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Cold Vengeance (Pendergast #11)

by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, Rene Auberjonois (Narrator)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 6,644 ratings · 824 reviews

Devastated by the discovery that his wife, Helen, was murdered, Special Agent Pendergast must have retribution. But revenge is not simple. As he stalks his wife's betrayers-a chase that takes him from the wild moors of Scotland to the bustling streets of New York City and the darkest bayous of Louisiana-he is also forced to dig further into Helen's past. And he is stunned...more

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Published August 2nd 2011 by Hachette Audio (first published 2011)

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Aug 10, 2011 AMessyRenaissance rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I did not really enjoy this installation of the Pendergast series. It's not that it's badly written, but the authors are really starting to move Pendergast's character and plot lines into the conspiracy theory thriller genre. While I love a good conspiracy thriller, what I loved about Pendergast was the archeology, science, museum settings, New York City and New Orleans settings and Holmesian feel.

None of that is evident in the new Pendergast. He even goes so far as to make multiple glaring mist...more I did not really enjoy this installation of the Pendergast series. It's not that it's badly written, but the authors are really starting to move Pendergast's character and plot lines into the conspiracy theory thriller genre. While I love a good conspiracy thriller, what I loved about Pendergast was the archeology, science, museum settings, New York City and New Orleans settings and Holmesian feel.

None of that is evident in the new Pendergast. He even goes so far as to make multiple glaring mistakes (and frankly the mistakes are predictable plot points, maybe that's his problem) that he mocks himself for. He's all over the world, hunting stags in a marsh, finding a World War II Nazi conspiracy and shooting half a dozen men on a boat with magically placed gymnastics and bullets and other feats of spy thriller action rather than his previous Holmesian and seemingly magical insights into human habit, psychology and history. And I know I should be for character development, but I want smart Pendergast back...not good shot Pendergast.

One thing I was super happy to see is that they brought back Corrie Swanson from Still Life with Crows. She's probably one of my favorite characters in the series and I've been wondering about her. Constance is also back, as well as a continuance of the characters picked up in Cold Fever.

I was also irritated that this book is set up as a cliffhanger, for no particularly good reason. The book isn't that long and not that much happens in it beyond a hunting accident and the aforementioned slaughter on the boat. It's complete exposition, with far too much inner monologue, apparently to set up for what I hope is a thrilling finale. But there's nothing in here that demanded such time or explanation that it couldn't have been a completed story.

I had hoped with Gideon's Sword getting their apparent penchant for action adventure/conspiracy thrillers out of their systems, that the two authors would return Pendergast to his New York City or New Orleans history settings and deal with the urban monsters that thrilled me so much in the beginning. Apparently, that isn't going to happen anytime soon. I'm ready for this particular trilogy to be over.(less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay, take notice, I gave this book 4 stars, I like the Pendergast books... I give this preamble because I'm going to say some things that could be taken as negative. But they're not so negative that I didn't enjoy the book.

First let me say, I'm not a died in the wool Preston/Child fan (and why in the listing above does Child get short shrift?)[When I first wrote this, for some reason only Preston's name was listed]. I've read books written by them individually which I found (in my opinion) rang...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Mihir rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Original review over at Fantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Cold Vengeance is the second book in the Helen Pendergast trilogy that began with Fever Dream last year. I very much enjoyed the new twist envisioned by the authors as Pendergast begins to re-examine his past and find out about his wife. This move was a brilliant one by the authors and Fever Dream rekindled many a jaded fan back into Pendergast’s throes.

This book begins almost immediately after the events of the last book. Penderga...more
Original review over at Fantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Cold Vengeance is the second book in the Helen Pendergast trilogy that began with Fever Dream last year. I very much enjoyed the new twist envisioned by the authors as Pendergast begins to re-examine his past and find out about his wife. This move was a brilliant one by the authors and Fever Dream rekindled many a jaded fan back into Pendergast’s throes.

This book begins almost immediately after the events of the last book. Pendergast has gone hunting with his brother-in-law Judson Esterhazy, things soon go awry and Pendergast is forced to go underground perhaps a second time in his life (the first time was around the events of the Diogenes trilogy). For things are definitely what they seem and this time around even the ever-doughty Vincent D’Agosta can’t be of much help. Things soon take a turn for the unexpected as Corrie Swanson begins her investigation into Pendergast’s absence. Aiding her in cause is Vincent D’Agosta who is slowly recovering from the events of the previous title. On a separate track Ned Betterton is a investigative reporter who fills in the void left by Bill Smithback in Preston-Child world and lastly there is the continuation of Constance’s storyline from the events of the previous few books and we get a viewpoint from Dr. John Felder which helps the reader in knowing more of what is developing.

Thus with such a convoluted storyline, the authors plunge the readers into a morass of storylines wherein nothing is as it seems and Pendergast is even more bewildered than he was shown in the previous volume. The basic storyline is about Helen Pendergast, the long-thought-to-be dead wife of agent Pendergast, however things and plots have been unearthed which make it seem that Helen was murdered and did not die in a hunting accident. This book not only validates that theory but pushes forward a new one which will further shock Pendergast as well as the readers.

The authors have to be congratulated for not only twisting the reader’s perceptions but also backing it up with a tremendous story which does not stop shocking the reader while maintaining its pace and potential. This story’s pace is one which does not allow any time for the reader to pause and collect their thoughts as it carries the reader forward through out. The re-appearance of fan-favorite characters of Corrie Swanson & Vincent D’Agosta further helps in engaging the reader as Pendergast is not often present on the scene of action. It’s very difficult to discuss the details of the plot as even the smallest points are spoiler-ish and therefore its best if the readers themselves come across these points in their reading journey. Among the book’s finer facets are the side plots, which do not detract any attention from the main plot and keep the readers, further engrossed in trying to figure out how it will all end?

The most surprising thing of the book is how assured the authors seem to be in an environment wherein their comfort level is at its zenith, earlier this year the same duo had released Gideon’s Sword and its very hard to believe that both the books were written by the same people in almost an overlapping time period. The difference between both books is startling in terms of plot, characterization and plot twists and is unfathomable. Another remarkable aspect of this book is that even though this is the middle book of the trilogy, it does not show any such signs. It rushes towards the climax while keeping the reader guessing and goes on to deliver not one but two explosive revelations which will have massive repercussions in Pendergast’s world.

This book does not get any better than the pervious excellent thrillers like Reliquary, Cabinet of Curiosities, Riptide, etc. from these virtuoso masters. Not only will it invigorate the series but will go on to gain more fans for the series as many readers who haven’t read the previous series titles can readily start reading the books from Fever Dream and thus will still be enchanted by the world and the characters created by Messrs. Preston & Child.

CONCLUSION: An excellent thriller, "The Dark Knight" to its predecessor and an out-and-out page-turner. Preston & Child have written a fiendishly clever book and inserted enough surprises in it to flummox the most veteran readers and with an ending even more devious than all their previous ones; next year cannot come soon enough for the final book and the resolution to the mystery of Helen Pendergast.(less)

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Sep 21, 2011 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-thriller, fiction, library-book, read-in-2011

The latest of the Pendergast books is actually the second in a sequence within the overall series. In Fever Dream, Pendergast (and the reader) learned of the strange death of the agent's wife at the hands of her brother. Now that brother is going after Pendergast and also hinting at some long-running cabal behind the Esterhazy's lives.

There is much mayhem, vengeance in multiple directions, and misdirection, as Pendergast attempts to learn the truth about his wife. People from past novels return...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Beth Allen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Congratulations to me!

This is the first book I'v been able to finish since being laid up with a respiratory infection (and having to get to work most days).

Cold Vengeance tells a fast-paced, solid story, picking up where Fever Dream left off.

FBI Agent Pendergast, still haunted by the murder of his wife Helen, discovers that his brother-in-law is the keeper of some monstrous secrets. Pendergast's search for the truth leads him into some dangerous situations, as always, with his colleague Lt. D'Ag...more

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Nov 06, 2011 RunRachelRun rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another book picked up at Barnes & Noble on Saturday night.... buy books, people!

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Sep 29, 2012 Mi Camino Blanco added it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

El pecualiar personaje creado por Preston y Child, el agente especial Pendergast, está más cerca que nunca de descubrir lo que pasó con su mujer. Confieso que me gusta más el Pendergast entregado a una investigación corriente, qué éste centrado en un caso personal, pero el libro me parece que sigue la tónica de los anteriores y mantiene el interés a pesar del tiempo.
Además, descubrir a un Pendergast más humano, con sentimientos y debilidades es también un punto de interés que merece la pena exp...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Rebecca Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: challenge-11, favorites

Preston-Childs fans unite, but be warned. This book is best read with the others underneath your belt. A least the one before it, Fever Dream, if you want to understand this one. The other ten if you want the full impact. Do not pick this book up going, ‘Oh! A week-end beach read!’ This is not a beach read. If you want knitting patterns and recipes, the cozy mysteries section is out back.

Once again Preston and Child both grasp the mysterious aspects of their most memorable characters, this time...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: preston-child

Special Agent Pendergast has been in my life since I was a teenager, and I've followed his adventures through to my thirties. Like Corrie Swanson from Still Life With Crows, I too shared an admiration for the elusive FBI agent. However, through the series he has grown from an aloof and scrupulously scientific investigator to a man very nearly teetering on the edge of whatever is left of his sanity.

FEVER DREAM began the epic journey deeper into Pendergast's psyche as he realized his wife, Helen,...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having just finished this book I was very thrilled with it. And I have to acknowledge that I read it in about 3 days. It kept me moving through it. But after reading a few reviews I also find that there were things missing in this book that first got me into the books. First of all a large portion of this book was actually written from Judson Esterhazy's point of view. Which is not new. Several of the previous books treat Pendergast as if he is an unreadable character. We are often left watching...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Estibaliz79 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2 1/2

La verdad es que, contra lo que pueda parecer llegados a este punto, no es que sea una gran fan de la serie de Pendergast, de Lincoln y Child o del propio agente especial. Simplemente, encuentro que es una lectura fácil, amena y sin complicaciones. De hecho, llega un punto en el que los autores han repetido tantas veces fórmula y esquema que todo se vuelve bastante predecible y hasta un tanto cansino (gran palabro).

Dicho de otra forma: más de lo mismo, con lo que de bueno y de malo ello con...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Matt Schiariti rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought Fever Dream was one of the best Pendergast books to land in a while so I was hoping that Cold Vengeance could at least come close. At first I was a little worried when I saw that on average it rated just above three stars here on amazon but as I got into the book I couldn't put it down.

This novel is about 90% Pendergast which to some could either be good or bad. I've seen mention made by some reviewers saying that Pendergast reads best when he's interacting with his, how shall we say,...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am beginning to feel like Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs have an ever-other –book gift. When their book is as much about New York City and all of it inherent madness as it is about the gradual unraveling of Agent Pendergast and his supporting cast, they can’t be beat. But this is twice now the book seems to lose all the flare of the city and just get caught up in Pendergast’s almost-super-powers, and even this girl can’t suspend my disbelief. Believe me folks, that is saying a lot, I can g...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite-series

“I still love the creativity of the Pendergast character enough that I will keep reading books that focus on him. That said, however, I don't enjoy the whole storyline of Pendergast trying to find his wife, whom he has thought for 10 years had died in a lion attack in Africa right in front of his eyes, as much as I do when he is solving murders and investigating other people's cases.

This outing is entirely centred around Pendergast's discovery through an extremely convoluted series of events, th...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If some of the previous Pendergast novels have left you scratching your head, I feel that in this one, many questions are beginning to be answered. I was kind of left hanging with Constance Green and the Helen story line, and to be honest, not interested in either one, because I love the Pendergast of old where he was like a mix of Twilight Zone and X Files. Those are the great ones, Relic, Cabinet, Crows, Brimstone, those are such stay up late and read books. When Constance came around, I wasn'...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Paula rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cold Vengeance by Preston and Child

I can’t believe I read this whole book, and I still don’t know what happened to Helen. The previous book left me in shock as I read the scenario of Helen’s attack by the tiger and her death.

Helen’s husband, Pendergast, a FBI special agent, is in the highlands of Scotland hunting with Helen’s brother, Judson Esterhazy and before he shoots Pendergast point blank in the chest, tells him Helen is still alive. Prendergast is still mourning the death of Helen more th...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Eilonwy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cold Vengeance solid continuation of the story that began in Fever Dream, following Agent Pendergast's attempt to find out what really happened to his wife 15 years previous. I definitely recommend reading Fever Dream first-- there are so many references and continuations that without you'll be lost. In fact, if you read FD when it first came out, you may even want to revisit it first, to reacquaint yourself with characters and events so that this new investigation makes sense.

There are a lot o...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Michael Knudsen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Special Agent Pendergast is one of my favorite characters in contemporary fiction. So here's why Cold Vengeance only gets 3 stars: This is the first of this particular cycle of novels that really feels like just an installment. Not only do you KNOW you're not going to get a decent resolution to this book, but you know it from the beginning. This would be fine if you're lucky enough to be reading the whole series after its publication, but argh, this is one of those cliffhangers we readers could...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-reads

Chronologically this story picks up a few weeks after the conclusion of “Fever Dream”. Aloysius has once again come to grips with his beloved wife’s death and once again feels he has not much to live for. His brother-in-law is more than happy to try and make that particular wish come true. As Pendergast fights for his life we are given glimpses into what really happened to Helen, and could she, really, still be alive?

I found this book a bit lacking in the idiosyncrasies that make Pendergast, wel...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Kerry rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, thriller

The book has an excruciatingly slow start, although got slightly better after a while. I found myself skipping paragraphs and pages to get to the "meat" of the story, which unfortunately, isn't very substantial. A lot of terrible things have happened, but nothing terribly significant. Everything is built up to lead to the cliffhanger at the end of the book. It seems like this is going to be the infamous "middle book slump" of a typical trilogy.

What I love most about the Preston & Child book...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Joanna (J.F.Penn) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Full video review here => http://mysterythriller.tv/cold-vengea...

Special Agent Pendergast is an awesome hero, perhaps because he is just a bit odd and his family are a bunch of nutters, both living and dead. Pale and interesting with deep knowledge of arcane mystery and unorthodox ways of investigation, Pendergast is the anti-Bond. There is no sexual tension, but a lot of thinking and cleverness which makes for a more interesting story.

This is the 11th in the Pendergast books and although...more Full video review here => http://mysterythriller.tv/cold-vengea...

Special Agent Pendergast is an awesome hero, perhaps because he is just a bit odd and his family are a bunch of nutters, both living and dead. Pale and interesting with deep knowledge of arcane mystery and unorthodox ways of investigation, Pendergast is the anti-Bond. There is no sexual tension, but a lot of thinking and cleverness which makes for a more interesting story.

This is the 11th in the Pendergast books and although not my favourite so far, it still has many aspects that will satisfy fans. I have read all the books and am a fan of the more supernatural themes especially in the Diogenes trilogy, but that storyline is mostly tied up. Although we do hear about Pendergast’s strange ward Constance and her child in this book so there are snippets of past plot threads, but I must warn Pendergast fans, this is definitely not the last book in the series. It ends with another cliffhanger. But onto the review of this specific book.

The book opens with a deer hunt in Scotland with Pendergast and his brother in law, Judson Esterhazy. This has some brilliant descriptions and you get a real sense of the remote moors. No time for scenery though as the pair both intend to double-cross the other. Pendergast is desperate to know why Esterhazy murdered Helen, his own sister and Pendergast’s wife. In his turn, Esterhazy wants to silence Pendergast and leaves him to die in a sucking bog with the words that Helen is actually still alive.

That sets the scene for the book which is partly about how Pendergast survives and his tracking down of Esterhazy and his investigation of the mysterious Covenant. There is also the kidnapping of Constance from the asylum and the trap set by a team of assassins. Meanwhile, the eclectic friends of Pendergast try to help him, the goth law student Corrie finding top secret Nazi documents along the way. Shades of Mengele, death camps, experimentation on twins and Nazi baddies suggests a Nazi eugenics plot for the next book.

Overall, the book is a must for Pendergast fans as it continues the series at a good romping pace, but if you are new to Lincoln & Child then do start at the beginning and work through them. I don’t think you would understand much if you read this with no knowledge of the back story. But I highly recommend them all if you like action-adventure with a (mostly) supernatural twist.

(less)

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Sep 15, 2011 L-J Johnson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What have they done to Pendergast?!? I'm not liking this stereotypical action stud the authors are turning him into. Where are the strange mysteries, haunted hallways of museums, Pendergast's both cerebral and mystical take on the world? And that this particular storyline - Pendergast investigating his wife's accidental death/murder/disappearance from 12 years prior - is going to take three books is just ridiculous! I'm tired of novels just stopping, with no ending at all. This wasn't that long...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Kristin (MyBookishWays Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, mystery-crime

You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/09/...

My favorite enigmatic FBI agent,Aloysius Pendergast,is back,and he’s determined to find out what really happened to his wife,Helen,in Africa,where she supposedly died at the jaws of a vicious lion. Cold Vengeance starts off with a bang,with Pendergast on a hunting expedition in Scotland with his brother in law,Judson Esterhazy. Esterhazy tries to do away with Pendergast,but,if you’re familiar with this series,then you know...more You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/09/...

My favorite enigmatic FBI agent,Aloysius Pendergast,is back,and he’s determined to find out what really happened to his wife,Helen,in Africa,where she supposedly died at the jaws of a vicious lion. Cold Vengeance starts off with a bang,with Pendergast on a hunting expedition in Scotland with his brother in law,Judson Esterhazy. Esterhazy tries to do away with Pendergast,but,if you’re familiar with this series,then you know Pendergast is tough to kill,very tough,and it’s going to take more than a silly murder attempt to stop him. When D’Agosta,cop and dear friend to Pendergast,learns of the attempt on his life,he insists on traveling to Scotland to help,and Corrie Swanson (Still Life With Crows),also lends a hand back in New York. Constance Green plays a significant part in this book as well,and there will be revelations about her and her past. Esterhazy isn’t exactly a walk in the park,but we also meet a villain that puts him to shame. Pendergast is single minded in his mission to find out the truth,and he’ll employ all of his cunning and genius to do so. He’s also not afraid to resort to a bit of blackmail to get his way.

The authors put Pendergast through the physical ringer in this one,but he bounces back in typical Pendergast fashion,and he’ll stop at nothing to root out the truth. Cold Vengeance is like a big onion,and I had a hell of a time peeling back the layers! The action never stops,and I had a really hard time putting this one down. Most of the Pendergast novels can be read individually,however,you really need to have read Fever Dream to get the most out of Cold Vengeance. There are more twists and turns than you can count,a sadistic villain,secret Nazi groups with shadowy agendas,action galore,and of course,a cast of characters that we’ve grown to love. I’ll drop everything to pick up a Pendergast book,and Cold Vengeance was no exception! I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book in this wonderful series!(less)

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Oct 29, 2011 Danny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The novels co-written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are my guilty pleasure books in the mystery and suspense section of the library. And the ones featuring Special Agent Pendergast are the best of the best, in my opinion.

He's mysterious. He's cultured. He's connected. He's droll. And he kicks butt. What's not to like?

Though I have to admit I liked it better when he would show up to save the day and then disappear into the shadows, like he did in his first appearances in Relic and its seq...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Riju Ganguly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Yesterday, after receiving the book at lunch-time, I had mentally resolved that it would have to be left for the weekend reading binge. Alas, like so many other resolutions, this one also begged to be broken, as the rains intensified outside and the night became eery. I began this novel at around 22-00 hrs , and by 02-00 hrs today morning, I was through. This "proves" that this book is a "read-until-it's-over" once you begin it, but if you wish to compare it with Preston-Child's golden standard...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 07, 2011 Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Though it can be read as a separate novel, the storyline begun in FEVER DREAM continues here. In that previous book, Pendergast learned that his beloved wife, Helen, killed twelve years before by a rogue lion when her rifle misfired, had in fact been murdered. The rifle, untouched by him or anyone else since the incident, is taken from the gun case for cleaning. He finds it loaded with blanks.

Pendergast is on a mission to find his wife's killer, a trek that takes him form Scotland to New York to...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-i-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 15, 2012 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sometimes, when an author I like has written a lot of books, I lose track of which ones I have read. I should have read Fever Dream before reading this one. I thought I had, but after starting Cold Vengeance I realized that it referred to many things that had happened in Fever Dream that I didn't know about. Still, not knowing exactly what happened previously did not ruin my enjoyment of this one.

Agent Pendergast continues to be an enigma. He has an almost supernatural bearing about him and seem...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Carolyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

I think from reading other reviews of this book, that I really am not able to judge this book. This is the first book I have read by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, and it appears that it is the second book of a trilogy. So, obviously, I need to go back and read the first book.

My second mistake was that I listened, or tried to listen, to the book on CD. It has been my experience that books with complicated plots are best read and not listened to on CD. Add to that the fact that I had not re...more

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About Douglas Preston

Douglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two fr...more Douglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two front teeth to his brother Richard's fist; and various broken bones, also incurred in dust-ups with Richard. (Richard went on to write The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event, which tells you all you need to know about what it was like to grow up with him as a brother.)

As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.

After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.

In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.

Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.

Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.

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Books by Douglas Preston

The Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast, #3)

Brimstone (Pendergast, #5; Diogenes, #1)

The Book of the Dead (Pendergast, #7; Diogenes, #3)

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“Already up to his waist in the quaking bog, Pendergast stopped struggling and stared up at his assassin. The icy glitter in the pale gray eyes spoke more eloquently of his hatred and despair than any words he might have spoken, and it shook Esterhazy to the core.” — 3 people liked it

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Cold Vengeance (Pendergast #11)

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