Cain killed Abel: the original murder. But the Bible is silent about one key detail: the weapon Cain used to kill his brother. It's a mystery that's never been solved. Until now. In 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 an unsolved murder in 1932. What could that murder have to do with the biblical one? Father and son are suddenly thrown into a bloodthirsty quest for an ancient weapon, and the answer to a secret that ...
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Cain killed Abel: the original murder. But the Bible is silent about one key detail: the weapon Cain used to kill his brother. It's a mystery that's never been solved. Until now. In 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 an unsolved murder in 1932. What could that murder have to do with the biblical one? Father and son are suddenly thrown into a bloodthirsty quest for an ancient weapon, and the answer to a secret that people are dying to find. But closing in on them is a man tattooed with the mark of Cain - the world's first killer. In his pocket he carries the means of causing a horrifying death. And in his heart an insatiable desire for what he believes is his birthright ...
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. This book is in good condition but will show signs of previous ownership. Please expect some creasing to the spine and/or minor damage to the cover. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages.
Brad Meltzer is a familiar name, in spite of the fact I've never read any of his thrillers. Thus, I had no preconceived notions of his style. If you can wrap your mind around the idea that an author put Cain-and-Abel from the Bible with Superman's beginnings in Cincinnati, you will have an idea just how unique the plot is. Oddly enough, it works. The author knows his Bible and his Superman comics, and it shows.
In Meltzer's zeal to add lots of red herrings, he threw in Nazis and the Thule. My real problem with the work was that the characters were (to me) shallow, cardboard cartoons. To be fair, it may be counterproductive to do too much delving into individual character's psyche in a thriller-mystery.
This is an involved plot -- actually, this is an understatement. So, I will just touch on the highlights. Cal Harper, a disgraced (and fired) federal agent, now combs the side-streets of Fort Lauderdale, looking for homeless folks needing help. When he suddenly meets his injured father after 19 years of no word, Cal is pulled into a wild chase for THE BOOK OF LIES. Legend has it that this book came from God to Adam and then to his son(s).
How disparate facts fit together into the plot weren't always given their due, so the reader could stay with the reasoning. The book starts at a good pace, accelerates until about the middle, then fizzles for awhile and races to the end.
The unique plot kept me reading until the end; I don't want to give the impression that I am sorry I read the book. I found myself admiring how an author could devise and execute such an imaginative tale.
Fortunately, the author has closing comments, to explain some things readers might question. Actually, I read this through my library's audio cd (talking books) program. Scott Brick was a perfect voice to carry the story. This one is hard to rate: 3.5 to 4 stars.