Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of sixteen Cotton Malone adventures, five stand-alone thrillers, and several works of short fiction. His books have been translated into 41 languages with 25,000,000 copies in 52 countries. They consistently appear in the top echelon of The New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller lists. Somewhere in the world, every thirty seconds, a Steve Berry book is sold.

Q. Cotton Malone is back in The Last Kingdom. What is he up to now?

Steve: It’s a terrific story that involves a most interesting historical figure.

King Ludwig II.

It also centers around one of my favorite places in the world. Bavaria.

Ludwig II was an enigmatic figure who was deposed in 1886, mysteriously drowning three days later. Eccentric to the point of madness, history tells us that in the years before he died Ludwig engaged in a worldwide search for a new kingdom, one separate, apart, and in lieu of Bavaria. A place he could retreat into and rule as he wished.

But did he succeed in finding it?

Enter Cotton Malone. After many months Cotton’s protégé, Luke Daniels, has managed to infiltrate a renegade group intent on winning Bavarian independence from Germany. Luke has also managed to gain the trust of the prince of Bavaria, a frustrated second son intent on eliminating his brother, the duke, and restoring the Wittelsbach monarchy, only now with him as king. Everything hinges on a 19th century deed which proves that Ludwig’s long-rumored search bore fruit — legal title to lands that Germany, China, and the United States all now want, only for vastly different reasons.

So it’s a race across Bavaria for clues hidden in Ludwig’s three fairytale castles – Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee – Cotton and Luke battle an ever-growing list of deadly adversaries, all intent on finding the last kingdom.

Q. How did it feel to pick up this stalwart character after taking a break in 2022?

Steve: No problem at all. After 17 adventures Cotton and I have become fairly close. He enjoyed his year off, but was ready to get back in the saddle.   

Q. You’re well known for the depth of historical research that goes into your books. What was it like researching The Last Kingdom? Were there any interesting tidbits on King Ludwig II of Bavaria, or others, that didn’t make it into the story?

Steve: Like always, this novel required about 300 to 400 sources. There were also subjects here that I was not familiar with, but that’s where the research comes in. I like it when there are new things to learn. There were also several trips to Bavaria, one in particular where most of the on-site research was accomplished. Elizabeth and I spent 5 days wondering through Ludwig’s three castles. As to interesting tidbits, I did come across several, but they all made it into the novel. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything for readers by revealing them. But there are some things that will definitely surprise you.

Q. Last summer The Omega Factor came out and introduced readers to Nicholas Lee. Will we be seeing Nick again anytime soon?

Steve: I hope so. I enjoyed creating him and his first adventure was a lot of fun. Readers seemed to like him, too. So you never know, he might make a return one day.

Q. What are you reading right now? What were some of your favorite books of the last year?

Steve: I’m just finishing up the 2024 novel, another Cotton Malone adventure called The Atlas Maneuver. It involves another subject that I knew little to nothing about, so I’ve been reading for the past year. What is that? Sorry, I can’t say just yet.

Q. What’s next?

Steve: After The Last Kingdom releases on February 21, Luke Daniels will have his first stand-alone story coming June 27^th. It’s called The Ninth Man and centers around JFK’s assassination and a theory that few know much about. It’s being co-written with the great thriller writer, Grant Blackwood. Luke will return with two more adventures in the summers of 2024 and 2025. Cotton will return in early 2024 with The Atlas Maneuver. For the next three years, I’ll have two books out each year.