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    The Spire: A Novel
    The Spire: A Novel
    The Spire: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Spire: A Novel

    Written by Richard North Patterson

    Narrated by Holter Graham

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Both a razor-sharp thriller and a poignant love story, this twisting tale of psychological suspense is Patterson's most compelling novel in years

    Mark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no real advantages beyond his intelligence and athletic ability. But thanks to the intervention of Lionel Farr—a professor at Caldwell, the local college—Darrow became an excellent student and, later, a superb trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his still-youthful protégé for a life-altering favor. An embezzlement scandal has threatened Caldwell's very existence—would Darrow consider becoming its new president?

    Darrow accepts, but returning to his alma mater opens old wounds. Sixteen years ago, on the night of his greatest triumph as Caldwell's star quarterback, he discovered the body of a black female student named Angela Hall at the base of the Spire, the bell tower that dominates the leafy campus. His best friend, Steve Tillman, was charged with Angela's murder and ultimately sent to prison for life. But now, even as Darrow begins the daunting task of leading Caldwell, he discovers that the case against his friend left crucial questions unanswered. Despite his new obligations—and his deepening attachment to Farr's beautiful though troubled daughter—Darrow begins his own inquiry into the murder. Soon he becomes convinced that Angela's killer is still at large, but only when another mysterious death occurs does he understand that his own life is at risk.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateSep 1, 2009
    ISBN9781427208088
    The Spire: A Novel
    Author

    Richard North Patterson

    Richard North Patterson is the author of over twenty bestselling and critically acclaimed novels. Formerly a trial lawyer, he was the SEC liaison to the Watergate special prosecutor and has served on the boards of several Washington advocacy groups. He lives in Martha's Vineyard, San Francisco, and Cabo San Lucas with his wife, Dr. Nancy Clair.

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    Reviews for The Spire

    3.5/5

    135 ratings24 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Mark Darrow leaves his small town, moves to Boston and becomes a successful lawyer. At the request of his mentor, he returns to Wayne, Ohio and soon becomes the president of Caldwell College, and embrolied in issues that become entangled in a 16 year old strangulation murder for which his best friend was convicted.I have to admit that I had a pretty good idea who the murderer might be early on, but Patterson did a great job making it look like someone else.This tale began a little slow and I felt there was a tad too much time spent in people's heads, especially the protagonists, but this is a psychological thriller and thus the author stayed true to the genre.Except for a couple places where information already presented was repeated and unnecessary clarification provided, it was an enjoyable read.
    • 4/5
      Thank goodness Mr. Patterson has returned to the psychological suspense novel. This genre, I believe is his specialty. I found myself captivated from the first few pages. The Spire refers to the daunting bell tower located on the campus of Caldwell College. It is the story of 17 year old Mark Darrow, star high school athlete but mediocre student, who is befriended and mentored by Dr. Lionel Farr, a philosophy professor at Caldwell. Dr Farr arranges for both Mark and his best friend Steve Tillman to obtain athletic scholarships to Caldwell. Unfortunately Steve suffers a knee injury which ends his college football career. One night in November, after throwing four touchdown passes; Mark becomes the hero of the night and as part of his celebration Mark was allowed to ring the bell in the Spire. His celebration of his big night is forever changed the next morning by his discovery of the murdered body of Angela Hall, a black female student near the Spire. The night of the celebration, Mark’s friend Steve and another friend Joe Betts are involved in a fight, are both seen with the victim, are both drunk, and Steve doesn’t seem to remember what happened. All evidence points to Steve; he is tried, and convicted to life in prison. Steve seemed o have genuinely liked Angela, unfortunately prior racial statements he made helped to seal his fate, in addition he may also have had inadequate counsel. Her murder sparks racial tensions and tarnishes the integrity of the college. Mark knows something about that night that does not share with the police or with his friend Steve thinking that what he knows might somehow make things worse for his friend. He consequently does not attend the trial and moves on with his life, going on to law school and becoming a successful criminal attorney. Sixteen years after graduation, Mark is asked by his mentor Dr. Farr, now the college provost, to become the college’s new president and to help solve the mystery of $900,000 in missing endowment money. The investment committee’s chairman just happens to be Joe Betts, Mark’s old friend. Even with the demands of his new position Mark continues to have nagging doubts about his friend Steve’s guilt and begins to probe into the case. He is also falling in love with Dr. Farr’s daughter Taylor, who is troubled by events in her past. There was good character development throughout the entire book and even though I began to guess the conclusion toward the end, it did not make it any less thrilling by the time I reached the riveting conclusion.
    • 4/5
      This was a new author for me to read. Just not my genre of late, but I read it for a book group and that is why I enjoy a good book group, you read stuff you wouldn't normally pick up. The story line was written at a good pace and the intense stuff came at the end with a twist I didn't see coming! The characters were easy to follow and believable. I always love to read books based on historic colleges, and the small towns that encompasses them.
    • 3/5
      Life is too short...did not finish this one...solution was too easy to figure out.
    • 1/5
      I picked this book up at my local library, only seeing the last name Patterson hoping it was by James Patterson. Seeing that this book was written by another author, I decided to give this book an honest try, and I just couldn't get into the book at all. The author skipped around a lot without really explaining himself how he got to point a to c, and then jumped back to point b, with really rough transitions.
    • 3/5
       The Spire is a departure from the usual intense issue-focused legal thriller by Richard North Patterson. This "mystery" suspense novel is no real mystery. The killer is obvious.Mark Darrow is about to graduate high school with no real prospects. Having lived with his friend Steve's family since his mother's death, Mark feels alone and lonely. Lionel Farr, a local university professor, takes an interest in Mark and offers him a full scholarship to Caldwell College. After a party during his senior year, Mark finds the body of a classmate, Angela Hall, on his way home, and his friend Steve is convicted of her murder.Flash forward 16 years. Mark is a rich and successful lawyer who just lost his wife in a car accident. The college president has been accused of embezzling $1 million, and Farr asks Mark if he would consider the position. Moving back to the Caldwell campus brings back memories of that horrific time. Mark still can't believe his friend is guilty and starts his own investigation.The dialogue was stilted and off kilter. The mystery itself was super simple. The supposed misdirection was incredibly obvious. This was not one of Patterson's best.
    • 5/5
      Mark Darrow leaves his small town, moves to Boston and becomes a successful lawyer. At the request of his mentor, he returns to Wayne, Ohio and soon becomes the president of Caldwell College, and embrolied in issues that become entangled in a 16 year old strangulation murder for which his best friend was convicted.I have to admit that I had a pretty good idea who the murderer might be early on, but Patterson did a great job making it look like someone else.This tale began a little slow and I felt there was a tad too much time spent in people's heads, especially the protagonists, but this is a psychological thriller and thus the author stayed true to the genre.Except for a couple places where information already presented was repeated and unnecessary clarification provided, it was an enjoyable read.
    • 2/5
      If this only Richard North Patterson book I've read is typical, then the guy must be a pulp factory. The story grabs you slightly from the beginning, but as it goes on it becomes less and less satisfying as the flaws become clear. Here are the flaws: First, each character seems to have exactly the same personality and way of communicating. Each converses in the same glib fashion. Each tries to be funny and clever in conversation, but falls short. (Example: a recovering alcoholic is asked by a waiter what he wants to drink. "Chateau Perrier", he responds. "I hear May was a good month." Second, the characters act in unbelievable ways. Without giving anything away, the lead character, Mark, is a lawyer who asks personally and clearly damaging questions of people he hasn't seen in years as he works to unravel the core mystery. Rather than tell him to take a flying leap, as would be there right to do, they give detailed and potentially incriminating responses with no adequate motivation.Third, It becomes clear early on that the author is following the mystery genre formula of hinting at one suspect before bringing in the actual suspect from left field. So, as a reader who has seen this formula over and over and over again in books and on TV and movies, you look for the least obvious person and expect that he/she will be the one. In this case, only one person fits that description and so you see before the book is half finished where it is going to end up.Fourth, the author at the 4/5 mark seems to have become bored with his own story and so just rushes the reader through a path of implausibles to finish things up. And the finish is very unsatisfying.I will never read another book by this author. He compares very unfavorably with the likes of John Grisham and Ken Follet who are much more adept at believable character and plot development in the same genre.I must say, I'm astounded by the number of positive reviews, particularly since most agree with some of my criticisms, namely thet the solution to the mystery is obvious from the start. I can only conclude that these reviewers do not have high enough standards or expectations and would urge them to read some other authors in the genre to see how well it really can be done.
    • 5/5
      Loved this book. I haven't read Richard North Patterson for a while, but I'm glad I picked this up.Mark Darrow is given a scholarship to play football in college via Lionel Farr, a professor at the college who for some reason, takes it upon himself to act as the boy's mentor. Mark agrees if Lionel can possibly arrange to extend a scholarship to his best friend, Steve, whose family he has been living with the past few years.Mark gets the education he has only dreamed of and has planned to go on to law school. Shortly before he and Steve are about to finish college, a girl is found murdered and his friend goes to prison for the crime.Years have passed and Mark returns to the college to take up the position of president per Lionel's request. Mark has never accepted that his friend is a killer and begins to investigate the murder for which his friend has already served 15 years.I found the characters and plot interesting--in fact, I downed this book in about a day.
    • 3/5
      Not as good or as suspenseful as some of his other books
    • 4/5
      Mark, a boy from a poor upbringing is given an opportunity for a football scholarship at a local midwestern college. At the end of his senior year, he finds the body of another scholarship winner, Angela, a young black woman. He had last seen this woman leaving a party celebrating his final college football achievement on the arm of his best friend, Steve. As Mark leaves for Ivy-league law school, Steve is taken to jail. As Mark becomes a rich attorney, Steve is convicted of murder.Years pass. Mark loses his wife and unborn child to an accident. He returns to the college that gave him his start to help the college recover from the recent embezzlement of a great deal of money from the alumni trust fund. He goes to visit Steve, then starts to think again about the night Angela died. He begins asking questions.Well-done thriller, if a bit predictable.
    • 3/5
      Patterson's latest revolves around Mark Darrow, a lawyer who owes his current life and career to his football scholarship and to his professor, Lionel Farr. Now, years later, Farr calls on the recently-widowed Darrow to give back to his alma mater, asking him to return as the college's president and rebuild its reputation. I have to say that of all of Patterson's thrillers, this was the least, well, thrilling. It was a little too predictable, a little too pat.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book because it was different than what I normally read and different from what I expected. It wasn't a suspenseful book in that the action was taking place as I read. It was more in retrospect. Written this way worked for this book and made the love story part of the novel that much more poignant. I wasn't sure how that was going to work with this book, but it really did. At the end, I liked how it all tied together. This book is very well written. While not something that is totally 'drop everything and read this' it's still really good. It touches on a tough topic; race. Not only that, but interracial dating, and then murder. The main character, Mark is incredibly interesting. His broken home made him lean to anyone who would show an interest in him. So, when Farr approaches and helps him get in to college, Mark adopts this man and strives to be someone. He ends up being an incredibly smart lawyer, perfect for this book and all that his return to Caldwell needs. Overall, I'd like to read other books by this author. This book would make a great book club read because of the issues that he brings into the book. Not to mention his skill in weaving the story together between murder and love. Liked it a lot!
    • 4/5
      I consider RNP one of the masters of the character-driven thriller. Here, he gets away from the politics of his last few books and takes us to a small college campus (a particularly compelling venue for me). Mark Darrow is being called back to the place where he found himself, Caldwell College. The current president is caught up in an embezzlement scandal, and Darrow, now a corporate lawyer, is being asked to take his place.It’s not exactly a happy reunion. Darrow has had his share of personal tragedy, and returning to campus brings back the memories of an awful murder that his best friend was convicted of. He is supposed to be devoting his time to pulling the college out of its doldrums, but instead he can’t stop himself from trying to prove his friend’s innocence. And along the way, well, he just happens to fall in love with his mentor’s daughter.I like how RNP gives every character a secret. No one is black and white, even the most minor character. The story does turn out to be a little predictable… I realized who the bad guy was going to be almost immediately, and the final confrontation is a giant cliché that you expect as soon as the location is declared. But all of that doesn’t take away from another winning story.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book by Richard North Patterson that I have read, and I will read more! I enjoyed this mystery and the characters. Mark Darrow returns to his former college as its President and has to deal with two mysteries -- finding out if the former President really did embezzle money, and dealing with a murder that occurred on campus 16 years earlier when he attended as a student. The outcome became predictable part way through, but still enjoyable to see why and how it would be resolved.
    • 5/5
      This author is one of my favorites and I particularly like the diversity of his writing. WIth this book he returns to his psychological suspense thriller and as usual does a sensational job with the character and plot development. This book had me hooked from page 1 and I could not put it down. I am ready for his next book.
    • 4/5
      I received this book and an Early Reviews edition and I was very pleased with it.Richard North Patterson writes a psychological suspense thriller that allows the reader to be slowly drawn into the story and pretty soon you can't put the book down.Amurder occurred in this small Ohio college town 16 years ago, and in present day, its continued without further violence, but a crime has occurred, and the college faculty reaches out to an amumni whose talents can save them. Next thing we know, the current crime starts to appear related to the 16 year ol murder and the story begins its suspenseful journey of unraveling both.I enjoyed it and I recommend this to true mystery fans.
    • 4/5
      I think I’ve been living under a rock, I’ve never read anything by Richard North Patterson before. And I know I’ll be looking for more books by him. Patterson’s way of plotting the storyline was excellent. I had an inkling about 2/3 of the way through the book on who the murderer really was, and even though I ended up being right, I really liked the way the author lead the protagonist to the moment of discovery. It was very subtle and I found myself thinking, “C’mon, Mark, pay attention…it’s *****” (I don’t want to give it away, hence the ****) And Mark did pay attention, it a carefully nuanced fashion, not so slowly as to make this reader yell at the book, “Mark…. you’re stupid…. focus Pinky, focus…”, but quietly, steadily and effectively. It was so effective, that even though I swore I knew “whodunit”, I still had niggling thoughts I might be wrong. And that’s a great writing ability, to pull in the reader, make us think we know what’s going on, and yet still keep us guessing until the very end. The Spire by Richard North Patterson is a terrific read that I don’t hesitate to recommend.
    • 3/5
      Richard North Patterson, acclaimed for his character-driven political thrillers, makes a departure from the major issues of previous novels like Eclipse and Exile and turns out a straightforward campus mystery in The Spire.Mark Darrow has made millions practicing law after graduating on a football scholarship from Caldwell College, a fictional but familiar-seeming formerly Christian school in small-town Ohio. Sixteen years later, his alma mater is asking for his help. The school is embroiled in a financial scandal involving its president, and Lionel Farr, Darrow’s mentor and the school’s provost, asks Darrow to return to Caldwell to fill the now empty position. Darrow agrees, but upon his return, he quickly finds that all is not well at the little college.The story follows Darrow as he adapts to his new job, but between fundraising calls to prominent alumni and meetings with faculty, he finds time to investigate not only the financial scandal for which the former president was ousted but also a 16-year-old murder for which his best friend is still serving time. For some reason, no one in town, from the police chief to the local attorney, seems to think it the least bit odd that the new college president would be investigating a murder that took place a decade and a half earlier.As a mystery, The Spire mostly succeeds. Patterson does a good job of setting up multiple plausible suspects early on, and the ending delivers a predictable but satisfying twist. But the story, while interesting, is flawed by uncharacteristically careless writing. The transitions between story elements are jarring at times, and much of the book’s first half contains confusing memories of memories and flashbacks within flashbacks. The plot is frequently interrupted by lengthy sections of dialog that, while they serve to build character depth, are largely unsupported by any real drama in the story.Like most of this author’s books, the story is told from a purely secular viewpoint, and the objectionable content that exists stems from that fact. It is either interesting or unfortunate, depending on one’s point of view, that Caldwell, a purportedly Christian institution, exists in such an environment that things like rampant drug and alcohol abuse and even a professor’s affair with a student are viewed as wrong only insofar as they affect the school’s reputation among wealthy alumni.For all its problems, however, this book was still penned by one of the great fiction authors of our time. So while it falls short of the bar set by Patterson’s best-sellers of previous years, it nevertheless manages to be compelling right to the final page.
    • 4/5
      Mark Darrow returns to his alma mater, Caldwell College, to help out old friend and mentor, Lionel Farr. The school is trying to recover from the embezzlement of $900,000 by the the current president. When Darrow was a student at Caldwell he discovered the body of Angela Hall, murdered, at the base of the spire. His best friend, Steve Tillman, is serving a life sentence for the murder. Darrow has never believed that Steve was capable of murder. Not only is Mark trying to learn his new job, he is also trying to investigate a murder that is sixteen years old, and is having a relationship with Taylor Farr, the daughter of Lionel Farr.I really enjoyed this book by Richard North Patterson. It is intriguing, well-written, and suspenseful. I really didn't figure the whole thing out until I got to the end, so it surprised me. The back and forth between the present and the past is very well done, not confusing at all. I also liked the love story, it really added to the story for me.
    • 5/5
      Three thumbs up. A really great read. A mystery, thriller and romantic story all mixed into one excellent story. I must add that I have read other Patterson books before but I enjoyed this one the most. Thanks.
    • 4/5
      Mark Darrow returns to his alma mater to help the troubled college get back on track. As president of Caldwell College, his primary role is to navigate the campus through the financial and public relations crisis catalyzed by embezzlement by the previous president. Underlying the college's hardship is the murder of a minority scholarship student years before; a crime for which Mark's college friend is now serving time. In this small town, many of the same people who were part of the murder investigation are now involved in dealing with the embezzlement. As Mark investigates both crimes, details emerge that cause Mark to question everything he believes about both crimes. This book is a refreshing return to vintage Richard North Patterson. The relationships between characters is well developed and believable. Patterson captures the culture of the small campus and community, including the tensions that often arise between town and gown. Each character seems essentially good, but with flaws just big enough for the reader to believe that they could be involved in one crime or the other (or in some cases, both). Just when I'd decide "he did it," another piece of information would be revealed and I'd think "no,HE did it." RNP kept me guessing until the end. The rich characters and setting, along with an interesting mystery make this book a page turner. Patterson should write more psychological thrillers...he does it very well!
    • 4/5
      Thank goodness Mr. Patterson has returned to the psychological suspense novel. This genre, I believe is his specialty. I found myself captivated from the first few pages. The Spire refers to the daunting bell tower located on the campus of Caldwell College. It is the story of 17 year old Mark Darrow, star high school athlete but mediocre student, who is befriended and mentored by Dr. Lionel Farr, a philosophy professor at Caldwell. Dr Farr arranges for both Mark and his best friend Steve Tillman to obtain athletic scholarships to Caldwell. Unfortunately Steve suffers a knee injury which ends his college football career. One night in November, after throwing four touchdown passes; Mark becomes the hero of the night and as part of his celebration Mark was allowed to ring the bell in the Spire. His celebration of his big night is forever changed the next morning by his discovery of the murdered body of Angela Hall, a black female student near the Spire. The night of the celebration, Mark’s friend Steve and another friend Joe Betts are involved in a fight, are both seen with the victim, are both drunk, and Steve doesn’t seem to remember what happened. All evidence points to Steve; he is tried, and convicted to life in prison. Steve seemed o have genuinely liked Angela, unfortunately prior racial statements he made helped to seal his fate, in addition he may also have had inadequate counsel. Her murder sparks racial tensions and tarnishes the integrity of the college. Mark knows something about that night that does not share with the police or with his friend Steve thinking that what he knows might somehow make things worse for his friend. He consequently does not attend the trial and moves on with his life, going on to law school and becoming a successful criminal attorney. Sixteen years after graduation, Mark is asked by his mentor Dr. Farr, now the college provost, to become the college’s new president and to help solve the mystery of $900,000 in missing endowment money. The investment committee’s chairman just happens to be Joe Betts, Mark’s old friend. Even with the demands of his new position Mark continues to have nagging doubts about his friend Steve’s guilt and begins to probe into the case. He is also falling in love with Dr. Farr’s daughter Taylor, who is troubled by events in her past. There was good character development throughout the entire book and even though I began to guess the conclusion toward the end, it did not make it any less thrilling by the time I reached the riveting conclusion.
    • 3/5
      The book begins with the thrilling final seconds of a college football game when our hero, a senior playing in his last game, throws the winning touchdown and is chosen, according to tradition, to climb the trademark tower of the title and ring the bell in celebration. Sixteen years later Mark Darrow is a successful Boston attorney asked to return to his alma mater as president to help Caldwell College through an embezzlement scandal. His former mentor, hugely instrumental in shepherding Darrow from an abusive family to college and into life, is now the powerful provost asking his help. Darrow -- Mark, not Clarence -- is mourning the death of his wife and unborn child and agrees, grateful to the provost and the school for his chance in life. Additionally, Darrow is still concerned about a murder committed the night of the football victory. His closest friend was sentenced to life in prison for the death, but Darrow has always had questions about his friend's guilt. While dealing with the embezzlement and all the other responsibilities of a college president, Darrow finds the time to visit his old friend in prison, to begin investigating the old crime, and to become involved with the provost's rather troubled daughter, now 28, who is trying to reestablish a relationship with her father, and whom Darrow remembers from his college days as a lovely, precocious chiild. Darrows' investigations lead him to the truth -- ah, we knew he'd succeed! -- but not before a couple of wrong turns. Although the writing is not particularly noteworthy and some of the characters are almost place-holders -- particularly the dead wife -- Patterson's skill at leading us to dreadful suspicion keeps us guessing until nearly the end