Book of Souls

Book of Souls

The compelling follow-up to Library of the Dead

A shocking truth lies within the pages of an ancient library, locked inside a high-security complex deep beneath the Nevada desert. And the US government will stop at nothing to keep it classified. But now a shadowy group of ex-employees want the world to know - however terrifying the disclosure might prove to be. And when a single volume missing from the original collection mysteriously surfaces at a London auction house, they persuade former FBI agent Will Piper to help them obtain it and unlock the ultimate secret of the library, once and for all.

Travelling to England, Will discovers the text contains a sonnet that holds a series of clues - clues that reveal the book has had a profound effect on the history of mankind. But all the time he is being watched. And as he gets nearer to the final revelation, he and his young family become a direct target for a deadly group of men whose duty it is to guard the library's secret - whatever it takes. However, the truth is too powerful to keep hidden...

Glenn Cooper graduated Magna Cum Laude in archaeology from Harvard and got his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. He is currently the Chairman and CEO of a biotechnology company in Massachusetts. He is also a screenwriter and producer - his first feature film, produced by his production company, Lascaux Pictures, was sold at the Tribeca Film Festival for distribution in the US and thirty countries. Library of the Dead was his first novel.
Random House
Author: Glenn Cooper
ISBN: 9780099547785
Price: $32.95

Interview with Glenn Cooper

How did you come up with the idea for Book of Souls and the series?

Glenn Cooper: Ever since I was young I've been interested in the concepts of fate and predestination. I wanted to write something that dealt with these themes but it took me a few decades to come up with the idea! Library of the Dead and Book of Souls were great fun to write because I'm also interested in medieval history and religion.


Are the characters based on anyone you know?

Glenn Cooper: Only one character is based on someone I know and my lips are sealed on that! None of them are me, that's for sure. I like inventing characters out of whole cloth and let them create their own personas as the writing progresses. That really happens.


How much of your inspiration comes from real life and real people?

Glenn Cooper: I like to weave historical events and people into my books and let them participate in a fictional world. Book of Souls ensnares John Calvin, Nostradamus and William Shakespeare in its net and that was great fun.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers or artists?

Glenn Cooper: If writing is in your blood, if it gives you enough pleasure to counteract the pain of bruised egos and rejection, then keep writing and keep trying. I had 65 agent rejections on Library of the Dead before 1 said yes, and the book has sold a million copies.


There are several issues raised in this book. Was this deliberate or did the story evolve this way?

Glenn Cooper: I think you never want to start a complex thriller without having a careful road map. Otherwise you'll get hopelessly lost. So each issue raised in the book is deliberate and premeditated. Maybe it was predestined!