The Templar Legacy: Book 1 (Cotton Malone, #1)

by Steve Berry

Cotton Malone has recently retired from the US special forces, to pursue his dream of running an antiquarian bookshop in Copenhagen. But when his old boss is attacked on a visit, Cotton is dragged into an extraordinary mystery - a mystery that centres around an old book, which many people seem to want, and which has already cost several lives. The book seems to point towards a connection with the Order of the Knights Templar, once the most powerful organization in the whole of Europe - apart from the Church itself - and wiped out in the 14th Century. Meanwhile, at an ancient abbey in the Pyrennees, the old Master is dying, and his deputy faces an unexpected challenge to succeed him. Someone wants to restore the Order to its former glories, to rekindle the secret it has held for centuries...Cotton and his friends must crack the codes and swerve dangerous pitfalls as they race towards a secret so explosive it could change the world.

• ISBN10: 0340899239
• ISBN13: 9780340899236
• Publish Date: 5 June 2006 (first published 1 January 2006)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Out of Print: 8 July 2006
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Imprint: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
• Edition: New edition
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

[Michael @ Knowledge Lost]

I saw that someone called Steve Berry’s Cotton Malone series as a thinking man’s Dan Brown; then I think about Umberto Eco’s Foucault's Pendulum. While I did find The Templar Legacy far more enjoyable than expected, it was still very much in the style of Dan Brown. The pacing and characters were decently written and the story would be controversial for someone that would get offended by Religious themes in fiction.

I wouldn’t compare it to Dan Brown anymore more than the fact its set around a conspiracy, after that it is more in the feel of Indiana Jones. The modern day Templers make for great antagonists as Cotton goes treasure hunting. The scenery is the biggest stand out for me; the description of France and Rennes-le-Chateau, mixed with some creative licence makes for an enjoyable backdrop.

I enjoyed this book, but like most bestsellers, I didn’t love the book. It packs a punch and was thrilling to read but I don’t think I will ever read it again.