The Alexandria Link

A Novel

By: Steve Berry

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 17 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Cotton Malone retired from the high-risk world of elite operatives for the U.S. State Department to lead the low-key life of a rare-book dealer. But his quiet existence is shattered when he receives an anonymous e-mail: " You have something I want. You're the only person on earth who knows where to find it. If I don't hear from you, you will be childless." His horrified ex-wife confirms that their teenage son has been kidnapped. When Malone's bookshop is burned to the ground, it becomes clear that those responsible will stop at nothing to get what they want: the lost library of Alexandria.

A cradle of historical, philosophical, literary, scientific, and religious ideas, the ancient library of Alexandria was unparalleled in the world. But 1,500 years ago, it vanished into the mists of myth and legend.

Now a cartel of wealthy international moguls is desperate to breach the library's hallowed halls, and only Malone possesses the information they need to succeed.

Pursued by a lethal mercenary, Malone crosses the globe in search of answers. His quest will lead him to England and Portugal, to the highest levels of the American government, and to a shattering outcome that will have worldwide repercussions.

©2007 Steve Berry (P)2007 Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

"Berry [makes] intriguing use of ancient history, and the action certainly zooms along." (Booklist)

1st listen for me by Berry.Great not disappointed!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Alexandria Link to be better than the print version?

Yes

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes. Keeper of the library.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

The Dane

Any additional comments?

I plan to read all of the series. This was an especial good mixture of love, mystery and some politics! What a mixture! But Berry brought it all together just right!

Tedious!

After 13+ hours, I am giving up on this book. There are over 3 hours left and I just can't waste any more time on this. I love Scott Brick and must have read a good review about one of the Cotton Malone books. The premise is interesting, but it feels like the author couldn't decide if he wanted to write an action/thriller or a history book. The characters aren't developed enough that I really care what happens to any of them. I really tried to like this book but- meh.

A great surprise!

Over the last year I’ve search out great adventure books that deal with the mysteries of history. After listening to the Fargo adventures and many of the other series by Clive; as well as a hundred other books by various authors, I thought I would never find another adventure that would satisfy my craving. That was until I picked up the Alexandria Link. I tried to listen to the first book in the Cotton Malone series but I couldn’t get into it, however this book, reintroduce me to Malone and I can say, without a doubt, that I will be purchasing every other book in this series

Esoteric ancient religious novel.

80% historical, arcane languages and truthfulness of the bibles, 20% too many characters interacting, though when the action happens (10%), it is very exciting.

Very Enjoyable

I've enjoyed all of Steve Berry's books and this one did not disappoint. Bringing back Cotton Malone was a great idea as he seems to be an interesting character to build around. Good spin on taking a topic that everyone knows about and putting a different story around it. Also enjoyed the narrator who's done many other audible books.

Replace the Narrator and earn 5 stars

I enjoyed the story, but I almost stopped listening to the book because the narration is sooooo terrible. There were times in the book that I couldn't tell what character was talking because they all sound the same. Other times it feels like William Shatner as Captain Kirk reading to you. If over acting is possible with narration...it's done here.

Stopped listening at the beginning

What did you love best about The Alexandria Link?

The performance was so poor I stopped listening after about 30 minutes so I really don't know how to rate the story. Bad performance!

So thought provoking

Wow! What a storyline! Berry does a masterful job of weaving fact and fiction.

The Alllexander Link

A good book about the. Library in Alexandria. And the Hebrew religion.
I'm 80 years old and have a large tremor Haas it will takes along time to do this.

Good plot - well organized - well narrated.

I had no dislikes. The plot flowed well and author did a lot to keep the audience in suspense by switching between different scenes and situations. Scott Brick is my favorite narrator - he always gets “into character” in tone and accent. The ending was superb and while we all knew it would end well, the way it is was very creative. Looking forward to next book in the series.