The Book of Air and Shadows - by Michael Gruber (Paperback)

About the Book

"A fire destroys a New York City rare bookstore--and reveals clues to a treasure worth killing for. A disgraced scholar is found tortured to death. And those pursuing the most valuable literary find in history are about to cross from the harmless mundane into inescapable nightmare"--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

Tap tapping the keys and out come the words on this little screen, and who will read them I hardly know. I could be dead by the time anyone actually get to read them, as dead as, say Tolstoy. Or Shakespeare. Does it matter, when you read, if the person who wrote still lives? These are the words of Jake Mishkin, whose seemingly innocent job as an intellectual property lawyer has put him at the center of a lethal conspiract in which no one is who they seem. As he awaits a killer-or killers- unknown, Jake writes an account of the events that led to this deadly endgame, a frantic chase that began with a fire in an antiquarian bookstore. Hidden in the binding of one of the chared and ruined volumes is a cache of letters written by a 17th-century British soldier and spy. The letters are encrypted and the key to unlocking the mysterious code has been lost for 400 years. If it is discovered, and the letters are read, they will lead to one of the most valuable items in the history of th

Review Quotes

"(An) entertaining thriller with Da Vinci Code appeal but far better writing."--Ventura County Star

"(An) intelligent thrill ride."--Tampa Tribune

"(An) intoxicating mix of fact, fiction, secret codes and ancient conspiracies...well-written and cleverly told. A terrific thriller."--Edmonton Journal (Canada)

"A crackling whodunit. Characters (with) rich inner lives that transmute genre fiction into literature."--Dallas Morning News

"A dead genius, a sleuthing couple with romantic chemistry, and some bad guys...it's a fun party."--Entertainment Weekly

"A fast-moving tale about the world of rare books. A wonderful story with absolutely superb casting."--Kirkus Reviews (starred)

"A gripping literary thriller. A taut novel that offers ingenious puzzles plus murderous threats along the way."--Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"A smart thriller. Gruber's themes may be lofty but his people are fully fleshed. An engaging adventure."--Boston Globe

"A wild ride of a thriller. The characters have depth, histories and believability."--Wichita Eagle

"A wonderful book, brimming with energy, suspense, wit and fascinating details about the rare book business. A fast-paced yarn that is part Henry James, part James Bond.--Chicago Tribune

"An intricately crafted and literate work (that) should give the (thriller) genre a good shake."--Denver Post

"Another one of [Gruber's] patently intricate thrillers."--TheMorningNews.com

"Entertaining. A wild ride."--Charlotte Observer, Best Books of Summer

"Fearless, intricate and intelligent. Stylish and confident prose. Dialogue that respects a reader's intelligence. A smart and original plot."--Seattle Times

"Few thrillers will surpass [this book] when it comes to energetic writing, compellingly flawed characters, literary scholarship and mathematical conundrums."--USA Today

"Finely-honed prose, ambitious structure and captivating characters...This is a whip-smart adventure that surpasses its competitors with dexterity."--Rocky Mountain News

"Gruber deftly raises the thriller stakes and accelerates the plot while still creating convincing personal journeys for his characters."--Booklist (starred review)

"Gruber is no ordinary writer."--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"If you love books, make room on the shelf for a new guilty pleasure."--Washington Post

"Ingenious...engaging...a gripping, satisfying read."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"MIchael Gruber pulls out all the stops (in) an elaborate game of cat-and-mouse."--Newsday

"Not since Bayatt's POSSESSION has an author so successfully combined literary puzzle, tempestuous duplicity, human adventure and good storytelling."--BookPage

"One of the best new writers in the genre."--Charlotte Observer

"Quirky, flawed characters, tricksy first-person narration, and nimble, witty prose. Gruber is the real deal."--Salon.com

"Smart and irreverent."--Arizona Republic

"Very good...ingenious and suspenseful."--Maclean's