The Medici Return

About the book

Former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, has been called upon to assist the Swiss guard in investigating allegations of bribery and theft against Cardinal Jason Richter. Stephanie Nelle, his former boss at the Magellan Billet, has requested his help as a favor to the Vatican. However, things are not as simple as they appear. A large sum of money is discovered, a Swiss Guardsman is killed, and both Cotton and the cardinal become targets of a dangerous killer.

Together, they embark on a search for a long-lost document known as the 16th century Pledge of Christ, signed by Pope Julius II, which reveals a massive debt owed by the Vatican that has accumulated over centuries and is now worth trillions of dollars. As Cotton follows the trail that leads to the legendary Medici family of Florence - a family believed to have died out centuries ago without heirs - he realizes that the future of Italy's prime minister and the next pope are also at stake.

From a serene village in central Germany to the historic city of Siena with its famous Palio horse race, and finally to the streets of Florence with its iconic landmarks, Cotton Malone unravels the mystery piece by piece, all while anticipating the potential return of the Medici family.