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23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dan Brown, Look Out?, August 9, 2009
Liked: I bought this book because I love police procedurals, and I thought this book would be a prime example of that. Wow! I got that and more. This was a serial killer mystery with a historical element that will make you really think. The writing was excellent, drawing scenes in the reader's mind with ease. The switching among the three time frames was done effortlessly and seamlessly in a manner that kept the reader enthralled rather than confused. Disliked: This is hard to say without giving spoilers, so I will just state that there were a couple of avenues that the author could have explored and didn't. Overall: A tremendous thriller with a solution that will have you pondering things long after you put it down. Rating: R for language, violence, and rape
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23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great premise, poorly executed., August 12, 2009
This review is from: Secret of the Seventh Son (Mass Market Paperback)
[This review is based on an Advanced Reading Copy] I received an advanced copy of this title a few months before release and after reading the back teaser and seeing the cover art I was very intriqued. While the story was interesting the book didn't leave much of an impression with me. Here are my thoughts; Pros + Original premise (basically a line of idiot savants pen a library of the entire birth/death history of the world's population). + Story is a great idea with a ton of "what if" scenarios. Unfortunately few are really explored and only center around the main characters who are hardly influential or memorable. + Great cover art and engaging back description Cons - Story becomes disjointed very early on due to it taking place in the past and present. While it was not difficult to follow it really was difficult to care how the two stories were tied together. The author also spends a lot of time introducing characters only to have them killed off at the end of short chapters. None of the victims are relevant to the overall story but the author attempts to make you feel they are. - Horrible editing. As the author's first novel I felt like there was no editor involved at all to help ensure a coherant story was being told. - The Secret of the Seveth Son title is never really explored and was explained very briefly. Library of the Dead (which is the title outside the U.S.) was a much better choice. - The use of Area 51 as part of the story makes it feel rather contrived and hokey. Don't get me wrong the book wasn't bad by any means but it definitely wasn't groundbreaking. For those saying "Move Over Dan Brown" I can tell you right now Dan Brown can stay right where he's at. This book pales in comparison to anything Brown has written. While I don't consider Brown's work literary masterpieces, they're much more well thought out and researched than this title. I know the author's follow up called "Book of Souls" is on the way and I'll more than likely read it. However I'm hoping Cooper's second title is more interesting and better edited than his first.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
`A murderer is on the loose ...', August 8, 2009
This review is from: Secret of the Seventh Son (Mass Market Paperback)
The Doomsday Killer, as he is nicknamed, has claimed six deaths in just two weeks. The people of New York City are terrified and the police are mystified. The victims appear to have nothing in common, and the only thing that appears to connect them is a postcard sent to each victim announcing the date of their death. The FBI assigns the case to Will Piper, once amongst their best agents but now marking time until retirement. At the heart of this novel is a secret which has been closely guarded for centuries. Meticulous records, contained in an underground library on the Isle of Wight in the 1940s have deadly consequences. Although the records have been moved to the USA, and are continually being analysed in a secure facility, they still hold their power. There are some neat (and not so neat) twists in this story. The various points of view that tell the story jar at times but overall it is an effective mechanism to tell those parts of the story that span the centuries. The4 shifts in time and between locations are clearly marked. To enjoy this book, I think you need to suspend a few rational beliefs and get caught up in the page-turning journey. Even though I worked out the answers before the end, there was enough going on in the life of the characters to keep my interest. Please note: this novel is marketed as 'Library of the Dead' in Europe and Australia Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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