Another brilliant historical thriller in the Cotton Malone series, THE LINCOLN MYTH continues the top-notch work that Steve Berry has done in this crowded genre. His latest entry has at its core a speculative tale involving America's most popular President, Abraham Lincoln.

Former U.S. government agent and now Danish bookstore owner Cotton Malone is called back into action to help his government against a new threat. It comes from some of the modern-day leaders of the Mormon Church and a deeply buried secret pact allegedly made between then-President Lincoln and the Mormon Church that would grant legal cession to any state in the nation.

With a prologue set in September 1861, we find Lincoln facing the toughest challenge of any American President past or present. The Civil War that threatened to tear the country apart is something he will seek to thwart at any cost. In order to keep the Union together, concessions must be made.

"The combination of American history with provocative modern themes fuels this thought-provoking thriller, a well-researched work filled with non-stop, globe-hopping action."

Allegedly, the Mormons of Brigham Young and Joseph Smith have threatened secession.  What is more alarming is that they claim this to be a constitutional right that any state has the power to exercise. To prevent this loophole from being found out by the states that battled in the Civil War, Lincoln makes a written pact with the Mormons that allows them to exist without fear of government oversight.

In the present day, Malone's true love, Cassiopeia Witt, is apparently rekindling a relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Josepe Salazar, who is a major player in today's Mormon Church --- a born member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salazar is seeking to blow the Lincoln/Mormon pact wide open at a time when the present United States is in turmoil. 

Stephanie Nelle of the U.S. Justice Department reaches out to Malone not only to check up on Cassiopeia, but also to infiltrate and stop any potential actions taken by Salazar. The conflicted Malone needs to find out for himself whether Cassiopeia is acting on her own or is perhaps undercover on her own mission to stop Salazar.

The action jumps between the U.S., the Middle East and Europe, while the alleged Mormon scheme has roots leading from Salazar to a key U.S. Senator. Whether speculative or true, the history that is at the center of THE LINCOLN MYTH is enough to raise serious questions about the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. The combination of American history with provocative modern themes fuels this thought-provoking thriller, a well-researched work filled with non-stop, globe-hopping action. From Steve Berry and his favorite protagonist, we would expect no less.