The Tenth Chamber
"Cooper...has shown a sublime skill in creating a story which reflects one of mankind’s greatest desires"
Synopsis:
A script from medieval times is found hidden behind a monastery bookcase. When it is sent to Paris for restoration by literary historian Hugo Pineau he discovers a startling tale dating back to the 14th century.
The tale tells of a hidden cave with painted walls somewhere close to the abbey. Pineau enlist archaeologist Luc Simard and the duo set off to discover the cave. They discover the cave which in turn leads to 9 other chambers, each decorated with ancient drawings. As chronicled in the manuscript there lies an extraordinary cave at the heart of the cave network.
Simard returns with a team of archaeologists to decipher and study the drawings. However dark forces are at work and one member of the team dies after another. Simard and co must get to the bottom of who is causing these deaths as they uncover the amazing secret held upon the cave's walls.
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Review:
This is a particularly enjoyable novel from Cooper that has the reader surfing through time from the present day to the middle ages and beyond. The characters involved in the novel are all beautifully crafted, as is the atmosphere of the various ages. There is a steady pace to the narrative which is neither breakneck nor plodding but moves seamlessly along throughout the different periods of history. The basic premise varies greatly from previous novels yet he has shown a sublime skill in creating a story which reflects one of mankind's greatest desires. This is done in a respectful manner with obvious aforethought to the consequences of the dream becoming a reality. The secret of the cave is known by a select few and Simard's struggle against these people and the groups they represent gives the story a real boost and makes it the wonderfully entertaining novel it is.