Review: Excellent read!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 18, 2012
Let me just start by saying that The Pelican Code, written by Tim Lea, is now one of my favorite books I've ever read. It's a thriller and mystery with a bit of romance thrown in but not enough to take away from the main story line. It has a historical slant that kept me intrigued from the start to the finish.The story centers around Toby Malone, a young man who can only be called obsessed with Christopher Marlowe, otherwise known as Kit. Marlowe was a patron of literature back in the Elizabethan era and there is a wide spread theory that he wrote Shakespeare's work for him. This is the basis of the story in The Pelican Code.  Some historical material shows up that, if authentic, would prove this theory to be true. There's a very dangerous group of people who would do anything to stop this information from coming to light. However, Toby Malone, known as Kit since changing his name to be like Christopher Marlowe, wants to prove that the material is real, thus ensuring his hero would get the credit he is due. Kit has no clue the danger he is putting himself in as he travels to Italy to see if the materials are real and if they are, to purchase them.The Pelican Code is similar to The Da Vinci Code in that it involves historical documents involving a code and a chase to prove their authenticity and figuring the code out. That's where the similarity ends. The Pelican Code is what I would have rather had instead of The Da Vinci Code. It's action packed and fast-paced without all of the slow, dragging parts.The characters, although at times annoying (mainly Kit who I could have throttled for his stupidity at times) are interesting and well-written. I loved the bad guy, or loved to hate him. The book is written moving back and forth between Elizabethan times and present day with various settings. This can be tricky because if not done well it will become confusing, but Mr. Lea does it superbly. The one thing I wish was done a bit differently was having a bit more explanation about the symbol of the pelican feeding her young and how it originated and passed down through the years.