THE OMEGA FACTOR

4 stars out of 5

The author of the popular Cotton Malone series has come up with a new hero who, he says, is likely to get more books all to himself. Given that Nicholas Lee, a United Nations employee tasked with protecting cultural artifacts throughout the world including those in the religious realm (the focus of this book), this first effort made me a fan, so I'm hoping that happens.

More than a decade ago, Nick was in a serious relationship with a woman named Kelsey that didn't end as planned. She's since been a nun who specializes in art restoration, and she just began work on a panel from the historic Ghent Altarpiece, a major work that's been stolen and otherwise violated many times and is thought to hold secrets that could bring the Catholic Church to its knees. She's called Nick to meet with her in Belgium and see the panel; he arrives just in time to save her from a fire that totally destroys the panel but prevents the theft of Kelsey's laptop, on which she's stored photographs of her restoration work. Everything points to a secret group called the Maidens of Saint-Michael, aka the Vultures, who have been the target of a centuries-old and so far unsuccessful search by the Vatican, which has a vested interest in learning - and debunking (if not burying) the "truth" the nuns have pledged their lives to protect.

Running concurrently is a second story line, that of an archbishop who will do just about anything to become a cardinal and a cardinal who will do just about anything to become Pope - and one of them has a side gig that involves resolution of abuse that happened before he was born. When Nick's actions to save Kelsey's laptop results in exposure of the Maidens whereabouts, the two men are charged with following up on behalf of the Vatican as they struggle to realize their own ambitions and get retribution for old wounds.

It all makes for an exciting and educational reading adventure, although if I have a complaint it's that the amount of history, while quite interesting, tends to be so extensive that it almost overwhelms the story at times. And while I find religious history - whether real or theoretical - absolutely fascinating, I suspect the hot-button issue of sexual abuse by church leaders and questions surrounding a couple of the church's most venerated saints might be unsettling to some readers.

Overall, I must say the amount of research that must have gone into the writing is nothing short of impressive. Nick's job promises to lead to other intriguing adventures, so I'm definitely looking forward to his next adventure (and I wouldn't mind seeing more of Kelsey, even if she and Nick can't be more than good friends). Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this one. Good job!

The Omega Factor by Steve Berry (Grand Central Publishing, June 2022); 464 pp.