The Color of Blood

by Brian Moore

Book Overview

A beautifully written Hitchcockian thriller, full of suspense and intrigue. Somewhere in an unnamed Eastern bloc country, someone is out to silence Cardinal Bem. Is it the Secret Police, or is it -... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0586087370
• ISBN13: 9780586087374
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

THE GREAT THRILLER

This book is indeed a page-turner. It is enthralling and difficult to put down. It is well-written, and the characters are believeable and engrossing. I found myself caring for the characters and rooting for one over the other. The book does draw you in. However, the plot leads us on and on into what is finally a dismal abyss. My problem is not that the final twists of the plot are implausible. My problem is that the entire ending of the book is simply miserable. Also, my problem is hard to find the study on this book, such as the study on the characters, their conflict, the plot, etc. And really, I should have known. The hallmark of Oprah's books is that they are bleak yet hopeful -- until the end, that is, when her book choices are still bleak but all hope has been unrefuteably obliterated. So, this was a good book. But take heed: there is no happy ending here. Nothing to feel good about. No hope at all. None. So finally, I was left unsatisfied even though it was a good read.

A driving story of a good man in a world turned upside down.

Though he is a cardinal, Bem has successfully managed to avoid the sin of pride, and is attempting to do the will of his god, within his church. Surrounded by gentle and religious people, immersed in the day-to-day details of his regime, he is totally unprepared for the sudden intrusion of personal violence in his life. An attempt is made on his life, followed by his kidnapping and incarceration. Suddenly, he finds himself struggling against hidden enemies, and struggling to find and feel the will of his god. This is perhaps the most taut and action-packed of any Brian Moore novels. Right down to the last word, this book will keep you riveted and straining. And in Cardinal Bem, Moore has perhaps created one of his most simply admirable and likeable protagonists ever. But he lacks none of the inner honesty and complexity that mark Moore's protagonists. In addition to being an incredibly suspenseful thriller, the book is as emotive and thought-provoking as anyone could ask. It is a beauty.

A cracker paced political thriller

I was lucky to have found this out-of-print Booker Prize nominated title in a second hand bookshop. I was attracted to its setting in an unidentified Eastern bloc country and its tale of political intrigue involving the Church and the State. It also has at its centre the fascinating character of Cardinal Bem whose faith is fully tested as he battles dark forces threatening to unleash chaos on his tension fraught country. The plot moves at a frenetic pace which leaves you breathless. I found myself in the midst of an attempted assasination within the first pages of the novel and propelled into a plot which twists and turns and doesn't let go until the last shocking word is spilled. The ending had a sense of inevitability about it - you could smell it coming. I finished the book in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. Moore's cracker paced thriller makes an excellent read. I can't recommend it highly enough.

exciting suspense novel from Brian Moore

Color of Blood is one of the more exciting books that I have read in a long time. The main character, Cardinal Bem, demonstrates to the reader his struggle of being on the run from those who look suspicious, which includes almost anyone. A good book to read when you want suspense with a surprise ending.

A driving story of a good man in a world turned upside down.

Though he is a cardinal, Bem has successfully managed to avoid the sin of pride, and is attempting to do the will of his god, within his church. Surrounded by gentle and religious people, immersed in the day-to-day details of his regime, he is totally unprepared for the sudden intrusion of personal violence in his life. An attempt is made on his life, followed by his kidnapping and incarceration. Suddenly, he finds himself struggling against hidden enemies, and struggling to find and feel the will of his god. This is perhaps the most taut and action-packed of any Brian Moore novels. Right down to the last word, this book will keep you riveted and straining. And in Cardinal Bem, Moore has perhaps created one of his most simply admirable and likeable protagonists ever. But he lacks none of the inner honesty and complexity that mark Moore's protagonists. In addition to being an incredibly suspenseful thriller, the book is as emotive and thought-provoking as anyone could ask. It is a beauty.