The Bishop’s Pawn: A Novel

Steve Berry’s The Bishop’s Pawn is the latest entry in his Cotton Malone series. This time, Berry takes us back to Cotton’s first case with the Justice Department. The book begins in the present day, when Cotton gets a message referencing his first case. The book then jumps 18 years back in time to Cotton’s very first case in the Justice Department. In 2000, he is sent by his boss, Stephanie Nell, to salvage a rare coin. When Cotton finally manages to have the coin in his possession, he also discovers a secret file referencing the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pretty soon, however, Cotton finds himself in the crosshairs of both the Justice Department and the FBI, who are determined to keep the truth about the real reason for Dr. King’s assassination buried in the sand. Cotton Malone must now use his wits to outsmart his adversaries and uncover a conspiracy, which, if successful, would rewrite history.

Like Steve Berry’s previous novels, The Bishop’s Pawn is a thriller full of politics, history, and espionage. The author deftly weaves little-known tidbits of history into the plot to make his story compelling and full of nail-biting suspense. Unlike his past books, however, Bishop’s Pawn breaks a tradition by having a first-person narrative. Because of this technique, the reader gets a unique glimpse into Cotton Malone’s mind. Thus, Berry takes character development, which has always been his strong suit, to a whole new level.

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Bishop’s Pawn. I admire a smart thriller that looks at history from an angle different than what our teachers have taught us in school.