Are you in the library?? (Library of the Dead - Glenn Cooper)

Member Name: sugar78

Product:	Library of the Dead - Glenn Cooper
Date:	27/07/09 (63 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting story

Disadvantages: First half of the novel is a bit difficult to continue with

'Library Of The Dead' is Glenn Cooper's first novel. Glenn has a degree in archaeology, which is put to some use in the storyline of this book.

*Plot*
There is a spate of murders that have been happening in New York. The murderer has been nicknamed the 'Doomsday Killer'. Six people have been killed in two weeks. Each one of the victims has received a postcard before they died. On the postcard is a date and a hand drawn picture of a coffin. Each victim dies on the date stated on the postcard.

The FBI assigns Will Piper, an FBI agent who is an expert on serial killers, to the case. He on the other hand does not want to take the case on, as he is nearing to retirement and wants to leave the FBI 'smoothly'. He is partnered with Nancy Lipinski, who is fairly new recruit for the FBI. You soon find out that Will is an alcoholic and is a womaniser. Nancy is a new recruit and is eager to learn all that she can and not bend the rules. They are opposite ends of the spectrum.

As Will and Nancy work on the 'Doomsday Killer' case it takes them on a journey which uncovers a secret that has been guarded by the American government for decades, into the secretive Area 51, secrets of a eighth century abbey on the Isle of Wight and back to Will's college days.

*My thoughts*
When I first spotted this book in Tesco I immediately thought that's for me! The description was of a book that I would be the first to pick up and read.

I was not that impressed by the first half of the book, which I found was a disappointment. It is true; you are thrown into the story straight away with the first killing. After the first chapter I thought that this was going to be a great read, but then things started to get stale. I found the chapters, which were not long, were a little bit of a chore. My eyes were flickering to page opposite when I was supposed to be concentrating on the page that I had just turned to! The chapters started to feel a little drawn out and I was unsure of Cooper's direction with the story.

As I got halfway through the book, then the pace started to pick up for me, and the story was coming into bloom! More facts were being told, the fluency came together and the mental picture that you can forge in your mind when reading a book, was no longer covered in fog!

Just one more thing. I was not that convinced by some of the actions of the characters. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, so I won't go in depth, but some of the actions of the characters i.e. who they bond with, how they react to various circumstances didn't really ring true with me. I felt their actions were false.

I have to say that if you persevere with this you will end up reading a good novel. It has a really good storyline and when you get past the first few (or so) chapters you can really start to appreciate the knowledge that Cooper has included in this novel and the fluency of writing that the chapters start to appear in. You are able to see where Cooper's degree in archaeology came into use.

Summary: Persevere and you will end up reading a good story