Not so tense as previously books, but the mystery is good...Payne and Jones delivered an usual joke like before, and it's the good thing to loose the tempo...Don't forget about Nick, the Interpol agent, he bring another side of the story so it's like read two different story in one book that will came together at the end...Speaking of the conclusion, i prefer another ending (if i can change it :D) specially for what happened to main antagonist...It's end very simple, just one long chapter and then he vanished, for good...And for least i find the title is bit a spoiler :D...Another good book from the author, i will give 3 1/2 of 5 for this...Cause there's no half point in GR I give 4 star :D... The book begins with two separate narratives: Nick Dial from Interpol with an NCB Agent Andropoulos assisting him investigating the horrific deaths of several monks at a monastery in Greece; and two ex-special forces soldiers Jonathon Payne and David Jones receiving a cry of help from an academic in Russia. The seeds of doubt were sown right from the beginning that I was in trouble, as the agency to which Jonathon and David had served were called the MANIACs - who sounded more like a rock group than an elite fighting force; and Nick Dial was described as "The type of guy who could star in an action movie or a Marlboro commercial." It seems a quote like this wouldn't have been out of place in a Mills & Boon novel.However, I like Steve Berry (who writes similar books) very much and hoped this would be equal to those. But I am sorry to say I was disappointed, there was little development of the characters, the narrative was repetitive at times explaining things that had already been explained we were introduced to Henri Toulon, a French colleague of Nick's but Chris feels it necessary to tell us a few pages later that he was speaking with a French accent and who he is as though we had not meant him before. 300 pages into the book and still not much had happened, it certainly isn't a grip the edge of your seat thriller. I felt hardly any suspense until the end and then it seems to just peter out. There is no real mission just rescuing a person (won't give anything away just in case you still decide to read it!) which they do with relative ease it seems to me and lots of meandering around a much of nothing. As to the bad guys they are made to look like idiots and sadists not brave warriors skilled in battle.Quotes on the back state "Makes you wish it would never end" and "Excellent! High-stakes, fast action, vibrant characters ... not to be missed." That might have been the case in earlier novels but this one the fourth in the series I'm afraid has lost its way. I should make a claim for false advertising.
What do You think about The Lost Throne (2008)?
Well written... Keeps you interested all the way... A real page turner....
—cookiemoonster
Good read. One of the better in the Payne/Jones series.
—sarahdiorir
Fast moving with entertaining characters
—mikeandersonrealestate
