What if the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution --- the one pertaining to the collection of income tax --- was illegal? What ramifications could the nation face if such a proposal was found to be true? What if some of our enemies learned this and attempted to capitalize on it by bringing the U.S. to their knees?

Thus the premise for another brilliant Steve Berry novel is formed. His series featuring Cotton Malone has spanned the globe, but most of the action in the last several books has focused on the United States itself. The former Justice Department member is now living his life as a quiet bookseller in Denmark. Still, whenever his former boss and colleague, Stephanie Nelle, calls on him, he usually springs into action to help in any way he can.

"THE PATRIOT THREAT is a thrilling and thought-provoking read, and the proposed illegality of the 16th Amendment may be the greatest weapon of mass destruction ever thought up."

In THE PATRIOT THREAT, Malone is asked to track down and stop a rouge North Korean national who has come into possession of some extremely dangerous information that centers on an alleged threat of revenge made by the rich and powerful Andrew Mellon, former Secretary of the Treasury. Mellon, a self-proclaimed true patriot, had proof that the 16th Amendment was never ratified and was, in fact, illegal. He also notified FDR that he possessed documentation of a loan in the amount of $800,000 made by Haym Salomon to George Washington to help fund the American Revolution. The loan was never repaid, and Mellon estimated the compounded interest owed on it to be in the hundreds of billions --- essentially bankrupting the nation.

FDR never gave much weight to Mellon’s threats and felt he may have been toying with him. Nevertheless, when the leader of one of our nation’s enemies, North Korea, learns of this historic information, he plots to use it against us. Kim Yong Jin has obtained Mellon’s documentation and recognizes the power of this potential weapon --- a weapon that could very well bring down the U.S. and the financial structure of the world.

With all this on Malone’s head, it is imperative that he succeed in his new mission. His plight takes him from the canals of Venice and into the highlands of Croatia. Real or imagined, this threat can never see daylight or the world as we know it will be changed forever. It is up to Malone and a handful of his regular allies to pull out all stops in this deadly serious mission.

With depictions of North Korea in the current media, as well as fictionalized spoofs like the Seth Rogen/James Franco film The Interview, they are obviously given serious credence as a threat to the U.S. What Steve Berry has accomplished, once again, is nothing short of spectacular. In each successive novel, he manages to mine the annals of history and global government to create fictionalized reimaginings that provide much food for thought --- as well as impetus for a few nightmares. THE PATRIOT THREAT is a thrilling and thought-provoking read, and the proposed illegality of the 16th Amendment may be the greatest weapon of mass destruction ever thought up.