The Patriot Threat

What if the foundation of American income tax law contained a flaw so fundamental that it threatened to unravel the entire federal system? That's the explosive premise Cotton Malone finds himself tangled in when a rogue North Korean agent gets hold of classified Treasury Department files that could shake the U.S. government to its core. Pulled from his quiet life running a Copenhagen bookshop, Malone races across Europe — from Venice's waterways to the Croatian highlands — with the clock running and the stakes impossibly high. The tension isn't just political; it's personal, as the lines between ally and enemy blur at every turn.

Berry's signature strength is making arcane history feel genuinely dangerous, and here he's at his most confident, weaving constitutional law and financial intrigue into a narrative that rarely slows down. The research is substantial but never burdensome — it enriches rather than bogs down. Berry structures his chapters with a propulsive economy, each one tightening the vice just a little more. For readers who want their thrillers grounded in something real and thought-provoking, this tenth Cotton Malone installment delivers exactly that.