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Aloysius Pendergast #7
The Book of the Dead
Can FBI Special Agent Pendergast stop a cursed Egyptian tomb from terrorizing New York City -- or will he stay trapped in a maximum security prison, punished for a murder he didn't commit?
An FBI agent, rotting away in a high-security prison for a murder he did not commit...
His brilliant, psychotic brother, about to perpetrate a horrific crime...
A young woman with an extrodinary past, on th edge of a violent breakdown...
An ancient Egyptian tomb with an enigmatic curse, about to be unveiled at a celebrity-studded New York gala...
Memento Mori
An FBI agent, rotting away in a high-security prison for a murder he did not commit...
His brilliant, psychotic brother, about to perpetrate a horrific crime...
A young woman with an extrodinary past, on th edge of a violent breakdown...
An ancient Egyptian tomb with an enigmatic curse, about to be unveiled at a celebrity-studded New York gala...
Memento Mori
454 pages, Hardcover
First published May 30, 2006
1566 people are currently reading
9860 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 1,572 reviews
August 8, 2018
It’s been suggested (by me) that I am the James Beard of Pendergast reviewers, and I’m inclined to agree with me. Does that mean there should, similarly, be an award named after me? Yes. Yes it does. I propose “The Sean Gibson Terrible Food Metaphors for Books About Serial (Cereal) Killers Award.”
It all began with a somewhat dubious comparison of Relic to a hot dog and snowballed from there.
In keeping with tradition, once I finished The Book of the Dead, I climbed to the top of a tall mountain, closed my eyes, and meditated for seven straight days and seven straight nights to find the right comparison for this review. After climbing down from the mountain and cleansing myself of the detritus that had accumulated from having not moved to visit the bathroom for a week, I reached my conclusion: a Wendy’s Frosty.
For those of you who don’t know Wendy’s, it’s a fast food burger chain (akin to McDonald’s or Burger King) whose signature dessert item is a frozen chocolate-vanilla ice cream-like treat called a Frosty. It’s tasty, especially on a hot summer day. But, it’s not so much its deliciousness that makes it an apt comparison for The Book of the Dead. Rather, it is the Frosty’s distinctively singular taste.
You might assume that a simple concoction of chocolate and vanilla soft-serve ice cream would, while yummy, not be particularly memorable, and that you could approximate the taste of a Frosty in any number of ways, including by ordering a basic chocolate/vanilla twist cone from any roadside ice cream shop. If you did, however, you would be performing the proverbially damning act of making an ass out of u and me, because Frosties taste like nothing else. It’s a combination of their consistency, texture, maltiness, balance of chocolate and vanilla, and the slight hint of waxy plastic they pick up from the cups in which they’re served. In a blindfold taste test, I could pick out a Frosty every single time. It’s truly the most unique generic item I can think of.
And that, my friends, is where we’re at with the Pendergast series. On its face, it’s a series that features a modern-day Holmes knockoff in Pendergast, a Watsonian sidekick in the form of Vincent D’Agosta, and even a twisted Mycroft simulacrum in the form of Diogenes, with all the trappings of modern-day serial killer thrillers, ranging from advanced forensic techniques to absurd plot twists to stock supporting characters, particularly in the form of law enforcement officers and bureaucratic officials. And, yet, Lincoln and Child have created something utterly distinctive.
It may be, at least in part, the fact that they are just better than the majority of their peers when it comes to their technical skills—they are, to be sure, craftsmen of the highest order when it comes to plot, pacing, and overall story construction. They are also solid writers, and I say that not as a tepid endorsement of them relative to others working in the same genre; they truly are good. But, it goes beyond that as well. Perhaps it’s the chillingly creative origin of Pendergast and Diogenes, the interjection of horror elements across the series, the expert use of setting, or the blurry line between fantasy and reality; whatever the case, like a Frosty, the combination of all aspects of the series—elements that, taken individually, are neither remarkable nor especially original—transform it into something utterly distinctive and irresistible. Nowhere is that more evident than in The Book of the Dead.
If you ripped the cover off of this book and replaced the characters’ names with generic alternatives, you’d still know you we rereading a Preston and Child Pendergast book. This book features aspects of all of its predecessors—characters, locations, plotlines, tone, atmosphere…it draws on so much of what has come before, yet combines it all in a way that makes this book the perfect encapsulation of the series as a whole (thus far, at any rate). Sure, it’s got flaws—willing suspension of disbelief is perhaps more essential here than ever—but it’s entertaining as hell and, were it not for the last 50 pages or so, I’d call this 4.5 stars.
What happened over the last 50 pages? Well, imagine Wendy’s decided to offer 50 different Frosty flavors, ranging from mochi to lychee. It would be over the top and off-brand and completely unnecessary. That’s the last part of this book—I won’t include spoilers here, but let’s just say a heretofore meek character basically becomes a combination of Dwayne Johnson and Robocop and things just get utterly absurd. So, that gets us back to 4 stars.
This feels like the conclusion to the first major arc of the series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Messrs. Preston and Child have in store for our heroes going forward. In the meantime, I’d better start increasing the variety of my food intake so that I’m prepared to retain that awesome new writing award that we just decided to create in my illustrious honor.
Bon appetit.
It all began with a somewhat dubious comparison of Relic to a hot dog and snowballed from there.
In keeping with tradition, once I finished The Book of the Dead, I climbed to the top of a tall mountain, closed my eyes, and meditated for seven straight days and seven straight nights to find the right comparison for this review. After climbing down from the mountain and cleansing myself of the detritus that had accumulated from having not moved to visit the bathroom for a week, I reached my conclusion: a Wendy’s Frosty.
For those of you who don’t know Wendy’s, it’s a fast food burger chain (akin to McDonald’s or Burger King) whose signature dessert item is a frozen chocolate-vanilla ice cream-like treat called a Frosty. It’s tasty, especially on a hot summer day. But, it’s not so much its deliciousness that makes it an apt comparison for The Book of the Dead. Rather, it is the Frosty’s distinctively singular taste.
You might assume that a simple concoction of chocolate and vanilla soft-serve ice cream would, while yummy, not be particularly memorable, and that you could approximate the taste of a Frosty in any number of ways, including by ordering a basic chocolate/vanilla twist cone from any roadside ice cream shop. If you did, however, you would be performing the proverbially damning act of making an ass out of u and me, because Frosties taste like nothing else. It’s a combination of their consistency, texture, maltiness, balance of chocolate and vanilla, and the slight hint of waxy plastic they pick up from the cups in which they’re served. In a blindfold taste test, I could pick out a Frosty every single time. It’s truly the most unique generic item I can think of.
And that, my friends, is where we’re at with the Pendergast series. On its face, it’s a series that features a modern-day Holmes knockoff in Pendergast, a Watsonian sidekick in the form of Vincent D’Agosta, and even a twisted Mycroft simulacrum in the form of Diogenes, with all the trappings of modern-day serial killer thrillers, ranging from advanced forensic techniques to absurd plot twists to stock supporting characters, particularly in the form of law enforcement officers and bureaucratic officials. And, yet, Lincoln and Child have created something utterly distinctive.
It may be, at least in part, the fact that they are just better than the majority of their peers when it comes to their technical skills—they are, to be sure, craftsmen of the highest order when it comes to plot, pacing, and overall story construction. They are also solid writers, and I say that not as a tepid endorsement of them relative to others working in the same genre; they truly are good. But, it goes beyond that as well. Perhaps it’s the chillingly creative origin of Pendergast and Diogenes, the interjection of horror elements across the series, the expert use of setting, or the blurry line between fantasy and reality; whatever the case, like a Frosty, the combination of all aspects of the series—elements that, taken individually, are neither remarkable nor especially original—transform it into something utterly distinctive and irresistible. Nowhere is that more evident than in The Book of the Dead.
If you ripped the cover off of this book and replaced the characters’ names with generic alternatives, you’d still know you we rereading a Preston and Child Pendergast book. This book features aspects of all of its predecessors—characters, locations, plotlines, tone, atmosphere…it draws on so much of what has come before, yet combines it all in a way that makes this book the perfect encapsulation of the series as a whole (thus far, at any rate). Sure, it’s got flaws—willing suspension of disbelief is perhaps more essential here than ever—but it’s entertaining as hell and, were it not for the last 50 pages or so, I’d call this 4.5 stars.
What happened over the last 50 pages? Well, imagine Wendy’s decided to offer 50 different Frosty flavors, ranging from mochi to lychee. It would be over the top and off-brand and completely unnecessary. That’s the last part of this book—I won’t include spoilers here, but let’s just say a heretofore meek character basically becomes a combination of Dwayne Johnson and Robocop and things just get utterly absurd. So, that gets us back to 4 stars.
This feels like the conclusion to the first major arc of the series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Messrs. Preston and Child have in store for our heroes going forward. In the meantime, I’d better start increasing the variety of my food intake so that I’m prepared to retain that awesome new writing award that we just decided to create in my illustrious honor.
Bon appetit.
January 11, 2018
This was so good! I couldn’t put it down. Another epic thriller by the tag team of Preston/Child!
Okay, so here’s the thing. I can’t say too much on the plot of this book because it’s the third one in the Diogenes series. You would need to go to book #5 (Brimstone) to start the book trio between the Pendergast brothers.
Aloysius is an FBI agent and reminds me of Sherlock. Extremely intelligent, calm and resourceful. Minus the whole cocaine habit. Ha!
Diogenes is his brilliant, psychotic brother and he makes me think of Moriarty. And he HATES Aloysius.
Yeah you're right, they have some weird parents and relatives to give them those names!!
Now, they aren’t exactly like Sherlock and Moriarty in the books but it will give you an idea of the type of epic battle of wits between the two. They are both intelligent, brilliant and 5 steps ahead of us stupid people.
Back to the 7th book in the series and the 3rd book in the Diogenes series. Trust me, it might sound confusing but it’s not. Just start at Relic (1st book in the series) and read the books in consecutive order. I guess I am laying all the groundwork in this review so you do not start with this book. This is not a stand alone!
This book involves Egyptian curses, the prison system and love that turns into revenge and hate!
(Really, that's all that I can say about the plot without ruining book #5 (Brimstone) and #6 (Dance of Death)).
If you want action, suspense along with some creepy factors in a series, go read this series. I’ve enjoyed and loved every book so far! Each book has a great plot, excellent technical and science details along with memorable characters.
I’ve had such a fun time reading these books and damn do they get addicting!
Okay, so here’s the thing. I can’t say too much on the plot of this book because it’s the third one in the Diogenes series. You would need to go to book #5 (Brimstone) to start the book trio between the Pendergast brothers.
Aloysius is an FBI agent and reminds me of Sherlock. Extremely intelligent, calm and resourceful. Minus the whole cocaine habit. Ha!
Diogenes is his brilliant, psychotic brother and he makes me think of Moriarty. And he HATES Aloysius.
Yeah you're right, they have some weird parents and relatives to give them those names!!
Now, they aren’t exactly like Sherlock and Moriarty in the books but it will give you an idea of the type of epic battle of wits between the two. They are both intelligent, brilliant and 5 steps ahead of us stupid people.
Back to the 7th book in the series and the 3rd book in the Diogenes series. Trust me, it might sound confusing but it’s not. Just start at Relic (1st book in the series) and read the books in consecutive order. I guess I am laying all the groundwork in this review so you do not start with this book. This is not a stand alone!
This book involves Egyptian curses, the prison system and love that turns into revenge and hate!
(Really, that's all that I can say about the plot without ruining book #5 (Brimstone) and #6 (Dance of Death)).
If you want action, suspense along with some creepy factors in a series, go read this series. I’ve enjoyed and loved every book so far! Each book has a great plot, excellent technical and science details along with memorable characters.
I’ve had such a fun time reading these books and damn do they get addicting!
July 7, 2008
I normally never buy NY Times bestsellers, as it's usually the morons of America that cause the shittiest books ever written to end up on this list. The Book of the Dead was an exception I made. This time American readers got it RIGHT! I just finished this book and I'm still reeling.
This book is the way a thriller/myster should be written. It's full of complex, well-developed characters, it has an evil genius (part Hannibal Lecter, part Sideshow Bob) conspiring to ruin lives, a cooped-up mysterious girl living in a NYC mansion, seduction, explosions, hypnosis, prison escapes, murders, light shows, ancietnt Egyptian curses, a final showdown on a FRICKIN VOLCANO in Italy, AND A BOMBSHELL ENDING! Christ, this book RULES! -- and it's all written in such a fast-paced way that you NEVER get bored. Extra bonuses?
1) You can NEVER predict anything. Any half-wit could have predicted the ending of The Da Vinci Code, and elements of other great thrillers like Red Dragon and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo also have predictable parts. Not this one. The writers are too smart for you, and they stay 10 steps ahead at all times.
2) The two main characters KICK ASS. The evil genius isn't just bad, he's a meniachal nut-case that you almost have to admire for his psychotic brilliance. His brother, the equally brilliant FBI agent, gets his ass kicked just enough to make him believable, but not a wussy. ROCK ON.
3) I didn't even know until half way through the book that it's the most recent in a series. They give away nothing about the other books, so I can go back to number one and start reading without knowing what happened. WOOHOO!
4) Most importantly, this book isn't just a story. When a book is just a story, I get driven nuts. Good authors, like these ones, include other shit in their books because they're SMART and they know how to keep a reader interested. This book will have you googling shit, looking for places on maps, trying to find out more information about historical figures, downloading classical musicians you'd never ever heard of, and checking up on Oscar Wilde quotes, etc. THIS, to me, is what makes a novel great: elements of intelligence, and not just a stupid story. Think I'm wrong? Uhhh, two words for you: Ken Follet. Here are some more: A.S. Byatt. William Styron. Margaret Atwood. I can keep this up all day.
Anyway, AWESOME READ, am SO going to read this entire series. ROCK AND ROLL!!
This book is the way a thriller/myster should be written. It's full of complex, well-developed characters, it has an evil genius (part Hannibal Lecter, part Sideshow Bob) conspiring to ruin lives, a cooped-up mysterious girl living in a NYC mansion, seduction, explosions, hypnosis, prison escapes, murders, light shows, ancietnt Egyptian curses, a final showdown on a FRICKIN VOLCANO in Italy, AND A BOMBSHELL ENDING! Christ, this book RULES! -- and it's all written in such a fast-paced way that you NEVER get bored. Extra bonuses?
1) You can NEVER predict anything. Any half-wit could have predicted the ending of The Da Vinci Code, and elements of other great thrillers like Red Dragon and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo also have predictable parts. Not this one. The writers are too smart for you, and they stay 10 steps ahead at all times.
2) The two main characters KICK ASS. The evil genius isn't just bad, he's a meniachal nut-case that you almost have to admire for his psychotic brilliance. His brother, the equally brilliant FBI agent, gets his ass kicked just enough to make him believable, but not a wussy. ROCK ON.
3) I didn't even know until half way through the book that it's the most recent in a series. They give away nothing about the other books, so I can go back to number one and start reading without knowing what happened. WOOHOO!
4) Most importantly, this book isn't just a story. When a book is just a story, I get driven nuts. Good authors, like these ones, include other shit in their books because they're SMART and they know how to keep a reader interested. This book will have you googling shit, looking for places on maps, trying to find out more information about historical figures, downloading classical musicians you'd never ever heard of, and checking up on Oscar Wilde quotes, etc. THIS, to me, is what makes a novel great: elements of intelligence, and not just a stupid story. Think I'm wrong? Uhhh, two words for you: Ken Follet. Here are some more: A.S. Byatt. William Styron. Margaret Atwood. I can keep this up all day.
Anyway, AWESOME READ, am SO going to read this entire series. ROCK AND ROLL!!
April 25, 2024
A slam bang finale to a thrilling trilogy!
THE BOOK OF THE DEAD is everything a thriller fan could hope for - a page-turning, unputdownable, thrilling, decadently readable, thoroughly entertaining, slam bang finale to a colourful, imaginative trilogy!
The basic plot premise is simplicity itself! FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast's younger brother Diogenes has announced his plan to execute a mysteriously undefined perfect crime. As a result of intense psychological examination, Pendergast has determined that this crime is to be Diogenes' revenge for a childhood sin perpetrated against his younger brother, the nature of which has been completely suppressed in Pendergast's unconscious memories! The dastardly crime must be prevented at all costs despite Pendergast not knowing even the tiniest detail of Diogenes' actual intentions! The story gallops at breakneck speed from crisis to crisis as the life or death clash between Pendergast and his psychopathic megalomaniacal brother escalates to a thrilling climax but we are privileged to watch it being played out with masterful attention to character building, dialogue, detail, pacing and clever ratcheting or release of tension!
As we have come to expect from their previous work, Preston and Child have once again packed their tale with a dazzling myriad of mini-plots that have afforded them a number of stages from which they could also deliver a series of wildly entertaining and informative lectures - the politics and history of Egyptian archeology; the religious beliefs and burial practices of the ancient Egyptians; the nature of security in a modern maximum security prison built for incorrigible offenders; the logistical details of mounting a world class exhibit in a modern museum; the potential for neurological damage caused by intense light and high volume sound bombardment; the trivia of diamond classification, colour, cut and value; and, arcane details of forensic evidence examination such as the study of knots or cloth; to name only a few examples.
Readers who have observed Pendergast's growing resemblance to Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes in the novels which preceded THE BOOK OF THE DEAD will shiver with a frisson of delight at the tumultuous Reichenbach Falls style climax which takes place on the very flanks of Mount Stromboli in Sicily. When Pendergast announced his intentions to retire to a period of solitude and contemplation at a Tibetan monastery, I quietly sent up a short prayer to the writing gods with the fervent hope that Lincoln and Child bring Pendergast back for a 21st century version of THE FINAL PROBLEM! Quiet retirement or beekeeping would not suit Pendergast any better than it did Holmes.
And, by the way, be very, very sure that you read this novel right to the very last sentence ... and what a last sentence it is!
Oh yeah ... did I say that I enjoyed the novel?
Paul Weiss
THE BOOK OF THE DEAD is everything a thriller fan could hope for - a page-turning, unputdownable, thrilling, decadently readable, thoroughly entertaining, slam bang finale to a colourful, imaginative trilogy!
The basic plot premise is simplicity itself! FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast's younger brother Diogenes has announced his plan to execute a mysteriously undefined perfect crime. As a result of intense psychological examination, Pendergast has determined that this crime is to be Diogenes' revenge for a childhood sin perpetrated against his younger brother, the nature of which has been completely suppressed in Pendergast's unconscious memories! The dastardly crime must be prevented at all costs despite Pendergast not knowing even the tiniest detail of Diogenes' actual intentions! The story gallops at breakneck speed from crisis to crisis as the life or death clash between Pendergast and his psychopathic megalomaniacal brother escalates to a thrilling climax but we are privileged to watch it being played out with masterful attention to character building, dialogue, detail, pacing and clever ratcheting or release of tension!
As we have come to expect from their previous work, Preston and Child have once again packed their tale with a dazzling myriad of mini-plots that have afforded them a number of stages from which they could also deliver a series of wildly entertaining and informative lectures - the politics and history of Egyptian archeology; the religious beliefs and burial practices of the ancient Egyptians; the nature of security in a modern maximum security prison built for incorrigible offenders; the logistical details of mounting a world class exhibit in a modern museum; the potential for neurological damage caused by intense light and high volume sound bombardment; the trivia of diamond classification, colour, cut and value; and, arcane details of forensic evidence examination such as the study of knots or cloth; to name only a few examples.
Readers who have observed Pendergast's growing resemblance to Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes in the novels which preceded THE BOOK OF THE DEAD will shiver with a frisson of delight at the tumultuous Reichenbach Falls style climax which takes place on the very flanks of Mount Stromboli in Sicily. When Pendergast announced his intentions to retire to a period of solitude and contemplation at a Tibetan monastery, I quietly sent up a short prayer to the writing gods with the fervent hope that Lincoln and Child bring Pendergast back for a 21st century version of THE FINAL PROBLEM! Quiet retirement or beekeeping would not suit Pendergast any better than it did Holmes.
And, by the way, be very, very sure that you read this novel right to the very last sentence ... and what a last sentence it is!
Oh yeah ... did I say that I enjoyed the novel?
Paul Weiss
April 11, 2017
I am marking this 5 stars, but it is more like 4.5 stars.
I hate to take any stars from Preston and Child, but, while the book was great, I did not care for the climax very much. The story was an action packed resolution to the Diogenes trilogy in the same vein as the other Pendergast novels that I have come to know and love. I think where the book (and the climax) lost me as it almost felt rushed to resolve both the book and the trilogy.
I am currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo and I saw shades of that in this book. I think the part mentioned in the spoiler along with some of the various other story lines within were my favorite parts. This might be the first case for P&C where the little stories that are part of the whole were better (for me) than the overall story.
But, even with my minor complaints, this series continues to be awesome, I still highly recommend it, and I cannot wait for the next one!
I hate to take any stars from Preston and Child, but, while the book was great, I did not care for the climax very much. The story was an action packed resolution to the Diogenes trilogy in the same vein as the other Pendergast novels that I have come to know and love. I think where the book (and the climax) lost me as it almost felt rushed to resolve both the book and the trilogy.
I am currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo and I saw shades of that in this book. I think the part mentioned in the spoiler along with some of the various other story lines within were my favorite parts. This might be the first case for P&C where the little stories that are part of the whole were better (for me) than the overall story.
But, even with my minor complaints, this series continues to be awesome, I still highly recommend it, and I cannot wait for the next one!
July 13, 2017
Usually I really enjoy these novels so I was disappointed that I didn't enjoy this as much. I didn't think the Event that caused so much hatred between the two brothers was that impressive in terms of the lengths Diogenes went to to destroy his brother. This was definitely the poorest of the Diogenes trilogy.
The next in series is also not popular with fans of the series as it is in a different setting and without the supporting cast so I may give that one a miss.
A tepid contribution to the series. I really hope it picks up again.
The next in series is also not popular with fans of the series as it is in a different setting and without the supporting cast so I may give that one a miss.
A tepid contribution to the series. I really hope it picks up again.
April 4, 2022
I've always been a fan of action adventure books where multiple, alternating storylines converge at critical points. If the background tosses in historical fiction, religious secrets, and save-the-world themes, I'm hooked. The Pendergast series written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is no exception, and truthfully, since it's mostly set in New York City, I'm even more enamored with the entire collection. In their 7th book, the third in the Diogenes arc, The Book of the Dead, we have the revival of a Egyptian tomb that when last opened a century ago led to a curse being summoned, plus we have the shocking aftermath of the last book - the imprisonment of our hero, Aloysius Pendergast. What intensity!
Loved it, like I have all the previous ones. Every time I pick up the next book, I think... 'oh, 600 pages, that's gonna take a few days.' But I am mesmerized by the attention to detail, fabrication of strange and shocking connections between storylines, and the beauty of the minds of these two authors. Truly, they take simple ideas and toss in a grenade that makes the plot unique and unbelievable, in a good way. Pendergast is hands down the most brilliant man in the world, and I want to be him when I grow up. Wait, I am grown up. Okay, I just want to be him now.
The writing is fantastic. It's not meant to be literary fiction. It's meant to push the envelope on reality, educate readers on history and science, provide laughter and shock value, and it does all these things with ease and shine... perhaps not during the writing process, as it must take them intense collaboration to get everything just perfect. Which they almost always do. I adored this arc, and Diogenes is a horrible yet admirable character - like a car wreck you can't take your eyes off of. All in all, this was a fantastic installment. A remarkable 5 stars in many aspects. But... I was disappointed in the ending... not because it wasn't intelligent and powerful... but because it wasn't right for the story.
The climax occurs at the museum, where it should... but without revealing any spoilers, the battle between the brothers did not meet my expectations based on their history. Also, it quickly rushes away from NYC to a hidden island somewhere, and we are so caught up in the Egyptian themes that when we get to this island and try to understand the history and connection, readers are a bit lost. Then it ends with a conclusion to the story, albeit a strange one. Won't spoil more, and I know there's a future piece of this arc from seeing the titles of the books left in the series (another 12) which I will definitely be reading! Yet it left me a bit frustrated, so only 4 stars.
Loved it, like I have all the previous ones. Every time I pick up the next book, I think... 'oh, 600 pages, that's gonna take a few days.' But I am mesmerized by the attention to detail, fabrication of strange and shocking connections between storylines, and the beauty of the minds of these two authors. Truly, they take simple ideas and toss in a grenade that makes the plot unique and unbelievable, in a good way. Pendergast is hands down the most brilliant man in the world, and I want to be him when I grow up. Wait, I am grown up. Okay, I just want to be him now.
The writing is fantastic. It's not meant to be literary fiction. It's meant to push the envelope on reality, educate readers on history and science, provide laughter and shock value, and it does all these things with ease and shine... perhaps not during the writing process, as it must take them intense collaboration to get everything just perfect. Which they almost always do. I adored this arc, and Diogenes is a horrible yet admirable character - like a car wreck you can't take your eyes off of. All in all, this was a fantastic installment. A remarkable 5 stars in many aspects. But... I was disappointed in the ending... not because it wasn't intelligent and powerful... but because it wasn't right for the story.
The climax occurs at the museum, where it should... but without revealing any spoilers, the battle between the brothers did not meet my expectations based on their history. Also, it quickly rushes away from NYC to a hidden island somewhere, and we are so caught up in the Egyptian themes that when we get to this island and try to understand the history and connection, readers are a bit lost. Then it ends with a conclusion to the story, albeit a strange one. Won't spoil more, and I know there's a future piece of this arc from seeing the titles of the books left in the series (another 12) which I will definitely be reading! Yet it left me a bit frustrated, so only 4 stars.
October 2, 2018
Another good volume. Lots of action and good dialogue. Great to see the whole ensemble of recurring characters interact.
I’m a little suspicious as to whether or not Diogenes is actually dead.
I’m a little suspicious as to whether or not Diogenes is actually dead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2018
The last of the hair-raising Diogenes trilogy within the Pendergast series. I loved this trilogy. It wasn’t easy on the mind and hearts of those attached to the characters in these books. This last one was really a nail-biter and gave me goosebumps. Prepare for several travesties where you are constantly asking yourself what is really going on and wondering if the characters can recover.
Resilience can be found in the strangest of places. If you push a person too far, you just might find out what they are made of.
Resilience can be found in the strangest of places. If you push a person too far, you just might find out what they are made of.
April 15, 2018
Great conclusion to the Diogenes Trilogy within the Pendergast series! Nothing like a bombshell ending to make you immediately want to pick up the next book.
September 15, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed these last three instalments, which form the Pendergast-Diogenes trilogy. I do, however, find myself having to suspend my disbelief at times, and wished that the resolution at the end panned out differently. Highly readable, thrilling, and pretty darn hard to put down - I'm sure the rate I've been binge-reading and finishing these books was a sign of how addictive and enjoyable they are.
November 24, 2021
So my first update I put in for this one was
“Big opening night at the New York Museum of Natural History - with a cursed exhibit - everyone will be there - what could go wrong???”
as it had kind of a “The Relic” vibe going for it at that point. Some time later… 48 chapters in actually, here is Laura Hayward’s account
“And now she stood, surveying the crowd, asking herself, What could possibly go wrong?”
Well - obviously I nailed it - haha. Ok Ok - if you’ve read any of Preston & Child’s stories it’s not too much of a surprise that if something can go wrong - it will. They are pretty good at that particular style of mayhem 😀
I will say that other than predicting mayhem at the museum - I didn’t guess much else of what was going to happen. I suppose I was pretty confident that the events at the end of Dance of the Dead would sort themselves out fairly quickly - not to anyone’s surprise - but it was fun to see how that worked out.
It’s hard to review this in any kind of substantive way without throwing in a ton of spoilers. It IS listed as Diogenes #3… so obviously this is the third of that storyline with Diogenes playing Moriarty to Pendergast’s Holmes. The plot threads between this one and the last are stronger than any two consecutive Pendergast books I have read so far - so you don’t want to read these out of sequence.
One cool thing is that they keep filling in pieces of the proverbial ‘Pendergast family’ puzzle that they have been slowly filling in for several books now. Dark stuff too…
I’ve always had a soft spot for Egyptology… it has always been a fascinating subject area for me. Growing up I had read several books about mummies, as an adult I thought the Brendan Fraser Mummy movies were a riot, I even like the ultra realistic Steve Martin King Tut dance from Saturday Night Live and The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian”. (Ok - maybe neither of those were too authentic, but I will let it slide since I like Steve Martin and Susanna Hoffs ). So for me anyway the mummy/Egypt tie ins here just added to the fun. Despite all of the period documentaries I have watched on the subject I don’t recall Ammut - the swallower of the damned. Very interesting.
One thing I will say… Preston and Childs come up with some REALLY cool museum exhibits - minus all the death and chaos of course 😜. If they decide to take a break from writing they would have fine alternative careers designing such things. They just sound cool.
Like I was saying - I wasn’t sure how this would play out. Slow to start, but lots of action as it progressed. They had a whole Planes, Trains, and Automobiles thing going. They even had a Dance on a Volcano. (I love to toss in weird pop culture references… see if anyone catches the 2nd one w/o googling it ) The ending was pretty exciting too and left me wanting more. As I am not even halfway through the series I think I’m in luck! 📖📖📖
“Big opening night at the New York Museum of Natural History - with a cursed exhibit - everyone will be there - what could go wrong???”
as it had kind of a “The Relic” vibe going for it at that point. Some time later… 48 chapters in actually, here is Laura Hayward’s account
“And now she stood, surveying the crowd, asking herself, What could possibly go wrong?”
Well - obviously I nailed it - haha. Ok Ok - if you’ve read any of Preston & Child’s stories it’s not too much of a surprise that if something can go wrong - it will. They are pretty good at that particular style of mayhem 😀
I will say that other than predicting mayhem at the museum - I didn’t guess much else of what was going to happen. I suppose I was pretty confident that the events at the end of Dance of the Dead would sort themselves out fairly quickly - not to anyone’s surprise - but it was fun to see how that worked out.
It’s hard to review this in any kind of substantive way without throwing in a ton of spoilers. It IS listed as Diogenes #3… so obviously this is the third of that storyline with Diogenes playing Moriarty to Pendergast’s Holmes. The plot threads between this one and the last are stronger than any two consecutive Pendergast books I have read so far - so you don’t want to read these out of sequence.
One cool thing is that they keep filling in pieces of the proverbial ‘Pendergast family’ puzzle that they have been slowly filling in for several books now. Dark stuff too…
I’ve always had a soft spot for Egyptology… it has always been a fascinating subject area for me. Growing up I had read several books about mummies, as an adult I thought the Brendan Fraser Mummy movies were a riot, I even like the ultra realistic Steve Martin King Tut dance from Saturday Night Live and The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian”. (Ok - maybe neither of those were too authentic, but I will let it slide since I like Steve Martin and Susanna Hoffs ). So for me anyway the mummy/Egypt tie ins here just added to the fun. Despite all of the period documentaries I have watched on the subject I don’t recall Ammut - the swallower of the damned. Very interesting.
One thing I will say… Preston and Childs come up with some REALLY cool museum exhibits - minus all the death and chaos of course 😜. If they decide to take a break from writing they would have fine alternative careers designing such things. They just sound cool.
Like I was saying - I wasn’t sure how this would play out. Slow to start, but lots of action as it progressed. They had a whole Planes, Trains, and Automobiles thing going. They even had a Dance on a Volcano. (I love to toss in weird pop culture references… see if anyone catches the 2nd one w/o googling it ) The ending was pretty exciting too and left me wanting more. As I am not even halfway through the series I think I’m in luck! 📖📖📖
October 30, 2012
One dreary December evening some years ago, I slogged in to my local Fred Meyer, stamping snow off my shoes, and encountered a tall, friendly, dapper gentlemen hawking paperback books near the door. He introduced himself as Douglas Preston and said the book, Relic, was being made into a movie. I thought, Yeah, sure. So why are you standing here in a deserted grocery store in Kennewick, Washington, on a night like this? I sort of felt sorry for the guy, so I bought the book.
About 24 hours later, completely wrung out, I finished the book, wondering why I had so enjoyed being scared out of my mind. I decided that next time this pair published a book, I would get on the roller-coaster and take another ride. This one was a doozy!
Addendum: Reread in October 2012 (great choice for the Halloween season!). Five years was long enough for me to forget much of he plot and, therefore, be able to appreciate the suspense in The Book of the Dead. Also, having read several books in the Pendergast series lately, I was more engaged in sharing the adventures with characters I know.
About 24 hours later, completely wrung out, I finished the book, wondering why I had so enjoyed being scared out of my mind. I decided that next time this pair published a book, I would get on the roller-coaster and take another ride. This one was a doozy!
Addendum: Reread in October 2012 (great choice for the Halloween season!). Five years was long enough for me to forget much of he plot and, therefore, be able to appreciate the suspense in The Book of the Dead. Also, having read several books in the Pendergast series lately, I was more engaged in sharing the adventures with characters I know.
July 14, 2022
I recommend reading the Diogenes series in order to get the most out of this book. Hard to review as many of the highlights are part of the solving of the mystery. I rate this as a 4.5*.
September 9, 2019
I really liked this. Originally, I skipped over it since the local libraries did not have a copy. Later, when I realize dit ends the trilogy with Penderghast's brother, I decided I had to read it to understand the characters. I am glad I did. It read like two stories combined for awhile, but without giving spoilers, I have to say they blended together. I couldn't put the book down for the last 100 pages. I now realize what this authors are capable of. This is my favorite in the series so far.
January 18, 2012
I feel like all my reviews for the Pendergast series are starting to sound the same, I'm gushing as if in love about how fantastic the books are but its still true, this story is phenomenal and it makes you want to read another and another, this could easily have thirty volumes and I would still want to read them all, as usual this book reads smooth as silk while the action cuts like a knife.
The Book of The Dead is the standard great stuff that one would expect from the insightful and intelligent duo, their stories breathe a life of their own and to me they feel different than other novels. Our world is filled with books, one can find them everywhere but whenever I read a Pendergast novel I feel as if I was holding something of heft and value, there is knowledge in these pages; ancient cultures, science, architecture, folklore and mysticism, curses, artifacts and it all sounds real enough to touch and some of it is but I especially adore all the breathtaking characters both good and bad and some in-between, in my opinion they are invaluable to the books. I guess they speak to me, true love haha... Pendergast lives in my mind beyond the pages of the book, that's how great he is.
The third in the Diogenes Pendergast trilogy and seventh in the Aloysius Pendergast series ( I highly recommend starting with Relic, Pendergast#1) story continues on the wild hunt to catch and expose the elusive Diogenes who is conveniently presumed to be dead by everyone but the small circle of our heroes. The Queen of Narnia, The Heart of Eternity, The Indigo Ghost, Ultima Thule, The Fourth of July, The Zanzibar Green and of course Lucifer's Heart, all precious diamonds that were stole in the last installment are destroyed by Diogenes and arrive pulverized into a rainbow colored snow to the museum as a final act of madness and show of power. The previous book was simply fantastic and it exposed Diogenes' identity but only to the reader, the entire museum still has no idea that not only is Diogenes alive but his secret identity is walking right under their noses. To make matters worse, Aloysius Pendergast is in a top security prison and everyone that has always been jealous of him is gunning for the guy to go down, he deals with that brilliantly, boy that was fun! Even though Aloysius is locked up he is the only one who can match up against his evil and twisted genius of a brother, their journey takes them half way through the globe and back.
My personal favorite part of the tale was the prison sequence, well pretty much all of it, I don't want to spoil anything but what happens to Pendergast in the prison is nuts. I read all the parts while holding my breath, some I had to re-read because they were simply too good to only read once. Ingenious and stunning, no deus-ex machina way out of this puppy! Lots of stuff happens, there is also the museum exhibit with a tomb that appears to be cursed, madness and mayhem breaks out as usual, lovers of museum thrillers will have a ball with the Tomb of Senef and those who love Pendergast will gobble up everything he does and says. I was finally impressed with Constance, I never really gave her much thought before but through this book she became another strong contender for future stories and my dear Vincent D'Agosta, he was wonderful as was Laura Hayward. For some reason Laura Linney ( the actress) kept popping into my head when Hayward's scenes came up, she was something, the woman can hold her own.
This was such a tremendous journey with the two brothers that I'm not sad to see it over because I'm really looking forward to the next chapter, the next book sounds quite potent and meaty and I might need a bit of a break to let my brain prepare for another greatness of Preston and Child. I don't read them back to back on purpose as much as I really want to, after all it's not good to eat dessert three times a day, same with books, I save the good stuff to be savored when I'm really in the mood for greatness.
- Kasia S.
The Book of The Dead is the standard great stuff that one would expect from the insightful and intelligent duo, their stories breathe a life of their own and to me they feel different than other novels. Our world is filled with books, one can find them everywhere but whenever I read a Pendergast novel I feel as if I was holding something of heft and value, there is knowledge in these pages; ancient cultures, science, architecture, folklore and mysticism, curses, artifacts and it all sounds real enough to touch and some of it is but I especially adore all the breathtaking characters both good and bad and some in-between, in my opinion they are invaluable to the books. I guess they speak to me, true love haha... Pendergast lives in my mind beyond the pages of the book, that's how great he is.
The third in the Diogenes Pendergast trilogy and seventh in the Aloysius Pendergast series ( I highly recommend starting with Relic, Pendergast#1) story continues on the wild hunt to catch and expose the elusive Diogenes who is conveniently presumed to be dead by everyone but the small circle of our heroes. The Queen of Narnia, The Heart of Eternity, The Indigo Ghost, Ultima Thule, The Fourth of July, The Zanzibar Green and of course Lucifer's Heart, all precious diamonds that were stole in the last installment are destroyed by Diogenes and arrive pulverized into a rainbow colored snow to the museum as a final act of madness and show of power. The previous book was simply fantastic and it exposed Diogenes' identity but only to the reader, the entire museum still has no idea that not only is Diogenes alive but his secret identity is walking right under their noses. To make matters worse, Aloysius Pendergast is in a top security prison and everyone that has always been jealous of him is gunning for the guy to go down, he deals with that brilliantly, boy that was fun! Even though Aloysius is locked up he is the only one who can match up against his evil and twisted genius of a brother, their journey takes them half way through the globe and back.
My personal favorite part of the tale was the prison sequence, well pretty much all of it, I don't want to spoil anything but what happens to Pendergast in the prison is nuts. I read all the parts while holding my breath, some I had to re-read because they were simply too good to only read once. Ingenious and stunning, no deus-ex machina way out of this puppy! Lots of stuff happens, there is also the museum exhibit with a tomb that appears to be cursed, madness and mayhem breaks out as usual, lovers of museum thrillers will have a ball with the Tomb of Senef and those who love Pendergast will gobble up everything he does and says. I was finally impressed with Constance, I never really gave her much thought before but through this book she became another strong contender for future stories and my dear Vincent D'Agosta, he was wonderful as was Laura Hayward. For some reason Laura Linney ( the actress) kept popping into my head when Hayward's scenes came up, she was something, the woman can hold her own.
This was such a tremendous journey with the two brothers that I'm not sad to see it over because I'm really looking forward to the next chapter, the next book sounds quite potent and meaty and I might need a bit of a break to let my brain prepare for another greatness of Preston and Child. I don't read them back to back on purpose as much as I really want to, after all it's not good to eat dessert three times a day, same with books, I save the good stuff to be savored when I'm really in the mood for greatness.
- Kasia S.
October 11, 2007
The Book of the Dead is the last of three in the Agent Pendergast series. I'm not sure why it's a trilogy, though, because there are actually six or 7 books with that character and they're all somehow related. Dance of Death and this book focus on the hatred and battle between the Pendergast brothers, FBI Special Agent Aloysius and his brilliant but murderously pathological brother Diogenes. The previous book left off with Diogenes framing his brother for some horrific crimes and then stealing millions of dollars worth of diamonds from the Museum of History. Aloysius goes to prison and Diogenes drops out of sight...or does he? These two books reunite some old favorite characters from early stories.
Of the Pendergast trilogy, I was most disappointed in this book. I know I'm in the minority because most people really enjoyed the series and I wondered if I missed the boat somehow. The first part of the book was too slow for me. There was too much time spent on trying to break Pendergast in prison and police captain Laura Hayward being too proud to listen to Detective D'Agosta. One thing is for sure: poor Museum of Natural History, site of more brutal serial killings than any where else in the world probably. Two murders occurred before the opening of the Tomb of Senef...given the past history of disaster within the museum you'd think everyone would be more cautious? I guess those monkeys never learn. The one thread I found spooky was when Hugo Menzies/Diogenes came visiting Margo Green. Very creepy!
There was a character that turned me off and why was his last scene with the warden necessary? Agent Coffey. The man should have been deposited in a prison himself, not deported to another FBI office! Everyone of the books has had the prerequisite Ass in Charge.
A plotline that was a total turn off but ended out well: Diogenes seducing Constance Green. I guess it was predictable but it was done too easily. What came later was awesome!
The second part of the book was a lot more interesting and the only reason I gave the book 3 stars. At that point, Pendergast has been broken out of one of those "no one can escape from here prisons" and reunited with his old crime fighting buddy Vincent D'Agosta. Laura Hayward's come to her senses and realizes she needs to unite with D'Agosta and Pendergast to save all those unfortunates in the Tomb of Senef...oh, and she loves him, too.
Best of all was the sudden change in Constance Greene. Her pursuit and battle with Diogenes scenes were the best I've read in a long time.
I felt cheated by "The Event". I absolutely can see one brother goading another into trouble, I just can't see that particular outcome. Diogenes supposedly suffered brain damage in the ventromedial frontal cortex from the incident, which involved lights and sound. For revenge, he wanted to induce it in millions of people. His first two victims had total psychotic breaks and became violent. They were beyond reason and so I wondered how Diogenes was able to think at all or be around people--years of self control? Too weird. I couldn't find any information on the so-called "Higginbottom region" but maybe it's out there somewhere.
I know there's at least one more book now, one that focuses more on Constance Green. I haven't decided whether I want to read it or not. I've been alternately exasperated, bored, and enthralled with the story so far...not sure I've been enthralled enough to move on to the next level.
Of the Pendergast trilogy, I was most disappointed in this book. I know I'm in the minority because most people really enjoyed the series and I wondered if I missed the boat somehow. The first part of the book was too slow for me. There was too much time spent on trying to break Pendergast in prison and police captain Laura Hayward being too proud to listen to Detective D'Agosta. One thing is for sure: poor Museum of Natural History, site of more brutal serial killings than any where else in the world probably. Two murders occurred before the opening of the Tomb of Senef...given the past history of disaster within the museum you'd think everyone would be more cautious? I guess those monkeys never learn. The one thread I found spooky was when Hugo Menzies/Diogenes came visiting Margo Green. Very creepy!
There was a character that turned me off and why was his last scene with the warden necessary? Agent Coffey. The man should have been deposited in a prison himself, not deported to another FBI office! Everyone of the books has had the prerequisite Ass in Charge.
A plotline that was a total turn off but ended out well: Diogenes seducing Constance Green. I guess it was predictable but it was done too easily. What came later was awesome!
The second part of the book was a lot more interesting and the only reason I gave the book 3 stars. At that point, Pendergast has been broken out of one of those "no one can escape from here prisons" and reunited with his old crime fighting buddy Vincent D'Agosta. Laura Hayward's come to her senses and realizes she needs to unite with D'Agosta and Pendergast to save all those unfortunates in the Tomb of Senef...oh, and she loves him, too.
Best of all was the sudden change in Constance Greene. Her pursuit and battle with Diogenes scenes were the best I've read in a long time.
I felt cheated by "The Event". I absolutely can see one brother goading another into trouble, I just can't see that particular outcome. Diogenes supposedly suffered brain damage in the ventromedial frontal cortex from the incident, which involved lights and sound. For revenge, he wanted to induce it in millions of people. His first two victims had total psychotic breaks and became violent. They were beyond reason and so I wondered how Diogenes was able to think at all or be around people--years of self control? Too weird. I couldn't find any information on the so-called "Higginbottom region" but maybe it's out there somewhere.
I know there's at least one more book now, one that focuses more on Constance Green. I haven't decided whether I want to read it or not. I've been alternately exasperated, bored, and enthralled with the story so far...not sure I've been enthralled enough to move on to the next level.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2012
If you haven't read Preston & Child, you're really missing out on one of the best series of thrillers written, period. Forget James Patterson, folks, these guys know what they're doing and do it better than pretty much anyone. Why? Thorough, well-researched storylines, but not the type (i.e. Da Vinci Code) that bogs down the thrust of the storytelling. Oh yeah, and most of their novels feature one of the most compelling protagonists in modern fiction...Special Agent Pendergast. Many of their books feature Pendergast as well as a host of recurring characters, and a few are stand-alones, but to make it simple, start with Relic (and no, if you've seen the awful Pendergast-less movie, there is NO comparison), and its sequel, Reliquary, and go on to Cabinet of Curiosities, Still Life with Crows, and on to what is referred to as "The Diogenes trilogy", which is Brimstone, Dance of Death, and The Book of the Dead.
Which is where this review begins. Needless to say, for those not drawn into the fold, as it were, I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum (so don't read on any further). The novel completes the Diogenes Trilogy, which pits Pendergast against his diabolical younger brother, Diogenes, who--in the previous novel--concocted an elaborate scheme to eventually send his brother to prison, for a crime he didn't commit. But this was only the tip of the iceberg. Diogenes has a much larger, deadlier plan. While NYPD cop, D'Agosta, is on the brink of possibly losing his job (helping Pendergast in the previous novel) he is enlisted in probably one of the coolest prison-break plots to free Pendergast, Nora Kelly and Bill Smithback (museum curator/archeologist and investigative journalist for the Times, and married) become embroiled in a mystery surrounding the NY Museum of Natural History, where the diamond collection was stolen (in the last novel) and returned, completely destroyed and pulverized to dust...and why and by whom? The museum's hierarchy decide to best way to circumvent the "bad press" and public outcry is to reopen a revitalized century-old Egyptian exhibit, The Tomb of Senef. Of course, in the process of doing so, mysterious and gruesome murders occur, causing some to think the Grand Reopening of the Tomb should be postponed, but of course the show must go on! As Diogenes's plan unfolds, which entails secretive visits to Pendergasts' young ward from The Cabinet of Curiousities, Constance Greene, in order to seduce her with his version of the truth, Pendergast manages to escape prison in an attempt to thwart Diogenes's Coup de Grace at the museum's Grand Reopening of the Tomb. This might seem like a LOT going on and it is, but the authors deftly and smartly interweave the plot and subplots in such a way to make it seamless. The stunning climax is fitting, and the surprise at the end will leave readers wanting to pick up the next novel, The Wheel of Darkness. Highly recommended!
Which is where this review begins. Needless to say, for those not drawn into the fold, as it were, I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum (so don't read on any further). The novel completes the Diogenes Trilogy, which pits Pendergast against his diabolical younger brother, Diogenes, who--in the previous novel--concocted an elaborate scheme to eventually send his brother to prison, for a crime he didn't commit. But this was only the tip of the iceberg. Diogenes has a much larger, deadlier plan. While NYPD cop, D'Agosta, is on the brink of possibly losing his job (helping Pendergast in the previous novel) he is enlisted in probably one of the coolest prison-break plots to free Pendergast, Nora Kelly and Bill Smithback (museum curator/archeologist and investigative journalist for the Times, and married) become embroiled in a mystery surrounding the NY Museum of Natural History, where the diamond collection was stolen (in the last novel) and returned, completely destroyed and pulverized to dust...and why and by whom? The museum's hierarchy decide to best way to circumvent the "bad press" and public outcry is to reopen a revitalized century-old Egyptian exhibit, The Tomb of Senef. Of course, in the process of doing so, mysterious and gruesome murders occur, causing some to think the Grand Reopening of the Tomb should be postponed, but of course the show must go on! As Diogenes's plan unfolds, which entails secretive visits to Pendergasts' young ward from The Cabinet of Curiousities, Constance Greene, in order to seduce her with his version of the truth, Pendergast manages to escape prison in an attempt to thwart Diogenes's Coup de Grace at the museum's Grand Reopening of the Tomb. This might seem like a LOT going on and it is, but the authors deftly and smartly interweave the plot and subplots in such a way to make it seamless. The stunning climax is fitting, and the surprise at the end will leave readers wanting to pick up the next novel, The Wheel of Darkness. Highly recommended!
June 4, 2010
Remember those old movies that blended cartoons and live action? Like Who Framed Roger Rabbit or Cool World? This book reminded me of those, perhaps more the latter than the former.
The book starts with promise, presenting some compelling scenes and introducing some believable characters. Than we're introduced to the villain and the hero, two ridiculous cartoons striding through a world of normals. The plot quickly spins out of the realm of the remotely plausible, as the cartoons seem to infect those around them, transforming the hapless humans into wacky, goofy caricatures that can then careen wildly through what's left of my credulity.
Any attempt to prevent spoilers ends here.
I'm actually not that hard a case for this kind of thing. I'm generally happy to suspend disbelief and accept the world that the author wants to present, as long as its consistent and fulfills its objective (in this case, pure entertainment). So, even though I couldn't read the scenes with Diogenes Pendergast without seeing a wild eyed animated Christopher Lloyd in my mind, I was enjoying the book enough for a generally favorable (three stars) review. There were two things that lost me though.
First, I really want characters to have legitimate motivation. Even the villains? Especially the villains! In this book, Diogenes is motivated to spend about a billion dollars, wantonly destroy half a million more in diamonds, dedicate about 15 years of his life to performing about 500 man-years of work in a variety of disciplines that are not remotely related (yeah okay, he's a cartoon, whatever), and kill dozens of people because... well, because he's just crazy like that. You know, there was this thing that happened to him when he was a kid, and it just made him... crazy like that. That's beyond what I can will away by suspension of disbelief.
Second, there's Constance. Why is she there? Why should we care about her? And why does Diogenes risk his whole plan to sneak into her room and seduce her? Okay fine, he's crazy like that he doesn't need a reason, but these are still the most ridiculous and seemingly pointless scenes of the whole book, and that's really saying something.
Well, it turns out that the reason for it all is so that Constance can come from out of nowhere in the end of the book and kill Diogenes by wrestling him into a live volcano. Yeah. A live volcano. She has to do it, because the main character can't bring himself to. She falls in as well. I'm pretty sure the volcano has some ominous name, like Mount Doom or the Gate of Hell or something.
So we have pages and pages of painful scenes that have the sole purpose of manufacturing Golumn so that she can jump into a volcano. It's transparent in retrospect, because there was no other possible reason for those scenes to exist. That's beyond sloppy storytelling.
The book starts with promise, presenting some compelling scenes and introducing some believable characters. Than we're introduced to the villain and the hero, two ridiculous cartoons striding through a world of normals. The plot quickly spins out of the realm of the remotely plausible, as the cartoons seem to infect those around them, transforming the hapless humans into wacky, goofy caricatures that can then careen wildly through what's left of my credulity.
Any attempt to prevent spoilers ends here.
I'm actually not that hard a case for this kind of thing. I'm generally happy to suspend disbelief and accept the world that the author wants to present, as long as its consistent and fulfills its objective (in this case, pure entertainment). So, even though I couldn't read the scenes with Diogenes Pendergast without seeing a wild eyed animated Christopher Lloyd in my mind, I was enjoying the book enough for a generally favorable (three stars) review. There were two things that lost me though.
First, I really want characters to have legitimate motivation. Even the villains? Especially the villains! In this book, Diogenes is motivated to spend about a billion dollars, wantonly destroy half a million more in diamonds, dedicate about 15 years of his life to performing about 500 man-years of work in a variety of disciplines that are not remotely related (yeah okay, he's a cartoon, whatever), and kill dozens of people because... well, because he's just crazy like that. You know, there was this thing that happened to him when he was a kid, and it just made him... crazy like that. That's beyond what I can will away by suspension of disbelief.
Second, there's Constance. Why is she there? Why should we care about her? And why does Diogenes risk his whole plan to sneak into her room and seduce her? Okay fine, he's crazy like that he doesn't need a reason, but these are still the most ridiculous and seemingly pointless scenes of the whole book, and that's really saying something.
Well, it turns out that the reason for it all is so that Constance can come from out of nowhere in the end of the book and kill Diogenes by wrestling him into a live volcano. Yeah. A live volcano. She has to do it, because the main character can't bring himself to. She falls in as well. I'm pretty sure the volcano has some ominous name, like Mount Doom or the Gate of Hell or something.
So we have pages and pages of painful scenes that have the sole purpose of manufacturing Golumn so that she can jump into a volcano. It's transparent in retrospect, because there was no other possible reason for those scenes to exist. That's beyond sloppy storytelling.
March 9, 2020
Audiobook review. Scott Brick’s resonant voice makes for great narration, with the exception of my personal pet peeve that in ANY and EVERY book he reads (okay, maybe just his earlier books), he ALWAYS emphasizes and slows the first syllable of the words I just capitalized (and similar words and derivations thereof) so that A-ny time E-ver you come across one of those words, he emphasizes it. What ruins Brick’s narration in this audiobook are the many music segues that happen at pivotal and random moments. They break the mood rather than add to it. Ugh. Why?
As to the order of the author’s many books, Preston & Child have written their books so that any can be read in any order, with one exception. (This is according to information given at the end of Dance of Death audiobook.) Dance of Death should be read before Book of the Dead, and preferably Brimstone should be read before both of those but it’s not necessary. Fortunately, I happened to read Dance of Death first. This is the second book I’ve read by these authors.
The novel is good, suspenseful and intriguing. It is a modern day story with a nostalgic feel, which makes for a delicious read. The story continues where Dance of Death ended. Havoc has been wreaked, people have to pay, and what’s worse is that even more bad stuff is going to go down, but nobody knows about it. Uh-oh! What’s fun about this one is that we KNOW who the bad guy is, and just like we do when we see a scary movie, we’re yelling things like “Hang up the phone and run. He’s IN THE HOUSE!” Because the bad guy is just so creepy. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the way the crisis was ultimately resolved. I don’t want to elaborate because I absolutely don’t want to spoil anything. Others might find it satisfying; it’s maybe personal preference.
For those concerned with profanity, there is restrained use of curse words, which I personally appreciate. There are also many big vocabulary words which, on more than one occasion, I stopped to look up because I wanted to make its acquaintance.
As to the order of the author’s many books, Preston & Child have written their books so that any can be read in any order, with one exception. (This is according to information given at the end of Dance of Death audiobook.) Dance of Death should be read before Book of the Dead, and preferably Brimstone should be read before both of those but it’s not necessary. Fortunately, I happened to read Dance of Death first. This is the second book I’ve read by these authors.
The novel is good, suspenseful and intriguing. It is a modern day story with a nostalgic feel, which makes for a delicious read. The story continues where Dance of Death ended. Havoc has been wreaked, people have to pay, and what’s worse is that even more bad stuff is going to go down, but nobody knows about it. Uh-oh! What’s fun about this one is that we KNOW who the bad guy is, and just like we do when we see a scary movie, we’re yelling things like “Hang up the phone and run. He’s IN THE HOUSE!” Because the bad guy is just so creepy. I wasn’t completely satisfied with the way the crisis was ultimately resolved. I don’t want to elaborate because I absolutely don’t want to spoil anything. Others might find it satisfying; it’s maybe personal preference.
For those concerned with profanity, there is restrained use of curse words, which I personally appreciate. There are also many big vocabulary words which, on more than one occasion, I stopped to look up because I wanted to make its acquaintance.
September 7, 2022
3.5 stars for character inconsistency and other reasons.
Prison break = cool.
Nora Kelly not knowing who Ammit is = dumb.
Diogenes disguises = fabulous.
D'Agosta and Hayward = YES MORE PLS
That final sentence = LOL get out.
Popsugar 2022: Two books set in twin towns (NYC)
MSBBT 2022: Dark and Delicious
Prison break = cool.
Nora Kelly not knowing who Ammit is = dumb.
Diogenes disguises = fabulous.
D'Agosta and Hayward = YES MORE PLS
That final sentence = LOL get out.
Popsugar 2022: Two books set in twin towns (NYC)
MSBBT 2022: Dark and Delicious
February 5, 2011
I enjoyed Douglas Preston's recent best-selling sci-fi thriller, Impact (also reviewed here on Facebook), but did not much like this one, a bit of airport trash he co-wrote with Lincoln Child. It's not as bad as Ted Bell's Spy (reviewed here: http://pwoodford.net/blog/?p=1314), but it's pretty bad all the same. My biggest problem? The Book of the Dead is one of a series of novels, with a cast of characters introduced (and presumably more fully developed) in earlier novels. Unfortunately, though I think the authors intended it to be, it is anything but a stand-alone novel. Odd and peripheral characters are constantly being introduced with no explanation of what may have gone before -- two separate female characters had apparently been attacked and almost murdered in previous novels; another seems to a scientific and philosophical experiment, a 100-year-old savant in the body of a woman in her 20s, with the social skills and worldly experience of a home-schooled 12-year-old -- and you never quite grasp who these people are or why they are important. The main characters, two brothers, are well explained, though improbable -- one is an evil genius, the other a good genius, each gifted with essentially superhuman powers. And there's a female police captain, who is always referred to by her title, which is Captain of Homicide -- a most un-American kind of title, although she's NYPD. In parts of the book it is all too clear that two writers are at work, often at cross purposes. In a climactic scene, the evil brother retreats to his volcanic island fortress, and suspecting that the 100-year-old 20-year-old woman has tracked him down and is even now climbing the volcano to reach his fortress, barricades himself deep within, surrounded by 3-foot-thick stone walls -- yet he not only hears her knock on the door, he says "who's there?" in response. The plot, the cliffhangers, the main characters (and some of the peripheral ones) all have this in common: they are impossible, utterly removed from life as we know it. And yet this is not a comic book, or a fantasy like Harry Potter -- it's supposed to be a thriller, based in modern life and experience, and thus remotely possible. Well, it ain't, and I didn't like it.
January 14, 2020
This the final novel in Diogenes series, a sub-series within the Pendergast series. Diogenes is Pendergast's brother and nemesis. The novel opens with Pendergast in a Federal prison awaiting trial for murder, framed for the crime by Diogenes. Since Diogenes is still planning a greater crime, NYC Lt. D'Agosta, has agreed to assist in breaking him out the prison since he is the best one to find and stop Diogenes. This will not be any easy feat since the prison is considered escape-proof.
The novel also contains a seemingly side story. A benefactor of the New York Museum of Natural History has agreed to provide a substantial contribution to the museum if the museum will restore to exhibit status an abandoned Egyptian tomb buried in its cellars, one known to contain a curse. Nora Kelly, museum curator, has been assigned to prepare the tomb for a grand opening when a number of city dignitaries will be invited. Nora encounters difficulty in doing so when two individuals who enter the tomb become mad.
The parallel plots in this page-turning suspense-thriller converge as D'Agosta and Pendergast chase clues to discover Diogenes scheme and stop him. I found myself sitting in my garage several minutes after arriving home not wanting to turn the audiobook off. The authors give homage to Sherlock Holmes with their version of Reichenbach falls. You will need to read the book to know which two characters find themselves in a deadly struggle.
The novel also contains a seemingly side story. A benefactor of the New York Museum of Natural History has agreed to provide a substantial contribution to the museum if the museum will restore to exhibit status an abandoned Egyptian tomb buried in its cellars, one known to contain a curse. Nora Kelly, museum curator, has been assigned to prepare the tomb for a grand opening when a number of city dignitaries will be invited. Nora encounters difficulty in doing so when two individuals who enter the tomb become mad.
The parallel plots in this page-turning suspense-thriller converge as D'Agosta and Pendergast chase clues to discover Diogenes scheme and stop him. I found myself sitting in my garage several minutes after arriving home not wanting to turn the audiobook off. The authors give homage to Sherlock Holmes with their version of Reichenbach falls. You will need to read the book to know which two characters find themselves in a deadly struggle.
August 9, 2008
i found this book in the bargain bin at the borders where my sister works. the cover interested me and i asked my sister about it, and when she said that people asked her about it a lot, i bought it since with my discount it came to about $2. was a great book and i'm sorry i read it first because its the last book in a trilogy made by the two authors about their FBI protagonist, special agent pendergast. i highly suggest this book, its awesome and i rarely care much for mass market paperback thrillers! i found i couldn't put it down.
to read in the proper order, the first in the trilogy is Brimstone, then comes Dance of Death. Although all three books can be read without the other, if you read the last one first like i did, it ruins earlier books because you find out stuff ahead, like reading the last chapter of a book first. the first book ever with Agent Pendergast is "Relic" which i still haven't read, but i would definitely recommend this book- at the very least i would recommend reading Dance of Death first for the background info, but Book of the Dead is much better
to read in the proper order, the first in the trilogy is Brimstone, then comes Dance of Death. Although all three books can be read without the other, if you read the last one first like i did, it ruins earlier books because you find out stuff ahead, like reading the last chapter of a book first. the first book ever with Agent Pendergast is "Relic" which i still haven't read, but i would definitely recommend this book- at the very least i would recommend reading Dance of Death first for the background info, but Book of the Dead is much better
February 27, 2011
Well, I guess the magnificent run of Pendergast novels couldn't last forever. This was a good book, but I felt cheated. The Tomb of Senef with its colourful history and its macabre 'curse' offered so many real opportunities. In the end, when The Event was revealed, the whole thing just fell flat. Also, I wasn't too impressed with the wrap-up of the whole Diogenes sequence. What's this? Is this the same Diogenes who was so masterfully powerful in Dance of Death (Pendergast, #6)? I don't want to reveal any spoilers, so I am unable to explain exactly why I thought the second half of this book was so unappealing. Suffice to say, it's probably a good thing this trilogy is now wrapped up, so that the authors can work on returning to form. Give us another Relic, guys! Please!
September 22, 2019
4.5 stars. How do people dream this stuff up?? I just can't imagine coming up with this even in a drug induced hallucination of epic proportions. That's the thing, this third (and final?) book in the Diogenes trilogy is a story of epic proportions. Its like the ads that annoy the shit out of me on the TV where they yell at you to buy useless gadgets with a sales pitch that goes: 'and what about this...and this.. but wait, there's more...and a set of steak knives'. Douglas Preston has thrown everything at this story, but somehow it all works and hangs together. Pendergast in prison, WTF? And don't get me started on the Senef tomb exhibition. Just read the story. No, read the trilogy. My mind is still popping with the complexities. I was just thinking about how boring some the titles currently on my Kindle app sound and I had a thought - what about another Pendergast book??? Yes, she cried!
June 20, 2019
Our story begins with our hero, Pendergast, incarcerated in a maximum security prison in New York from which no one has ever escaped. His some-time helper, Vinnie, is waiting for a hearing on whether he will remain a police officer or be charged with crimes related to the last entry in the series.
After their diamond collection has been stolen, the Museum is looking for another big ticket extravaganza to take the public's minds off the crime. It just so happens, a forgotten Egyptian mummy collection, walled up downstairs in the 30s after murders, is brought to life.
Wild action, varying story arcs, and the closest thing to Sherlock H. in today's fiction.
After their diamond collection has been stolen, the Museum is looking for another big ticket extravaganza to take the public's minds off the crime. It just so happens, a forgotten Egyptian mummy collection, walled up downstairs in the 30s after murders, is brought to life.
Wild action, varying story arcs, and the closest thing to Sherlock H. in today's fiction.
November 7, 2020
Another fantastic Pendergast installment. Lots happens in this book! Obviously not a patch on "Relic" or "Still Life", yet better than "Fever dream".
3rd time re-reading. Great book!
3rd time re-reading. Great book!
August 11, 2018
I just love Preston & Child. Their writing is crisp and action-packed, with short chapters that can be read in a hurry. One of the things I enjoy about a book is to come across words with which I am not familiar, in which case I usually look up the definition and write it in the book margin, thus (hopefully) improving my vocabulary. This book is No. 3 in the "Diogenes Trilogy" and I haven't read the first two; nevertheless, other than a few odd things that must have been explained in the first episodes, it's okay to read it as a stand-alone. Thanks to my Goodreads friend Matthew for his notations about the Preston & Child series. You never fail to steer me to good reads, Matthew.
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Superb thriller! I neglected everything and read 454 pages in two days. I'm reading all of Preston & Child's novels. Love those guys!
* * * * *
Superb thriller! I neglected everything and read 454 pages in two days. I'm reading all of Preston & Child's novels. Love those guys!
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