‘The Byzantine Cross’ is a historical thriller by Dena Weigel. It takes place in about 1950, in the wake of WWII in the early days of the cold war. The heroine is a former spy who is recruited again by the CIA for one last mission. Sarah is reluctant, but agrees, because the aim is acquiring The Byzantine Cross, which is held in a museum at the Kremlin. She has unique knowledge of the site and the artifact.
This book is basically 007 meets Indiana Jones with a female protagonist, and I am here for it. There is spy craft. There are car chases and fight scenes. There’s an artifact with Biblical significance. There’s more than one dastardly villain, one of whom is a shock, to say the least. That our MC is a female spy in 1950 is what kicks this up a notch further.
All the twists in this story add to the payoff at the end, when a major Biblical site is the setting for the final showdown. Did I guess any of those twists? Absolutely not. They were original and surprising. I highly recommend this book and gave it five stars.
Weigel’s book was not in my initial TBR pile for January (I had originally had it slated for a little later in the year), but I was so excited that I had time to add it as a mood read and not wait any longer. I knew it would be right in my wheelhouse. And let me tell you, I was in the mood for spy novels in January. This fit to a tee. Plus, thrillers with mystical artifacts and famous landmarks are my ultimate favorites. I have two or three of the locations on my travel bucket list now – it doesn’t get any better than that!
Who is this book for? If you love historical spy novels, this would be a good choice, especially if you are looking for the rare highly capable female protagonist. You’ll also like it if you love intrigue around mystical artifacts or historical sites, as in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ or a Dan Brown novel. Like I say – 007 meets Indiana Jones! What a ride!
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