I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Ghent Altarpiece is the most violated work of art in the world. Thirteen times it has been vandalized, dismantled, or stolen.
Why? What secrets does it hold?
Enter UNESCO investigator, Nicholas Lee, who works for the United Nations’ Cultural Liaison and Investigative Office (CLIO). Nick’s job is to protect the world’s cultural artifacts—from countless lesser-known objects to national treasures.
When Nick travels to Belgium for a visit with a woman from his past, he unwittingly stumbles on the trail of the twelfth panel for the Ghent Altarpiece, stolen in 1934 under cover of night and never seen since. Soon Nick is plunged into a bitter conflict, one that has been simmering for nearly two thousand years. On one side is the Maidens of Saint-Michael, les Vautours, Vultures, a secret order of nuns and the guardians of a great truth. Pitted against them is the Vatican, which has wanted for centuries to both find and possess what the nuns guard. Because of Nick the maidens have finally been exposed, their secret placed in dire jeopardy—a vulnerability that the Vatican swiftly moves to exploit utilizing an ambitious cardinal and a corrupt archbishop, both with agendas of their own.
From the tranquil canals of Ghent, to the towering bastions of Carcassonne, and finally into an ancient abbey high in the French Pyrenees, Nick Lee must confront a modern-day religious crusade intent on eliminating a shocking truth from humanity’s past. Success or failure—life and death—all turn on the Omega Factor. (Goodreads Synopsis)
I have read Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone series, and enjoyed the series. That said, this story felt like Cotton Malone’s little brother following the footsteps of his big brother.
I enjoyed the historical references and the possibility of “maybe this could be true”. I also enjoyed the fact that if it were true, then religious views would be significantly impacted as well as history being rewritten. However, these are things that Steve Berry writes with Cotton Malone as well. The only difference I saw was that Nick would get himself into dangerous situations with no thought to consequences. On one hand I understood his reluctance to use a weapon. On the other, it put himself and Kelsey in unnecessary danger.
Overall I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars, and hope that Nick has another story in the off chance that I can understand him better.
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