It took me quite a while to finish this book - set in Princeton the story unravels very slowly. It is only midway or rather in the last one hundred pages that it heats up to the extent that you really want to know what is next.
A coded manuscript which would lead one to an entire collection of manuscripts buried in an underground crypt five hundred years ago. Add to this a murder in present times - academic infighting and jealousies leading to said murder and mayhem and two students trying to crack the code which has baffled people for centuries.
The two young authors took six years to write this book and their depiction of Princeton and Renaissance Italy has been faithful in all details.
As I said earlier it was a bit dull to read so much about Princeton and the "happenings" there when you knew there was suspense and mysteries to follow. The unravelling is what is important here and some may get discouraged by the first half to not even continue to read through so that you can actually get to the nuts and bolts of the story.
It was interesting in the end but so time consuming and dragged on for quite a bit!
I read this years ago and while I enjoyed aspects of it, found it to be rather long and dull in spots too.
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with the Princeton area so am glad to know the book is mostly accurate!
It sounds like this could have used a good editing.
ReplyDeleteI read this many rears ago when it was first released in the US and liked it but didn't love it. It was good to read your review as a refresher.
ReplyDeleteI read this years ago, when it first came out and I have a vague feeling I liked it. I bought it again a few years ago in hardcover for $1, but haven't read it again yet. One of these days I will get to it.
ReplyDeleteI read this one before blogging and remember being unimpressed. Like you, I was bored most of the way through.
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