Sailing into Juneau was the perfect way to wrap up this phenomenal book!The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello is easily one of the best action-adventure scientific thrillers I’ve picked up in a long time. It expertly blends my decades-long obsession with the Romanov dynasty, my morbid curiosity about autopsies and epidemiology, my very real fear of catching a deadly disease, my irrational fear of ghosts and wolves, AND a heart-pounding thriller set in the wilds of Alaska!This is a super compelling...

The Romanov Cross is easily one of the best thrillers I have ever read. Robert Masello crafts an excellent blend of history, current events, and germ theory that kept me hooked from start to finish. I will admit, it’s probably not the best choice to read while a friend is under flu quarantine—it definitely made me question every little throat clearing I heard! If all of Masello’s books are on this level, I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for his other work. If you're looking for a gripping pa...

I’ve always made an effort to avoid these kinds of books—you know, the action-adventure thrillers with a splash of history and a conspiracy theory thrown in for good measure. However, The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello might actually make me rethink that stance. I gave it a shot because the premise was genuinely intriguing, and the history behind it—specifically the tragic fate of the Romanovs—has always fascinated me. By revisiting the popular theory that Grand Duchess Anastasia survived, the ...

This was a fast-paced historical thriller with a good dose of Russian history and a pinch of the supernatural. Just think Dan Brown meets Indiana Jones. I knew nothing about the Romanov family and even less about Rasputin—clearly, I slept through every history class during my school years—but The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello definitely piqued my interest in learning more about Russian history. The story not only covers the beginnings of the Russian Revolution but also weaves in bits of Alaska...

When was the last time you read a book where the ending—no, the entire story—left you riding an absolute adrenaline high? When was the last time you felt genuinely breathless from the sheer intensity of scene after scene of explosive, nail-biting action? If your answer is “not for a long time,” then grab a copy of The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello and settle in. Trust me, this book will keep you completely lost in its pages for hours!I honestly don’t know where to start in explaining how incre...

From the moment Anastasia Romanov stumbles onto the rocky shore of a remote Alaskan island, surrounded by wolves, I was completely hooked on The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello. In this gripping scientific thriller that masterfully weaves together the history of the crumbling Russian imperial monarchy and modern epidemiology, Masello delivers a genuine page-turner. The plot of The Romanov Cross shifts between the story of how Anastasia receives her iconic cross and her subsequent journey to Alas...

The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello is a gripping page-turner that held my attention from start to finish. The story follows Dr. Frank Slater, a recently disgraced epidemiologist tasked with leading a team on an assignment nobody else wants. The mission takes them to the frozen wilds of Alaska, where a terrifying health crisis emerges following the discovery of a burial site belonging to a colony wiped out by the 1918 Spanish flu. For the history buffs out there, you know that the Spanish flu wa...

The fate of the Romanov family at the hands of Russian rebels has always been shrouded in mystery and intrigue. In The Romanov Cross, Robert Masello puts his own masterful spin on the fate of young Anastasia Romanov, the Grand Duchess of All the Russias, while weaving a gripping tale of plague, scientific discovery, and greed.The story shifts between the fate of Anastasia nearly a century ago and the collision of man, nature, and history in modern times. All paths lead to a secluded, frigid isla...

I was genuinely excited to dive into an ARC of The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello for a few reasons: the promise of an archaeological mystery, the high-stakes tension of a thriller, and the alternate history hook mentioned in the blurb.The premise itself—the idea that Anastasia Romanov somehow wound up on a remote, fictional Alaskan island clutching a cross and the remnants of the Russian crown jewels, alongside a mysterious plague that wiped out the locals—was fascinating. It certainly kept me...

This is exactly the type of book I love to get lost in. The Romanov Cross by Robert Masello is a stellar read, packed with a rich storyline, grounded science, and characters you actually care about. If you are looking for your next great historical thriller, this is it.The narrative jumps between two timelines: present-day Alaska and Russia in the 1910s. The way these eras weave together is impressive; Robert Masello does a marvelous job of keeping the two threads distinct while ensuring they re...