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Aloysius Pendergast #13
White Fire
Special Agent Pendergast arrives at an exclusive Colorado ski resort to rescue his protégée, Corrie Swanson, from serious trouble with the law. His sudden appearance coincides with the first attack of a murderous arsonist who--with brutal precision--begins burning down multimillion-dollar mansions with the families locked inside. After springing Corrie from jail, Pendergast learns she made a discovery while examining the bones of several miners who were killed 150 years earlier by a rogue grizzly bear. Her finding is so astonishing that it, even more than the arsonist, threatens the resort's very existence.
Drawn deeper into the investigation, Pendergast uncovers a mysterious connection between the dead miners and a fabled, long-lost Sherlock Holmes story--one that might just offer the key to the modern day killings as well.
Now, with the ski resort snowed in and under savage attack--and Corrie's life suddenly in grave danger--Pendergast must solve the enigma of the past before the town of the present goes up in flames.
Drawn deeper into the investigation, Pendergast uncovers a mysterious connection between the dead miners and a fabled, long-lost Sherlock Holmes story--one that might just offer the key to the modern day killings as well.
Now, with the ski resort snowed in and under savage attack--and Corrie's life suddenly in grave danger--Pendergast must solve the enigma of the past before the town of the present goes up in flames.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2013
1281 people are currently reading
12037 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Preston
216 books13.3k followersDouglas 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.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
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.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,470 reviews
February 23, 2020
After a break of many years I returned to my favourite series of old. It was a superb read. In my opinion this is the absolute highlight in this series so far. Starting with a dialogue between Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle about a horrible story of a men eating Grizzly the authors switch into present time. Corrie Swanson tries to find out more about the skeletons of miners eaten by a grizzly. Soon she finds out that there was cannibalism involved and no bear attack. Where is the connection to the missing last Sherlock Holmes story Pendergast finds (brilliant part, hats off) and the series of arson in Roaring Fork, Colorado, where Corrie investigates the skeletons? What is the dark secret of the reigning family in town and their property? Why did some of the miners back then go mad and what is the reason for the term mad hatter? I couldn't put down that phenomenal and extremely compelling story. You'll find Pendergast and Sherlock Holmes in one novel doing their ingenious investigations. If you want to read only one book of this series this is it. Absoltutely recommended, a brilliant book!
April 17, 2018
Elementary, my dear Pendergast!
Modern day thriller combined with some classic Sherlock Holmes, Pendergast and crew travel from historic England to the ritzy slopes of Colorado's finest ski resort. The trail is full of bad decisions, corruption, PTSD, arrogant jerks, mysterious documents, and a blood-crazed grizzly bear. Somehow, it all fits together.
Fans of the Pendergast series will find many similarities between this book and Still Life With Crows. I can't touch on why too much without spoilers, but I will say you will either love it because you loved that one, or, you might think they are a little too much alike. While it didn't really bother me, a couple of times I thought that the storylines were getting awfully close to each other.
I have said before - I believe on some of my previous Pendergast reviews - that you could probably read this alone without reading the series, but I think you are doing yourself a disservice if you skip the rest of the series.
In summary - White Fire - not your typical Pendergast story, but definitely brings back memories of earlier novels. Worth the ride - and it's a hell of a ride!
Modern day thriller combined with some classic Sherlock Holmes, Pendergast and crew travel from historic England to the ritzy slopes of Colorado's finest ski resort. The trail is full of bad decisions, corruption, PTSD, arrogant jerks, mysterious documents, and a blood-crazed grizzly bear. Somehow, it all fits together.
Fans of the Pendergast series will find many similarities between this book and Still Life With Crows. I can't touch on why too much without spoilers, but I will say you will either love it because you loved that one, or, you might think they are a little too much alike. While it didn't really bother me, a couple of times I thought that the storylines were getting awfully close to each other.
I have said before - I believe on some of my previous Pendergast reviews - that you could probably read this alone without reading the series, but I think you are doing yourself a disservice if you skip the rest of the series.
In summary - White Fire - not your typical Pendergast story, but definitely brings back memories of earlier novels. Worth the ride - and it's a hell of a ride!
January 17, 2020
This one has a touch of Conan Doyle and Holmes, some influence from Wilde, miners, forensic anthropology, crazy people, fires, hidden motives, murders most foul, secrets, and shoot outs in mines/ running in the dark as if your life depended on it....
ancestry and history vs new development and capitol.
Respect for the past and what is there must be taken for the truth WILL OUT.
ancestry and history vs new development and capitol.
Respect for the past and what is there must be taken for the truth WILL OUT.
October 12, 2020
You know what makes Thanksgiving turkey even better? My mom’s savory sage sausage stuffing, and not merely for its alliterative awesomeness.
Before I proceed, allow me to briefly recap: going back to Relic, I’ve been using food metaphors for Pendergast books. It’s disgusting and absurd, given that most of these books focus on serial killers, and the book in question at the moment features multiple instances of the delectable scent of barbecued human flesh. But, here we are anyway.
So, back to White Fire. Just like you can make meat better by stuffing an entirely different kind of meat inside of it (along with some bread), so, too, can you make a Pendergast story even better by stuffing a Sherlock Holmes story inside of it. You can also make it better than its immediate predecessors by focusing less on the melodrama of Pendergast’s personal life, which makes The Days of Our Lives look like an understated documentary. White Fire does both.
Come for the skiing, stay for the insanely terrifying arsonist and underhanded plot to cover up nefarious shenanigans. There’s a lot going down in the absurdly rich ski resort town of Roaring Fork, Colorado, and it’s up to Pendergast and his mentee, Corrie Swanson, to get to the bottom of it whether they want to or not. Like the best Pendergast stories, this one combines historical ties, archival sleuthing, present-day danger, crazy bad guys, ruthless bad guys, Pendergast using the full power of his deductive faculties, and a friend/ward/connection of Pendergast in danger.
Even better, rather than just drawing on Arthur Conan-Doyle’s most famous creation for inspiration, Messrs. Preston and Child tie the narrative into a fictitious event involving both Conan-Doyle and Oscar Wilde, even going so far as to pen their own original Sherlock short story, which plays a significant role in helping our heroes unravel the mystery of the flesh-barbecuing arsonist in Roaring Fork. And, they do a very fine homage—the story is spot-on both in tone and substance. It’s the delightful bit of sausage stuffed inside this succulent turkey of a tale.
I’m sure some Pendergastian loyalists will lament that mentions of his weird children (one of whom is psychotic and the other of whom is a Dickensian naïf) and erstwhile ward Constance are few and far between in this book; I, for one, welcomed the return to focusing just on the case, even if Pendergast is still dragging some heavy baggage with him.
Good show, old beans. Good show indeed.
Before I proceed, allow me to briefly recap: going back to Relic, I’ve been using food metaphors for Pendergast books. It’s disgusting and absurd, given that most of these books focus on serial killers, and the book in question at the moment features multiple instances of the delectable scent of barbecued human flesh. But, here we are anyway.
So, back to White Fire. Just like you can make meat better by stuffing an entirely different kind of meat inside of it (along with some bread), so, too, can you make a Pendergast story even better by stuffing a Sherlock Holmes story inside of it. You can also make it better than its immediate predecessors by focusing less on the melodrama of Pendergast’s personal life, which makes The Days of Our Lives look like an understated documentary. White Fire does both.
Come for the skiing, stay for the insanely terrifying arsonist and underhanded plot to cover up nefarious shenanigans. There’s a lot going down in the absurdly rich ski resort town of Roaring Fork, Colorado, and it’s up to Pendergast and his mentee, Corrie Swanson, to get to the bottom of it whether they want to or not. Like the best Pendergast stories, this one combines historical ties, archival sleuthing, present-day danger, crazy bad guys, ruthless bad guys, Pendergast using the full power of his deductive faculties, and a friend/ward/connection of Pendergast in danger.
Even better, rather than just drawing on Arthur Conan-Doyle’s most famous creation for inspiration, Messrs. Preston and Child tie the narrative into a fictitious event involving both Conan-Doyle and Oscar Wilde, even going so far as to pen their own original Sherlock short story, which plays a significant role in helping our heroes unravel the mystery of the flesh-barbecuing arsonist in Roaring Fork. And, they do a very fine homage—the story is spot-on both in tone and substance. It’s the delightful bit of sausage stuffed inside this succulent turkey of a tale.
I’m sure some Pendergastian loyalists will lament that mentions of his weird children (one of whom is psychotic and the other of whom is a Dickensian naïf) and erstwhile ward Constance are few and far between in this book; I, for one, welcomed the return to focusing just on the case, even if Pendergast is still dragging some heavy baggage with him.
Good show, old beans. Good show indeed.
November 15, 2018
Full review up!
White Fire is another excellent addition to the Pendergast series!
The book starts off in 1876 when Author Conan Doyle gets told a very upsetting story by Oscar Wilde at dinner one night. Oscar Wilde was on a American tour and stopped in Roaring Fork, CO during the tour and was told a tale of grizzly attacks by an old miner.
I loved the way White Fire starts since I love both Doyle and Wilde!
The book heads into present day and Corrie Swanson, a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice is looking for a thesis and case study for a scholarship. She comes across this old tale of eleven miners in Roaring Fork, CO getting killed by a grizzly bear. But what she uncovers is more then just a grizzly bear!
Pendergast comes into the story to save her case study since the town is trying to run Corrie out. The eleven miners were dug up without going through the proper channels and it’s affecting a billion dollar real estate deal. The owners of the land are greedy and corrupt.
I really loved the mystery of the old case concerning the eleven miners that got killed.
I loved when Pendergast and Roger Kleefisch, a Baker Street Irregular are in England and looking for the last, lost story of Sherlock Holmes. It had a wonderful feel of Sherlock and Watson when they were on this adventure. Wonderful touch!
The only issue I had with this book was with Corrie Swanson. She was a bit ungrateful at times for Pendergast’s help and felt she needed to do everything on her own. At the same time, I understood where she was coming from since she’s trying to stand on her own accord with this case study.
She’s a bit rebellious, hard headed and it felt like looking in the mirror at times! Hahaha
I loved her attitude at the end of the book though and all my sighing about her actions was forgiven. She’s just young and Preston and Child wrote this well.
And that ending?!! Just fantastic!!
White Fire is another excellent addition to the Pendergast series!
The book starts off in 1876 when Author Conan Doyle gets told a very upsetting story by Oscar Wilde at dinner one night. Oscar Wilde was on a American tour and stopped in Roaring Fork, CO during the tour and was told a tale of grizzly attacks by an old miner.
I loved the way White Fire starts since I love both Doyle and Wilde!
The book heads into present day and Corrie Swanson, a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice is looking for a thesis and case study for a scholarship. She comes across this old tale of eleven miners in Roaring Fork, CO getting killed by a grizzly bear. But what she uncovers is more then just a grizzly bear!
Pendergast comes into the story to save her case study since the town is trying to run Corrie out. The eleven miners were dug up without going through the proper channels and it’s affecting a billion dollar real estate deal. The owners of the land are greedy and corrupt.
I really loved the mystery of the old case concerning the eleven miners that got killed.
I loved when Pendergast and Roger Kleefisch, a Baker Street Irregular are in England and looking for the last, lost story of Sherlock Holmes. It had a wonderful feel of Sherlock and Watson when they were on this adventure. Wonderful touch!
The only issue I had with this book was with Corrie Swanson. She was a bit ungrateful at times for Pendergast’s help and felt she needed to do everything on her own. At the same time, I understood where she was coming from since she’s trying to stand on her own accord with this case study.
She’s a bit rebellious, hard headed and it felt like looking in the mirror at times! Hahaha
I loved her attitude at the end of the book though and all my sighing about her actions was forgiven. She’s just young and Preston and Child wrote this well.
And that ending?!! Just fantastic!!
December 4, 2013
Seeing Douglas Preston in person (twice) and Lincoln Child via Skype (once), I can’t help but be enthralled by the eccentricities of these two individuals, and the odd dynamic that must ensue from this powerful writing duo. So it’s hard not to see how Aloysius Pendergast might have developed from these two brilliant minds fully formed and ready for action. He’s odd and eccentric and intriguing and his dark suits never manage to get wrinkle, even when he’s bounding through snow drifts up to his chin or playing Russian roulette with a loaded revolver.
More than just Pendergast, though, WHITE FIRE filled its pages with entertaining characters and a few individuals from the days of yore. With Corrie Swanson leading the charge and immersing herself in skeletal remains and mining caves and mountain passes, this novel piles on roadblocks and adventures in equal measure, and then douses the remains in cans of kerosene. With stoic individuals stepping to the forefront and the interweaving of a story within a story, this novel moves forward as much as it lingers in antiquity. Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde and Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson weave through the pages, leaving footprints in white blankets and half-eaten meals behind.
The rush of adrenaline helped me maneuver from the first page to the last, the throttle easing just enough to keep me from overexertion, the pages pounding with the precision of a jackhammer. The vibrations echoed through my hands and all the way up my forearms, as I drove my snowmobile through the ensuing avalanche. The tight plot fit about as well as a snug pair of gloves, and I leaned my back from the resultant wind current, my teeth chattering and my feet stamping in protest.
If you don’t mind Pendergast avoiding the spotlight as opposed to standing in the limelight, acting more as a mentor than the lead investigator, and you enjoy your plots more tightly woven than a pair of mittens, you’ll probably find yourself enjoying this Colorado tale.
I received this book for free through NetGalley.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
More than just Pendergast, though, WHITE FIRE filled its pages with entertaining characters and a few individuals from the days of yore. With Corrie Swanson leading the charge and immersing herself in skeletal remains and mining caves and mountain passes, this novel piles on roadblocks and adventures in equal measure, and then douses the remains in cans of kerosene. With stoic individuals stepping to the forefront and the interweaving of a story within a story, this novel moves forward as much as it lingers in antiquity. Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde and Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson weave through the pages, leaving footprints in white blankets and half-eaten meals behind.
The rush of adrenaline helped me maneuver from the first page to the last, the throttle easing just enough to keep me from overexertion, the pages pounding with the precision of a jackhammer. The vibrations echoed through my hands and all the way up my forearms, as I drove my snowmobile through the ensuing avalanche. The tight plot fit about as well as a snug pair of gloves, and I leaned my back from the resultant wind current, my teeth chattering and my feet stamping in protest.
If you don’t mind Pendergast avoiding the spotlight as opposed to standing in the limelight, acting more as a mentor than the lead investigator, and you enjoy your plots more tightly woven than a pair of mittens, you’ll probably find yourself enjoying this Colorado tale.
I received this book for free through NetGalley.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
January 17, 2025
In the 13th thriller from the Pendergast series written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, readers get to know the grown-up Corrie Swanson even more than previous books. Not quite a protégé, she's become an integral part of Pendergast's life, and when she gets herself into trouble, the roguish FBI agent worms his way into a Colorado ski town to help rescue her from small-town politics and obnoxious wealth. Along the path, he discovers the grizzly murders have a connection to a long-lost book, the final Sherlock Holmes mystery as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (a somewhat true story) -- where Doyle shared a meal with another famous writer who helped him craft part of the character. I enjoyed this edition, perhaps not as much as the last few in the Helen trilogy arc, but as a stand-alone it had strong scenery, plotting and suspense. It's even inspired me to read more Sherlock Holmes when I catch up in this series. Pendergast is in my top five favorite characters because his ruthless sarcasm and wit, more intelligent than spiteful, offers brilliant dialog and character depth. While I missed his sidekick partner D'Agosta, there were similar characters who filled a bit of the gap... looking forward to the next one.
October 31, 2013
Preston and Child never cease to amaze and this book helps cement the fact that their Pendergast series remains to this day one of my top favorite series. do I really have to wait another year for another?
*Be on the lookout for a Q&A with the authors in the upcoming few weeks. I'll put links here, but it will be posted at Shelf Inflicted and a few other blogs! WITH A GIVEAWAY! :)
The RECAP:
Corrie Swanson needs to make a huge splash on her thesis, as she’s competing in John Jay College’s Rosewell Prize for Outstanding thesis and a junior, like her, has never won before. After a few failed attempts to pitch ideas to her advisor, a conversation with the College’s museum/library coordinator leads her to an interesting tale: Oscar Wilde, famed author, heard tales of bear attacks in Roaring Fork, Colorado, in which the bears devoured the victims. Thinking that she could provide a huge contribution to research in the area of animal markings left on bones, she forces her advisor’s hand into approval and sets out to the rich tourist trap of a town. The ski resort city, while at first seeming to be friendly and willing to lend her a hand, soon closes the proverbial doors on her. Things escalate, leaving Corrie in prison for a simple B&E, and Pendergast steps in. Good thing too, because Corrie’s discoveries reveal that it was something other than a bear that ate those miners a century before… and soon, a serial arson killer joins the fray. The slow burn becomes a raging fire and a race against time as three massive storylines, along with a Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle thread, reach an explosive, fiery finish.
The REVIEW
Wow, what a ride! This might just be my favorite entry to the series since Book of the Dead. Not to say there haven’t been some great books since the end of the Diogenes trilogy, but this one really raises the bar. Fast-paced, chock full of murders, Sherlock Holmes, shocking twists near the end, great new characters, and even a moment of Pendergast showing some real emotion.
There are three main storylines in White Fire.
1. Corrie’s thesis project, based around the bodies of 9 miners who had been killed and eaten by *something* in the 1870s, when the town was still a huge mining area rather than a ritzy ski resort -- and the powers controlling the town fighting against her solving the mystery.
2. A serial killer and arsonist, murdering townie after townie and burning their bodies and their homes, as Pendergast works with local law enforcement (who are in over their heads with said killer) to catch them as soon as possible.
3. The search for a lost Sherlock Holmes story that Conan Doyle wrote after hearing a disturbing tale from Oscar Wilde at a chance dinner meeting.
All three of them are done well and integrated seamlessly into one big novel. The ending is cringeworthy, in a good way… it will have you on the edge of your seat as you await the conclusion, which ties up well, and hopefully has brought a new character into our beloved cast of recurring players.
Overall, I give this story a 5 out of 5 stars. One of my favorite reads of the year, and one of my favorite entries of the series, right up there with Still Life with Crows, Book of the Dead, and my personal number one, Cabinet of Curiosities.
*I was provided an ARC for review by the publisher and Netgalley.
*Be on the lookout for a Q&A with the authors in the upcoming few weeks. I'll put links here, but it will be posted at Shelf Inflicted and a few other blogs! WITH A GIVEAWAY! :)
The RECAP:
Corrie Swanson needs to make a huge splash on her thesis, as she’s competing in John Jay College’s Rosewell Prize for Outstanding thesis and a junior, like her, has never won before. After a few failed attempts to pitch ideas to her advisor, a conversation with the College’s museum/library coordinator leads her to an interesting tale: Oscar Wilde, famed author, heard tales of bear attacks in Roaring Fork, Colorado, in which the bears devoured the victims. Thinking that she could provide a huge contribution to research in the area of animal markings left on bones, she forces her advisor’s hand into approval and sets out to the rich tourist trap of a town. The ski resort city, while at first seeming to be friendly and willing to lend her a hand, soon closes the proverbial doors on her. Things escalate, leaving Corrie in prison for a simple B&E, and Pendergast steps in. Good thing too, because Corrie’s discoveries reveal that it was something other than a bear that ate those miners a century before… and soon, a serial arson killer joins the fray. The slow burn becomes a raging fire and a race against time as three massive storylines, along with a Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle thread, reach an explosive, fiery finish.
The REVIEW
Wow, what a ride! This might just be my favorite entry to the series since Book of the Dead. Not to say there haven’t been some great books since the end of the Diogenes trilogy, but this one really raises the bar. Fast-paced, chock full of murders, Sherlock Holmes, shocking twists near the end, great new characters, and even a moment of Pendergast showing some real emotion.
There are three main storylines in White Fire.
1. Corrie’s thesis project, based around the bodies of 9 miners who had been killed and eaten by *something* in the 1870s, when the town was still a huge mining area rather than a ritzy ski resort -- and the powers controlling the town fighting against her solving the mystery.
2. A serial killer and arsonist, murdering townie after townie and burning their bodies and their homes, as Pendergast works with local law enforcement (who are in over their heads with said killer) to catch them as soon as possible.
3. The search for a lost Sherlock Holmes story that Conan Doyle wrote after hearing a disturbing tale from Oscar Wilde at a chance dinner meeting.
All three of them are done well and integrated seamlessly into one big novel. The ending is cringeworthy, in a good way… it will have you on the edge of your seat as you await the conclusion, which ties up well, and hopefully has brought a new character into our beloved cast of recurring players.
Overall, I give this story a 5 out of 5 stars. One of my favorite reads of the year, and one of my favorite entries of the series, right up there with Still Life with Crows, Book of the Dead, and my personal number one, Cabinet of Curiosities.
*I was provided an ARC for review by the publisher and Netgalley.
October 21, 2013
Not one of the better books from this team. Agent Pendergast takes a backseat to Corrie Swanson (from Still Life With Crows), his protege, and a student at John Jay College, majoring in criminology. She has to write a thesis and has stumbled on a series of grizzly bear maulings of miners in a Colorado mining camp, now turned into one of the priciest ski resorts in the country. At the same time, someone is targeting the homes and lives of these one-percenters, burning their houses down with the occupants bound and still alive inside. There's also a tie to Oscar Wilde and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the form of a lost Sherlock Holmes story that Pendergast intuits will be the key to solving the mystery of the bear maulings. It all adds up to a surprisingly dull mystery, with some of the worst characterizations I've read in a Preston/Child novel. Corrie Swanson, our protagonist, is particularly poorly-written and continually does dumb things, merely because the story requires her to. The mystery of who the serial arsonist is could be solved by a third grader. And why the writers felt the need to fictionalize Aspen as "Roaring Fork," is beyond me. Very disappointing novel, possibly the worst in the entire Pendergast series.
July 24, 2015
This book was really good, the story was very interesting and I love the connection to Arthur Conan Doyle. This is one of the best books in the series and I recommend it warmly!
As I never really enjoyed the Helen trilogy was I absolutely thrilled to finally read a Preston and Child book that had a really interesting and entertaining story. I was also glad that Corrie Swanson was back. She's a favorite character and I loved that she had a big part in this book!
As I never really enjoyed the Helen trilogy was I absolutely thrilled to finally read a Preston and Child book that had a really interesting and entertaining story. I was also glad that Corrie Swanson was back. She's a favorite character and I loved that she had a big part in this book!
August 19, 2024
A disappointment from a series I once loved!
WHITE FIRE places Corrie Swanson, Pendergast’s precocious protégé, at center stage while Pendergast lurks in his very typical quiet, understated fashion backstage or in the wings. Swanson, majoring in criminology at a prestigious university with hopes to ultimately enter the field of law enforcement and forensic pathology, has begun her thesis reviewing the remains of a group of Colorado miners presumably mauled and eaten by a marauding grizzly bear. Pendergast, in the meantime, is seconded by an overwhelmed local constabulary to assist in the investigation of a serial arsonist with the rather gruesome MO of binding his victims, dousing them in accelerant, and burning them alive. In the entirely expected fashion of virtually every suspense thriller ever written, the story lines ultimately close with one another to a single story line and a hard-hitting climax.
Rather promising premise, wouldn’t you say? Sadly WHITE FIRE fails to deliver the goods.
Corrie Swanson is an unconvincing heroine. In fact, with a laundry list of negative characteristics (she’s spoiled, narcissistic, self-entitled, immature, irresponsible, reckless, ungrateful, and flighty, not to mention self-assured and arrogant to an entirely unwarranted degree), she is an entirely unlikeable young women that it is difficult to root for. Pendergast, on the other hand, remains Pendergast but his persona has devolved into a completely transparent (and sadly derivative) pastiche of a modern Sherlock Holmes imported into the body of a southern US gentleman and FBI special agent. His usage, for example, of far eastern meditation techniques to mentally reconstruct and examine crime scenes effectively in real time as they unfold verges on ridiculous.
I’m not prepared to give up on the series and put paid to my love of Pendergast on the basis of a single disappointment but I certainly hope that BLUE LABYRINTH, next up in the series, returns to the form I’ve come to expect.
Paul Weiss
WHITE FIRE places Corrie Swanson, Pendergast’s precocious protégé, at center stage while Pendergast lurks in his very typical quiet, understated fashion backstage or in the wings. Swanson, majoring in criminology at a prestigious university with hopes to ultimately enter the field of law enforcement and forensic pathology, has begun her thesis reviewing the remains of a group of Colorado miners presumably mauled and eaten by a marauding grizzly bear. Pendergast, in the meantime, is seconded by an overwhelmed local constabulary to assist in the investigation of a serial arsonist with the rather gruesome MO of binding his victims, dousing them in accelerant, and burning them alive. In the entirely expected fashion of virtually every suspense thriller ever written, the story lines ultimately close with one another to a single story line and a hard-hitting climax.
Rather promising premise, wouldn’t you say? Sadly WHITE FIRE fails to deliver the goods.
Corrie Swanson is an unconvincing heroine. In fact, with a laundry list of negative characteristics (she’s spoiled, narcissistic, self-entitled, immature, irresponsible, reckless, ungrateful, and flighty, not to mention self-assured and arrogant to an entirely unwarranted degree), she is an entirely unlikeable young women that it is difficult to root for. Pendergast, on the other hand, remains Pendergast but his persona has devolved into a completely transparent (and sadly derivative) pastiche of a modern Sherlock Holmes imported into the body of a southern US gentleman and FBI special agent. His usage, for example, of far eastern meditation techniques to mentally reconstruct and examine crime scenes effectively in real time as they unfold verges on ridiculous.
I’m not prepared to give up on the series and put paid to my love of Pendergast on the basis of a single disappointment but I certainly hope that BLUE LABYRINTH, next up in the series, returns to the form I’ve come to expect.
Paul Weiss
April 4, 2025
I listened to the audio version of the book. I was so so on the last book and that was a year ago. I am not planning on giving up the series, but it is no longer a must read either. Pendergast seems to be a shadow of his former self till about midway through the book. I enjoyed the plot and found it plausible with a very good twist at the end. I rate the book 3.5* and round up. The reason it was not a true 4* read was Corry was a 1.5* character. It is difficult to enjoy a book with a character that you can't root for as Corry comes across as ungrateful and a bit too self-involved who makes rash decisions that a sane person would question...is this a good idea? The answer was always NO it is not!
November 15, 2018
Another Pendergast series book that does not disappoint. This is my favorite series across all genres right now. Only 3 more to catch up to the authors - exciting and disappointing at the same time! I enjoyed the classic connection to Sherlock Holmes in this book as well. I've always wanted to try reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's series, cant wait to pick that up as well.
September 13, 2023
Uitandu-te pe coperta a patra a acestei carti vei crede ca este vorba despre inca un thriller politist de duzina, dupa cum foarte multe apar in zilele noastre, insa nu este deloc asa. Cand incepi sa citesti romanul vei avea o surpriza foarte placuta inca de la prolog. Acesta ne transpune in 1889 si il avem in prim plan pe dr. Arthur Conan Doyle care se duce la Langham unde il intalneste pe editorul Stoddart si pe excentricul scriitor Oscar Wilde. Scopul intalnirii il reprezinta dorinta editorului de a-i face pe cei doi sa mai publice si alte carti, Conan Doyle ajungand sa promita astfel, ca va scrie povestea "Semnul celor patru" cu Sherlock Holmes iar Oscar Wilde se angajeaza sa scrie "Portretul lui Dorian Grey". "Printul decadentei engleze" ajunge sa-l impresioneze si sa-l tulbure pe Conan Doyle, relatandu-i o intamplare despre niste mineri din Roaring Fork pe care a auzit-o in timpul turneului din America.
Povestea se intoarce in zilele noastre unde o cunoastem pe Corrie Swanson, o studenta la osteologie medico-legala care-si scrie disertatia si este in cautarea unui subiect inedit. Ea gaseste o copie dupa jurnalul lui Conan Doyle in care este mentionata povestea lui Oscar Wilde. In jurnal se mentioneaza faptul ca 11 mineri sunt atacati si devorati de catre un misterios "urs carunt". Intrigata, ea se duce in Roaring Fork, acum o statiune montana de lux si porneste in cautarea oaselor. Facand mare zarva acolo, ajunge in scurt timp sa fie arestata. Agentul FBI Aloysius Pendergast va porni sa-si scoata protejata din inchisoare si sa investigheze straniul caz al minerilor dar si niste incendieri foarte ciudate care au loc in prezent acolo.
Mi-a placut foarte mult, romanul este dinamic, plin de actiune iar Pendergast este un personaj foarte masculin si enigmatic, de care e greu sa nu te indragostesti. Consider ca este un must-read pentru fanii scriitorului Conan Doyle si ai celebrului Sherlock Holmes, mai ales ca in interior gasim si o povestire cu Holmes si Watson, intitulata "Aventura de la Aspern Hall".
Desi e a 13-a carte din seria 'Pendergast', acest fapt nu este deloc cu ghinion, romanul fiind foarte interesant iar protagonistul sau, bine conturat, nepierzandu-si nimic din farmecul sau initial.
Povestea se intoarce in zilele noastre unde o cunoastem pe Corrie Swanson, o studenta la osteologie medico-legala care-si scrie disertatia si este in cautarea unui subiect inedit. Ea gaseste o copie dupa jurnalul lui Conan Doyle in care este mentionata povestea lui Oscar Wilde. In jurnal se mentioneaza faptul ca 11 mineri sunt atacati si devorati de catre un misterios "urs carunt". Intrigata, ea se duce in Roaring Fork, acum o statiune montana de lux si porneste in cautarea oaselor. Facand mare zarva acolo, ajunge in scurt timp sa fie arestata. Agentul FBI Aloysius Pendergast va porni sa-si scoata protejata din inchisoare si sa investigheze straniul caz al minerilor dar si niste incendieri foarte ciudate care au loc in prezent acolo.
Mi-a placut foarte mult, romanul este dinamic, plin de actiune iar Pendergast este un personaj foarte masculin si enigmatic, de care e greu sa nu te indragostesti. Consider ca este un must-read pentru fanii scriitorului Conan Doyle si ai celebrului Sherlock Holmes, mai ales ca in interior gasim si o povestire cu Holmes si Watson, intitulata "Aventura de la Aspern Hall".
Desi e a 13-a carte din seria 'Pendergast', acest fapt nu este deloc cu ghinion, romanul fiind foarte interesant iar protagonistul sau, bine conturat, nepierzandu-si nimic din farmecul sau initial.
December 22, 2013
This was not a Pendergast book of note. Too much Corrie and not enought Pendergast. He's why I wait for the next in the series. Corrie pretty much annoyed me from the get go. Whiney, self-absorbed and quite stupid. There also didn't seem to be the thought, depth and layers that there normally are. I figured out who the arsonist was a quarter, maybe, of the way into the book. I realize that they can't bring back the older characters, but if Corrie is going to be a predominant character, I may decide not to continue with this series. I did, however, really like the weaving of the Wilde/Conan-Doyle story. I understand that over time it becomes more and more difficult to keep a series fresh and interesting. The Pendergast series has been one of my ultimate favorites since Relic. Maybe it's time to retire Pendergast.
September 27, 2024
3.5 stars
Featuring Corrie Swanson, the young girl from an early book in the series and a personal favourite of mine: Still Life with Crows, this takes Pendergast to the terribly cold and rather inhospitable Rocky Mountains, where very rich people are hiding a very dark secret. The main focus is Carrie, who travels to Roaring Fork for her thesis project, a forensic investigation into a series of bear attacks which killed 11 miners in 1876. She's somewhat of an abrasive main character, though infinitely more grown up than her last appearance, showing a serious lack of respect for how much Pendergast has done for her. Coming to this realisation herself is the point of the story, but it still got my goat. Even so, her impulsivity and emotional volatility provide an effective contrast to Pendergast's icy calm, ensuring the mediation of both their working relationship and what they mean to each other, if anything, is challenging and full of misunderstandings. A process that gives the violent denouement a particularly strong note.
For the most part, the bit set in Roaring Fork is obvious if entertainingly brutal, but the real fun comes from the strange connection between Colorado cannibals and Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, and a lost Sherlock Holmes story. Sounds impossible, right? But it's cleverly done and I have nothing but praise for the fact that the authors managed to chuck an entire Holmes episode into the book. And why the hell not? They have a a thrillingly open minded attitude to what you're supposed to be able to do with a narrative and it lends a real sense of adventure to the reading experience.
A enjoyable way out of a reading slump but thanks to the time spent with the whiny and rather annoying Corrie, perhaps not a favourite.
Featuring Corrie Swanson, the young girl from an early book in the series and a personal favourite of mine: Still Life with Crows, this takes Pendergast to the terribly cold and rather inhospitable Rocky Mountains, where very rich people are hiding a very dark secret. The main focus is Carrie, who travels to Roaring Fork for her thesis project, a forensic investigation into a series of bear attacks which killed 11 miners in 1876. She's somewhat of an abrasive main character, though infinitely more grown up than her last appearance, showing a serious lack of respect for how much Pendergast has done for her. Coming to this realisation herself is the point of the story, but it still got my goat. Even so, her impulsivity and emotional volatility provide an effective contrast to Pendergast's icy calm, ensuring the mediation of both their working relationship and what they mean to each other, if anything, is challenging and full of misunderstandings. A process that gives the violent denouement a particularly strong note.
For the most part, the bit set in Roaring Fork is obvious if entertainingly brutal, but the real fun comes from the strange connection between Colorado cannibals and Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, and a lost Sherlock Holmes story. Sounds impossible, right? But it's cleverly done and I have nothing but praise for the fact that the authors managed to chuck an entire Holmes episode into the book. And why the hell not? They have a a thrillingly open minded attitude to what you're supposed to be able to do with a narrative and it lends a real sense of adventure to the reading experience.
A enjoyable way out of a reading slump but thanks to the time spent with the whiny and rather annoying Corrie, perhaps not a favourite.
January 1, 2016
First up I have to admit that I have not read any of this series about FBI Agent Pendergast. However, I don't think that matters as it seems to be an off-shoot of the series entered on Pendergast's protege, Corrie Swanson.
Corrie is a college student who decides to enter a competition for the best forensic study by doing an in depth examination of some recently exhumed bones of a group of miners killed and eaten by a bear in the Rockies. However, when Corrie examines the bones she finds that the marks left on them are not quite what she expected. When Corrie's investigations land her in trouble with the local Mayor and police, Agent Pendergast arrives on the scene to rescue her and is asked to stay on to investigate a series of house fires.
This was an entertaining read. There is an interesting connection with Arthur Conan Doyle who heard the grizzly tale of the miners. However, I didn't find Corrie a very likeable or believable character. She's whiny and self centred and frankly quite stupid in what are clearly dangerous situations. Agent Pendergast is an enigmatic character who seems to instil fear and respect into all who meet him so I do intend to go back and pick up the start of the series to read more about his cases.
Corrie is a college student who decides to enter a competition for the best forensic study by doing an in depth examination of some recently exhumed bones of a group of miners killed and eaten by a bear in the Rockies. However, when Corrie examines the bones she finds that the marks left on them are not quite what she expected. When Corrie's investigations land her in trouble with the local Mayor and police, Agent Pendergast arrives on the scene to rescue her and is asked to stay on to investigate a series of house fires.
This was an entertaining read. There is an interesting connection with Arthur Conan Doyle who heard the grizzly tale of the miners. However, I didn't find Corrie a very likeable or believable character. She's whiny and self centred and frankly quite stupid in what are clearly dangerous situations. Agent Pendergast is an enigmatic character who seems to instil fear and respect into all who meet him so I do intend to go back and pick up the start of the series to read more about his cases.
March 13, 2020
This is number 13 in the Pendergast series and another nail biter. Corrie Swanson one of Pendergast's associates is wanting to do forensic research as part of her studies at John Jay. She finds herself heading off to a mountainous former mining town called Roaring Fork now winter solace for the Hollywood wealthy wanting to get away and ski. The draw card for Corrie is researching a local legend that several miners had been killed and partially eaten by a grizzly bear.
As with all books in this series there is much more to the story and lots of blood and gore involved. Pendergast is drawn in when a local arsonist emerges and someone appears desperate to stop Corrie at any cost. What is so terrible about this past secret that has everyone on edge?
If you are new to the series start with book 1 Relic and persist for the first few in the series. I love it and cannot wait to read the next book!
As with all books in this series there is much more to the story and lots of blood and gore involved. Pendergast is drawn in when a local arsonist emerges and someone appears desperate to stop Corrie at any cost. What is so terrible about this past secret that has everyone on edge?
If you are new to the series start with book 1 Relic and persist for the first few in the series. I love it and cannot wait to read the next book!
December 6, 2018
Well, I have read all the previous books in this series. Some are better, some are worse. Unfortunately, this is not the better one. The whole series turns in some bizarre, a bit dull direction.
The story focuses on Corrie Swanson and Pendergast. Separately, they are not working together on a case most of the time, though Pendergast comes to Colorado to help Corrie arrested by the local police. And it’s a pity because maybe them working together could actually add some liveliness to this story. Instead, we end up with Corrie working ineptly on a case of a rogue grizzly bear victims killed more than 150 years ago and Pendergast working on a case of a long-lost Sherlock story.
And if you think that looking for a Sherlock Holmes story and that story itself is exciting, well, you are wrong. It is as monotonous as the whole thing. And let me say that Corrie is certainly an irritating heroine. She does some seriously stupid things in this book and drives the reader crazy with her attitude. She acts like a teenager she is not anymore. I didn’t remember her being so annoying.
I’m quite disappointed with this book and a bit upset. I feel like the whole series runs inevitably into some unexciting, ridiculous place with a few rather absurd plot-twists and no proper action. I’m less and less captivated by Preston and Child works.
The story focuses on Corrie Swanson and Pendergast. Separately, they are not working together on a case most of the time, though Pendergast comes to Colorado to help Corrie arrested by the local police. And it’s a pity because maybe them working together could actually add some liveliness to this story. Instead, we end up with Corrie working ineptly on a case of a rogue grizzly bear victims killed more than 150 years ago and Pendergast working on a case of a long-lost Sherlock story.
And if you think that looking for a Sherlock Holmes story and that story itself is exciting, well, you are wrong. It is as monotonous as the whole thing. And let me say that Corrie is certainly an irritating heroine. She does some seriously stupid things in this book and drives the reader crazy with her attitude. She acts like a teenager she is not anymore. I didn’t remember her being so annoying.
I’m quite disappointed with this book and a bit upset. I feel like the whole series runs inevitably into some unexciting, ridiculous place with a few rather absurd plot-twists and no proper action. I’m less and less captivated by Preston and Child works.
December 20, 2018
I wasn't a huge fan of the Helen Trilogy, and I was unsure of this one in the beginning because Pendergast seemed to be very much on the periphery of the story... but in the end, I didn't have to worry. There's plenty of Pendergast to keep things feeling familiar, and I liked exploring his relationship with Corrie (makes me want to go back and read Still Life with Crows again). I was amused that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes played such a key role in the story, considering that Pendergast is so much like Holmes himself.
You can read an extended review on my blog:
Review: White Fire
(review copy received via NetGalley)
You can read an extended review on my blog:
Review: White Fire
(review copy received via NetGalley)
February 27, 2018
White Fire is a juicy mystery wrapped in Sherlockiana, with a pseudo-Sherlock Holmes story to boot. It is basically Preston and Child's acknowledgement of the fact that Pendergast has drawn heavily from Holmes.
This story has all the classic Pendergast elements going for it - a bunch of gory killings, an isolated place, some returning characters, great writing and Pendergast is not being as much of a dick as he's being lately. But, a couple of things bothered me. The first issue is how the final act relies on the stupidity of a main character to advance (which feels like lazy writing to me) . The second is a Hardy Boys type ending where we think someone is killed but is not actually. This plot device has been used repeatedly in the series and it bugs the hell out of me.
But still, on the whole, this book is great.
This story has all the classic Pendergast elements going for it - a bunch of gory killings, an isolated place, some returning characters, great writing and Pendergast is not being as much of a dick as he's being lately. But, a couple of things bothered me. The first issue is how the final act relies on the stupidity of a main character to advance (which feels like lazy writing to me) . The second is a Hardy Boys type ending where we think someone is killed but is not actually. This plot device has been used repeatedly in the series and it bugs the hell out of me.
But still, on the whole, this book is great.
May 2, 2023
Impetuous college student Corrie Swanson is arrested in Roaring Fork, CO for descrecrating caskets while conducting research for her college thesis. She faces a ten-year sentence and the end of her forensic career. When Special Agent Pendergast learns of his apprentice's incarceration, he arrives in the ski resort community and with his usual penarche succeeds in having the charges dropped. Shortly after her release, the two find themselves embroiled in the investigation of a serial arsonist and murderer.
I would recommend that a reader considering "reading" this book to listen to it instead. I found the audiobook entertaining since it included sound effects, e.g., background music, footsteps, ski mobile motor sounds, etc. When I first began listening to it as I was walking the neighborhood, I was startled by a sound before I realized that it was the sound of a carriage on a cobblestone road arising from my earbuds. This was the first book in this series to achieve my limited five-star rating. I attributed this to the well-crafted plot, the references to Arthur Conan Doyle and inclusion of a Sherlock Holmes story, and, of course, the narration of the actor Rene Auberjonois, who is considered by many to be THE voice of Aloysius Pendergast. When Mr. Auberjonois narrated tense moments of the story, I found myself responding in a fight-or-flight manner. The best of the thirteen novels read thus far!
I would recommend that a reader considering "reading" this book to listen to it instead. I found the audiobook entertaining since it included sound effects, e.g., background music, footsteps, ski mobile motor sounds, etc. When I first began listening to it as I was walking the neighborhood, I was startled by a sound before I realized that it was the sound of a carriage on a cobblestone road arising from my earbuds. This was the first book in this series to achieve my limited five-star rating. I attributed this to the well-crafted plot, the references to Arthur Conan Doyle and inclusion of a Sherlock Holmes story, and, of course, the narration of the actor Rene Auberjonois, who is considered by many to be THE voice of Aloysius Pendergast. When Mr. Auberjonois narrated tense moments of the story, I found myself responding in a fight-or-flight manner. The best of the thirteen novels read thus far!
June 28, 2020
Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde and a fabled lost tale of Sherlock Holmes holding the key to the mystery. What could be more delightful to read? Oh, of course, having the eccentric, vastly intelligent and formidable Special Agent Pendergast back in action.
I always turn to these books when I needed to take a break from heavier reads (even fantasy qualifies as such given the amount of worldbuilding involved). And they never fail to thoroughly entertain with ease. Pendergast is an immensely compelling and complex character, and although sometimes one needs to suspend disbelief at the things he can and could do, this is an integral part of his appeal and also part of the fun of reading these books.
Only thing which detracted this book from a higher rating is that the story revolved around Corrie Swanson. Her silly impetuousness and disrespect towards Pendergast in this story was aggravating to say the least.
I always turn to these books when I needed to take a break from heavier reads (even fantasy qualifies as such given the amount of worldbuilding involved). And they never fail to thoroughly entertain with ease. Pendergast is an immensely compelling and complex character, and although sometimes one needs to suspend disbelief at the things he can and could do, this is an integral part of his appeal and also part of the fun of reading these books.
Only thing which detracted this book from a higher rating is that the story revolved around Corrie Swanson. Her silly impetuousness and disrespect towards Pendergast in this story was aggravating to say the least.
July 19, 2023
An interesting idea, some documentary work, a good and alert pace, but there are quite a lot of minuses:
- Carrie is full of "qualities": naughty, selfish, lying, ungrateful and impulsive, not at all a person to rely on
- almost all of secondary characters are unpleasant ones, with or without reason: Carbone, Chivers, Marple
- the so-called Conan Doyle short story loses almost all its value as Holmes does the most illogical fact by walking deliberately in the night, by foot and unarmed in a perilous murder area
- Pendergast's (what a name...) visit in Montebello's house and the subsequent fire and theft of the file are more than PATHETIC; so is the Russian roulette episode
- the final is much too apocalyptic for my taste
So average is the name and three stars are more than enough...
- Carrie is full of "qualities": naughty, selfish, lying, ungrateful and impulsive, not at all a person to rely on
- almost all of secondary characters are unpleasant ones, with or without reason: Carbone, Chivers, Marple
- the so-called Conan Doyle short story loses almost all its value as Holmes does the most illogical fact by walking deliberately in the night, by foot and unarmed in a perilous murder area
- Pendergast's (what a name...) visit in Montebello's house and the subsequent fire and theft of the file are more than PATHETIC; so is the Russian roulette episode
- the final is much too apocalyptic for my taste
So average is the name and three stars are more than enough...
January 29, 2014
Good jumping on point for new readers of the Pendergast novels as this is a stand alone novel.
August 2, 2024
“I can't see it”
“On the contrary, Corrie-- you see everything. You must be bolder in drawing your inferences”
Seem kinda like something Holmes might way to Watson? More so than usual – the Holmes references are far less subtle in this story than others in the series. In White Fire the imaginary worlds of Holmes/Pendergast are interwoven in a very interesting way. (I intentionally picked a similar quote from Doyle to lead into my review of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)
White Fire begins with a reenactment of the fateful night when Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde were invited to a dinner party where the host was trying to get them to contribute stories for Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. Wilde's story was 'The Picture of Dorian Gray” and Doyle's was “The Sign of the Four”. I had first heard about this meeting while I was reading a compilation of all the Holmes stories and this was mentioned in the introduction to 'The Sign of the Four'. Having read that a few years back thought it was fascinating to have it pop up in a Pendergast novel.
How can this possibly tie into a Pendergast story? Well, that would be telling 😀 There are Holmes references and quotes throughout the story. Some of which I had just read as I was inspired to pick a new Pendergast off my TBR as I was reading 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” and I thought... “I haven't read any Pendergast in a while... I need to jump back into that series” Little did I realize how much the 'next' Pendergast was linked with Holmes.
Another fun bit I came across while reading "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" was that one short story “The Five Orange Pips” mentioned a Major Prendergast. Then... a few stories later in "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor" there was another character... Aloysius Doran. My working theory is that P&C may have combined these two minor Doyle characters as an inspiration for Pendergast's name (well... two of the names anyway). I couldn't find anything to back this up... but that's my working theory 😀 (Of course, I thought Wheel of Time author Robert Jordan might have gotten his pen name from the character Robert Jordan from Hemingway's “For Whom the Bell Tolls” - I was wrong on that one – haha, but I saw other internet articles speculating the same.)
Anyway.. back to Pendergast. This story is actually one of the more straightforward of the last few of his I have read. It was all pretty plausible. It also didn't feature as many of the characters from the growing Pender-verse... it was just him and Corrie Swanson.
It was a fun read though. I rather liked the story-within-a-story. That aspect of it kind of reminded me of Stephen King's “Wind Through the Keyhole”. I had not heard of the Cottingley Fairies before this. I had to look that up. There was also a new character introduced as well I'm thinking may make a reappearance later on.
----
Personal aside: I am currently planning a trip to the east coast and with short stops in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston for a few days each. Somewhat inspired by this story... I have made reservations to eat at the Oscar Wilde restaurant in NYC. I couldn't resist 😀
“On the contrary, Corrie-- you see everything. You must be bolder in drawing your inferences”
Seem kinda like something Holmes might way to Watson? More so than usual – the Holmes references are far less subtle in this story than others in the series. In White Fire the imaginary worlds of Holmes/Pendergast are interwoven in a very interesting way. (I intentionally picked a similar quote from Doyle to lead into my review of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes)
White Fire begins with a reenactment of the fateful night when Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde were invited to a dinner party where the host was trying to get them to contribute stories for Lippincott's Monthly Magazine. Wilde's story was 'The Picture of Dorian Gray” and Doyle's was “The Sign of the Four”. I had first heard about this meeting while I was reading a compilation of all the Holmes stories and this was mentioned in the introduction to 'The Sign of the Four'. Having read that a few years back thought it was fascinating to have it pop up in a Pendergast novel.
How can this possibly tie into a Pendergast story? Well, that would be telling 😀 There are Holmes references and quotes throughout the story. Some of which I had just read as I was inspired to pick a new Pendergast off my TBR as I was reading 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” and I thought... “I haven't read any Pendergast in a while... I need to jump back into that series” Little did I realize how much the 'next' Pendergast was linked with Holmes.
Another fun bit I came across while reading "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" was that one short story “The Five Orange Pips” mentioned a Major Prendergast. Then... a few stories later in "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor" there was another character... Aloysius Doran. My working theory is that P&C may have combined these two minor Doyle characters as an inspiration for Pendergast's name (well... two of the names anyway). I couldn't find anything to back this up... but that's my working theory 😀 (Of course, I thought Wheel of Time author Robert Jordan might have gotten his pen name from the character Robert Jordan from Hemingway's “For Whom the Bell Tolls” - I was wrong on that one – haha, but I saw other internet articles speculating the same.)
Anyway.. back to Pendergast. This story is actually one of the more straightforward of the last few of his I have read. It was all pretty plausible. It also didn't feature as many of the characters from the growing Pender-verse... it was just him and Corrie Swanson.
It was a fun read though. I rather liked the story-within-a-story. That aspect of it kind of reminded me of Stephen King's “Wind Through the Keyhole”. I had not heard of the Cottingley Fairies before this. I had to look that up. There was also a new character introduced as well I'm thinking may make a reappearance later on.
----
Personal aside: I am currently planning a trip to the east coast and with short stops in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston for a few days each. Somewhat inspired by this story... I have made reservations to eat at the Oscar Wilde restaurant in NYC. I couldn't resist 😀
July 25, 2017
This is part of the Agent Pendergast series but this one can be read as a stand alone novel. In this one, Corrie is writing a thesis for college. She discovers a group of old grizzly attacks that took place in Roaring Fork, Colorado. She goes there to look over the bones and there is more to these killings than a grizzly attack.
I have said this before that Agent Pendergast is truly a fascinating character. In my opinion, the last several books have veered away from what makes him one of the best fictional characters. This book reverts to the older books and his true nature. There are three different story arcs in this book. The first is with Corrie and her thesis. The second is of an arsonist in Roaring Fork. And the third has to do with Sherlock Holmes. While reading I had my doubts of these three independent arcs in one book but the authors tied all three in with each other beautifully. The Sherlock Holmes arc is concerned with a fictional lost manuscript of that character. The authors take liberty and write their own Holmes short story. I loved this aspect as there was a story within a story. I liked it so much I plan to visit that character in the near future.
This book reminded me of the early entries in this series and I am so glad for this. Pendergast is back to being his old self of cunning, smugness, and being ten steps ahead of everyone else (the modern day Holmes?). This series works best when it involves a scientific reason behind a fantastical mystery and throw in action scenes for a perfect mix. This book does this and I loved every second of it.
I have said this before that Agent Pendergast is truly a fascinating character. In my opinion, the last several books have veered away from what makes him one of the best fictional characters. This book reverts to the older books and his true nature. There are three different story arcs in this book. The first is with Corrie and her thesis. The second is of an arsonist in Roaring Fork. And the third has to do with Sherlock Holmes. While reading I had my doubts of these three independent arcs in one book but the authors tied all three in with each other beautifully. The Sherlock Holmes arc is concerned with a fictional lost manuscript of that character. The authors take liberty and write their own Holmes short story. I loved this aspect as there was a story within a story. I liked it so much I plan to visit that character in the near future.
This book reminded me of the early entries in this series and I am so glad for this. Pendergast is back to being his old self of cunning, smugness, and being ten steps ahead of everyone else (the modern day Holmes?). This series works best when it involves a scientific reason behind a fantastical mystery and throw in action scenes for a perfect mix. This book does this and I loved every second of it.
June 3, 2019
So so..... there was a clumsy re-telling of the classic story, "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and not a whole lot else. Several favorite characters were missing. There was none of the usual humor or fantastic creativity of this author duo. Pendergast seemed tired. Corrie Swanson was annoying. Maybe this series is past its prime?
Update 5/20/19: Re-reading this with my daughter this time. It will be interesting to see if I gain a new perspective and enjoy a better reading experience. 6/3/19 My daughter says that this felt like a bridge book to tie the series together through the various storylines. Like me, she did not enjoy the re-telling of Baskerville story. Additionally, she felt the mystery of the book was a bit lame. However, it kept us entertained through a long flight and deserves 3***
Update 5/20/19: Re-reading this with my daughter this time. It will be interesting to see if I gain a new perspective and enjoy a better reading experience. 6/3/19 My daughter says that this felt like a bridge book to tie the series together through the various storylines. Like me, she did not enjoy the re-telling of Baskerville story. Additionally, she felt the mystery of the book was a bit lame. However, it kept us entertained through a long flight and deserves 3***
November 29, 2013
4.5 stars.
This story seemed--to me--a refreshing change back to the "old-style" Pendergast. His character seemed to regain much of his beloved "superiority" and unerring instincts that were sadly lacking from some previous books. Although I'm not a fan of Corrie Swanson (with the exception of her debut in STILL LIFE WITH CROWS), her character didn't bother me quite as much or "detract" unnecessarily from the overall narrative.
Also pleasant to note was that this was a stand-alone novel, and not the start of yet another trilogy. I really enjoy most of the Preston/Child novels, and hope that the authors continue to develop Pendergast's character as the enigmatic force that he started out as, through additional non-series novels.
Recommended!
This story seemed--to me--a refreshing change back to the "old-style" Pendergast. His character seemed to regain much of his beloved "superiority" and unerring instincts that were sadly lacking from some previous books. Although I'm not a fan of Corrie Swanson (with the exception of her debut in STILL LIFE WITH CROWS), her character didn't bother me quite as much or "detract" unnecessarily from the overall narrative.
Also pleasant to note was that this was a stand-alone novel, and not the start of yet another trilogy. I really enjoy most of the Preston/Child novels, and hope that the authors continue to develop Pendergast's character as the enigmatic force that he started out as, through additional non-series novels.
Recommended!
December 11, 2013
Sheesh. I have long been a fan of Pendergast. I mean, I think I may have a little crush on him- so I'm willing to suspend disbelief (he's a bit unreal) and put up with a bit of nonsense (it's genre thriller, nothing literary at all). But. This book utterly failed to live up to my expectations. I read it in two sittings and felt as it focused more on the protege than on Pendergast. The horror felt flat and the who-done-it aspect was not there. It pains me to think that this series may be on the decline, after 13 books - most of which I've enjoyed thoroughly even when it got all woo-woo with the mystical traditions and all that.
Anyway, don't waste your time buying this. Borrow it from the library- the money would be better spent on a few five dollar milk shakes.
Anyway, don't waste your time buying this. Borrow it from the library- the money would be better spent on a few five dollar milk shakes.
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