The Patriot Threat

The Sixteenth Amendment, which established the federal income tax, contains a potential legal flaw that a North Korean operative has obtained documented evidence of, information that could theoretically destabilize the United States Treasury. Cotton Malone is dispatched by his former boss Stephanie Nelle to track the operative before the documents reach hostile hands, beginning a twenty-four-hour chase that moves from Venice to the Croatian highlands. Steve Berry's tenth Malone novel asks a genuinely provocative question about American constitutional history.

Scott Brick narrates with the crisp efficiency he brings to the entire series, delivering the historical and legal argument alongside the thriller plot without letting either bog down the pacing. The Audie Award for thriller and suspense narration reflects a performance that adds genuine value to a story that depends on the listener finding the constitutional stakes as compelling as the chase. At fourteen hours, this is a well-proportioned entry in a long-running series.