The Paris Vendetta: A Novel
by Steve Berry
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Book Summary Information
Author: Steve BerryEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-12-01
ISBN: 0345505476
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of The Paris Vendetta: A Novel
Book Review: A Plea to Stop the Downward Spiral
Summary: 3 Stars
I like to sprinkle my literary fare with the occasionally thriller, despite the fact that they offer an array of weaknesses that I find distracting. However, I came to be a fan of Steve Berry, particularly after The Templar Legacy, a book I consider to be an excellent example of the genre. One of the reasons that book is so strong is that he creates an array of interesting characters, including Cotton Malone, Cassiopeia Vitt, and Henrik Thorvaldsen. I must not have been the only person to think so, since Malone has been the lead character of every subsequent novel. And though Berry has never again reached the level of The Templar Legacy, he continues to produce interesting-enough thrillers. Unfortunately, it seems he may be running out of steam, since this novel, The Paris Vendetta, has reached a low for him.
It's not that this is a bad novel. It's just that I've grown to expect more from Berry than this. His use of Cotton Malone as a driving force has disappeared almost completely. That role he supposedly hands over to Thorvaldsen, which might not be a bad thing, but he is treated shamefully in the climax of this book. Berry still manages to create a menagerie of interesting new characters, both good and bad, but it's a disappointing how he's let his key characters lose focus and become superficial in their own stories.
It's also sad how weak his plots have become. His stories were originally intricately plotted with interesting historical points and surprises. This novel, however, based on a treasure supposedly left behind by Napoleon, is predictable. It still has some historical interest, but has little in terms of real intellectual excitement and discovery. It bothers me that in his last two novels, the most memorable moments are thriller set pieces that cross the line into the ridiculous. At least in The Charlemagne Pursuit, the battle beneath the ice in Antarctica had the advantage of being fresh. In this one, it's a stale attack on the Eiffel Tower by planes reminiscent of the Twin Tower attack, though averted at the last minute here.
I feel I'm being a little harsh on Mr. Berry; however, I've read every one of his novels and enjoyed them. And, to be fair, there are pleasures here. But when I spend the time reading a book like this, I want to be engaged from beginning to end. I fear my interest in Berry's novels is going to peter out if he doesn't get back on track soon. He's been in a downward fall that I want to see averted. I hope his next novel will be an intricately plotted historical intrigue that forgoes big set pieces for real focus on his key characters, especially Malone. If he can do this and return to form, he can still regain my interest. If not, I will move on to other authors.
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