The Last Kingdom

King Ludwig II of Bavaria was an enigmatic figure who was deposed in 1886, mysteriously drowning three days later. Eccentric to the point of madness, in the years before he died Ludwig engaged in a worldwide search for a new kingdom. One separate from Bavaria, a place he could retreat to and rule as he wished. But a question remains: Did he succeed?

Enter Cotton Malone. Luke Daniels, Malone’s Magellan Billet protégé, has managed to infiltrate a renegade group on the trail of a 19th century deed that proves Ludwig’s long-rumored search bore fruit. A document that could not only secure Bavaria’s independence, but also change the balance of power in the modern world. The United States, China, and Germany all want it.

In a race across Bavaria for clues hidden inside Ludwig’s three fairytale castles, Cotton and Luke battle an ever-growing list of deadly adversaries all intent on finding the last kingdom.

• “High-octane […] A fun page-turner with historical elements.”
  Publishers Weekly
• “When readers crack open a new Malone adventure, it’s like reuniting with an old friend. Another strong entry in a consistently fine series."
  Booklist
• “What you’d expect if James Bond were an American who consulted with the CIA. Bring it on.”
  Kirkus
• "History buffs especially will devour this quest story of sorts in which the truth is the rarest treasure of all. The number of rivals Malone must fend off in the process will similarly please fans of the wildly manic John Wick movies. Combined, that makes The Last Kingdom a page-turner of the absolute highest order."
  BookTrib
• “Berry once again proves that history matters, skillfully crafting a fictional story around historical truths.”
  Library Journal
• "What continues to amaze me about the Cotton Malone books is how Steve Berry can consistently find global stories about legendary loopholes or unwritten history that I am completely unaware of . . .  Berry is in very limited company when it comes to thrillers of this magnitude, which includes those written by the likes of Brad Meltzer, Brad Thor and James Rollins. This series never disappoints!"
  Bookreporter.com