Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54 EAN: 9780446577885 ISBN: 044657788X Label: Grand Central Publishing Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 352 Publication Date: September 02, 2008 Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Release Date: September 02, 2008 Sales Rank: 2316 Studio: Grand Central Publishing
Brad Meltzer--author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Book of Fate--returns with his most thrilling and emotionally powerful novel to date.
In Chapter Four of the Bible, Cain kills Abel. It is the world's most famous murder. But the Bible is silent about one key detail: the weapon Cain used to kill his brother. That weapon is still lost to history.
In 1932, Mitchell Siegel was killed by three gunshots to his chest. While mourning, his son dreamed of a bulletproof man and created the world's greatest hero: Superman. And like Cain's murder weapon, the gun used in this unsolved murder has never been found.
Until now.
Today in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Cal Harper comes face-to-face with his family's greatest secret: his long-lost father, who's been shot with a gun that traces back to Mitchell Siegel's 1932 murder. But before Cal can ask a single question, he and his father are attacked by a ruthless killer tattooed with the anicent markings of Cain. And so begins the chase for the world's first murder weapon.
What does Cain, history's greatest villain, have to do with Superman, the world's greatest hero? And what do two murders, committed thousands of years apart, have in common? This is the mystery at the heart of Brad Meltzer's riveting and utterly intriguing new thriller
What Others Say
Meltzer, I've read Dan Brown and you're no Dan Brown....
Unfortunately this was my first read of a Meltzer novel and will likely be my last. Title might also describe the rave reviews plastered on the book jacket which snared me as I passed through the airport book store...
"Brilliant", "A fast, exciting ride", "...Meltzer strikes gold".... huh. I can only conclude that the publishing industry has a cadre of go-to guys and gals at various publications who will dish up a good quote whenever one is needed. As I eluded to, this was and impulse buy. For $28 I wanted to like it, but there just isn't much to like.
None of the characters are well developed. Even our protagonist Cal, thought his story (what little we know of it) is certainly sympathetic, is hard to empathize with. ... Read More
Kryptonite of Fiction--2 1/2 Stars
In BOOK OF LIES, Cal Harper is a former government agent who was forced to leave his position and now works as an advocate for the homeless, living with them at a residency shelter and helping them out of tough situations. While on "patrol" Cal picks up a homeless man who turns out to be his father, a man he hasn't seen in years. His father, Lloyd, was sent to prison for the accidental manslaughter of his wife, Cal's mother. Their reunion is the catalyst that sends Cal and Lloyd on a journey that is connected to Jerry Siegel, the creator of Superman, and Cain, Adam's eldest son who killed his brother Abel.
I picked up BOOK OF LIES because of the connection to the creation of Superman. Until recently, I was completely unaware that ... Read More
Fun Read; But Not Much Substance
The Book of Lies is what I would consider a beach/travel read. It was quick, it was fun, and did not require much thinking. I enjoyed the story, it was fairly interesting, but it was hardly engaging. It is another one of those scavenger hunt books, tracing around lore and religion looking for long lost clues that could revitalize the way we see the world.
However, the format of the book is just that, and nothing more. It is no "Angels and Demons" or other well researched, almost believable works of fiction.
I've enjoyed most of Meltzer's books, and I'm sure I will continue to do so. I just think that The Book of Lies latched on to what is a popular storytelling format these days. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book; but it was not ... Read More
Book of Mystery
This suspense novel has a well-written fascinating premise that involves the teenaged creator of Superman comics, a back story of a Nazi quest during World War II for a book of power, mysterious people seeking the book today, and Cal Harper who is searching for The Book of Lies.
The Prophet and The Leadership loom menacingly in the background, desperate to recover the book, which was stolen from them in 1900. Cal gets clues about where the book is and is tracked by an assassin, and meanwhile Cal is reunited with his dad under strange circumstances. Father and son were separated for 19 years while Cal's dad was in prison.
The Book of Lies may offer clues to the world's first murder weapon, used by Cain to kill Abel. I won't reveal ... Read More
DISAPPOINTING ENDING!!!
I listened to this via audiobook. It had great potential and it kept me with one hand on the wheel and one hand gripping my head for most of the way. Then...............IT ENDED STUPIDLY, UNSATIFACTORILY, TIED UP NOTHING - AND MADE NO SENSE!!!
I might try another of Mr. Meltzer's books - but I doubt it!
