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    The Book of Lies
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    The Book of Lies
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    The Book of Lies
    Audiobook (abridged)7 hours

    The Book of Lies

    Written by Brad Meltzer

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Cain kills Abel in Chapter Four of the Bible. It is the world's most famous murder. But the Bible is silent about one key detail: the weapon Cain used to kill his brother. That weapon is still lost to history.

    In 1932, Mitchell Siegel was killed by three gunshots to his chest. While mourning, his son dreamed of a bulletproof man and created the world's greatest hero: Superman. And like Cain's murder weapon, the gun used in this unsolved murder has never been found.

    Until now.

    Today in Fort Lauderdale, 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 Michell Siegel's 1932 murder. But before Cal can ask a single question, he and his father are attacked by a ruthless killer tattooed with the ancient markings of Cain. And so begins the chase for the world's first murder weapon.

    What does Cain, history's greatest villain, have to do with Superman, the world's greatest hero? And what do two murders, committed thousands of years apart, have in common? This is the mystery at the heart of Brad Meltzer's riveting and utterly intriguing new thriller.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateSep 2, 2008
    ISBN9781600243790
    Unavailable
    The Book of Lies
    Author

    Brad Meltzer

    Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve thrillers including The Escape Artist, and nonfiction books such as The Lincoln Conspiracy and the Ordinary People Change the World series. He is also the host of the TV show Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel. He lives in Florida with his wife and three children.

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    Reviews for The Book of Lies

    3.5/5

    408 ratings43 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A thriller and a history lesson in one. The tie in of the Cain and Abel story and the creation of superman was not a good connection. But, boring, boring. At the same time, fast paced action with plenty of narrative twists. And then, there's Cal, abused son who finds his long lost dad and they go treasure hunting. Huh?
    • 3/5
      I wish they would have gone more into depth about how answers came about and how things were happening in the book. It was good, but sort of like finding out how many licks it takes to get to the center of the Tootsie Pop without doing any tasting.
    • 4/5
      Yet another quasi-religious, action-adventure conspiracy book. I'm a sucker for these things. But unlike a lot of others I've read this one is a little different.

      Firstly there were no exotic locations. No tramping around cathedrals and crypts. No catacombs or canals. All the action was limited to Florida and Ohio with one brief flashback to Sweden.

      Secondly there was no history lessons, only a little bit of Bible lore. This was both good and bad. Good in that it was a nice break from the ones I normally read, bad in that I like those history lessons :P

      The action was good and I liked the villain (both seen and unseen) but would have preferred to see a bit more. The link with Jerry Siegel and the creation of Superman was great.

      For me the biggest letdown was the ending. It was just too quick and too... nice. Just needed a bit more too it.

      In all though it was a good book and I would like to read more from the author.
    • 3/5
      Generally speaking I find Brad Meltzer to be a fine writer, and his skill is evident in this novel. Although I liked the big concepts in this story like the tie-in to Cain and Abel as well as to the creator of Superman, this novel veers off the path of what I have enjoyed in some of Meltzer's other work. Certain aspects of the novel were a bit too hard to swallow. Reading a Meltzer novel, one has to be ready to accept grand conspiracies and wild plot lines, but even within that context, The Book of Lies was a bit much. Many of the actions from the characters didn't make sense within the context of the story, and it also failed to deliver much of the high drama that I have come from his other stories. In addition, the big reveal at the end of the story was a bit of a letdown. Despite all of these shortcomings, there was enough going to hold my interest throughout, and the book is worth reading, just not very high up on one's reading list.Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
    • 4/5
      It was doubtless an enjoyable reading. I got quickly familiar with all the protagonists and there wasn't anyone who has got my preference. It's a typical mystery, starting off with the search of a so called biblical 'truth'. Of cause the quest couldn't go straight ahead. There are subjects like father and son relationship, professional failings, fiction of the early 20th century and a link to 'Superman'. As a matter of cause there is also a misterious figure who calls himself the Prophet and it took me a long time to identify him.
    • 5/5
      Exciting, fast paced, and hard to put down. Clever Davinci Code type of thriller. Meltzer really hit The Book of Lies out of the ball park!
    • 3/5
      This was a fast read and an okay mystery but not as good as I wanted it to be. I have not read any of his other books so I can't compare. It is a DaVinci Code type of plot but it certainly did not set off a mania as the other did. I think if there was more about the chase and less psychology of what was happening between the characters it would have been more compelling.
    • 3/5
      In my opinion, I thought The Book of Lies was a average story. The story kept me a bit confused with all the biblical references. Some just didn't make sense or they seemed out of place. However, overall, the book had a interesting plot so I chugged my way through to the end.
    • 2/5
      This New York Times Bestseller offers a compelling premise--a close tie between the creation of Superman and Cain's murder of his brother Abel--that in the end suffered due to a predictable ending and strained tension.In modern day Fort Lauderdale, Cal Harper is forced to confront his past when he finds his estranged father bleeding out in a park. The former ICE agent is curious that his father holds a shipping manifest, and seems all too tight-lipped about the past decade of his life since leaving prison. When a sinister man named Ellis arrives and manipulates the father and son like chess pieces, it's all they can do to survive--and run. To Cleveland. Because Superman's creator is somehow connected to his father's shooting and this man named Ellis, and the race is on to find the Book of Lies.I will say one big thing in favor of this book: it's a fast read. The chapters are short, and the action pushes along quickly. Much of the tension feels contrived because of a lack of information. The viewpoint switches between characters, including the villainous Ellis, and yet everyone seems to learn the same information at the exact same times. Convenient for the story, and grating on the intellect. None of the characters feels fully realized, not even Cal with his first-person narrative. The behind-the-scenes villain is frustratingly obvious from the very beginning.I admit, I had higher expectations for this book. Rather silly of me, I know. It does raise some interesting questions about the murder of Mitchell Siegel in 1932, and how that likely inspired his son to create a bullet-proof superhero. I enjoyed that background information when the genuine facts came into play. But how everything pieces together? Meh. This one will be traded in as soon as possible.
    • 2/5
      Author Brad Meltzer's effort to wrench a thriller from interpolating the Biblical tale of Cain and Abel with the death of the father of Superman's creator is strained, at best. The story plods slowly, stuffed with highly unlikely coincidences in an attempt to justify the plot's unsatisfying resolution. It's rendered jagged by too much clumsy dialogue, a gaggle of flat and unnecessary stock characters, a painfully obvious villain, and constant switches in narrative mode from first to third person for no readily apparent reason. The premise of this inept novel is interesting, and in spots Meltzer writes with breezy ease and commendable fluidity, though far from frequently enough to raise this book to the level of his better work.
    • 3/5
      An interesting twist on the DaVinciesque style of mystery. Not heavy handed at all on the religious aspects of the story, which was greatly appreciated. Somehow he pulled off all the crazy aspects that were incorporated. Loved the fact that the hero was a former ICE officer and that CBP played a substantial part in the story. It's nice not to have just another FBI/CIA/PI story. Overall, it's fiction and far-fetched, but it asks a couple of interesting questions while still being an easy, quick and fun read. My biggest complaint was the acknowledgements at the front. Three plus pages of acknowledgements, would be better served at the end, and the publisher should have stood their ground on that one.
    • 3/5
      Interesting, fast-paced read that deals with the hunt of a religious artifact, father-son relationships, and the mystery surrounding the death of the father of one of the creators of Superman.
    • 4/5
      A decent thriller that looks at father/son relationships that have been damaged. The thriller is rotating around the search for a lost book of lies/truth that God gave to Cain after killing Abel. Overlap this with the unsolved murder of Jerry Siegel's (creator of Superman) dad. I would have liked a little more development on the characters, and the action left a lot to be desired.
    • 5/5
      I was very impressed with this book. The plot was exquisitely clever, the characters interesting, and did I mention the plot was clever? Though 95% of the story is fiction, the few factual tidbits of the past of Superman's creator give marrow to the plot and leave the reader wonder, What really did happen, and why?
    • 3/5
      In The Book of Lies, by Brad Meltzer, nine-year-old Calvin Harper watches his mother die. His father, Lloyd, goes to prison, and Calvin is alone. Fast-forward 18 years, and Cal works in Fort Lauderdale, picking up homeless people from the street and delivering them to shelters. He and his partner, Roosevelt, respond to a call and find Cal's father, shot it the abdomen with the same gun that killed Jerry Siegel's father in 1932. Jerry Siegel isn't just anyone - he's the boy who created Superman after his father was killed. The mystery deepens when Cal and his father are followed and attacked by a policeman named Ellis, who has a tattoo depicting the ancient markings of Cain - the Cain that killed Abel in the book of Genesis. As Cal and Lloyd follow clues to find a mysterious package that Lloyd was supposed to deliver, they are followed by several people after the same thing - learning the mystery that connects Cain and Superman.Yep, it's far-fetched. But it's a fun story that reads quickly. Much of the book is written in the first person, from Cal's perspective. I'm often not a fan of first-person narratives, but Meltzer does a pretty good job with it, interspersing third-person narrative when he needs to set the background or get in a bit of history. Meltzer writes pretty well, the plot keeps moving, and the reader is drawn into the story regardless of its believability.
    • 4/5
      I found this book to be fast paced and suspenseful and it took almost no time at all to finish. The book blends the biblical story of Cain and Abel with the modern story of Superman and takes the reader on a journey to find the Book of Lies which actually turns out to be a book of truth. I really enjoyed reading this book. I found that in some parts the plot line was a little predictable but overall I was excited to see what would happen next. Like many plot driven books, the characters are not as fully developed as I usually like but you come to expect that when reading books like this. I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • 2/5
      Basically the book was about Cain and Able (the murder) and if there was any link to the death of Jerry Siegel's dad. Jerry Siegel is the creator of Superman. I know it sounds like a long shot - and believe me it is. Mr. Meltzer tries to weave a mysterious story connecting Ables death by Cain to the Senior Mr. Siegel. Because of the way Mr. Siegel came to America and how he lived, a lot of questions have been raised. Then we also have the story of Jerry writing his Superman comics in an effort to make his dad bullet proof in his mind. I did struggle through this book at times. You have the mystery of what weapon Cain used to kill Able, both Senior and Jerry Siegel and the character Cal who is trying to adjust to meeting his father after many years of being apart without communication. I think there was just to much going on in this book. It almost seemed like it was a relationship story between fathers and sons, but then you have this so called mystery and Superman thrown in for good measure. As you can tell, I didn't enjoy the book. I can't give it more than two stars for effort. Very disappointing.
    • 1/5
      Why did I start reading this book? I know because the plot is good, but man is this a horrible read. I've never heard of Brad Meltzer, so I figured he was an amateur. His characters are not believable at all. When Cal talks to his father Lloyd, it sounds like it's a teenage girl speaking to her mother. So now I'm thinking either Cal is gay or Brad Meltzer is and it's rubbing of on his characters, the result of a bad writer. And what's worst the writer keeps bringing up movies like Shawshank Redemption and Don Juan, come on really?
    • 5/5
      I was a bit skeptical about this one at the beginning: I wondered how can he POSSIBLY connect Cain & Abel to Superman and how can it POSSIBLY be reasonable?And yet, by the end, with a tear in my eye, I was reminded that Brad Meltzer is the thinking (wo)man's thriller writer and he can probably do anything and make me believe it and want more of it! If you love smart thrillers, comic book heroes, biblical interpretation or any of the above, you will die for this book.
    • 2/5
      I finished this audio book weeks ago. I decided to let it sink in before I wrote a review of it. But I don't think that putting on the back burner to simmer helped. I just don't know where to begin with this review.The story is centered around Cal Harper and his relationship or lack thereof with his father Lloyd. Cal and his friend Roosevelt rescue homeless people in Florida. One night, they stubble upon Cal's father who hasn't been a part of his life for many years. Soon, Cal is wrapped up in a sinister scheme to find the Book of Lies. Cal doesn't even know what this is all about, but he's wrapped up in trying to figure out what's going on with his father. The Book of Lies is supposed to reveal the secret of the biblical story of Cain and Abel, the world's first murder. The book was so deep in places that I found myself falling asleep, or letting my mind travel. Their were so many underlying plots within that I had a hard time keeping up with where it was going, and then at the end it just didn't come together for me. The most positive thing that I can say about the book is that I liked Cal and his smart ass attitude. I could even describe it as short or flip in places. But overall, this book just wasn't worth the time that I put into listening to it. However, I couldn't make myself stop either. I just forced myself through it, but I don't know that I got everything out of it that the author may have intended.
    • 3/5
      If you like books that feature chases, then you'll really enjoy this one. From the moment Cal Harper, former federal agent now working with homeless people, picks up his long-estranged father who he thinks is another homeless guy who's been a victim of crime, the book is pretty much nonstop action. It seems that Cal's dad Lloyd is desperate to get his hands on something that others are also looking for, but from the very beginning with an encounter on a freeway that causes the death of another federal agent, Cal and Lloyd are in trouble. Cal does everything he can to remain ahead of the law, while helping Lloyd and trying to save his own skin from both bad guys and good. I really enjoyed Meltzer's Book of Fate but I wasn't so thrilled with this one. I guessed one of the main elements of the mystery (a mysterious figure known only as "the prophet") pretty much early on. The whole mystery of the Book of Lies didn't really do it for me...it was the central focus of the story but seemed to lack substance, and didn't really seem worth all of the trouble the characters went to to find it. But as I said, it is a page turner and you'll want to keep reading just to find out what happens.I'd still recommend it to readers of mainstream suspense fiction.
    • 4/5
      Give Brad Metlzer props for his ambition. Some writers would be content to merely create a conspiracy laden story about the first murder in history, that of Abel by his brother Cain. Others would be intrigued to explore the alleged murder of Mitchell Seigel and how that lead to the creation of the most-recognized superhero in the world, Superman. "The Book of Lies" focues on the mysteries surrounding both deaths and the impact they have on the life of our hero, Cal Harper. Years ago, Cal's mother was killed in a fight with his father. Dad went to jail and Cal was orphaned, losing all contact with his father until one fateful night. While out on a round for the homeless shelter he works at, Cal finds his father, shot and bleeding. Cal takes him to the hospital and before long is caught up in a vast conspiracy involving the original creators of Superman and the question of just what exactly was "the mark of Cain." Meltzer keeps the pace of "The Book of Lies" fast enough that despite some absurd and crazy plot twists, that it's easy to go with the flow and not say, "Oh come on now." This is the book-equivalent of a pop-corn movie--just sit back and enjoy the fun and don't overthink it. (I know..that's hard for me, but I did it). If you do that, you'll probably enjoy this a great deal. I did and while it may not be the best book I've ever read and stick with me years from now, I had a lot of fun reading it. Meltzer has a great writing style that is fun and the momentum of the story kept the plot moving. About the only detail that really took me out of the book was the revelation of who is behind the plot. But it wasn't enough to ruin this one for me
    • 3/5
      Comic Book themes seem to be the latest rage. From Heroes on TV, to a slew of comic book related films (Sin City to Batman) and novels from Cavalier and Clay to Jodi Picoult's The Tenth Circle. Why not combine the genre with the themes that worked best for Dan Brown - Cults and biblical mysteries. That's a pretty far fetched idea but Brad Meltzer's latest mystery was pretty engaging despite the stretch. Since the death of his mother, Cal Harper has been estranged from his father. With a short history in law enforcement, the young Cal now devotes his life to helping the homeless. Making his rounds on the streets of Fort Lauderdale, Cal re-connects with his father under surprising circumstances that lead him on a chase to find to discover the weapon Cain used to kill Abel.....will Superman the comic book lead them to the answer?The mystery itself was entertaining and kept my interest. I never did figure out the twist. Meltzer attempted to connect with the reader using other themes, such as the bond between father and son- but I'm not sure he was as successful in that arena. It's better if just read for the fun of the chase.
    • 3/5
      Brad Meltzer's The Book of Lies is a Dan Brown-esque religion-based mystery but with a pop culture twist. How he ever came up with the pairing of Superman and Cain, I'll never understand...but it works. While only loosely based in reality, Meltzer manages to weave a believable narrative from these two disparate stories. At the same time, the reader grows fond of the main character, Cal Harper, as he embarks on this odyssey with his long-lost father. This brings an emotional element to the story that only enhances their quest to discover the truth. I am typically able to develop a pretty strong idea of how a mystery will end, but The Book of Lies kept me guessing to the very end. I rarely read an entire book in one day anymore, but this is an engaging novel that kept me going until I finished. I'm loathe to say more for fear of ruining it for you, so just go get this book and read it for yourself.
    • 4/5
      Try this on for size: The unsolved murder of Mitchell Siegel in Cleveland, Ohio in 1932 is related to the search for the weapon that Cain used to kill his brother Abel. Yes, the Biblical Cain and Abel, tied to Superman.As I've been cataloging my books here at LibraryThing, the ones I haven't read have been returned to bookshelves and the clerks are Borders are calling to ask if I've died, because they haven't seen me in 3 months. With 1200+ books catalogued and 200+ on my to-be-read stack, I shouldn't buy anything new. Until I saw this Brad Meltzer book and read the jacket copy.Superman and Cain and Abel? That's too big a stretch to NOT pick up.Overall, the book is enjoyable. Cal is young - only 28 - but there are flashes of the man he's going to be 10 or 15 years from now. He'll be an interesting protagonist in a follow-up novel once he grows up some more. Roosevelt was funny and I wished we had had more of him. Serena felt like she was borrowed from some other manuscript. Ellis - there was much more to his story and for "the bad guy," he really was someone you could almost feel sorry for. I had someone else picked out to be "The Prophet" and changed my mind in the parking lot of the penitentiary, and both my guesses were wrong. But the book and characters didn't quite have the depth they needed to pull off this kind of story. The mysteries of fathers and sons, and the many secret societies who had guarded tales of this "weapon" that Cain used, needed a bigger canvas but also a much deeper well. The religious and political and societal and even individual implications of this "weapon" weren't enough of a focus; it was much more a contemporary mystery.It's an enjoyable book and if you've liked Brad's earlier books, you will enjoy this. I read the whole thing in one sitting. And who knows? The Judge isn't exactly young, and he knows the search isn't over. In another 10 or 15 years, perhaps someone will take up the search in the Judge's place and we'll see a Cal who has come to terms with his dad and grown up.
    • 1/5
      You would think that, for all the lies he makes up about history, he could get a novel right. Alas, no. And there are too many solid alternatives to waste time on his works.
    • 3/5
      I went on a Brad Meltzer kick for a little while and binge read through his books. That being said, I can't remember the exact details of this one! I remember enjoying it well enough, but it won't be one that I reread again.
    • 4/5
      A thriller and a history lesson in one, THE BOOK OF LIES satisfied my lust for all things Superhero. Written by Brad Meltzer, the story is a fictional treasure hunt wrapped around the true tale of how the comic book hero Superman was created by Jerry Siegel in 1932.
      Leaping across the country, trying to outwit each other, three sets of people race to find the Book of Lies, which may contain the secret of immortality. Most of them will not stop at murder to get what they want.
      Metzer really packs in the thrills and keeps you guessing as to who is Cain and who is Abel in this modern story.
      I recommend this book!
      ~Stephanie
    • 3/5
      I couldn't help but be reminded of The DaVinci Code while reading this novel, but in all honestly, of the two, I prefer "The Book of Lies".
    • 1/5
      I started reading this book on the recommendation of a co-worker. He said, "It's like Da Vinci Code meets National Treasure", to which I thought, "So it's like a gremlin riding on a giant's coat tails?" But I didn't say anything. Understand, I didn't LIKE Da Vinci Code OR National Treasure. Even then, I only saw the Da Vinci Code film, never read the book. But there's something about characters rubbing their chins and throwing me hooks about "how clever they are" that just leaves me rolling my eyes.

      I digress. I'm supposed to be talking about The Book of Lies. Be prepared, my comments will be much the same:

      I didn't like this book at all. The exposition is like a man hitting you with a giant metal mallet--a mallet that's like a stamp, so that when it comes away, what's left on your poor skull are the characters roles in the story, as well as their motivations. Serena--sometime comedy relief (if you call her naive, new age nonsense funny) sometime love interest. Naomi--contagonist and apparently the writer's idea of a badass woman. Ellis--antagonist filled with an obsession for his dog and a contrived sense of holy destiny that doesn't create awe, but annoyance. Calvin--protagonist, and nauseatingly good, despite the writer's attempt at creating inner conflict about his father. This story is so unbelievably predictable, I marveled at how it could call itself a thriller. The dialogue tried to be witty, and failed miserably. It isn't so much stupid lines, but just weak ones. Like the character Roosevelt, a former pastor, who resorts to Yo Momma jokes for no reason other than a situation is becoming awkward. Unrealistic. Lame. There is one that stands out for me, though. This one comes from Naomi, talking about her seven-year-old(?) son.

      "No, Ma....why would you--? I don't care what he says, don't buy him any more Hot Wheels cars, okay? He's lying. Treat him like a little junkie stripper on blow: He'll say anything to get more."

      So charming. I don't care if she's a struggling mother with a rough past and a tough attitude. This was a mother talking about her KID. Ew.

      The constant scene changes and the withholding of information is an attempt by Meltzer to create suspense. It doesn't work. Especially since the characters make great and stupid leaps of logic, discovering things that apparently are just up on the internet for EVERYONE to find, and with no real explanation how certain feats are managed given their constraints of time and environment. There was one instance where Calvin manages to swipe someone's keys, though I can't imagine how he could've seeing as how neither he, nor Serena, nor his dad are master pickpockets. Or how Naomi knew what Calvin was looking for when she first arrived in Cleveland, despite not knowing that the rental car they were using was rented in Serena's name, and not knowing any of the nonsense with Superman they were looking up.

      And the ending...well. Let's just say it was a silly blockbuster ending, all smiles and accomplishment. I don't care if they didn't EXACTLY say that Calvin and his dad patch things up, it's easy enough to see that Meltzer wants us to infer that. The sappy nonsense with the Book of Truth just kills me. Clearly, Meltzer wanted this to be made into a film. The maddening fact that this nightmarish story even got published leaves me despairing over the possibility that it COULD happen, if only they could just work out the details with DC over their use of Superman.

      Till that terrible day, I'm just going to try and forget I ever read something this bad.