The Emperor's Tomb

Former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone receives a message that forces him out of his Copenhagen bookshop and into an increasingly dangerous confrontation: a young Secret Service agent arrives with assassins on his heels, and a brutal firefight that nearly kills both of them is only the beginning. The trail leads to a Danish billionaire with a personal vendetta and a hunt for Napoleon's lost treasure, buried with a secret that could destabilize the global economy. Steve Berry weaves his characteristic blend of historical fact and thriller invention.

Scott Brick narrates the Cotton Malone series with the polished assurance of a narrator who has made a demanding series feel consistent across many volumes. His performance gives Malone the combination of professional competence and wry self-awareness that distinguishes Berry's protagonist from more conventional thriller heroes. Brick handles the historical exposition, which Berry integrates throughout, in ways that feel like story rather than detour, a crucial skill for a series built on the interplay between past and present.