The Machiavelli Covenant
Category: Suspense
Narrator: Unknown
Tags: Suspense
Folsom takes Nicholas Marten, the ex-cop hero of The Exile (2004), and plunks him down in this clunky thriller, which might strike some readers as a blatant attempt to capitalize on the success of The Da Vinci Code and other historical-conspiracy thrillers. The plot is convoluted: Martens former girlfriend is murdered, and as Marten tries to find out whodunit, he hooks up with a beautiful French journalist and (of all people) the president of the U.S., who happens to be on the run from members of his own cabinet. Together the trio tries to unravel a modern plot based on the secret writings of Niccolo Machiavelli. Folsom proved he can handle a wildly improbable thriller in his first novel, The Day after Tomorrow (1994), but he sets himself a sterner task this time, throwing some clumsy dialogue on top of a plot that never quite overcomes its own inherent implausibilities. Still, Folsum excels at ratcheting up the action, and he does so here, generating more than enough excitement to ple
