This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
The Omega Factor: A Novel by Steve BerryPublication Date: June 7, 2022
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Book Group
Pages: 400
Goodreads
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Thrillers / Historical
Rating: ★★★★
Synopsis:
The Ghent Altarpiece is the most violated work of art in the world. Thirteen times it has been vandalized, dismantled, or stolen. Why? What secrets does it hold?
Enter UNESCO investigator, Nicholas Lee, who works for the United Nations’ Cultural Liaison and Investigative Office (CLIO). Nick’s job is to protect the world’s cultural artifacts—anything and everything from countless lesser-known objects to national treasures.
When Nick travels to Belgium for a visit with a woman from his past, he unwittingly stumbles on the trail of a legendary panel from the Ghent Altarpiece, stolen in 1934 under cover of night and never seen since. Soon Nick is plunged into a bitter conflict, one that has been simmering for nearly two thousand years. On one side is the Maidens of Saint-Michael, les Vautours—the Vultures—a secret order of nuns and the guardians of a great truth. Pitted against them is the Vatican, which has wanted for centuries to both find and possess what the nuns guard. Because of Nick the maidens have finally been exposed, their secret placed in dire jeopardy—a vulnerability that the Vatican swiftly moves to exploit utilizing an ambitious cardinal and a corrupt archbishop, both with agendas of their own.
From the tranquil canals of Ghent, to the towering bastions of Carcassonne, and finally into an ancient abbey high in the French Pyrenees, Nick Lee must confront a modern-day religious crusade intent on eliminating a shocking truth from humanity’s past. Success or failure—life and death—all turn on the Omega Factor.
REVIEW
In all the years I have been blogging and reviewing books, there are only three authors whose books always make it onto my TBR (To Be Read) pile. Not only do they make it onto my list, but I also make sure to read every book they publish. One of those authors is Steve Berry. If he writes it, I’m reading it.
His latest work is both a departure and yet still similar to his usual style. It’s a departure because it isn’t a Cotton Malone story, but it is similar in the sense that it is a well-thought-out, researched, and developed story that combines history, religion, intrigue, drama, and action. The author also manages to make the story relevant to real-world events. In “The Omega Factor: A Novel,” Steve Berry tackles serious issues in the Catholic Church without getting bogged down in unnecessary details. This helps make the story, although far-fetched, relatable to the reader.
It’s a little different reading or listening to a Steve Berry book that isn’t part of the #CottonMalone series, but it’s still really good. While I don’t have the same attachment to the characters as I do to Cotton, it’s still an interesting and informative story. It’s refreshing to have a new set of main characters for a change. Although Nicholas Lee is no Cotton Malone, he is still a decent character. To be honest, after reading 16 books about Cotton Malone, I probably like him more because I feel like I know him better and have spent more time with him.
I was fortunate enough to receive both a digital review copy to read and an audiobook version to listen to. Before I could start reading the digital copy, the audiobook arrived and that was it. Just as I will read any book written by Steve Berry, I will also listen to any audiobook narrated by Scott Brick. His narration is of high quality. He does a great job voicing the various characters and has excellent inflection and pacing. When he narrates a book, you can trust that the story will unfold seamlessly. It feels like someone is painting a vivid picture with words, rather than simply reading to you. I experienced the full range of emotions, the gravity of the story, and the steady progression over a two-and-a-half-day period.
