The Book of Lies

I started reading this book on the recommendation of a co-worker. He said, "It's like Da Vinci Code meets National Treasure", to which I thought, "So it's like a gremlin riding on a giant's coat tails?" But I didn't say anything. Understand, I didn't LIKE Da Vinci Code OR National Treasure. Even then, I only saw the Da Vinci Code film, never read the book. But there's something about characters rubbing their chins and throwing me hooks about "how clever they are" that just leaves me rolling my eyes.

I digress. I'm supposed to be talking about The Book of Lies. Be prepared, my comments will be much the same:

I didn't like this book at all. The exposition is like a man hitting you with a giant metal mallet--a mallet that's like a stamp, so show more that when it comes away, what's left on your poor skull are the characters roles in the story, as well as their motivations. Serena--sometime comedy relief (if you call her naive, new age nonsense funny) sometime love interest. Naomi--contagonist and apparently the writer's idea of a badass woman. Ellis--antagonist filled with an obsession for his dog and a contrived sense of holy destiny that doesn't create awe, but annoyance. Calvin--protagonist, and nauseatingly good, despite the writer's attempt at creating inner conflict about his father. This story is so unbelievably predictable, I marveled at how it could call itself a thriller. The dialogue tried to be witty, and failed miserably. It isn't so much stupid lines, but just weak ones. Like the character Roosevelt, a former pastor, who resorts to Yo Momma jokes for no reason other than a situation is becoming awkward. Unrealistic. Lame. There is one that stands out for me, though. This one comes from Naomi, talking about her seven-year-old(?) son.

"No, Ma....why would you--? I don't care what he says, don't buy him any more Hot Wheels cars, okay? He's lying. Treat him like a little junkie stripper on blow: He'll say anything to get more."

So charming. I don't care if she's a struggling mother with a rough past and a tough attitude. This was a mother talking about her KID. Ew.

The constant scene changes and the withholding of information is an attempt by Meltzer to create suspense. It doesn't work. Especially since the characters make great and stupid leaps of logic, discovering things that apparently are just up on the internet for EVERYONE to find, and with no real explanation how certain feats are managed given their constraints of time and environment. There was one instance where Calvin manages to swipe someone's keys, though I can't imagine how he could've seeing as how neither he, nor Serena, nor his dad are master pickpockets. Or how Naomi knew what Calvin was looking for when she first arrived in Cleveland, despite not knowing that the rental car they were using was rented in Serena's name, and not knowing any of the nonsense with Superman they were looking up.

And the ending...well. Let's just say it was a silly blockbuster ending, all smiles and accomplishment. I don't care if they didn't EXACTLY say that Calvin and his dad patch things up, it's easy enough to see that Meltzer wants us to infer that. The sappy nonsense with the Book of Truth just kills me. Clearly, Meltzer wanted this to be made into a film. The maddening fact that this nightmarish story even got published leaves me despairing over the possibility that it COULD happen, if only they could just work out the details with DC over their use of Superman.

Till that terrible day, I'm just going to try and forget I ever read something this bad. show less

What do you get when you combine The Da Vinci Code, Indiana Jones and Highway to Heaven with a bit of DC Comics and the Bible thrown in? Well, you get The Book of Lies! I really enjoyed this book and its story. The book reads like the Da Vinci Code but with regular people living the adventure. There are Indiana Jones type moments but the pieces of the puzzle have to be placed together by our regular day heroes. While the book is a mystery/adventure type story, there is an emotional side to the story that is equally as touching as the mystery is intriguing. The use of Superman in the story (and this is not a superhero story) is riveting. The biblical aspect of the story is not insulting to the faithful and truly makes the reader think. I show more especially like the father-son aspect of the tale that runs throughout the book. I found it curious that I finished reading this father-son tale on what would have been my father’s 90th birthday. show less

Cal Harper works for a shelter, picking up the homeless around Fort Lauderdale. During his rounds one night, he finds his estranged father with a gunshot wound. It turns out that his father was shot with the same gun that was used in the murder of Mitchell Siegel, the father of Superman’s creator. Cal and his father find themselves racing against time and a murderer to find the world’s first murder weapon - the one Cain used to kill Abel. You’re probably wondering what that has to do with Mitchell Siegel’s murder, but Brad Meltzer does an incredible job tying the two together.

The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer is a non-stop action thriller. While I was reading this book, I had to remind myself that it is a work of fiction with show more some facts thrown in. Meltzer grabbed my attention from the very beginning and kept it throughout the book. This book has lots of twists and turns with some Biblical references, a secret society and Superman thrown in for good measure. Anyone who enjoys thrillers will enjoy this book. show less

So what does the creator of the Superman comics and the sons of Adam and Eve have in common? Could it be rescuing strays from the pound, or long walks on the beach? Or maybe collecting hand-painted Russian nesting dolls? Can’t come up with anything? Well neither could I. At first glance, I’d have to laugh and say that they have absolutely nothing in common. Upon further investigation conducted through Brad Meltzer’s The Book of Lies, apparently they have a slightly more significant connection.

The story of Cain and Abel is one of the most famous or infamous stories in the Bible. It’s the first murder. And a betrayal of staggering proportions. If it was a biblical crime television series, it’d be Homicide B.C. It’s the reason show more people know the word fratricide. (How many folk know the word for killing one’s sister? It’s sororicide, by the way. Great factoid to work into dinner party conversations. Especially a dinner party where people are looking to off their sisters.) There is one great mystery about the story, though: what was used as the murder weapon for this heinous crime?

Thousands of years later, Jerry Siegel—the creator of Superman—is a young boy, naïve and innocent. Jerry’s father is murdered in cold blood, an event that spurs Jerry’s creation of the Superman mythos. What no one knows though is that the first renderings of Superman hold more than just nostalgic and emotional appeal—they hold the secret to the biggest murder in history. About what weapon Cain used to kill Abel.

When it’s discovered that the real truth behind the world’s most famous fratricide is in Siegel’s comic, an unlikely pair set off on a whirlwind race to find it.

Admittedly, I was hesitant about The Book of Lies, almost dismissive at first. I didn’t think author Brad Meltzer was going to be able to write a convincing story with two—seemingly—vastly unrelated topics. And still have it make sense, and not seem forced or outlandish. After reading the book, I must say he was able to do just that, write a convincing and cohesive story which is incredibly exciting, entertaining and unique.

Meltzer seamlessly infused the two stories into one compelling and action-filled mystery adventure. He succeeded in combining fictional elements with historic and factual real life tidbits. This gave the story enough realism to make it seem believable, bringing elements as familiar as the Superman comics and the story of Cain and Abel to life.

Last Word:
The Book of Lies turned out to be a very engaging and entertaining read, despite my initial concerns. This book will keep you on pins and needle through the whole adventure, always wondering what’s lurking around the next corner. I look forward to seeing what Brad Meltzer has in store next, with his unique plot lines and convincing combinations of fact and fiction. The Book of Lies was a big ball of fun. show less

Brad Meltzer's The Book of Lies is a Dan Brown-esque religion-based mystery but with a pop culture twist. How he ever came up with the pairing of Superman and Cain, I'll never understand...but it works. While only loosely based in reality, Meltzer manages to weave a believable narrative from these two disparate stories. At the same time, the reader grows fond of the main character, Cal Harper, as he embarks on this odyssey with his long-lost father. This brings an emotional element to the story that only enhances their quest to discover the truth.

I am typically able to develop a pretty strong idea of how a mystery will end, but The Book of Lies kept me guessing to the very end. I rarely read an entire book in one day anymore, but this show more is an engaging novel that kept me going until I finished. I'm loathe to say more for fear of ruining it for you, so just go get this book and read it for yourself. show less

One advantage of now following several publishers on Twitter and getting their newsletters is that I’m discovering authors I hadn’t read before, one of them being Brad Meltzer. I just happened to notice "The Book of Lies" in the library recently, and because I’d seen his name on some recent dispatch or other, I picked it up.

But really — could I have resisted this book anyway? A suspense novel that links the creation of Superman with the biblical Cain and Abel story? I think not.

The big theme in this book is actually fathers-and-sons rather than brother-and-brother. Almost every character in the book has or has had an issue with their father in one way or another. Even Jerry Siegel, the creator of Superman, had a murdered father. show more And 75 years later, Cal Harper, the book’s main character, has unresolved issues with his own father, whom he hasn’t seen since he was nine, when Lloyd Harper went to prison for causing the death of his wife, Cal’s mother.

It’s Cal and Lloyd who get drawn into a long-standing quest to find the ancient weapon with which Cain killed his brother Abel. And it’s Ellis Belasco, the ruthless killer, who pursues them, thinking they’ve got the clues to help him find it himself. And yes, Ellis too has father issues, but he has recently resolved them with a rather chilling finality.

Then there is Naomi, not a father but a much more positive mother-son role model (there had to be a positive parent model in here somewhere). She’s an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who chases first Cal and Lloyd, and then also Ellis, from Miami to Cleveland, to Jerry Siegel’s old house, to a Superman museum, and onward. In fact, the chase is quite entertaining, as each separate entity (counting Cal and Lloyd and Sabrina their companion as one) figures out various clues at different times, and you wait to see who will next ambush whom.

The ancient weapon, it turns out, either was or was not a book or a document, and Cain either was or was not punished for killing Abel. And the "Book of Lies" itself has an intimate connection with some old comic book pages, which of course tickles and delights the geek in me.

The only unfortunate thing in the book (well, aside from wondering if Sabrina was really a necessary character) is not the book’s fault. It’s just that any story written by a finite human being, yet wanting to deal with what I call the Eternal Verities, is going to fall short. The revelation of the great, long-sought truth at the end of the book, while it’s profound and all, just doesn’t live up to the hype. And that’s because the highest truths in the universe are transcendent, and therefore by definition out of our reach. No human being will be able to describe them.

So that’s not Brad Meltzer’s fault — except insofar as he was born human.

I quite enjoyed this book, finding it entertaining and fast-paced, and not too heavy. I’ll definitely be looking for more of Meltzer’s work. show less

Story line is quite good, but his writing is a little hard to get used to. The characters in this book seem to get a little bogged down in expressing their feelings in an overly verbose way. I'm a meat and potatoes man and there is sometimes much ado about nothing in the conversations between characters.

The Cain and Abel-Superman connection was extremely interesting and historically enlightening. Then, of course, there was the father son connection that stretched from Adam (Cain and Abel) to Mitchell Siegel (Jerry) to Lloyd Harper (Calvin).

All in all it was an enjoyable read and I will recommend it to friends.