Glenn Cooper has squeezed a third book out in his Library
of the Dead trilogy by bringing the readers a bit
forward in time. Why not? Much of his over-arcing storyline
depends on flashbacks to the distant past grounded by his
all-too-fallible hero and his family as they encounter the
pitfalls of government bureaucracy and the evil heritage of
the villain from the previous book.
Cooper's background in archaeology adds a level of interest
and the menacingly grim English countryside provides lots of
eerie atmosphere, especially when contrasted with the
slightly futuristic elements in the rest of the world. I
would not attempt reading the third without tackling the
first two, even though the author provides a bit of
backstory. A large amount of the ratcheting tension comes
from being invested in the main characters, and the more
background you hold going into book three, the better.
If you are more interested in straight mystery without the
chills another series might suit you better, but for those
who love the goosebumps and shortness of breath a really
great thriller provides I highly recommend THE KEEPERS OF
THE LIBRARY and the rest of the series.
Prophecy is prologue England, 1775. An ambitious American
pushes his expedition onward despite dire warnings from the
locals. But what Benjamin Franklin discovers on the Isle of
Wight isn't just superstition. It's a secret with the
power to save the world or destroy it. In less than four
hundred days, most of the world's population will be dead.
Nobody knows why, only when: February 9, 2027. Retired FBI
Special Agent Will Piper is one of the few who will live
"Beyond the Horizon." Fifteen years ago, he revealed the
prophecy to the world after the hunt for a madman led him to
the mystical Library of Vectis, now housed at Area 51, in an
unmarked location in the Nevada desert. Will is determined
to live out his days in the Florida sun . . . even as the
world sinks into hedonism and despair . . . even as the
Doomsday Killer's ominous calling cards resurface . . .
until the apocalypse threatens the one thing Will won't
compromise on: his own flesh and blood.