enough to give it three stars, but I can safely say that if Berry's next work doesn't improve I'll won't be rushing out to buy any of his books anymore. I'll be waiting for the paperbacks.
Now let me justify my 3 star rating. When the book *does* go well, it's usually during the times that the actual treasure hunting or history building is underway. That's one thing that Berry does well & the Napoleonic history & treasure in this book is no exception. I did like seeing Thorvaldsen's desire for revenge, although that's pretty much the only emotion he truly showed in the book. (It almost seemed out of character for him, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt, given how much he cared for his son.)
Fans of the series will be a little disappointed by this book. New readers will be slightly lost by all of the references to previous books, but they may actually fare better as they don't have any prior expectations for Berry to live up to.
August 26, 2018
In this fifth book in the Cotton Malone series by Steve Berry, we find Cotton pressed into service yet again when Sam Collins, an American Secret Service Agent, breaks into his home in the middle of the nights with assassins on his heels. Cotton discovers that Sam was sent to him by his old friend and ally, Henrik Thorvaldsen who needs his help to stop the Paris Club.
The Paris Club is a cabal of multimillionaires that are on using their connections and influence to manipulate the global financial markets. In attempting to stop the destruction that is planned by the cabal, Cotton must match wits with not only a terrorist-for-hire but also an unscrupulous treasure hunter as they hunt for Napoleon Bonapart’s lost treasure.
This was not one of the better Cotton Malone books, but neither was it the worst (see review of book 4). It’s an interesting story and has the usual thrills and action that we’ve come to expect from Berry. I will assume that this was a blip in the series and continue with Cotton’s various adventures.
Rating: 3.25
The Paris Club is a cabal of multimillionaires that are on using their connections and influence to manipulate the global financial markets. In attempting to stop the destruction that is planned by the cabal, Cotton must match wits with not only a terrorist-for-hire but also an unscrupulous treasure hunter as they hunt for Napoleon Bonapart’s lost treasure.
This was not one of the better Cotton Malone books, but neither was it the worst (see review of book 4). It’s an interesting story and has the usual thrills and action that we’ve come to expect from Berry. I will assume that this was a blip in the series and continue with Cotton’s various adventures.
Rating: 3.25
October 21, 2023
Nie jest to moja ulubiona historia. Dłużyła mi się okrutnie.
November 19, 2016
Steve Berry’s novel, THE PARIS VENDETTA provides his usual blend of wonderful primary and secondary characters, intensity, reflecting a firm grasp of history, and the ability to bring the reader to the edge of their seats. The book is the fifth installment of the Cotton Malone series. Malone is a former naval officer, US Justice Department agent in the Magellin Billet that specialized in international cases who retired from the government and purchased a bookstore in Copenhagen. For the first time we learn the details as to why Malone retired at a fairly young age for an agent with his skills. He was on a case in Mexico City two years before he quit and witnessed the shooting of Mexican prosecutor Elena Ramirez Rico and her significant other Cai Thorvalsen, a Danish diplomat serving in Mexico City, and the son of Malone’s close friend the reclusive billionaire Henrik Thorvalsen. Malone was wounded during the shooting and for him that was enough. Thorvalsen approached Malone and offered to sell him the bookstore and the friendship flourished. They became involved in a number of important situations that have been told in earlier novels. In the current case it seems that after two years Thorvalsen has identified who killed his son, an action that had devastated the Danish aristocrat and for him revenge and the humiliation of the man responsible was foremost in his mind. It seems that two men Amando Cabral and Lord Graham Ashby, men who traded in stolen antiquities were about to be charged in a Mexican court for their activities when the killings took place. Malone was able to kill Cabral, but Ashby, the man who Thorvalsen blamed remained free.
It would not be acceptable for a Berry mystery to just be about murder and revenge and THE PARIS VENDETTA is no exception. Berry’s novels immediately create a puzzle with each component of the story carefully crafted to arouse the reader’s curiosity, and the current volume is no exception. At the onset of the plot Berry introduces Napoleon Bonaparte into the equation. We meet the French dictator in Cairo fourteen months after he has conquered Lower Egypt. While examining the Pyramids Napoleon decides he must return to Paris because the ruling Directory is not following the revolutionary agenda and has made enemies of most of Europe. Napoleon’s supposed wealth becomes a major factor in the story’s development. We are led to Corsica and other environs as Ashby and others seek the deposed dictator’s cache, if in fact it exists. Further, the Napoleon’s writings become important because according to Thorvalsen the key to uncovering Napoleon’s wealth is in his personal library. For Ashby the cache is extremely important because of financial difficulties and he is hell bent to locate it. It seems that Lord Ashby, a “rich” English banker, a possible double agent for the United States, and investor in one of England’s most important financial institutions has made a number of poor decisions and even though his situation has improved by uncovering Edwin Rommel’s gold hidden in Corsica in 1943 he needs further funds.
Another thread in the story is seen through the character of Eliza LaRocque, a rich woman who has maintained a vendetta against the Bonaparte’s since the time of the French emperor’s reign due to how her ancestors were treated. She has gone on to create the Paris Club, a group of billionaires whose main goal is to influence world markets and financial institutions as a vehicle to enhance their wealth, even if she exploits the terrorist threats. She joins forces with Ashby, but each have their own agenda in uncovering Napoleon’s cache of wealth. In addition, Berry introduces the reader to Sonny Collins, an American secret service agent whose bosses have questioned his quest to expose financiers who continue to enhance their wealth financing debt, and wars in particular. Thorvalsen introduces Collins to Malone and after laying the groundwork in the first part of the book the plot is enhanced, particularly when the international terrorist Peter Lyon is introduced. The question that must be asked is how do all of these characters fit together, and how does Malone navigate the complex situations he finds himself in because of his friendship with Thorvalsen.
Berry’s observations and historical background presented ring very true, especially his remarks about Napoleon and contemporary French society. Berry’s astute remarks regarding religious and ethnic polarization in today’s France, keeping in mind that THE PARIS VENDETTA is published in 2009, points to the marginalization of France’s Moslem population and the rise of the political right. If one is looking for a reason why ISIS has been able to create such havoc in France during the last calendar year all one has to do is look to how people of the Islamic faith have been treated in France.
Overall, Berry maintains the quality of knowledge and plot that pulse through the entire Cotton Malone series, and if you are interested the next installment is THE EMPEROR’S TOMB.
It would not be acceptable for a Berry mystery to just be about murder and revenge and THE PARIS VENDETTA is no exception. Berry’s novels immediately create a puzzle with each component of the story carefully crafted to arouse the reader’s curiosity, and the current volume is no exception. At the onset of the plot Berry introduces Napoleon Bonaparte into the equation. We meet the French dictator in Cairo fourteen months after he has conquered Lower Egypt. While examining the Pyramids Napoleon decides he must return to Paris because the ruling Directory is not following the revolutionary agenda and has made enemies of most of Europe. Napoleon’s supposed wealth becomes a major factor in the story’s development. We are led to Corsica and other environs as Ashby and others seek the deposed dictator’s cache, if in fact it exists. Further, the Napoleon’s writings become important because according to Thorvalsen the key to uncovering Napoleon’s wealth is in his personal library. For Ashby the cache is extremely important because of financial difficulties and he is hell bent to locate it. It seems that Lord Ashby, a “rich” English banker, a possible double agent for the United States, and investor in one of England’s most important financial institutions has made a number of poor decisions and even though his situation has improved by uncovering Edwin Rommel’s gold hidden in Corsica in 1943 he needs further funds.
Another thread in the story is seen through the character of Eliza LaRocque, a rich woman who has maintained a vendetta against the Bonaparte’s since the time of the French emperor’s reign due to how her ancestors were treated. She has gone on to create the Paris Club, a group of billionaires whose main goal is to influence world markets and financial institutions as a vehicle to enhance their wealth, even if she exploits the terrorist threats. She joins forces with Ashby, but each have their own agenda in uncovering Napoleon’s cache of wealth. In addition, Berry introduces the reader to Sonny Collins, an American secret service agent whose bosses have questioned his quest to expose financiers who continue to enhance their wealth financing debt, and wars in particular. Thorvalsen introduces Collins to Malone and after laying the groundwork in the first part of the book the plot is enhanced, particularly when the international terrorist Peter Lyon is introduced. The question that must be asked is how do all of these characters fit together, and how does Malone navigate the complex situations he finds himself in because of his friendship with Thorvalsen.
Berry’s observations and historical background presented ring very true, especially his remarks about Napoleon and contemporary French society. Berry’s astute remarks regarding religious and ethnic polarization in today’s France, keeping in mind that THE PARIS VENDETTA is published in 2009, points to the marginalization of France’s Moslem population and the rise of the political right. If one is looking for a reason why ISIS has been able to create such havoc in France during the last calendar year all one has to do is look to how people of the Islamic faith have been treated in France.
Overall, Berry maintains the quality of knowledge and plot that pulse through the entire Cotton Malone series, and if you are interested the next installment is THE EMPEROR’S TOMB.
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March 14, 2016‘বৃক্ষ তোমার নাম কি ফলে পরিচয়’। আর কারোর বেলায় কথাটা খাটে কিনা জানিনা তবে নতুন অনুবাদক রাকিব হাসানের বেলায় খাটতে বাধ্য কথা���া। ২০১৪ সালে আমাজনিয়ার মতো একটা দুর্দান্ত বই অনুবাদ করে পাঠক মহলে নিজের আসন পোক্ত ভাবেই অধিষ্ঠিত করেন উনি। সবাইকে দেখিয়ে দেন নিজের অনুবাদ করার দুর্দান্ত গুনাবলী। তখন থেকে এখন পর্যন্ত বইয়ের গ্রুপ গুলোতে ঢু মারলে দেখা যাবে এই বই নিয়েই সবচেয়ে আলোচনা হয়েছে সবচেয়ে বেশী। বইটির ছিল যেমন সুন্দর গাথুনী তেমনী ছিলো উনার অনুবাদ। তারই রেশ ধরে এইবারের বই মেলাতে আসে উনার আরেকটি অনুবাদ। স্টিভ ব্যারির দ্যা প্যারিস ভেন্ডেটা।
ঘটনার সূত্রপাত ঘটে গিজা মালভূমিতে, মিশরের বুকে ঠিক ১৭৯৯ খ্রিষ্টাব্দতে। তবে কাহিনীর প্রারম্ভ তার ঠিক মাস ১৫ আগে। চৌত্রিশ হাজার সৈনিক ,হাজার বন্দুক, সাতশো ঘোড়া আর ,আর এক লাখ গোলা বারুদের সাহায্যে ঝটিকা আক্রমণের মাধ্যমেই ছিনিয়ে আনেন নেপোলিয়ন ব্যাটেল অভ পিরামিডের জয়। তখনকার এক সাংবাদিক বলেছিলেন মুষ্টিমেয় কিছু ফ্রেঞ্চ গোটা জগতের এক চতুর্থাংশ দমিয়েই দিল।
ব্যাটেল অভ পিরামিড নেপোলিয়নকে এনে দেয় সুলতান-আল-কাদির এর মতো সম্মানিত খেতাব। বন্ধু গ্যাম্পারগ্যাড এর সহায়তায় মিশরের একটি পিরামিডে অনুঃপ্রবেশ করেন নেপোলিয়ন। সাথে থাকে কেবল একটি চামড়ার ব্যাগ। সেখানে গিয়ে দেখা করেন ঢিলে ঢালা ভাবে আলখেল্লায় মুড়ে থাকা ,মাথায় উলের পাগড়ি মোড়ানো এক ব্যক্তির সাথে । কিন্তু কি কথা হয় তার আর জানা হয়না। গ্যাম্পারড কেউ কিচ্ছু বলেন নি নেপোলিয়ন বরং মুখে কুলুপ এঁটে বসে থাকতে নির্দেশ দেন তার বন্ধুকে। পরেই যাত্রা করেন ফ্রান্সের উদ্দেশ্যে।নিজের চুড়ান্ত নিয়তিকে খুজে নিতে।
ইয়রোপ জয় করার পর নেপোলিয়ন একটা ক্লাব গঠন করেন । নাম দেন প্যারিস ক্লাব। পরিকল্পনা ছিল এই ক্লাবের মাধ্যমেই তার রাজ্য নিয়ন্ত্রণ করতে পারে। কিন্তু সফল হয়েছিলো না সেই ক্লাবের উদ্দেশ্য। বর্তমান সময় সেই একই উদ্দেশ্য নিয়ে নতুন করে প্যারিস ক্লাব গঠন করে এলিজা লাঘক। সেই পুরোনো উদ্দেশ্য নিয়েই। তারা ঠিক সেই কাজই যা রথ চাইল্ডরা করতে চেয়েছিলো ঠিক দুইশ বছর পূর্বেই। যেটা নেপোলিয়ন ও করতে চেয়েছিল। বলা যায় চূড়ান্ত সিদ্ধান্ত। The New World Order, নতুন যুগের সূচনা। অস্ত্র বলতে দেশের অর্থনীতি।
এদিকে ১৮২১ সালে মৃত্যু হয় সম্রাট নেপোলিয়ন বোনাপার্টের। তিনি কবরে করে নিয়ে যান এক গোপন তথ্য।লুট-পাট করা অজস্র সম্পদ কোথায় লুকিয়ে রেখেছিলেন তিনি-সে তথ্য অনেক চেষ্টা করেও তার জীবদ্দশায় জানতে পারেনি ব্রিটিশরা। বলা হয়, তার উইলেও তেমন কিছু খুঁজে পাওয়া যায়নি। কিন্তু সত্যিই কি তাই?
আসলেই কি অস্তিত্ব রয়েছে সেই গুপ্ত ধনের?
তাহলে সবাই ছুটছে মরীচিকার পেছনেই ?
নাকি আরো দামি কিছু লুকিয়ে রয়েছে সেই চরম সত্যের আড়ালে???
জাস্টিস ডিপার্টমেন্টের প্রাক্তন অপারেটিভ কটন ম্যালন চেয়েছিলো নির্ঝঞ্ঝাট জীবন। কিন্তু যখন তার কোপেনহেগেনের বইয়ের দোকানের কাঁচ ভেঙ্গে যখন এক আমেরিকান সিক্রেট সার্ভিস এজেন্ট স্যাম ঢুকে তখন সেই শান্তির বারোটা বেজে যায়। পরিস্থিতি বাধ্য করে কটনকে অস্ত্র হাতে নামতে। ম্যালনের বন্ধু থ্রভাল্ডসেন জড়িয়ে পড়লো এতে। বলতে গেলে আগে থাকেই জড়িত ছিল এই সবের সাথে। খুন করা হয়েছিলো থ্রাভাল্ডসেনের ছেলে সাইকে খুন করা হয়েছে বছর দুইয়েক আগেই। তখন থেকেই সন্তান হত্যার প্রতিশোধের আগুন জ্বল জ্বল করে জ্বলছে। কিন্তু এখন মনে হচ্ছে সেই ধুকে ধুকে আগুনে ঘি ঢালা হয়েছে। কেননা সে খুজে পেয়েছে ওর ছেলের হত্যাকারীকে। কটন আগাগোড়া জড়িয়ে গেল বন্ধুর সাথে। কিন্তু এখনো কটন রয়েছে অন্ধকারেই। মাঠে নেমেই বুঝতে পেরেছে প্রতিপক্ষের ক্ষমতা। চার দিক থেকে অক্টোপাসের মতো বিপদ জড়িয়ে ধরছে ওদের।
মরার উপরে খাড়ার ঘা হিসেবে রয়েছে কটনের বন্ধু ডেনিশ ধনকুবের হেনরিক থ্রভাল্ডশেন। ওর কেন দেখা করতে গেল প্যারিস ক্লাবের কর্ণধার এলিজার সাথে। লর্ড এ্যাশবির সাথে কি শুধুই প্রতিশোধের লেনাদেনা হেনরিকের নাকি আরো কিছু জড়িয়ে আছে এর সাথে।
কঠিন এক সিদ্ধান্তের সামনে এসে দাঁড়াল ম্যালন।
কাকে বেছে নেবে ও?
রাষ্ট্রের চেয়ে কি বন্ধুত্ব বড়?
বর্তমানের চেয়ে অতীত?
কটন মেলন উত্তর খুজতে সেই যে ডেনমার্কে যাত্রার শুরু করেছিলো ,তার শেষ হল প্যারিসে এসেই !!!
কিন্তু শেষ রক্ষা হল তো? শেষ কালে পচা শামুকে তো আর পা কাটবে না তার গ্যারান্টি কে দেবে ওদের ???
বইটা হাতে নেই দেড় সপ্তাহ আগে। ভেবেছিলাম দুই একদিনের মাঝেই শেষ করে ফেলব। কিন্তু বইটিতে কামড় বসাতেই পাড়ছিলাম না। প্রথম দিকে প্রচুর স্লো অন্তত প্রথম দিক আসলেই একটু বেশী স্লো। বেশ কয়েকবার নিদ্রা দেবীর কোলে ঢলে পড়েছি :3
তবে স্পীড উঠেছে তবুও আস্তে আস্তে। মনে হয়েছে লেখক পাঠকের ধৈর্যের পরীক্ষা নিতে চেয়েছেন। আশি পৃষ্ঠার পর আর ছাড়তে ইচ্ছে করে নি। অনুবাদকের শব্দ চয়ন আগের আমাজনিয়ার থেকে উন্নতিই হয়েছে। কিছু কিছু জায়গায় না হেসে থাকতে পারি নি।
অনুবাদ সম্পর্কে কিছু বলবো না। সবার কাছে সব অনুবাদ ভালো লাগে না। অনেকেই ভাবানুবাদ পছন্দ করেন,আবার কেউ কেউ আক্ষরিক অনুবাদের পক্ষে। অনুবাদ পড়ার শুরু হয় সেবার বই দিয়েই। তাই ভাবানুবাদ রক্তে মিশে আছে। বেশী আশা করেছিলাম বলেই হয়তো একেবারে সম্পুর্ণ তৃপ্ত হতে পারি নি। তবে হতাশ হইনি
অনুবাদকের আগের বই যেহেতু পড়া ছিল তাই এটা কিনতে গিয়ে দ্বিতীয়বার চিন্তা করি নি। তবে আমি কাউকে তা করতে বলছি না। শুনুন দেখুন পরে নাহয় কিনবেন আর তার পর এই অধমকে মনে করলেই হবে
ঘটনার সূত্রপাত ঘটে গিজা মালভূমিতে, মিশরের বুকে ঠিক ১৭৯৯ খ্রিষ্টাব্দতে। তবে কাহিনীর প্রারম্ভ তার ঠিক মাস ১৫ আগে। চৌত্রিশ হাজার সৈনিক ,হাজার বন্দুক, সাতশো ঘোড়া আর ,আর এক লাখ গোলা বারুদের সাহায্যে ঝটিকা আক্রমণের মাধ্যমেই ছিনিয়ে আনেন নেপোলিয়ন ব্যাটেল অভ পিরামিডের জয়। তখনকার এক সাংবাদিক বলেছিলেন মুষ্টিমেয় কিছু ফ্রেঞ্চ গোটা জগতের এক চতুর্থাংশ দমিয়েই দিল।
ব্যাটেল অভ পিরামিড নেপোলিয়নকে এনে দেয় সুলতান-আল-কাদির এর মতো সম্মানিত খেতাব। বন্ধু গ্যাম্পারগ্যাড এর সহায়তায় মিশরের একটি পিরামিডে অনুঃপ্রবেশ করেন নেপোলিয়ন। সাথে থাকে কেবল একটি চামড়ার ব্যাগ। সেখানে গিয়ে দেখা করেন ঢিলে ঢালা ভাবে আলখেল্লায় মুড়ে থাকা ,মাথায় উলের পাগড়ি মোড়ানো এক ব্যক্তির সাথে । কিন্তু কি কথা হয় তার আর জানা হয়না। গ্যাম্পারড কেউ কিচ্ছু বলেন নি নেপোলিয়ন বরং মুখে কুলুপ এঁটে বসে থাকতে নির্দেশ দেন তার বন্ধুকে। পরেই যাত্রা করেন ফ্রান্সের উদ্দেশ্যে।নিজের চুড়ান্ত নিয়তিকে খুজে নিতে।
ইয়রোপ জয় করার পর নেপোলিয়ন একটা ক্লাব গঠন করেন । নাম দেন প্যারিস ক্লাব। পরিকল্পনা ছিল এই ক্লাবের মাধ্যমেই তার রাজ্য নিয়ন্ত্রণ করতে পারে। কিন্তু সফল হয়েছিলো না সেই ক্লাবের উদ্দেশ্য। বর্তমান সময় সেই একই উদ্দেশ্য নিয়ে নতুন করে প্যারিস ক্লাব গঠন করে এলিজা লাঘক। সেই পুরোনো উদ্দেশ্য নিয়েই। তারা ঠিক সেই কাজই যা রথ চাইল্ডরা করতে চেয়েছিলো ঠিক দুইশ বছর পূর্বেই। যেটা নেপোলিয়ন ও করতে চেয়েছিল। বলা যায় চূড়ান্ত সিদ্ধান্ত। The New World Order, নতুন যুগের সূচনা। অস্ত্র বলতে দেশের অর্থনীতি।
এদিকে ১৮২১ সালে মৃত্যু হয় সম্রাট নেপোলিয়ন বোনাপার্টের। তিনি কবরে করে নিয়ে যান এক গোপন তথ্য।লুট-পাট করা অজস্র সম্পদ কোথায় লুকিয়ে রেখেছিলেন তিনি-সে তথ্য অনেক চেষ্টা করেও তার জীবদ্দশায় জানতে পারেনি ব্রিটিশরা। বলা হয়, তার উইলেও তেমন কিছু খুঁজে পাওয়া যায়নি। কিন্তু সত্যিই কি তাই?
আসলেই কি অস্তিত্ব রয়েছে সেই গুপ্ত ধনের?
তাহলে সবাই ছুটছে মরীচিকার পেছনেই ?
নাকি আরো দামি কিছু লুকিয়ে রয়েছে সেই চরম সত্যের আড়ালে???
জাস্টিস ডিপার্টমেন্টের প্রাক্তন অপারেটিভ কটন ম্যালন চেয়েছিলো নির্ঝঞ্ঝাট জীবন। কিন্তু যখন তার কোপেনহেগেনের বইয়ের দোকানের কাঁচ ভেঙ্গে যখন এক আমেরিকান সিক্রেট সার্ভিস এজেন্ট স্যাম ঢুকে তখন সেই শান্তির বারোটা বেজে যায়। পরিস্থিতি বাধ্য করে কটনকে অস্ত্র হাতে নামতে। ম্যালনের বন্ধু থ্রভাল্ডসেন জড়িয়ে পড়লো এতে। বলতে গেলে আগে থাকেই জড়িত ছিল এই সবের সাথে। খুন করা হয়েছিলো থ্রাভাল্ডসেনের ছেলে সাইকে খুন করা হয়েছে বছর দুইয়েক আগেই। তখন থেকেই সন্তান হত্যার প্রতিশোধের আগুন জ্বল জ্বল করে জ্বলছে। কিন্তু এখন মনে হচ্ছে সেই ধুকে ধুকে আগুনে ঘি ঢালা হয়েছে। কেননা সে খুজে পেয়েছে ওর ছেলের হত্যাকারীকে। কটন আগাগোড়া জড়িয়ে গেল বন্ধুর সাথে। কিন্তু এখনো কটন রয়েছে অন্ধকারেই। মাঠে নেমেই বুঝতে পেরেছে প্রতিপক্ষের ক্ষমতা। চার দিক থেকে অক্টোপাসের মতো বিপদ জড়িয়ে ধরছে ওদের।
মরার উপরে খাড়ার ঘা হিসেবে রয়েছে কটনের বন্ধু ডেনিশ ধনকুবের হেনরিক থ্রভাল্ডশেন। ওর কেন দেখা করতে গেল প্যারিস ক্লাবের কর্ণধার এলিজার সাথে। লর্ড এ্যাশবির সাথে কি শুধুই প্রতিশোধের লেনাদেনা হেনরিকের নাকি আরো কিছু জড়িয়ে আছে এর সাথে।
কঠিন এক সিদ্ধান্তের সামনে এসে দাঁড়াল ম্যালন।
কাকে বেছে নেবে ও?
রাষ্ট্রের চেয়ে কি বন্ধুত্ব বড়?
বর্তমানের চেয়ে অতীত?
কটন মেলন উত্তর খুজতে সেই যে ডেনমার্কে যাত্রার শুরু করেছিলো ,তার শেষ হল প্যারিসে এসেই !!!
কিন্তু শেষ রক্ষা হল তো? শেষ কালে পচা শামুকে তো আর পা কাটবে না তার গ্যারান্টি কে দেবে ওদের ???
বইটা হাতে নেই দেড় সপ্তাহ আগে। ভেবেছিলাম দুই একদিনের মাঝেই শেষ করে ফেলব। কিন্তু বইটিতে কামড় বসাতেই পাড়ছিলাম না। প্রথম দিকে প্রচুর স্লো অন্তত প্রথম দিক আসলেই একটু বেশী স্লো। বেশ কয়েকবার নিদ্রা দেবীর কোলে ঢলে পড়েছি :3
তবে স্পীড উঠেছে তবুও আস্তে আস্তে। মনে হয়েছে লেখক পাঠকের ধৈর্যের পরীক্ষা নিতে চেয়েছেন। আশি পৃষ্ঠার পর আর ছাড়তে ইচ্ছে করে নি। অনুবাদকের শব্দ চয়ন আগের আমাজনিয়ার থেকে উন্নতিই হয়েছে। কিছু কিছু জায়গায় না হেসে থাকতে পারি নি।
অনুবাদ সম্পর্কে কিছু বলবো না। সবার কাছে সব অনুবাদ ভালো লাগে না। অনেকেই ভাবানুবাদ পছন্দ করেন,আবার কেউ কেউ আক্ষরিক অনুবাদের পক্ষে। অনুবাদ পড়ার শুরু হয় সেবার বই দিয়েই। তাই ভাবানুবাদ রক্তে মিশে আছে। বেশী আশা করেছিলাম বলেই হয়তো একেবারে সম্পুর্ণ তৃপ্ত হতে পারি নি। তবে হতাশ হইনি
অনুবাদকের আগের বই যেহেতু পড়া ছিল তাই এটা কিনতে গিয়ে দ্বিতীয়বার চিন্তা করি নি। তবে আমি কাউকে তা করতে বলছি না। শুনুন দেখুন পরে নাহয় কিনবেন আর তার পর এই অধমকে মনে করলেই হবে
May 24, 2023
The Charlemagne Pursuit ended with a gripping cliffhanger, so you know I had to find out what happened next. I couldn't believe how fast Steve Berry was going to thrust Cotton Malone and the gang into another adventure. The Paris Vendetta was a wild ride, not only was it the most high octane of the five I have read so far., for me it was the most emotional. Steve Berry put these characters through the ringer and I think there may be some heavy fallout. I Five books in and I am still quite entertained by this series. Looking forward to continuing on this journey with Cotton in the near future.
June 12, 2022
4,5 sterren - Nederlandse paperback -
Steve Berry heeft de spanning goed verdeeld in dit boek. Hij heeft namelijk voor mij voor elkaar gekregen om de spanning goed te verdelen over het gehele verhaal.
Dat maakt het lezen een plezier.
Hij toont durf om dit onderwerp in een boek te beschrijven/ te gebruiken.
Het begint, zoals altijd in zijn boeken met een proloog in een ver verleden, in dit geval bij Napoleon in zijn glorie dagen.
En na het proloog gaat het meteen snel wat te maken heeft met het einde van zijn vorig boek: het geheim van de kathedraal. Voor mij is het dus geen stand-alone.
Uiteindelijk gaan we in dit boek niet zoveel exotische plaatsen af als in zijn vorige boek. Maar dat stoorde mij in ieder geval niet.
Het boek heeft vaart en meerdere verrassingen die ik nu niet ga verklappen.
Steve Berry heeft de spanning goed verdeeld in dit boek. Hij heeft namelijk voor mij voor elkaar gekregen om de spanning goed te verdelen over het gehele verhaal.
Dat maakt het lezen een plezier.
Hij toont durf om dit onderwerp in een boek te beschrijven/ te gebruiken.
Het begint, zoals altijd in zijn boeken met een proloog in een ver verleden, in dit geval bij Napoleon in zijn glorie dagen.
En na het proloog gaat het meteen snel wat te maken heeft met het einde van zijn vorig boek: het geheim van de kathedraal. Voor mij is het dus geen stand-alone.
Uiteindelijk gaan we in dit boek niet zoveel exotische plaatsen af als in zijn vorige boek. Maar dat stoorde mij in ieder geval niet.
Het boek heeft vaart en meerdere verrassingen die ik nu niet ga verklappen.
March 22, 2017
All the good history and treasure hunting took a back seat to the conspiracies and revenge. It seemed a bit haphazard, with the stories not nearly as well tied all together by the end, as most other Berry books have. More like a National Treasure movie than a Malone novel, especially at the end, down to the relationship dynamics of the characters.
May 31, 2019
oh no, where did my thoughts on the book go?
*
lemme see if i recall:
there goes the money
events from the amber room (2003) got referenced, placing it in malone's world after the fact
a couple of typos here, plus a continuity error
i remember one word: carful
and the continuity error was about...
gosh darn
i can't remember
plus i added a quote regarding women being the greatest of pleasures and the worst of problems or something like that
*
my highlights survived, thankfully
p54: a welby target revolver--blued finish, six-inch barrel.
p61: "...so since you've said your peace, could you leave?"
p134: "...just be carful."
p234: the man's radio squawked and he unclipped the unit and replied. an ear fob prevented malone from hearing, but from the way he was now being eyed he assumed the conversation concerned him.
*
one last thing, i never did understand why on some the chapters are flushed right, while on others flushed left
*
lemme see if i recall:
there goes the money
events from the amber room (2003) got referenced, placing it in malone's world after the fact
a couple of typos here, plus a continuity error
i remember one word: carful
and the continuity error was about...
gosh darn
i can't remember
plus i added a quote regarding women being the greatest of pleasures and the worst of problems or something like that
*
my highlights survived, thankfully
p54: a welby target revolver--blued finish, six-inch barrel.
p61: "...so since you've said your peace, could you leave?"
p134: "...just be carful."
p234: the man's radio squawked and he unclipped the unit and replied. an ear fob prevented malone from hearing, but from the way he was now being eyed he assumed the conversation concerned him.
*
one last thing, i never did understand why on some the chapters are flushed right, while on others flushed left
September 5, 2021
2.5 - An entertaining adventure through Paris, this book includes can't miss themes such as a treasure hunt, a secret billionaire club, the clever agent brought back from his peaceful life, the pretty mistress, the extremely resourceful bad guy, and a whole cast of characters. All of this set in the shadow of Napoleon's history (which was the most interesting part of the book). So for those seeking a fast-paced, 'heroes don't die' adventure, this book's for you. As for this reviewer, I should have read a book on the history of Napoleon, sigh..
December 24, 2009
The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry (pp. 432)
Steve Berry found the joy and success of his formula again with the latest installment of the Cotton Malone historical thriller series. The last novel was a scattered mess. But Berry returns to form following the obsession of a father (Thorvaldsen) bent on revenge against the man who murdered his son. Thorvaldsen gets involved in some secret groups and global conspiracies as his outrage and obsession takes over laws, rules and logic. Malone gets thrown in to help his old friend and as a favor to his old US agency who have their own motivations and needs of Malone. Multiple layers of moneyed bad guys are chasing Napoleon’s never recovered hoards of treasure to use for various political and financial goals. And it all gets mixed together in a fun soup.
The title, Paris Vendetta, is fully explored in each of the characters as each of characters are after their own definitions of vengeance, treasure, and power in the hopes of finding their own personal satisfaction.
The Napoleonic details are interesting and plausible and like most historical thriller conventions play out with codified messages. Berry is careful not to stretch the puzzles beyond the advancement of the plot and focuses more on character development as each supporting characters pursue their individual goals. Berry performs quite the juggling act as most of the characters interact with each other at least once with each other through out the book.
At times, following the plot can be dizzying, but the major plot threads eventually come together. Along the way, there’s some well designed action sequences and unveiling of fun facts. Some of the moves are predictable, but even then the presentations of the standard moves are well painted.
Like most authors who use their main character in multiple books, the character often runs its course. Berry seems to be setting the stage for another interesting franchise character in addition to righting the wrongs of his last book.
For Berry fans, thriller fans, or someone looking for a decent but untaxing read, this one’s worth your time. For readers looking for more historical context and Parisian detail, expect to be disappointed.
Rating is really more like 3.5 stars
Steve Berry found the joy and success of his formula again with the latest installment of the Cotton Malone historical thriller series. The last novel was a scattered mess. But Berry returns to form following the obsession of a father (Thorvaldsen) bent on revenge against the man who murdered his son. Thorvaldsen gets involved in some secret groups and global conspiracies as his outrage and obsession takes over laws, rules and logic. Malone gets thrown in to help his old friend and as a favor to his old US agency who have their own motivations and needs of Malone. Multiple layers of moneyed bad guys are chasing Napoleon’s never recovered hoards of treasure to use for various political and financial goals. And it all gets mixed together in a fun soup.
The title, Paris Vendetta, is fully explored in each of the characters as each of characters are after their own definitions of vengeance, treasure, and power in the hopes of finding their own personal satisfaction.
The Napoleonic details are interesting and plausible and like most historical thriller conventions play out with codified messages. Berry is careful not to stretch the puzzles beyond the advancement of the plot and focuses more on character development as each supporting characters pursue their individual goals. Berry performs quite the juggling act as most of the characters interact with each other at least once with each other through out the book.
At times, following the plot can be dizzying, but the major plot threads eventually come together. Along the way, there’s some well designed action sequences and unveiling of fun facts. Some of the moves are predictable, but even then the presentations of the standard moves are well painted.
Like most authors who use their main character in multiple books, the character often runs its course. Berry seems to be setting the stage for another interesting franchise character in addition to righting the wrongs of his last book.
For Berry fans, thriller fans, or someone looking for a decent but untaxing read, this one’s worth your time. For readers looking for more historical context and Parisian detail, expect to be disappointed.
Rating is really more like 3.5 stars
December 1, 2010
I'm sad to say it, folks, Mr. Berry has let me down. Something about The Paris Vendetta, the fifth book in the Cotton Malone series, did not catch me as his previous books have. I wasn't hooked, I wasn't excited or thrilled or anticipating the next turn of events.
The Paris Vendetta follows former agent Cotton Malone as he's rudely awoken in the middle of the night by a stranger who says his good friend Henrik sent him. So begins a European cat-and-mouse game between Cotton, Henrik, and a dangerous group of wealthy semi-terrorists called The Paris Club who are searching for the lost riches of the Emperor Napoleon who hid the location in riddles in books before he died. Intriguing? Most definitely. A classic Steve Berry idea? For sure. Executed with his usual swagger and panache? Not this time.
Too many twists and turns and a convoluted plot map made the novel meander at times, tripping over its own ideas and details. A regular series character was not present, and several references were made to some trip or project Cotton had been working on over the last two weeks, but we're never told what that project was, nor what resulted from it and why it effected Cotton the way it did. If they were making veiled references to the previous book in the series, they were strange and a little less opacity would have been nice. Likewise, Cotton's son is mentioned but completely abandoned later in the book.
I'm really disappointed in the way The Paris Vendetta fell flat for me. The pulse and energy I've come to associate with his books was lacking. I usually adore Berry's books and I can't say the same about this one. Hard to know what to expect from his next, The Emperor's Tomb.
The Paris Vendetta follows former agent Cotton Malone as he's rudely awoken in the middle of the night by a stranger who says his good friend Henrik sent him. So begins a European cat-and-mouse game between Cotton, Henrik, and a dangerous group of wealthy semi-terrorists called The Paris Club who are searching for the lost riches of the Emperor Napoleon who hid the location in riddles in books before he died. Intriguing? Most definitely. A classic Steve Berry idea? For sure. Executed with his usual swagger and panache? Not this time.
Too many twists and turns and a convoluted plot map made the novel meander at times, tripping over its own ideas and details. A regular series character was not present, and several references were made to some trip or project Cotton had been working on over the last two weeks, but we're never told what that project was, nor what resulted from it and why it effected Cotton the way it did. If they were making veiled references to the previous book in the series, they were strange and a little less opacity would have been nice. Likewise, Cotton's son is mentioned but completely abandoned later in the book.
I'm really disappointed in the way The Paris Vendetta fell flat for me. The pulse and energy I've come to associate with his books was lacking. I usually adore Berry's books and I can't say the same about this one. Hard to know what to expect from his next, The Emperor's Tomb.
February 2, 2016
When ex-Department of Justice agent Cotton Malone now bookseller in Copenhagen realises his friend Henrik Thorvaldsen is in trouble he doesn’t hesitate to spring into action. Somehow Napoleon Bonaparte, a British aristocratic lord and Henrik's murdered son Cai are inextricably linked.
This is the 5th in the Cotton Malone series, this was a slow starter for me initially there was a lot more intrigue than action and took me a while to settle with the story but once I did I really got into it. I really enjoy this combination of political intrigue/criminal story intertwined with a search for some kind of treasure of historical significance. There are so many authors that specialise in this genre but Steve Berry provides just enough history but not too much so many authors get too bogged down with detail that it makes the action drag but not Steve Berry he always keeps the action moving along. There are quite a few characters and lots of switching back and forth as each moves forward with their strand of the story but Steve Berry manages to make it clear so you don't get confused. I enjoyed the introduction of Sam, as "baby" agent eager to learn the ropes. Nice short paragraphs so perfect for a commuter read. I like the international feel as well and the story has a contemporary feel as well as an historical one. Will definitely be reading more Steve Berry in the future as I want to continue following Cotton Malone stories.
This is the 5th in the Cotton Malone series, this was a slow starter for me initially there was a lot more intrigue than action and took me a while to settle with the story but once I did I really got into it. I really enjoy this combination of political intrigue/criminal story intertwined with a search for some kind of treasure of historical significance. There are so many authors that specialise in this genre but Steve Berry provides just enough history but not too much so many authors get too bogged down with detail that it makes the action drag but not Steve Berry he always keeps the action moving along. There are quite a few characters and lots of switching back and forth as each moves forward with their strand of the story but Steve Berry manages to make it clear so you don't get confused. I enjoyed the introduction of Sam, as "baby" agent eager to learn the ropes. Nice short paragraphs so perfect for a commuter read. I like the international feel as well and the story has a contemporary feel as well as an historical one. Will definitely be reading more Steve Berry in the future as I want to continue following Cotton Malone stories.
January 25, 2018
What was the point of the whole wild goose chase and high-handed stand-down orders from Nelle involving Peter Lyon if that was the ultimate resolution? It only created an irreparable rift between Thorvaldsen and Malone, and that leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. Character death is fine, but to end with such a gulf between two former best friends, and with no hope of mending bridges - it's difficult to swallow. The whole book , the chase, the cloak and dagger and lost treasure, all of that is invalidated by that one irreversible development. Incredibly frustrated. I wish I had not found a copy of this. :(
April 30, 2018
The book, quite frankly, is absurd. The plot itself is flimsy with entire societies based off of hoodoo fortune telling, but then it completely jumps the shark when Cotton Malone, pinned down by gunfire in a museum, breaks a display case to retrieve a sword and shield. It's as absurd as it sounds, and the rest of the book is no better.
July 25, 2015
This book had a couple of exciting parts, but, for the most part, really didn't like the flash-backs. Loses the story line too often. It was difficult sometimes to remember in what time or place each scene was taking place.
May 22, 2019
Suspense in Paris
Cotton Malone is thrust into another thriller with international intrigue with his good friend Henrik, but Henrik is not necessarily playing by the same rules. Interesting twists and turns for our friends this time.
Cotton Malone is thrust into another thriller with international intrigue with his good friend Henrik, but Henrik is not necessarily playing by the same rules. Interesting twists and turns for our friends this time.
April 29, 2010
No one writes historical thrillers like Steve Berry. I can say the same thing for all his books- they keep me turning the pages long into the night.
February 4, 2020
one of my favorites by berry 5 stars
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