The Alexandria Link

A Novel

By: Steve Berry

Narrated by: Erik Singer

Cotton Malone retired from the high-risk world of elite operatives for the U.S. Justice 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. Go get it. You have 72 hours. If I don’t hear from you, you will be childless.” His horrified ex-wife confirms that the threat is real: Their teenage son has been kidnapped. When Malone’s Copenhagen bookshop is burned to the ground, it becomes brutally clear that those responsible will stop at nothing to get what they want. And what they want is nothing less than the lost Library of Alexandria.

A cradle of ideas–historical, philosophical, literary, scientific, and religious–the Library of Alexandria was unparalleled in the world. But fifteen hundred years ago, it vanished into the mists of myth and legend–its vast bounty of wisdom coveted ever since by scholars, fortune hunters, and those who believe its untold secrets hold the key to ultimate power.

Now a cartel of wealthy international moguls, bent on altering the course of history, is desperate to breach the library’s hallowed halls–and only Malone possesses the information they need to succeed. At stake is an explosive ancient document with the potential not only to change the destiny of the Middle East but to shake the world’s three major religions to their very foundations.

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

BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Steve Berry’s The Columbus Affair and a Cotton Malone dossier.©2007 Steve Berry; (P)2007 Random House Inc.

Critic reviews

Praise for Steve Berry

The Templar Legacy

“Richly detailed and fantastically suspenseful, this thriller grips the reader for a wild literary ride that continues until the very last page.”
–Tucson Citizen

The Third Secret

“A racy read . . . skillfully combines Vatican insights, old-fashioned thrills, intrigue, murder, ambition and retribution.”
–Orlando Sentinel

The Romanov Prophecy

“Perfect for thriller fans and history buffs alike. Fabulous plot twists.”
–David Morrell, author of Creepers


The Amber Room

“Sexy, illuminating . . . my kind of thriller.”
–Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code

The narrator seemed to change my impression of the characters

Having started with reading the Templar Legacy to get them in the proper order, my impressions of the characters was set based on my imagination coloring the scenes.

It seemed to me that hearing the book flattened that part of it for me since all characters were "played" by the same narrator.

Wonderful series and characters!

Love how Berry is growing these characters one at a time through the series and maintaing a theme!!! Wonderful and enjoyable. The long chapters made it difficult at times.

Getting worse

This is the latest story involving Cotton Malone - part Indiana Jones and part Robert Langdon...it seems that Berry is writing these stories at too fast a pace as the historical backgrounds get weaker and clues and puzzles the heroes must solve are not nearly as clever as in his earlier works. This story revolves around the Library of Alexandria which apparently not only exists but holds information that could lead to great political instability in the world. The historical tie ins to the story are interesting but not developed very deeply and frustratingly, there is little about what is actually in the library once it is found.
If you like the Cotton Malone character, you will probebly be entertained as usual but the story line itself is believe average for this author. I hope that he takes more time with his next offering and provide a more developed story.