The Devil Will Come

by Glenn Cooper

The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike,
The Devil will come, and Faustus must be damned.

These enigmatic lines from Christopher Marlowe’s play Doctor Faustus may hold the key to a shocking, centuries-old truth in the thrilling new novel by internationally best-selling author Glenn Cooper.

Elisabetta Celestino, a brilliant young archaeologist at work in Rome’s ancient catacombs, has discovered a unique pattern of astrological symbols on an underground wall. She feels sure that evidence of a previously unknown pre-Christian sect lies in an adjacent chamber, and is devastated when the Vatican refuses to support her excavation project.

Ten years later, a cave-in damages the vault, and a shocking discovery is made. Elisabetta has left has left archaeology behind for the serenity of prayer and teaching, but unexpectedly finds herself in a race to solve the secret of the catacomb and prevent an apocalyptic event that threatens the future of mankind.

Moving between present-day Europe, 1st-century Rome, and Elizabethan England, The Devil Will Come is an exhilarating tale of a battle between good and evil that has been fought in the shadows through the centuries and across continents—and that both sides are willing to kill to keep secret.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Glenn Cooper is an internationally bestselling thriller writer.

Glenn was born in New York City and grew up in nearby White Plains. He attended White Plains High School before enrolling at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts where he graduated from Harvard with an honors degree in archaeology. He then attended Tufts University School of Medicine and did his post-doctoral training at the New England Deaconess and the Massachusetts General Hospitals becoming a board-certified specialist in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases. After practicing medicine, Glenn began a research career in the pharmaceutical industry which culminated in an eighteen-year position as the Chairman and CEO of a biotechnology company in Massachusetts. Glenn began writing screenplays over twenty years ago and his interest in movies prompted him to attend the graduate program in film production at Boston University. He is currently the chairman of a media company, Lascaux Media, which has produced three independent feature-length films. In 2006 Glenn turned his hand to novel-writing. His debut novel, THE LIBRARY OF THE DEAD, the first in a trilogy, became an international bestseller and was translated into thirty languages. All of his seven published books have become top-ten international best-sellers.

Glenn currently lives in New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Justo Martiañez · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 Estrellas

Típica novela danbrownesca, si se me permite el adjetivo, pero que, ni mucho menos, tiene el nivel de los libros de este autor.
Tenemos una secta o raza humana que, desde el principio de los tiempos, se ha dedicado a hacer y repartir el mal a diestro y siniestro y a buscar el disfrute del poder y del placer sin cortapisas. Los hombres y mujeres de esta raza tienen una característica anatómica que, oh dioses, nadie había detectado nunca durante miles de años hasta la actualidad......y todos la llevan colgando.
El mayor enemigo de esta raza de maléficos es la iglesia católica que aquí, para variar, son los buenos.

Intrigas vaticanas, profecías, textos encriptados, conjuras para acabar con la iglesia, cónclaves, tenemos de todo......con el hilo conductor de una serie de personajes históricos pertenecientes a la secta que, de algún modo, han marcado el devenir de los acontecimientos: Roma siglo I dc (Nerón, no podía faltar), Roma siglo XII (Malaquías, tampoco podía faltar), Londres siglo XVI (Cristopher Marlowe, dramaturgo, esto es nuevo y es lo mejor de la novela)....tenemos un batiburrillo de acontecimientos que no puedo calificar sino de mediocre producto literario que al menos consigue entretenerte medianamente y sin pretensiones, que es lo que pretendía en una semana laboralmente muy cargada en la que no tenía demasiado margen para lecturas farragosas.

Errores groseros como decir que Antioquía esta en Grecia o hablar del emperador Claudio en el 37 dc, cuando Calígula acababa de subir al trono, me han abocado al suspenso, porque al menos un aprobado iba a darle.

En fin, para pasar el rato, sin más.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than Dan Brown, Glenn Cooper is a thriller's dream. I couldn't stop gripping my tablet while reading. Twists and turns galore and I gasped at the end. Such a rush.

My Rating: 5++ stars

[Anthems · Rating 2 out of 5]

Flojo.

Libro absolutamente prescindible. Iluso de mí que creyendo que leería algo tipo Dan Brown o Patrick Graham, por citar dos autores de un género que, en realidad, no controlo demasiado, he acabado leyendo algo totalmente insustancial, un experimento literario fallido.

La monja, y que se acuerde de su nombre Dios, es el personaje protagonista más plano, resignado y pasivo que he leído en mi corta vida de lector. El resto son una amalgama de indiferencia, mediocridad y previsibilidad difícil de digerir. La historia un disparate (en este género esto suele ser así) sin ningún tipo de misterio, escasamente intrincada y mucho menos elaborada (en este género esto no suele ser así).

Lo único salvable es la aparición de personajes históricos como Christopher Marlowe o John Dee reinventados y exacerbados en su faceta ocultista. La recreación de la Roma clásica, y sin ahondar en errores grotescos de historiografía y periodización básica, es lamentable, sin interés alguno; tiene mérito hablar de Nerón y que no le interese a nadie. El mayor logro de la novela.

En 15 páginas el autor soluciona todo el entuerto (que a ti ya te da igual) y ya está, Best-Seller fabricado. Literatura torpe, que desluce el thriller histórico. Una pena que el mercado recompense libros como "La Marca del Diablo". Diría que la idea era buena y la ejecución mediocre, pero es que ni la idea.

Me esperaba infinitamente más de un autor con la fama de Cooper. 2,5 estrellas.

[Matthew Lang · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Ordinarily, this would have been a four star review. The plot was gripping, the book was well written, and the twists, turns and machinations are slowly revealed at just the right time so that you never know too much. The central characters were compelling and there was a fantastic retelling of history for the purposes of the plot.

However (and you knew there was a whatever) there were a few things that seriously jarred me out of the book, and those things ultimately led me to drop the rating here today. The first issue I had was what I felt to be a simplistic association of homosexuality with evil, souless and quite literally devilish antagonists. It arose twice as a shorthand for 'bad', 'debauched' or 'second class citizens who an embarrassment and not worthy of due process' and I'm not sure if that was something deliberate, or merely indicative of a latent homophobia on the part of the authro, but it was...unpleasant. It's also possible I'm being overly sensitive, as there's nothing preventing GLBT individuals from being evil or debauched, but I feel the using of 'gay' as a shorthand for 'bad' is not what I consider good writing or strong characterisation.

Secondly, I found the dig at Stephenie Meyer to be in rather bad taste. I find it hard to believe it would be anything other than deliberate, and while I think it would be fine to criticise an author's work on the basis of that work or their own actions, I find the casting of a namesake into the novel as a villian for no apparent (or explained) reason, is an attempt to demean a person, for no other reason than the author can. More importantly, it was jarring every time the name came up on the page due to the metatextual references it evoked.

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

CW: spousal/partner death, attempted rape, child death

Someday I will read a historical thriller featuring archeology that doesn't make me laugh or cry for bad reasons, but today is not that day.

In the end, this was just Kit Marlowe slander/pro-Catholic Church propaganda, and I am the audience for neither. I mean, I knew very early on I wasn't going to vibe this book, but in the last 50 pages or so the villain gives a little speech about trusting in man over God and the heroine is like " :0 yOu DoN't TrUsT iN gOd?!" and I was like, "Okay, yep, I'm the villain of this story."
It wasn't poorly written by any means, but it also wasn't the best book I've ever read. I really disliked the way Elisabetta was portrayed - once you make your MC a nun, I really feel like it's inappropriate for the author or other characters to mention frequently how sexy she is.

What I really don't understand is why the Satanists (?? Lemures?? Demon-things?? idk man whatever they were) had to play such a long con. I mean, like hundreds of years ago they were like "There will be 112 popes! :P " and then did nothing about it for hundreds of years. And it all rested on a poorly planted bomb? Really? They should have started their group project sooner. I mean, I certainly wouldn't have had the patience. It all seemed very convenient lol.

I wish this had been labeled more clearly as a Christian fiction book because then I would have quit before I started it, rather than laugh my way through.
This is another victim of the Kindle clean out saga where I read or DNF (and then usually delete) all the free books I accumulated on my Kindle when I was about 16/17.

[Speesh · Rating 2 out of 5]

That feeling that one day you're gonna want those hours back. The hours you spent on this one after the first time it was clear that this one turned on nasty people, with tails. After you immediately then thought, 'well, how do they sit down?' 'Do they only 'mate' with others with tails?' 'How do they find them?' Etc.

That.

You can dress it up all you like with scenes set in the Roman period of Nero's Emperorship (yes, he was as well), or sections based around (yes, him too) Christopher (though acting more like Philip) Marlowe and of course, his fantastic play 'Dr.Faustus'. Which, coincidentally, I studied at school and can actually still quote, for example "for the vain pleasure of four and twenty years, hath Faustus lost eternal joy and felicity". Which I think of often, now that I live in Denmark, because the Danish method of counting, from twenty onwards, is 'one and twenty, two and twenty, three and twenty, four and twenty...' and so on. You can dress it up all you like but what you've still got is a tale, set in Italy, in Rome, of a Nun who used to be an archaeologist, called in to investigate a find in the catacombs, of people, from the time of the birth of Christianity, who have tails. And because they are skeleton remains and it's obvious they have tails, so they are boney tails, you wonder again, 'how did they sit down?' What kind of trousers have they got on, that must clearly hide the fact of the afore-mentioned tail?' Why are people with tails all, always nasty? Because they have tails?' Instead of getting yourself involved in the book, in what I guess he would really want you to get yourself involved in.

To be brutally fair, there are passages that work well, that pack a punch, that at least make you curious about what might come next. And any book that has Christopher Marlowe in it, is worth having a look at (no, he wasn't. Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare). There could have been some other interesting angles developed. Actually, the sections involving Marlowe and Nero are reasonably interesting. But as such, are a missed opportunity to make the sections, the main part of the story, set in the here and now, more powerful. The story in the here and now is a bit of a let-down in comparison, and the book kind of peters out into a disappointingly run of the mill, race against time to prevent disaster.

Read if it's one of the three books you have with you on your desert island. Otherwise, don't.

[Martina Oliva · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ho conosciuto il signor Cooper diverso tempo addietro grazie alla sua trilogia de “La Biblioteca dei Morti” che me lo aveva fatto subito apprezzare e stimare, tanto da voler acquistare e leggere altri dei suoi romanzi. Purtroppo, nessuno dei libri che ho letto successivamente si è rivelato all’altezza de “La Biblioteca dei Morti” e “Il Marchio del Diavolo” ne è la prova più evidente.

È stata una lettura all’insegna del nonsense totale. A volte l’ho trovato persino volgare e, udite udite, disgustoso. Sì, perché i “cattivi” di questa storia, i cosiddetti Lemuri, hanno repellenti code guizzanti, caratteristica genetica che, tra le altre cose, Cooper riconduce al piacere sessuale in maniera terribilmente rivoltante.
Inoltre, non ho nemmeno capito il fenomeno genetico da cui deriva tale caratteristica. Ormai ho capito che Cooper e la scienza viaggiano su binari diametralmente opposti. Ne avevo già avuto il sospetto con “Il Calice della Vita” dove cerca di dare spiegazioni scientifiche assolutamente incomprensibili. Insomma, per quanto riguarda il binomio storia-scienza mi vedo costretta ad anteporre Dan Brown a Cooper, che con “Angeli e Demoni” viaggia proprio ad altri livelli. E poi c’è la questione del Vaticano alle prese con l’elezione di un nuovo Papa e che cerca in tutti i modi di sotterrare i proprio segreti segretissimi appena venuti a galla. Non vi ricorda nulla?

Insomma, non mi è piaciuto per niente.
Cooper è un maestro nell’intessere trame complesse su più livelli e ad intrecciarle la dove non ti aspetteresti mai, e, da questo punto di vista, anche in “Il Marchio del Diavolo” non mi ha deluso. La mano capace dell’autore è evidente. Ma la storia è di una piattezza ed assurdità tale da renderla quasi illeggibile.

Forse posso un po’ salvare la parte ambientata nel passato, in particolare parlo di quella ambientata nella Roma di Nerone e che racconta del più famoso incendio della storia. Da amante della letteratura inglese e di William Shakespeare avrei pensato anche di apprezzare l’ambientazione in età elisabettiana, ma purtroppo ho trovato un mare di assurdità ed eventi surreali anche lì. Per quanto riguarda il presente, il mio animo storico aveva anche apprezzato la parte più archeologica, come le descrizioni delle catacombe di San Callisto.
Per il resto posso solo dire noia, noia e noia.

Ho terminato il romanzo solo perché odio lasciare le cose a metà e, in fondo, c’è sempre la speranza di un colpo di scena finale che faccia ribaltare il mio pensiero. Cosa che, come si evince, non è accaduta. Anzi, tutto molto scontato e prevedibile. Classica storiella sul Bene e il Male in cui è già chiaro dalle prime pagine chi trionferà.
Inoltre, non ho affatto apprezzato il modo in cui le due fazioni sono state rappresentate agli estremi opposti senza alcuna sfumatura contemplata.

In conclusione, se volete avvicinarvi al mondo di Cooper NON fatelo con questo romanzo, ma puntate sulla trilogia de “La Biblioteca dei Morti” che, al contrario, vi straconsiglio.

[Aida Cogollor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bastante flojito comparado con los otros que he leído de él. La trama me ha resultado un poco aburrida y los personajes no transmiten nada. Elisabetta es insulsa y anodina, entiendo que es una monja pero... ¡Un poco de sangre en las venas, por Dios! Después se resuelve todo demasiado rápido y demasiado fácil. No es un libro que recomendaria.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting, fast paced and exciting book! I have never read anything like it. I will certainly check out more from this author

[Lector on fire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una trama bien llevada, bien hilada y bien resuelta, aunque un tanto a lo Hollywood (el origen americano del autor, supongo, le empuja a ello). El desenlace, como digo es un poco peliculero, no echa por tierra el trabajo, y es de agradecer. Temía una cagada a última hora, pero no ha sido el caso.
La novela engancha, transporta la historia a distintas épocas y eso tiene su punto, hay que decirlo.
Si buscas una historia de conspiraciones, de sociedades secretas y de curia romana/vaticana, esta es una buenísima historia.
Ale.

[Elisabetta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho sospirato...
Quando leggo non lo faccio mai perchè sono completamente persa in un luogo nuovo, in una nuova storia.
Ma stavolta la magia non mi ha colpito e mentre leggevo sospiravo chiedendomi "arriverò mai alla fine?"
Faccio fatica a capire il perchè non sia scattata la scintilla, gli ingredienti per un bel romanzo c'erano tutti: una setta misteriosa, ritrovamenti archeologici, complotti...
A parte un forte senso di deja-vu per la somiglianza in molti punti con Angeli e demoni di Dan Brown, poteva essere un buon libro.
Lo stile, inoltre, mi è piaciuto, semplice (a volte fin troppo) e abbastanza coinvolgente, ma tutto ciò non è bastato.

devo dire innanzi tutto che ci sono troppi personaggi e altrettanti punti di vista, tantè che anche adesso, arrivata alla fine, alcuni nomi ancora mi sfuggono, dovrei tornare a leggere qualche pezzo per potermeli ricordare.

Un altro punto a sfavore sono gli innumerevoli cambiamenti di tempo che, a mio avviso, sono anche posizionati in modo traslato rispetto alla vicenda del presente a cui sono collegati (es SPOILER: al ritrovamento degli scheletri nel colombario doveva seguire il capitolo sulla morte di Balbillo, cos' come ai dubbi di Elisabetta circa il perchè delle modifiche al testo B, doveva seguire il capitolo del 1500 in cui Marlowe spiegava il perchè...)

Inoltre lo scrittore ha voluto spiegare la presenza di una coda nei lemuri adducendo che il genotipo controlla il fenotipo e quindi i lemuri sono geneticamente malvagi e incapaci di provare rimorso, hanno ila coda che è anche il simbolo del male.
Beh, sinceramente io non mi ero chiesta del perchè della presenza di una coda e questa spiegazione così semplicistica mi ha lasciata basita. Avrei accettato semplicemente il mistero.

E cosa dire poi della scelta della protagonista? Una suora...
Capisco la necessita di introdurre un personaggio molto religioso visto l'ambiente in cui si doveva muovere, ma una suora?
Per me che cerco sempre il lato un po' romantico in ogni libro, non c'è stata nemmeno questa soddisfazione, nemmeno una piccola speranza che qualcosa di romantico potesse accadere.
Cosigliato?
Sì e no.
Per me ha molti difetti, è vero, ma non è stata una lettura difficile da portare a termine (sospiri a parte!)

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

**I received an ARC of this story for an honest review**

Elizabetta is a student of archeology, trying to get more permission to work on a wall in some catacombs in Rome. She's denied permission from the Vatican. Suddenly her boyfriend is gunned to death, also injuring her. Ten years later, Elizabetta has become a nun and a teacher. Her old professor comes to her to once again to work on the same catacombs. At first, she says no but then finds out she is being ordered to. After many twists and turns, Elizabetta's life is put into peril, but for another nun's scream. Her brother, a police officer in the Vatican, feels she's not safe, so she returns to her father's home. As the story goes on, her whole family is pulled into the mystery of the catacombs.

The book goes back and forth from around the death of Christ to present time, making it a bit confusing, if not annoying. I felt it would have been much better read if the historical parts had been in a prequel novella. Elizabetta was a very likable character, as was the rest of her family. I did find it weird the way she was pulled back in.

[Zerod10 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non delude, ma poco più...
Lo consiglio a chi già conosce l'autore.
In linea di massima preferisco altri suoi titoli.
Tre storie che si intrecciano su di un unica trama, come Cooper ci ha abituato, nel complesso lettura interessante, scorre molto bene ma non coinvolge più di tanto, non ci lasci avvicinare troppo ai personaggi.
L'ambientazione romana, scelta quasi obbligata visto la trama basata sulla chiesa/vaticano, per i lettori italiani potrebbe essere considerata poco "esotica" in tutti i casi ottima resa del bel paese.
Letto in una settimana lo consiglio ma non lo rileggerei al momento, non mi ha rapito ma mi ha fatto piacevolmente compagnia.
Buona lettura!(less)

[Sara✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

ENGL: So, right from the start, I was sure that that's it this book is for me...well not really. I was on chapter 25 or 2 when I realized I have no clue what I am reading. So naturally, I had to start all over again. Which I did and this time my focus was better. Here is a thing everything written in past and from pov of lemurs was so good! I was out there eating those parts. But everything written in present from pov of Elizabeth was everything but fun. My main problem with this is that it leaves me on a flat line. I wish I could be out there and just straight-up hate the book because that would be me having an emotion to the story. This way I have none. It is a great topic and good on paper as I said it is so fine when it goes to the past especially since you go through multiple ears but in the end, it leaves me with OK.
____________________________

SRB: Dakle kada sam dobila ovu knjigu na poklon za rođendan (jer u nazivu ima ovna ja sam horoskopski ovan) bila sam sigurna da je dobar izbor...pa i ne baš. Došla sam do poglavlja 25 ili 27 kada sam shvatila da ja nemam pojma o čemu čitam. I morala sam da krenem praktično od početka. Stvar je u tome da je ova knjiga tako napisana da sve što se dešava u prošlosti i iz perkepktive lemura je fantastično napisano. Bukvalno sam jela te delove čitajući ih bez daha. Sve što je napisano u sadašjosti iz perskeptive Elizabet je bilo tao ravno i dosadno. Moj glavni problem sa ovom knjigom je što ona ne ostavlja nikakav utisak na mene. Iskreno, draže bi mi bilo da mogu da je mrzim i kritikujem jer bi tad imala bar neku emociju prema ovoj priči. Sjajna tema na papiru ali bez dinamike i veoma ravno ne dovoljno razrađena. Prošlost sjajno opisana posebno jer vodi kroz različite istorijske ere ali sve ukupno ova knjiga je samo OK.

[Italo Italophiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil Will Come is a conspiracy thriller for adults, laced with historical fact and fiction. The present-day setting is Rome, Italy, where a young nun and her family become the focal point of the culmination of a centuries-long plot to end Catholicism and replace it with an evil-worshiping group of psychopaths.

Okay, yes, historical-conspiracy thriller plots can sound absurd, but with a skilful writer in charge, they can be very entertaining, and little bit edifying. This author is skilled in the art of conning the reader into accepting the unbelievable premise. He has experience, with several historical-conspiracy thrillers to his name. Readers get what they expect, and more. Unlike some authors in the genre, this writer has big issues in the background of all his books.

In The Devil Will Come, the nature of evil is examined. Is it learned? Is it a throwback to an earlier human era when a lack of conscience was an asset? Do sociopaths play any positive role in society? They hide in plain sight. They sit on company boards. They teach at universities. They play sports professionally. They hide their evil, but they are adept at spotting the like-minded. At the heart of the all the scary bits in The Devil Will Come is the fact that people who seek out power are rarely good-hearted.

The author takes the reader from Rome in the present-day, to Rome in the first century A.D., to Rome in the Middle Ages. Each period is credible, with historical facts to back up the author's depictions. An ancient prophecy of the supremacy of evil is at the heart of the plot. As always, there is a group that supports the evil, and there is a group that defends against the evil.

Our hero, or heroine, which is quite unique for this genre, is all that stands between good and evil. Well, not quite. The Italian nun has help from her uniquely helpful Italian family. And she has help from unexpected sources along the way to the climactic ending. The author pulls all the strands together in the end and creates a satisfying conclusion to the story.

The writing is clear and direct, with an unobtrusive omniscient narrator. The story flows smoothly, weaving together the stories from the past and present so we understand all there is to know, in the end. A special storyline set in Elizabethan England adds to story's uniqueness. I would have liked line breaks between scene changes, and fewer periods in place of commas, for greater clarity, but they may be added in future editions. There are some vulgarities, sex and nudity.

Are you interested in learning about Ancient Roman superstitions, early Christians, Roman astrology, Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, the Roman Emperor Nero, and the source of human evil? If you are, then The Devil Will Come will keep you entertained.

Please read my full and illustrated review at my Italophile Book Reviews site.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...

[Paula Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil Will Come is a religious thriller set in Rome. Elisabetta is an archaeologist turned Sister. Called back to assist the Roman Catholic Church, she is forced to come face to face with the man/organization that killed her fiance and nearly killed her. The strangest thing about the killer is that he had a tail.

Elisabetta learns that the tailed man is not unique... that there are others like him. They are Lemures. They desire and goal is to destroy the Holy Roman Catholic Church.

Great read.

[David Callaghan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had thoroughly enjoyed Library of the Dead and when I caught sight of The Devil Will Come while visiting my local bookstore I couldnt wait to get started reading. Unfortunately for the me the jury is still out - there were parts of the novel especially relating to Ancient Rome and Nero which I read avidly - but as a whole I was disappointed. The ending possibly leaves open the chance a second book but I will give that a miss. Next time round I will catch up with Will Piper !

[Antonio Fanelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Di quelli che ho letto finore, questo è il suo libro migliore.
Più coerente, nella sua assurdità. e con un finale non deludente, cosa che finora era stata la cifra stilistica di questo autore :)
Una lettura gradevole.

[Uroš Novaković · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 is what I'd rate this book.
The intro of the book really pulled me in, and then nothing really happened until the last 3 or 4 chapters.

In this novel you are following 3 different timelines. One is the current day which is the primary story, one is several decades after the death of Christ and the third one is the late 1500s. You can literally remove every chapter that is set in the past and the story would be the same. Sure it would be a novella, but it would be the same. Nothing that happens in those filler chapters actually matters to the main plot.

The book starts from the perspective of a character from the past who tells us how there'll be 112 more popes. After that, Christianity will end and so will the world as we know it. And that's about it. Nothing that happens in the following chapters has any stakes or any weight to it. If you forgot that single sentence from the beginning of the book that tells you about the end of Christianity after the death of the 112th pope then you'd frequently ask yourself why any of the events in the book are relevant?

The main character gets attacked and kidnapped so many times that I started to laugh every time it happened. She never learns how to avoid obvious signs of a trap or danger. But it all needs to happen for the story to move forward. If she doesn't get attacked or kidnapped, they'd never learn about the XYZ that is required to move the story forward.

The "bad guys" in this book are also never fully explained either. Why are they doing what they are doing? What are their motives? Are they just "evil" for the sake of evil or do they have a reason for it? It's all very one dimensional to me personally.

I haven't read Dan Brown yet, only saw the movies that adapt some of his books, but something tells me that Glenn Cooper attempted to copy Dan Brown and failed in the execution. The plan is to read some Dan Brown next year and then I'll see who did it better, but as it stands right now, The Devil Will Come is just a mediocre book that didn't do anything super interesting, but at the same time it didn't make me angry either.

[Lorenzo Ferrara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho scelto di tornare a leggere Glenn Cooper per aver letto la saga de "La Biblioteca dei Morti" un libro leggero con un'idea e uno svolgimento niente male.

Purtroppo, il Marchio del Diavolo non è all'altezza di quella saga.

Avevo accettato di star leggendo un libro che ritraeva sette, complotti, simboli con varie trame che si articolano su più livelli, si intrecciano e coinvolgono il lettore.
Posso persino salvare la presenza di mostri umani come elemento fantascientifico, visto che alla fine si tratta di un romanzo su un complotto.

Ma lo svolgimento è patetico, piatto, con personaggi bidimensionali, con descrizioni eccessive per riempire le pagine, dialoghi che rasentano l'imbarazzante.

E il finale è noioso, estremamente prevedibile e lontano dai tipici finali chiarificatori di altri thriller.
È la classica storiella sul Bene e il Male (senza sfaccettature intermedie) in cui è già chiaro dalle prime pagine chi trionferà.

[Vi.per.a · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro molto interessante perchè, essendo il primo della collana, delinea i personaggi e l'universo in cui la storia poi si svolgerà. Molto belli i riferimenti complessi e intrecciati con la storia e la religione, interessanti i protagonisti, originale la trama e l'antagonista (ogni volta che si citava una coda mi provocava ribrezzo). Tuttavia do solo tre stelle perchè credo che si veda che è solo il primo libro della collana, è un po' acerbo: sia i personaggi, che la trama devono ancora bene svilupparsi (non ho mica capito che colpa e che obbiettivo avessero i Lemuri, più che avere la coda). Inoltre l'autore ha introdotto tanti (troppi) perosnaggi diversi e linee temporali diverse: interessante l'idea di intrecciare più storie, però sono un po' sfuggite al suo controllo e sono diventate confusionarie. Sicuramente leggerò il secondo libro perchè sono incuriosita :))

[Luis Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy bueno, habrá que seguirle la pista a este autor

[Samuele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un thriller che scorre veloce in cui vengono fusi insieme personaggi reali a fatti totalmente inventati o non propriamente corretti. Di compagnia

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

L’auteur Glenn Cooper explore les secrets du Vatican et veut absolument trouvé l’un des textes les plus controversés de l’histoire de l’Eglise Catholique( La Prophétie des Papes) qui est un texte ésotérique. Si rendu publique, elle pourrait mettre en péril les fondements mêmes de l’Eglise.

Relaxer vous bien et bonne lecture.

[Irene Azuaje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gustó muchísimo este libro, dado que entrelaza tres líneas de tiempo.
Algunas personas me han dicho que puede ser algo enredado, pero pienso que una vez ya sabes en qué línea de tiempo estás situado no hay ningún problema.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Devil Will come” was published in 2014 and was written by Glenn Cooper (http://www.glenncooperbooks.com). Mr. Cooper has published 7 novels.

I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there are instances of Violence and some Mature Language. This Thriller novel is set primarily in Rome, Italy. Different scenes in the novel are in contemporary times, the century after Jesus Christ was crucified, and in London of the 1500s.

The primary character is Elizabetta Celestino. Celestino first appears when she is an archeology graduate student. Soon after she begins investigating a newly uncovered part of the Rome catacombs, she and her fiancé are attacked. After he does Celestino leaves graduate school and becomes a nun. A decade later Celestino is asked by the church to assist with new discoveries in the catacombs that relate to her earlier research.

Since the early Roman times the Lemures, humans with a tail appendage, have been skulking in the shadows. They are evil and seek power at the expense of others. They also developed a hatred for the Catholic church since the time of Christ. A recent catacombs cave in has uncovered the remains of several of their kind from Roman times. They do all in their power to cover up the discovery and block any further investigation.

The Pope dies of cancer and the Catholic church prepares to elect a new Pope. Just days before the conclave is to gather, the remains in the catacombs are uncovered revealing humans with tails. The Vatican wants to keep this quiet afraid of what the public reaction will be. They ask (more like order) Celestino to assist with the investigation.

The Lemures are avid believers in astrology and there is a long standing prediction that there will only be 112 more Popes after the prediction is made. That means that the new Pope to be elected will be the last. They set about using their accumulated power and wealth to make sure that the prediction will come true. They will let no one stand in their way, and more than one person falls victim to their ruthless efforts.

This Thriller deals heavily with the Catholic church and the Vatican, as well as the long standing conspiracy of the Lemures to stay hidden, yet acquire wealth and power. This originally seemed to be leaning towards the occult, but it turned out to be a straight Thriller. I spent a little less than 8 hours with this novel and enjoyed it. It reminded me a little of Dan Brown’s “Robert Langdon” series of novels, but came at the plot from an angle different enough to make this novel unique. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

[Lidija Gomidzelovic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ocekivala sam uzbudljivi triler, dobila reklamu za katolicku crkvu...razocaravajuce...autor je pisuci knjigu podilazio ciljnom trzistu, tako da nije rizikovao nista...Dosadna klasika, dobro pobedjuje zlo...bla, bla...implicirana bozja intervencija spasava glavnu junakinju koja je bleda kao licnost i kukavica koja je posle traume resila da se zatvori u manastir, potpuno prvo prema sebi neiskrena u motivima za zamonasenje...a tek fantazija kada uspeva glavnog zlikovca da ubije ubodom alata za ciscenje lule koji je neobjasnjivo kako zavrsio u njenom dzepu...mislim, srce je zasticeno i rebrima i misicima, ona je uspela da ubode bas pravu tacku i dovoljno duboko da ga likvidira nemajuci nikakvo znanje iz anatomije..kao sto rekoh pateticno impliciranje cuda i bozje intervencije. Njena sestra je mnogo uverljiviji lik, pa i nacin na koji likvidira napadaca je logican i uverljiv. Etiketiranje ljudi koji imaju urodjeni deformitet (u ovom slucaju rep kao zaostatak naseg evolucionog razvoja) kao apsolutno zlo, podla kleveta zamaskirana kao izmisljena prica, cak i koriscenje imena za jednu od tajnih zaverenika tkv 'lemura' koje se razlikuje samo za jedno slovo prezimena od imena i prezimena autorke popularnog serijala Sumrak o svetlucavim vampirima...Pitam da li je autor licno ne podnosi ili su oni koji su narucili delo ovakve sadrzine zeleli da i nju etiketiraju...Dve zvezde zato sto je stil pisanja dobar i zato sto je ideja u celini imala stvarni potencijal za pravu bombu od knjige samo da je autor imao hrabrosti da ubije deo kardinala i glavnu junakinju snabde sa kicmom kako bi napustila manastir...

[Matias Cimmino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este fue uno de esos libros donde tengo muchos sentimientos encontrados. No disfrute este libro tanto como las otras novelas de Cooper y eso me decepciono un poco.
Por un lado, la trama de la historia es decente y lleva al lector en un viaje a lo largo de la historia de un grupo anti-cristiano que tiene como misión derrocar a la iglesia cristiana y todo lo que representa. Aunque puede resultar un tema con gusto a repetido la verdad que Cooper lo narra desde un punto de vista que aporta un poco de frescura y hace que sea más llevadero. El factor con el que logra esto no es nada más ni nada menos que con la elección de un personaje principal de lo más insólito.
Personalmente jamás se me hubiera ocurrido usar una monja como personaje principal. En este tipo de novelas uno siempre espera el típico Indiana Jones o James Bond y resulta muy interesante leer como una monja se enfrenta a una conspiración y una profecía milenaria.
Pero ojo, esto también es una espada de doble filo. El hecho de que sea una monja quita un poco de la posible acción que podría contener la historia y por momentos aburre un poco.
Pero no hay mucho más que eso.
Voy a admitir que fue una lectura más o menos llevadera, pero no tiene comparación los libros anteriores. Lo único que espero es que el próximo libro sea mejor.

https://www.facebook.com/Calabozosyro...
http://calabozosyrobots.blogspot.com....

[giadix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forse il libro merita 4 stelle ma io vado di pancia e preferisco metterne 5, mi ha tenuta incollata alle pagine dall’inizio alla fine.

Mi è piaciuto tantissimo, non mi aspettavo ci fosse una commistione di così tanti periodi storici (l’ho preso senza nemmeno leggere la trama quindi direi mea culpa) però è perfetta, permette di comprendere lo spessore del discorso e crea un senso di continuità che risulta quasi angosciante.

*spoiler

Voglio dedicare una piccola riflessione anche sul finale che ho trovato super interessante, come sempre avrei voluto un finale tragico con il ‘male’ che trionfa ma ahimè non credo sarò mai accontentata. In ogni caso questo finale è perfetto, è chiuso il giusto per concludere la storia ma resta abbastanza aperto per far vagare la mente del lettore, sicuramente nei prossimi mesi ogni tanto mi capiterà di pensarci e chiedermi “e se succedesse questo...” e la mia mente tornerà a vagare su questa storia. Mi è piaciuto come non ci sia stato il trionfo di nessuna delle due forze, apparentemente sembra che la forza del bene sia riuscita a sopraffare l’altra e a vincere ma in realtà i Lemuri sono sopravvissuti e sono pronti a continuare la loro battaglia; trovo anche molto interessante come la chiesa pensi che sia un problema circostanziale

”Forse questi sloveni e Giaccone erano i capi” borbottò Diaz “Forse non sono in molti.”

Il libro è magnifico, perfetto per una lettura tranquilla e non troppo impegnativa.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a young archaeology student Elisabetta Celestino discovers an interesting array of symbols at a catacomb adjacent to the Vatican. Needing Vatican approval to go ahead with her research and reulting thesis, she is informed by her professor that no such approval will be forthcoming. Ten years later Elisabetta, now a nun, is contacted by the same professor to ask for her help with an excavation of the same catacombs. Reluctantly she agrees. What she discovers not only rocks her faith but could also be the end of all religion and most definitely the end of her beloved Catholic church.

Mr. Cooper has developed a tried and true formula for his books as he tells the story through three time periods. In this case Nero’s Rome, Marlowe’s England and current day. Rather than becoming tired and cookie cutter Mr. Cooper makes his formula work in all four of his books. Strange as it may sound, glimpses of the past to fill in the blanks moves the story along very nicely rather than causing any delay in the ongoing plot. Doing this also allows the reader to have a few secrets the characters have not yet discovered. This is an interesting “tool” in his writing style. It’s quite fun! I have thoroughly enjoyed his books from day one, starting with Library of the Dead. The Devil May Come is no exception.