I'm glad I finally did! And how could I not - there was a library at the centre of things - the legendary Library of Gold - Ivan the Terrible's collection of lost works. And the opening line of the book? " A library could be a dangerous place." Hooked! One of those books - The Book of Spies has been stolen and has come to light. The secret cabal that controls the library desperately wants it back and is willing to do anything. The CIA is brought in when a connection between the owners of the fabled library and terrorism is uncovered. Book curator Eva Blake and CIA operative Judd Ryder scramble to find the book and stay ahead of those that want them dead.
Generally the world of espionage/spy thrillers seems to be dominated by men. Lynds is referred to as the Queen of Espioage and rightly so. The Book of Spies is action packed, the plotting is tight, the historical detail is fascinating, the characters are engaging.... shall I go on? There are a few coincidences near the end that seemed a bit too neat, but did not detract from my overall enjoyement of the book. The name of the game here is action.
And I loved this library quote near the end of the book....
"Don't give me the cold tomb of a museum, but the fire-breathing world of words and ideas. Give me a library."
Lynds has included author's notes at the end regarding the history used in her book - quite fascinating.
If you enjoy Dan Brown and Robert Ludlum, then you would really enjoy Gayle Lynds. I would definitely read her again. Read an excerpt of The Book of Spies.
Yow, this sounds like a fantastic read! Thanks for such a wonderful review. Have a good week, Luanne.
ReplyDeleteThis author is new to me as well. I'll definitely be checking out her books. Thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteYou've gotta love a book with a library in it!
ReplyDeleteOh, I'd love to read this book! I don't particularly like Dan Brown, but I'm sure this author is a lot better. Great review, also!
ReplyDeleteOh Luanne...this sounds great! Are these a part of a series or do you know if any of them can be read stand alone? I love novels that prominently feature libraries!
ReplyDeleteI've seen this author around. I'm glad to hear that her books compare with Ludlum. I was reading his long before Matt Damon ever heard of Mr. Bourne. LOL
ReplyDeleteGreat review - I haven't read Gayle Lynds yet either but keep meaning to. After reading this review I put it on reserve at my library :)
ReplyDeleteI liked the book, I think some things seemed unfinished and I would have liked them closed. The whole was good and I love action packed thrillers, they never give you a moment to put the book down.
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