Book Log 2019 #31: The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry

You may remember that, in the past, I've said that the Cotton Malone series should return to Europe as the US-based books weren't that great. Well, be careful what you wish for.

In this installment, a papal conclave, the Knights of Malta, the Donation of Constantine, and a pair of scheming twins all come together to put the world in peril, and only Cotton Malone can stop things. It's all a bit clunky and unnecessarily complex, which is too bad as I'd think there's enough actual history to mine for a good thriller. I also thought that it wasted Malta as a setting, as the country's unique culture and history should also be able to help flesh out a good thriller.

For completists only.