The House of Long Ago (Cassiopeia Vitt #4), by Steve Berry and M.J. Rose

Eight stars

Adding a new novella to their collaborative collection, Steve Berry and M.J. Rose present the fourth piece featuring Cassiopeia Vitt. This piece pulls together some interesting backstory in the life of Cassiopeia and some troubling revelations about her father. After holding onto her family villa in Spain for a number of years, Cassiopeia Vitt decides that it might be time to put it onto the market. Before doing so, she decides to have the fifteen pieces of art hanging throughout the villa appraised. While she grew up admiring the pieces, she never thought to ask their value. After an appraiser brings news that the paintings are fakes, Cassiopeia can only wonder what game her father might have been playing. Consulting with many close to her father, Cassiopeia learns that it is not uncommon for art to be copied and the fakes exhibited, but that there is a secluded location in Andorra that is sure to house the originals. When she visits, Cassiopeia discovers that the originals are no longer in the vault her father had sealed, only adding to the mystery. Cassiopeia begins to question the need to hide these pieces of art away and everything leads back to discussions about Nazi Germany. Might Cassiopeia Vitt’s entire image of her father be based on false memories? What troubles could he have found himself in and might Señor Vitt have been part of a sinister underground that confiscated pillaged artwork and kept it for themselves? Berry and Rose tell quite the tale while educating the reader throughout this piece. Recommended to those who love fiction embedded with historical revelations, as well as the reader who has enjoyed all that Cassiopeia Vitt has brought to the surface in her handful of novellas.

While I have long been a fan of Steve Berry and his Cotton Malone novels, I knew little about Cassiopeia Vitt, save for what was revealed in the stories. When M.J. Rose teamed up with Berry to offer more insight into Cassiopeia’s life and adventures, I flocked to read them. These pieces not only shift the focus on Vitt, but also add new and exciting layers of history from which the reader can learn a great deal. Cassiopeia Vitt is a wonderfully independent woman, whose ambitions shine though. However, she is also one to rely heavily on those who helped shape her, not least of which her father. In this piece, the reader learns more about the connection that Vitt had with her father and the love of art that he fostered. That it could have been built on lies and deceit is surely possible, something that leaves Cassiopeia troubled. The cast of secondary characters is well developed to offer the reader interesting insight into Cassiopeia’s issue and how it might be handled. While the story is brief, the authors use these characters effectively to flavour the narrative and keep the action moving forward. The piece flows well and the reader’s attention is easily kept, mixing history and current events together with ease while trying to piece together the fragments of Cassiopeia’s life together. With a short cameo appearance by Cotton Malone himself, there is surely room for some tie-ins with Berry’s mainstream work. As with the others novellas, this one reads easily with short and crisp chapters that are sure to pull the reader into the action quickly. I can only hope this collaborative effort continues, as it is highly entertaining and yields wonderful stories.

Kudos, Mr. Berry and Madam Rose, for your great work together. Cassiopeia Vitt has a wonderful platform for growth with these stories and I am happy to read more when you have penned them.

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons

The Lake of Learning (Cassiopeia Vitt #3), by Steve Berry and M.J. Rose

Eight stars

Steve Berry and M.J. Rose return with another novella in which Cassiopeia Vitt is able to take centre stage. Exploring some of the older aspects of European based religions, the reader will learn much and be dazzled by the intricate detail. While excavating for her ongoing castle project, Cassiopeia Vitt and her team uncover an old book whose contents make it not only rare, but extremely valuable. When she is visited by an interested party, Cassiopeia gets a bad feeling about Roland Beláncourt, who insists that he needs this book. While Cassiopeia is able to dismiss him, Beláncourt persists, telling her all about the history of Catharism, something about which Vitt is familiar. It would seem this book not only speaks of the Cathars, but also speaks of an ancient relic and location that could be key to enlightened discoveries. As Vitt seeks some outside assistance to find this ‘Lake of Learning’, she continues to encounter trouble from Beláncourt, who will stop at nothing to ensure he gets his hands on the book. Vitt does not have Cotton Malone to help her, but she will need to find some way of staying ahead of the the trouble that awaits her. Berry and Rose have come up with an interesting tale here, mixing history with a female protagonist. Recommended to those who have long enjoyed Berry’s work (which includes Cassiopeia) and likely readers who are familiar with Rose’s style of writing.

I have long been a fan of Steve Berry’s writing, which has included minor roles for Cassiopeia Vitt. When I noticed that Berry had teamed up with M.J. Rose, I was interested to see how they would elevate this most interesting character without losing some of the intriguing history that is woven throughout each tale. This novella touches on an era that I suspect Rose uses regularly, which meshes well with some of what we know about Cassiopeia. This female protagonist does well guiding the story along. While she is away from the love of her life—Cotton Malone—she does well to keep the reader interested in her medieval building project, which spills into talk of the Cathars. She is by no means a damsel, but also does not seek conflict where she can help it. There are a few other characters whose presence add depth to the story, including the gritty Roland Beláncourt, whose determination helps fuel some clashes surrounding the possession of the book. The story gathers momentum in the early chapters and never loses its speed. I am happy to see an ongoing ability to mix history with action in yet another piece by these two authors. I can only hope that they continues an annual tradition of working together to develop some wonderful stories.

Kudos, Mr. Berry and Madam Rose, for an interesting piece that kept me curious throughout. This is a collaboration that is growing on me.

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons

The Lake of Learning (Cassiopeia Vitt #3), by Steve Berry and M.J. Rose

Eight stars

Steve Berry and M.J. Rose return with another novella in which Cassiopeia Vitt is able to take centre stage. Exploring some of the older aspects of European based religions, the reader will learn much and be dazzled by the intricate detail. While excavating for her ongoing castle project, Cassiopeia Vitt and her team uncover an old book whose contents make it not only rare, but extremely valuable. When she is visited by an interested party, Cassiopeia gets a bad feeling about Roland Beláncourt, who insists that he needs this book. While Cassiopeia is able to dismiss him, Beláncourt persists, telling her all about the history of Catharism, something about which Vitt is familiar. It would seem this book not only speaks of the Cathars, but also speaks of an ancient relic and location that could be key to enlightened discoveries. As Vitt seeks some outside assistance to find this ‘Lake of Learning’, she continues to encounter trouble from Beláncourt, who will stop at nothing to ensure he gets his hands on the book. Vitt does not have Cotton Malone to help her, but she will need to find some way of staying ahead of the the trouble that awaits her. Berry and Rose have come up with an interesting tale here, mixing history with a female protagonist. Recommended to those who have long enjoyed Berry’s work (which includes Cassiopeia) and likely readers who are familiar with Rose’s style of writing.

I have long been a fan of Steve Berry’s writing, which has included minor roles for Cassiopeia Vitt. When I noticed that Berry had teamed up with M.J. Rose, I was interested to see how they would elevate this most interesting character without losing some of the intriguing history that is woven throughout each tale. This novella touches on an era that I suspect Rose uses regularly, which meshes well with some of what we know about Cassiopeia. This female protagonist does well guiding the story along. While she is away from the love of her life—Cotton Malone—she does well to keep the reader interested in her medieval building project, which spills into talk of the Cathars. She is by no means a damsel, but also does not seek conflict where she can help it. There are a few other characters whose presence add depth to the story, including the gritty Roland Beláncourt, whose determination helps fuel some clashes surrounding the possession of the book. The story gathers momentum in the early chapters and never loses its speed. I am happy to see an ongoing ability to mix history with action in yet another piece by these two authors. I can only hope that they continues an annual tradition of working together to develop some wonderful stories.

Kudos, Mr. Berry and Madam Rose, for an interesting piece that kept me curious throughout. This is a collaboration that is growing on me.

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons

The Museum of Mysteries: A Cassiopeia Vitt Adventure, by Steve Berry and M.J. Rose

Eight stars

There are few authors I could read every day without tiring (I say this never having tried, haha!), but Steve Berry would have to be one. His mix of mystery and little-known historical events blend together to make sensational stories. He has a well-established Cotton Malone series, which has permitted one of its supporting characters—Cassiopeia Vitt—branch out onto her own on one previous occasion. Berry has teamed-up with M.J. Rose, an author I have not read, to create this wonderful novella with Vitt in the driver’s seat. Visiting a friend in the French village of Eze, Cassiopeia Vitt finds herself chasing someone who has just stolen a costly item from a museum. This is not just any box, but a Sabbat Box, filled with elixirs and potions and used in mediaeval times. Apparently brought to auction six months before, the Box contains items that trace back to the fifth century and could be called an ancient ‘pharmacy in a box’. Vitt catches the apparent thief and slides one of the vials into her pocket, curious about what its powers might be. Soon, Vitt is attacked herself and the Box stolen once again. Confronting the original thief, Vitt learns the true power of the Box, having inhaled some of the fumes from her own vial. This takes her back in time, into the body and mind of one Morgan le Fay. During this state, Vitt (le Fay) encounters a man she has been waiting for and with whom she has a romantic connection. Does this hallucination speak to the present course of events? If so, who is this man, if not Cotton Malone (who is on his way to America)? Baffled but adamant that she will retrieve the Sabbat Box, Vitt follows clues she obtains while conversing with a Paris detective. With a French presidential election under a week away, the Sabbat Box could play a larger role that that of the ballot variety in swaying the results. The trouble is, no one is entirely sure how! A brilliant teaser for those waiting for Berry’s next Cotton Malone novel as well as the many fans Rose has of her own work. Recommended specifically for Berry fans who like what Vitt brings to stories (for I cannot speak of anything Rose has penned).

As I mentioned above, I have long been a fan of Steve Berry’s work and leapt at the chance to read this piece while I await the next Cotton Malone novel. Berry and Rose have created an interesting tale that pulls on both the present time and distant ages past. Cassiopeia Vitt, who has long been a secondary character, plays the protagonist in this piece. Her backstory is fleshed out a little more, with discussion of her childhood and upbringing. The authors also put her grit and determination front and centre, allowing the reader to better understand this woman who has often been called the ‘billionaire building a castle’ and more recently Cotton Malone’s love interest. The handful of other characters help to offer a stronger story, both in modern France and medieval Europe, though there is surely a sinister revelation that awaits the patient and attentive reader, revealed through intense dialogue presented within the narrative. The story straddles both time periods and uses alchemy to bind them. Without offering up too much of the story (and thereby spoiling it), there is a definite pulse to the story that requires the reader to understand what is going on during both time periods, which can then be bound together by the closing pages of the novella. Berry and Rose Bering their experiences together in this piece, adding some of their characters to the novella and creating a handful of others. While sorcery and magic is not my cup of tea, this piece did pique my interest and I may have to see what M.J. Rose is all about. Additionally, I am curious to see if Berry adds mention of it in his upcoming Malone novel. A great way to spend a short time reading and perfect for a beach afternoon!

Kudos, Mr. Berry and Madam Rose, for this piece that is both unique and on par with much that I have read in Berry’s series. I hope you work together again, as this was a wonderful collaborative effort.

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons