Steve Berry’s ‘Columbus Affair’ fast-paced, fascinating

As schoolchildren we are taught that in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue and discovered America. As adults we found out that this wasn’t exactly true, he actually discovered the island of San Salvador.

For years there has been speculation that Columbus might have been Jewish and his famous mission to the New World was really a means of escape. Could the legendary voyage really have been an excursion of converted Jews seeking asylum from the Spanish Inquisition? And was Columbus in possession of important Jewish treasures that had been hidden since the demise of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem?

These questions form the main premise behind Steve Berry’s latest thriller, “The Columbus Affair.”

The novel begins with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tom Sagan attempting to take his own life. Tom was widely regarded as one of the best journalists in the business, but when one of his stories on the troubles in Israel is outed as being fraudulent, his career is over and he becomes estranged from everyone he knows and loves, including his daughter Alle.

But Tom’s suicide attempt is abruptly thwarted by a man known as Zachariah Simon. Simon is a radical European Jew with a dark agenda, and he needs Tom's help. To persuade Tom to assist him, Simon shows him a video of Alle being held prisoner, promising she will be molested and killed if Tom doesn’t cooperate.

It seems Tom is the key to a mysterious connection between the missing treasures rumored to have been owned by Columbus and the Jewish population of Israel. Although raised as a Jew, Tom had renounced his heritage years ago, much to the dismay of his father. Now, Tom must re-embrace his upbringing to make sense of the puzzling Columbus legend.

As Tom races to save Alle from what he perceives as certain death, he doesn’t know that his daughter is actually in cahoots with Simon to uncover the treasures for themselves. Meanwhile, Simon and his henchman create separate allegiances with both Tom and Alle, knowing that they can both be easily discarded once they have helped lead Simon to Columbus’ treasure.

Parallel to the main story is a separate but related plot set on the island of Jamaica where Columbus was marooned for more than a year. A powerful man known as Bene Rowe is at odds with Simon over the alleged missing treasure of Columbus.

Traveling from Florida to Prague and ending in the caves deep within Jamaica, “The Columbus Affair” is an exhilarating thrill ride that never lets up. If you are able to wade through the fascinating but often confusing ancient Jewish mysticism that dominates much of the novel you will be rewarded with a fast-paced adventure full of history.

Fans of Steve Berry’s “Cotton Malone” series will also love the fact that the Magellan Billet and his former boss Stephanie Nelle make an appearance toward the end of the novel in a moment that ties together the world Berry has created.