The Columbus Affair by Steve Berry #review

Who was Christopher Columbus? Could he have been a converso, a convert who remained a secret Jew?

That’s the intriguing question posed by this thriller as different people search for Columbus’s lost gold mine on Jamaica. Or is something else buried there, something explosive that has been hidden from history for over 500 years?

Columbus Affair coverThe Columbus Affair
by Steve Berry
Suspense Thriller
Ballantyne, 2012

In Florida, Tom Sagan is a disgraced reporter who has spent the last eight years living in obscurity, ghost writing for other authors. Depressed and estranged from his only daughter, he has decided to end his own life. But before he he can blow his brains out, someone comes to the door and upends his world. The stranger, Zachariah Simon, informs Tom that he has kidnapped Tom’s daughter Alle and will kill her if Tom refuses to exhume his father’s body. Worried about Alle, Tom agrees and learns that his father, a devout Jew, was known as The Levite and took secrets to the grave with him. Simon is an Austrian millionaire and a fanatical supporter of Israel in search of buried treasure and he believes Tom’s father was the only one who knows where it is hidden. Treasure that will change the course of Middle Eastern history.

Meanwhile, in Jamaica we meet Bené Rowe, a crime boss with a sometimes active conscience who has been coerced by the US government into working with The Simon, as he thinks of Zachariah. Bené is a Maroon, a descendant of runaway slaves who fought the British. Through Bené’s POV, we learn a lot about Jamaican history, including Columbus’s connection to the island.

The action moves from Florida and Jamaica to Vienna and Prague before all three men meet for a final confrontation in Jamaica.

This is a really fun thriller. All the characters are flawed, but only Tom is truly sympathetic. Alle has major issues with her father that lead her to make some disastrously bad decisions. Bené is complex and fascinating, but not entirely likable. Zachariah Simon is also complex, but twisted and makes for a good villain.

July is Beach Reads month at my readers group, so what’s better than a thriller? I checked it out as a downloadable book from the local library. Your local library may offer free downloadable books, too. Check it out!

I recommend The Columbus Affair to readers who enjoy thoughtful thrillers with a basis in history. If you liked The Da Vinci Code, you might enjoy The Columbus Affair, too.

What are you reading this month? Let me know in the comments and be entered for my monthly drawing for a $15 Starbucks e-gift card.

Linda

In Too Deep by @AnitaPhilmar #RockingSummerRomance

Anita Philmar is here today with #4FunFacts about her historical romances, In Too Deep and In Deep Water for another Rocking Summer Romance. Anita, please tell us a little about your books.

Summer4 Fun Facts about the Trinity River books:

1. I wrote this because I was born and raised in Texas. My father’s family lived in a little town not very far from what is called Naked Bluff.

2. There is no town in Texas called Naked Bluff. It is just a product of my imagination.

3. Both my parents picked their fair share of crops though I have never had to.

4. My ancestors fought in the Civil War.

In Too Deep coverIn Too Deep is the second half of In Deep Water. These two stories start with two women just trying to cool off on a hot summer day in Texas. They have no idea how hot things are going to get for them.

Blurb for In Too Deep

On the banks of the Trinity River, Sadie Pepperman is looking for a chance to escape the demands of her in-laws. With her husband’s dead, they want her to marry her brother-in-law so they can take control of her farm.

Suddenly, the peace of the day is shattered when her best friend steps too far into the river. Rushing to save her, Sadie meets a handsome stranger that ignites her dormant lust. She sees her friend rescued by a steamship and backs away from Logan Jansen, only to turn her ankle.

The agonizing pain leaves Sadie with the inability to walk. Needing help, she offers Logan a place to stay if he’ll help with the chores on her farm. With his agreement, Sadie adds another problem to her list. Now, not only does she have to worry about how to bring her crops in from the field and run her farm alone but she also has to fight her attraction to Logan.

Can Sadie end her in-laws’ interference in her life, run her farm alone, and give love another chance?

Purchase In Too Deep at Smashwords and Amazon.

In Deep Water coverBlurb for In Deep Water
Skinny-dipping to cool off in the Trinity River couldn’t cause any problem…could it?

Wading into the water, Carolyn Evans takes one step too far and finds herself neck¬deep in the river and fighting for her life.

After saving Carolyn from drowning, Zack Goodman is trapped in an awkward situation when they’re both rescued by a steamboat and hauled on deck.

Naked and embarrassed, Carolyn is quick to save them from humiliation and claims they are married.

Will Zack release her from her claim of matrimony? Or will he teach her once words are spoken…they are not so easily retracted?

Purchase In Deep Water at Amazon and Smashwords.

Have a wonderful day and I hope you enjoy my books,

Anita

Bio for Anita Philmar:

Anita Philmar likes to create stories that push the limit. A writer by day and a dreamer by night she wants her readers to see the world in a new way.

Influenced by sci-fi programs, she likes to develop places where anything can happen and where erotic moments come to life in a great read.

Naughty or Nice? Read her books and decide.

Connect with Anita online:

Website: http://www.anitaphilmar.com/

Email: [email protected]

Blog: http://www.anitaphilmar.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anita.philmar

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1329767.Anita_Philmar

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anitaphilmar

~~~~~
We have something in common, Anita. I had ancestors who fought in the Civil War, too, only mine were on the Union side. Both were named John and both came from Pennsylvania, but one served in a West Virginia regiment. He was wounded at Gettysburg, and the other caught a bullet in the knee at the Wilderness. Both survived, married and had children.

Share a fun fact about yourself or your neck of the woods in the comments section and you’ll be entered in my monthly drawing for a $15 Starbucks e-gift card.

Linda / Lyndi