What continues to amaze me about the Cotton Malone books is how Steve Berry can consistently find global stories about legendary loopholes or unwritten history that I am completely unaware of.

THE LAST KINGDOM, the 17th installment in the series, is based on a little-known part of Bavarian history involving King Ludwig II, who was deposed in 1886 and then mysteriously drowned three days later. The long-standing rumor was that he was quite depressed with his royal status. He had spent a good amount of time seeking asylum and a new kingdom outside of Bavaria. The question has always remained unanswered as to whether or not he was successful in this endeavor, which became known as Das letzte königreich (the last kingdom).

"With each revelation that occurs (and there are several of them), the narrative spins wildly in different --- and often uncharted --- directions, and readers are constantly kept off guard."

Thus begins the latest historical conundrum for Cotton Malone. He is contacted by his protégé, Luke Daniels, who reveals that there may be something hidden inside a desk at one of Ludwig’s palaces --- a letter or deed that identifies the location of the alleged last kingdom. Luke has successfully infiltrated a renegade group in Bavaria that is determined to unearth this information before anyone else does. He shares with Cotton that the US, Germany and China are keenly interested in finding this unclaimed territory as well. Cotton eagerly dives into this mystery knowing full well that not only is it a hot topic internationally, it also has landed on the radar of some seriously dangerous fringe groups that will eliminate anyone in their path to take possession of their prize.

Cotton and Luke split up to attack this case from different angles. Cotton finds himself paired with Marc Fenn, a German national who is the leader of a legendary group known as the Guglmänner. These black-robed individuals have been around for hundreds of years and have assumed the role of protectors, often accompanying the dead to their graves as living symbols of death. However, Cotton and Luke will learn of the existence of a far more sinister organization made up of castoff CIA agents who call themselves the Scythe. Their goal is to locate the last kingdom and uncover it for their own nefarious agenda.

With each revelation that occurs (and there are several of them), the narrative spins wildly in different --- and often uncharted --- directions, and readers are constantly kept off guard. Berry is in very limited company when it comes to thrillers of this magnitude, which includes those written by the likes of Brad Meltzer, Brad Thor and James Rollins. This series never disappoints!