Status
Available
Series
Collection
Publication
Random House Audio (2007), Edition: Abridged
Description
Too bad former secret agent Cotton Malone knows how to unearth the lost contents of the Library of Alexandria; now his bookstore has been ransacked and his son kidnapped.
User reviews
LibraryThing member adithyajones
An interesting thriller where Berry takes you to the quest of the lost library of Alexandria.An engaging and informative thriller.
LibraryThing member harpua
I was torn on this one. While it was a decent story, it seemed to drag at times. There were a few times I even considered putting the book down. But I kept plugging through and the last 50 pages or so made it well worth the time. The ending came together and there were enough surprises that I
There are some problems, as noted by other reviewers that Berry seemed to be very one-sided in the whole Palestanian vs Israel debate and as someone who believes in Israel's right to exist and in fact longer history there, this seemed a bit preachy to me. However, that aside, fiction is fiction and I try to view it in that light.
If you’re a Steve Berry fan, you’ll probably enjoy this one. If you’re new to Berry, this may not be the best introduction.
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realized I had it all wrong from early on. There are some problems, as noted by other reviewers that Berry seemed to be very one-sided in the whole Palestanian vs Israel debate and as someone who believes in Israel's right to exist and in fact longer history there, this seemed a bit preachy to me. However, that aside, fiction is fiction and I try to view it in that light.
If you’re a Steve Berry fan, you’ll probably enjoy this one. If you’re new to Berry, this may not be the best introduction.
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LibraryThing member JeffV
The Alexandria Link represents Steve Berry's first attempt at a serial novel. The Templar Legacy was an action-adventure novel involving the secrets of a long-underground order of Templars. Berry once again goes back in history, this time to the great Library of Alexandria. Using a mixture of
Berry made it a point to flesh out the character of Cotton Malone in this novel. His ex-wife and her child (that the boy isn't his was a prime cause to their separation) both play prominent roles. However, at times, their inclusion seems forced, as does another "follow the clues" plot. I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as I did the first book in the series, and will take a break before reading the next. In an interview after the book, Berry says the next few books will focus on other featured characters in Malone's circle. Hopefully their stories prove a little more interesting.
That said, I wish the book was a little more compelling. The loss of the Library of Alexandria was one of the biggest travesties of mankind. Whether documents contained therein would be powerful enough to change the course of modern history (the premise of this book) I'm a bit skeptical...then again, Saudi Arabia raised towns and prohibits archeological expeditions in sensitive areas suggest Berry is not too far off base.
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actual history and plausible fiction, our hero, Cotton Malone, once again is chasing clues to an ancient treasure.Berry made it a point to flesh out the character of Cotton Malone in this novel. His ex-wife and her child (that the boy isn't his was a prime cause to their separation) both play prominent roles. However, at times, their inclusion seems forced, as does another "follow the clues" plot. I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as I did the first book in the series, and will take a break before reading the next. In an interview after the book, Berry says the next few books will focus on other featured characters in Malone's circle. Hopefully their stories prove a little more interesting.
That said, I wish the book was a little more compelling. The loss of the Library of Alexandria was one of the biggest travesties of mankind. Whether documents contained therein would be powerful enough to change the course of modern history (the premise of this book) I'm a bit skeptical...then again, Saudi Arabia raised towns and prohibits archeological expeditions in sensitive areas suggest Berry is not too far off base.
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LibraryThing member brian_irons
In my opinion this is Steves last really great book. All of his books are well written and fun to read but his first 5 are my favorite. I'm still waiting for his next blockbuster.
LibraryThing member DrLed
This was fun! Once again, Steve Berry did an excellent job of turning his reasearch into a gripping tale of human relationships, greed, power, and wealth. In this particular book, there are re-occuring characters, which makes the relationships more interesting. The big question for this book is the
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hotly debated question of the 'truth' of the old testament and what the revelation (either as truth or as an interpretation of truth based on the time of writing and politics) may mean on a global scale. Show Less
LibraryThing member Talbin
The Alexandria Link, by Steve Berry, begins with the kidnapping of Cotton Malone's son and the bombing of Malone's bookshop. The kidnappers give Malone an ultimatum - he will get his son back in return for information about the lost Library of Alexandria. Malone, a retired Navy intelligence
This is the fifth book by Steve Berry that I've read, and I think it's his best so far. I thought the plotting and pacing of the book was excellent - he kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. Characterizations weren't so great, but that's to be expected in this genre. The story itself is rather unbelievable, but personally I don't read these types of books for their believability - I read them as escape literature.
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officer, joins with his ex-wife, Pam, to search for his son and ultimately the Library of Alexandria itself. As the search continues, Malone and his cohorts discover that a cadre of wealthy industrialists and even some of the highest ranking politicos in American government are involved in the search for the lost Library.This is the fifth book by Steve Berry that I've read, and I think it's his best so far. I thought the plotting and pacing of the book was excellent - he kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. Characterizations weren't so great, but that's to be expected in this genre. The story itself is rather unbelievable, but personally I don't read these types of books for their believability - I read them as escape literature.
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LibraryThing member blush48
A secret group of Guardians protect the secrets and treasures of a hidden library of ancient scrolls and documents. A little bit like "Da Vinci Code" with spies, two-faced government officials, and violence. A good blend of all these pieces.
LibraryThing member FiberBabble
I abandoned this book at about the 60% mark. As far as I can tell, there wasn't anything glaringly wrong with the book. Political intrigue just isn't my cuppa tea.
At the latest twist in the twist that twisted the twist, I decided that I really didn't care if the Vice President was undermining the
Yeah. That's about how much sense it made to me. The concept of finding the Library of Alexandria is something I could really sink my teeth into, but this book isn't the one that's going to get my imagination fired up.
The reader of this audio book was okay, though I think his talents could have been better used. There are a LOT of accents to be read. He does most of them fairly well, but sometimes has problems maintaining them. At one point or another, whether the character is from Georgia USA or from Denmark, they're going to end up sounding like a Kiwi - even if it's for just one sentence. It's hard to maintain that many accents. Add to that the reader's attempt to differentiate characters by giving them a nasal or otherwise recognizable speech style - he gave it a good shot, but I would have preferred that he let me do the accents/speech styles in my head, rather than be jarred when they weren't consistent.
At the latest twist in the twist that twisted the twist, I decided that I really didn't care if the Vice President was undermining the
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President and the Attorney General was (figuratively) in bed with both the "Zionists" and the Palestinians and was there a mole and apparently "good guys" don't have to sleep which is a good thing because someone's always trying to shoot them but maybe they aren't really the good guys after all.Yeah. That's about how much sense it made to me. The concept of finding the Library of Alexandria is something I could really sink my teeth into, but this book isn't the one that's going to get my imagination fired up.
The reader of this audio book was okay, though I think his talents could have been better used. There are a LOT of accents to be read. He does most of them fairly well, but sometimes has problems maintaining them. At one point or another, whether the character is from Georgia USA or from Denmark, they're going to end up sounding like a Kiwi - even if it's for just one sentence. It's hard to maintain that many accents. Add to that the reader's attempt to differentiate characters by giving them a nasal or otherwise recognizable speech style - he gave it a good shot, but I would have preferred that he let me do the accents/speech styles in my head, rather than be jarred when they weren't consistent.
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LibraryThing member bsquaredinoz
I struggled my way to page 196 of this Dan Brown wanna be. It's unnecessarily complex and contains a series of totally un-engaging and unbelievable characters. It's not enough to have a religiously inspired intrigue: you have to have a plot and some characters to care about if you want people to
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read 527 pages. Show Less
LibraryThing member skraft001
I was initially enthralled with the book, but the writing unfortunately broke down. It became more Raiders of the Lost Ark and Dirk Pitt rather than the potential it started out with. I got lost and disinterested in the Washington DC storyline -- it really didn't lend to what I saw should have been
There was in my mind a lot of cut and paste when it came to historical biblical personalities -- sort of like the author wanted to fit it in but really didn't want to write about it.
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the focus. Would have been much better if the government angle was kept to more of a minimum like in the Altman Code.There was in my mind a lot of cut and paste when it came to historical biblical personalities -- sort of like the author wanted to fit it in but really didn't want to write about it.
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LibraryThing member dekan
i really loved this book. it was quite interesting. a bit like the davinci code meets a spy novel. it delt with the 12 lost tribes and the theories about the land promised to abraham and issac and where it really should be compared to where it is. also showing that if we had the alexandria library
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we could prove that. it was based around a fictional story of murder and intrigue. if you're interested in any of that it is a fun read. Show Less
LibraryThing member cameling
Good thriller. Cotton Malone is paid a visit by his hysterical ex-wife who tells him that their son has been kidnapped and that he has something the kidnappers want. What follows is a fast-paced thriller that involves the search for the Library of Alexandria, a hero's quest, plenty of people
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running around shooting other people or getting shot at themselves, the US government, the Israeli and Saudi governments, a plot to assassinate the US President (but who are the traitors?), a group of international power tycoons who are members of the Order of the Fleece, and an interesting angle on some theories about the Bible and where Abraham's descendants are supposed to have been. Add to the above, lots of political intrigue so that you don't know who to trust from one chapter to another, and you have a boiling page turner. Show Less
LibraryThing member norinrad10
Some of the historical stuff is interesting. Terrible writer though, almost as bad as James Patterson.
LibraryThing member Venqat65
After reading the Romanov Prophecy, I was quite excited to read another Berry novel. What a disappointment this one was. Unlike with the Romanov Prophecy, I was not drawn into this book and indeed I had to force myself to turn each page. Part of what turned me off was the anti-Semetic sentiment
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which appeared very early in the book and continued till it's end. Berry seemed to demonize Israel and Jews far more generally. As another reviewer mentioned, his story reads like a pro-Palestinian propoganda piece, even going so far as to refer to the 1948 war solely by its Arabic nickname. Show Less
LibraryThing member marquessa
the premise interested me, however all the political intrigue throughout the book bored me silly. I got to about 1/4 finished and just stopped reading. I wish it had more adventure and less about politics.
LibraryThing member TheoClarke
Cotton Malone, the retired government agent from Berry's The Templar Legacy, gets sucked into a quest to find the lost contents of the ancient Library of Alexandria in a race against an international economic conspiracy cartel. The tensions inherent in his relationship with his ex-wife,
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accompanying him on this quest, add further frisson to the story, which is wide ranging and explores the biblical revisionism that is becoming an established sub-genre of action adventure novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member LeHack
Cotton Malone is retired from his government job as an intelligence agent when his son is abducted and his rare bookshop is blown up. Someone is trying to find the Alexandria link and only he knows where the link is now, having hidden him several years ago.
His ex-wife Pam shows up, frantic to find
Berry refers to the research that was done at the end of the book. The quest can be compared to the Da Vinci Code, which was merely average (although the book was FAR better than the movie). There is intrigue and fast action that results in a page turner. The story takes us from Denmark to England to Sinai. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Berry is an author whose books I can always recommend.
His ex-wife Pam shows up, frantic to find
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her son. His boss, Stephanie, is trying to find out who leaked the information about the Alexandria Link - the lost library of Alexandria. Several people want to find the library and the scrolls that prove the Bible as we know it today is wrong. Berry refers to the research that was done at the end of the book. The quest can be compared to the Da Vinci Code, which was merely average (although the book was FAR better than the movie). There is intrigue and fast action that results in a page turner. The story takes us from Denmark to England to Sinai. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Berry is an author whose books I can always recommend.
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LibraryThing member cuicocha
The continuing adventures of Cottom Malone finds our protagonist traveling from Europe to the Sinai in search of the Library of Alexandria. The convoluted plot is not as tight and fluid as it was in The Templar Legacy, but much is added to the story through Malone's interaction with his ex-wife and
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son, Henrik Thorvaldsen, Cassiopeia Vitt, and Stephanie Nelle are once again intricately involved in Berry's plot which picks up steam in the final quarter of the book and leads to a satisfying conclusion. Show Less
LibraryThing member PghDragonMan
This is the weakest of the three Cotton Malone stories I’ve encountered so far. It does add to the depth of the character Steve Berry has created because we now meet his son and divorced wife. It is not Berry’s character development that I found lacking, but rather the story itself was very
An example of what I’m talking about involves a car chase. The good guys are in a secret service car being pursued by the bad guys. Bullets are bouncing off the car because it is designed to withstand bullet impact. Nothing too amiss so far; these vehicles do exist. But wait: the bad guys shoot out the tires. I had trouble with the fact that the car would be bullet proof but not equipped with run-flat tires. These are available as an option on many civilian cars now. So much for story line credibility.
I also had trouble with some of the politics Berry used to drive the plot. I guess I now know how some people may have felt about the plot of the previous book, The Templar Legacy. I was able to divorce myself from the politics and yet, as cited above, I found the story had too many holes for an otherwise interesting premise.
I still like the character Steve Berry has created and I am looking forward to the next story in the series. This is one instance where reading the most current offering in a series from an author first has an advantage over just discovering a series and reading them in order: I know Steve Berry eventually gets better. Sadly, this offering, The Alexandria Link, comes in at just average.
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thin and had too many lapses to be considered realistic, even for a work of fiction.An example of what I’m talking about involves a car chase. The good guys are in a secret service car being pursued by the bad guys. Bullets are bouncing off the car because it is designed to withstand bullet impact. Nothing too amiss so far; these vehicles do exist. But wait: the bad guys shoot out the tires. I had trouble with the fact that the car would be bullet proof but not equipped with run-flat tires. These are available as an option on many civilian cars now. So much for story line credibility.
I also had trouble with some of the politics Berry used to drive the plot. I guess I now know how some people may have felt about the plot of the previous book, The Templar Legacy. I was able to divorce myself from the politics and yet, as cited above, I found the story had too many holes for an otherwise interesting premise.
I still like the character Steve Berry has created and I am looking forward to the next story in the series. This is one instance where reading the most current offering in a series from an author first has an advantage over just discovering a series and reading them in order: I know Steve Berry eventually gets better. Sadly, this offering, The Alexandria Link, comes in at just average.
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LibraryThing member whiteknight50
I had never read Steve Berry before this novel. I checked it out from the library because I wanted a book to listen to while traveling to work. I am so glad I did. I am interested in reading other books by Steve Berry now.
While the characters do seem a bit stereotypical to me, the historical
While the characters do seem a bit stereotypical to me, the historical
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elements, even though sometimes fictionalized, gave interest to the novel, and buoyed up the narrative. Overall, the book was an excellent book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Livana
Not my favorite Cotton Malone book. I especially don't like the fact that Pam Malone turns out to be a "good guy" at then end. She's supposed to be the nasty ex-wife!
On the plus side, I really liked learning about the Library of Alexandria and the roots of religions.
On the plus side, I really liked learning about the Library of Alexandria and the roots of religions.
LibraryThing member crgalvin
A fast paced plot involving a variety of groups searching for the lost library of Alexandria involves all the stakeholders in the 3 religious groups with origins in the Middle East - challenges posed to veracity of translations of old testament, a quest to be undertaken, lives at stake.
LibraryThing member dezert
This was my first introduction to Steve Berry. I thought the plot wasn't very convincing. For example they deciphered the Hero's quest message all too easily unlike for example Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code or Angles and Demons where solving the riddle consumes most of the novel. And I too thought that
The main historical ideas of the book was very interesting and was the reason I bought it however and that's why I rate it at 3.5/5
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Pam turning out not to be the bad guy was too unexpected.The main historical ideas of the book was very interesting and was the reason I bought it however and that's why I rate it at 3.5/5
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LibraryThing member seldombites
If you liked 'The Da-Vinci Code', you'll love this. The Alexandria Link is of the same ilk, except this time the prize is not the Holy Grail but the lost Library of Alexandria.
A thrilling puzzle that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
A thrilling puzzle that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
LibraryThing member cyderry
This was a very complex book in that not only was it a complex thriller, it was also full of history and political drama. Granted, the historical references in some instances were pure fiction, but it definitely held my attention and drove me to the conclusion.
The Alexandria Link is the second in
The Alexandria Link is the search for the lost library of Alexandria and the historical nuances are very compelling. Compounding this search with the political unrest of the Middle East, kept me intrigued.
The Alexandria Link is the second in
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the Cotton Malone mysteries by Steve Berry (a friend, I hear, of Dan Brown and his books are very much in the same vein). Cotton is a retired federal agent who is drawn back into a situation that he thought was buried. His son is kidnapped and the ransom request is not money. He must reveal the whereabouts of a person who he secreted away years before and only he knows where the person is. The evolving story is intricately woven between the search by Cotton and events that are handled by Cotton's former boss and his friend. The Alexandria Link is the search for the lost library of Alexandria and the historical nuances are very compelling. Compounding this search with the political unrest of the Middle East, kept me intrigued.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007
ISBN
0739365738 / 9780739365731