Part of Cotton Malone, book 15
First published 2020
Cotton Malone watches thieves steal one of the seven Arma Christi relics from a sanctuary. His former boss Stephanie Nelle reveals that someone plans to auction damaging information about Poland's president. Both the United States and Russia want this blackmail material for different reasons. The auction requires a relic as the entry price. Malone must first steal the Holy Lance from a Polish castle. This thousand-year-old spear holds deep meaning for Christians and the Polish people. After securing the relic, Malone heads to the auction itself. His mission quickly falls apart. Three nations battle over information that could shift Europe's power structure. Malone fights through the canals of Bruges and the halls of Wawel Castle. He descends into an ancient salt mine beneath Polish soil. The former Justice Department agent finds himself trapped in a deadly conflict. Everything depends on a secret called the Warsaw Protocol.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, action, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Bruges, Poland, Wawel Castle
Period: 21st-century
400 pages · ebook · Minotaur Books