Library of the Dead

I almost gave up on this one halfway through, but I am definitely glad I finished it. It gets off to a good start; the main characters are richly portrayed and the whole serial killing thing is very gripping. Then the coming back and forth between stories in time confused me a bit and that's where I started to drift off. I thought it dwelled too much in descriptive passages that we could have done without. But close to the end, where you start to realize where it's heading, it becomes unstoppable. I loved the twist the book gives to the whole tabu subject of Area 51 and couldn't have figured it out on my own. The end stayed with me for a couple of days and it kinda freaked me out a bit. I'm all over that now, so I can safely say that, show more if you can, read it. show less

I alighted from the train last night having been glued to this book for my journey and walked home from the station, crossing roads, avoiding other pedestrians all with my face still firmly glued to the pages... I think that say is all...

This is a wonderful début novel with an intriguing, unique and macabre plot which is brought to life with good suspense, historical flashbacks and the character development of a fascinating protagonist...

I'm now left wanting more and more by this author and sincerely look forward to his next novel...

I read an advanced copy of this book, which I received at the 2009 Thrillerfest in NYC, and I have to say of all the books I received or bought there, this was the most intriguing. I was very impressed, to say the least. Cooper has a great gift for plotting, and for characterization, but the heart of this thriller is its concept, a blending of the classic 'hunt-for-a-serial-killer' story with the 'secret-conspiracy' tale presented in a wholly original way.

It's hard nowadays to develop any kind of unique serial-killer concept, but without spoiling the plot, The Secret of the Seventh Son has done it, near-perfectly (if you buy into the quasi-mystical-biblical solution). Unlike other reviewers, I had no problem with the 'time-jumping' in show more the narrative because it was clear from the beginning that the jaunts back to the 8th - 12th centuries were vital to solving the mystery and explaining how all these unrelated people were being killed in such different ways.

Everything else in this novel was delicious gravy - the descriptions of Area 51's inner workings, the thrill of Vegas card-counting, the all-too familiar details of a struggling screenwriter, a romantic twist and a rather unlikable protagonist who manages a bold transformation... and even the way Cooper worked in the actuarial mechanics of life insurance and made it a huge revelation fitting with the plot, worked well for me. My only regret is that the publishers didn't keep the original title of 'The Library of the Dead', which was so much more fitting. If you like Rollins, Preston/Child and the like, don't miss this one. show less

What do a Medieval scriptorium, Area 51 and a New York serial killer have in common? Will Piper, a former FBI profiler hotshot is about to find out. Will is so close to retirement he can taste it. He just wants to ride it out when he gets assigned to the Doomsday serial killer case. This killer sends a postcard announcing the date the person is going to die. Will is assigned a new partner and will have to give up his wastrel ways if he hopes to find this elusive killer.

I really enjoyed this book. It does move through time, but the author handles it beautifully. The concept is original and the reader gets to have more information than the detective. It was fun. I understand there will be a second book featuring Will Piper. I will show more definitely be reading it. show less

Somewhat disappointing. I found the plot of this book quite obvious from the outset (and I rarely see things coming). I love books about books, and I'll read them whether they are good or bad. This was just too familiar. You see at the outset where it is going. Neither the characters nor the events are particularly well drawn. The main characters are stereotypical and, although this doesn't always preclude a book from being a rip roaring yarn, in this case, it is nothing I'd bother revisiting. It filled an evening and that's all I can say.

Davvero un bel thriller, con un tocco di soprannaturale che normalmente non amo in questo genere di libri, ma che stavolta devo dire ci stava proprio bene.
Anche se alcune cose si capiscono o intuiscono abbastanza presto (per esempio la natura della Biblioteca), il romanzo si fa divorare con piacere e tiene sempre vivo l’interesse, anche perché alcuni misteri vengono svelati solo nelle ultime pagine. Il finale mi ha stupito grandemente, cosa che fa sicuramente guadagnare punti al libro!
I personaggi sono un po’ una pecca del romanzo, nessuno mi ha colpito più di tanto, a nessuno mi sono veramente affezionata, e Will, protagonista, certe volte mi stava anche un po’ antipatico.
A parte questo, davvero una bella lettura coinvolgente! show more :)
http://www.naufragio.it/iltempodileggere/9052 show less

FBI agent, Will Piper, specializes in capturing serial killers. He has two years to go until retirement, but he's burnt out and just wants a desk job to get him there. His plans fall apart when he's forced to take on a new case. The “Doomsday Killer”, has no pattern and defies psychological profiling, and the diverse victims have only one thing in common. Just before their murders, each of them received a postcard foretelling their date of death.

In addition to the modern story, the plot takes us to 1947 Britain, a monastery in the eighth and thirteenth centuries of Britain, and even Area 51 in Nevada. Several different story threads are followed. Eventually, these threads are woven together in a compelling conclusion. It's hard to show more review this book without giving away some spoilers so that's all I'm going to say.

I found this book to be a great mix of modern day thriller, a little bit of the supernatural, and some historical mystery as well. I thought the concept was fascinating and I definitely plan to read the second book of the trilogy very soon. show less