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The 14th Colony

We love Steve Berry’s novels; they’re like Cracker Jack boxes with a historical surprise inside. Who would have suspected the shocking twists in The King’s Deception (the first transgender royal) or The Columbus Affair (the explorer was looking for a Jewish sanctuary)? What you may not have realized is that 90 percent of what you read about history in a Berry novel is true. (The guy does need a little wiggle room to bring the thrills!) That being said, all of Berry’s ideas are the result of careful research, in person and through in-depth reading. “I read upward of 200 to 300 books before I put the first word on the page,” he says.

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Berry’s newest thriller, The 14th Colony: A Novel (Cotton Malone 11) (Minotaur Books; April 5, 2016), has just as many surprises in store. We’re thrilled to give you a sneak peek of five things you didn’t know about history that you’ll find in the new novel, but beware—SPOILERS AHEAD.

President Ronald Reagan had a secret talk with Pope John Paul II in the Vatican before the fall of the Soviet Union. No one knows what they talked about or if a secret pact was made—there were no witnesses and no notes. But within the next six years both did all they could to hasten the fall of the Communist regime.

There are more than 250 suitcase-sized nuclear weapons that have disappeared. A 1999 Congressional committee heard testimony that such weapons actually existed and were produced by the Soviet Union. To this day, none of them have ever been located.

The Presidential Succession Act keeps the Speaker of the House from being president. The Act names the Speaker of the House as third in line of succession after the president and vice-president, but the Constitution forbids a member of Congress from taking office.

Canada is the only country to defeat the United States—twice. The USA attacked Canada twice, once in 1775 and once in 1815 and was defeated both times on the battlefield.

The USA almost tried invading Canada a third time. During the 1930s a detailed invasion plan was hatched, including preparations and simulations. The thought was that Canada would be vulnerable during World War II. This plan remained classified until 1974.

The 14th Colony delivers all the classic Berry twists as it plunges hero Cotton Malone into Siberia to fight for survival against a former KGB operative. His foe reveals a plot against the president and a shocking secret hidden in the archives of America’s oldest fraternal organization. Cassiopeia Vitt fans will also cheer her reappearance and Malone as he confronts a crippling fear that jeopardizes his mission.

Don’t miss out on this awesome new Cotton Malone novel from Steve Berry. Grab your copy today!

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Genre: Fiction, Historical
JeriAnn Geller

is a writer, editor and dabbler in arty stuff. A fourth-generation journalist (on her father’s side) and millionteenth-generation mother (on her mother’s side) she has written, edited, photographed and illustrated for newspapers, magazines, websites, blogs, videos and books. Known for her persnicketyness about grammar, she occasionally leaves in an error to delight people of similar inclination.

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