14TH COLONY, THE
Author: Steve Berry
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Format: Paperback,
Genre: Thriller

Back Cover Blurb

Shot down over Siberia, ex-Justice Department agent Cotton Malone is forced into a fight for survival against Aleksandr Zorin, a man whose loyalty to the former Soviet Union has festered for decades into an intense hatred of the United States.

Before escaping, Malone learns that Zorin and another ex-KGB officer, this one a sleeper still embedded in the West, are headed overseas to Washington D.C. Noon on January 20th—Inauguration Day—is only hours away. A flaw in the Constitution, and an even more flawed presidential succession act, have opened the door to disaster and Zorin intends to exploit both weaknesses to their fullest.

Armed with a weapon leftover from the Cold War, one long thought to be just a myth, Zorin plans to attack. He’s aided by a shocking secret hidden in the archives of America’s oldest fraternal organisation—the Society of Cincinnati—a group that once lent out its military savvy to presidents, including helping to formulate three invasion plans of what was intended to be America’s 14th colony—Canada.

In a race against the clock that starts in the frozen extremes of Russia and ultimately ends at the White House itself, Malone must not only battle Zorin, he must also confront a crippling fear that he’s long denied, but which now jeopardises everything.

What I Thought

Fast, fun, furious, I couldn’t put this one down. Why? Because it has all my favourite elements; not only is it a well-written thriller, with believable flawed characters, but Berry manages to make the historical background and info dumps enlightening, educational, and yes, even relevant in today’s climate.

With never a dull moment, The 14th Colony is the epitome of a page-turner. And while some reviewers have disliked Berry’s stye of writing from several viewpoints, I felt this heightened the tension, helped delineate the characters as much as it moved the action. All the while giving us a more in-depth look into character, motives, and consequence.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read.