The Wheel of Darkness
by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 914)
I had been eagerly anticipating this book all year, since I read the last book in the Agent Pendergast series, The Book of the Dead. Although this is obviously not a continuation of the Diogenes trilogy, there are some signs that Diogenes’s evil legacy is alive and well, especially in the fragile character of Constance Greene. She keeps her secret until the very last page of the book, which leaves a very welcome opportunity for another sequel. This book is different from many in this series, a...more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
Anyone who likes the Pendergast series
This is the latest book in the "Pendergast series" from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. It's their superhero FBI agent at it once again, saving lost pieces of art, relics and outwitting everyone all while making you, the reader, feel like you need to go out and start buying Hugo Boss suits and driving around in vintage luxury cars.
Actually, this book is a departure from the usual behavior of Agent Pendergast. He actually becomes a victim of sorts in this book and it's intere...more
Actually, this book is a departure from the usual behavior of Agent Pendergast. He actually becomes a victim of sorts in this book and it's intere...more
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The opening seemed a little hackneyed at first, but the author's took the premise and provided an exciting story that moved at a good pace, maintaining interest and action throughout. The body of the story and the ending were very good. I thought this was one of the better stories in the Pendergast series. Some reviews said the middle of the book was slow and boring and the book was a disappointment. I do not agree with that assessment of the middle and am baffled...more
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Read in September, 2007
After a leaving their last book soaked with uncertainty, Preston and Child return with a very disappointing conclusion. Many a thread are left untied with the conclusion of this book. In their past books they have treated the unknown with science and explanation, but here they delve way too deeply into the supernatural. The ending is remenicent of the deus ex machina endings of ancient Greek theatre. The authors build up the suspense, but then take the easy way out by having very improbable ...more
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Read in March, 2008
While I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series, this book totally misses the mark. Very little character development or interaction; you don't care about what happens to the new characters. We barely even get to see much of beloved character Special Agent Pendergast doing his thing; the casino bit gave me false hope about where the story was going to go.There was so much action that it was difficult to take it all in, and the ending was forced to tie everything up. Another r...more
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Read in September, 2007
There are two types of people who rate this book highly. Those that have never read the rest of the Pendergast series and those whose understanding of the rest of the Pendergast series is skin deep.
This book is an insult to the rest of the series. I wonder if Preston and Child just got to the point where they said "I bet we can write any piece of garbage and put our names on it and put the name Pendergast in it and people will still love it"
Anyway, you could easily have writt...more
This book is an insult to the rest of the series. I wonder if Preston and Child just got to the point where they said "I bet we can write any piece of garbage and put our names on it and put the name Pendergast in it and people will still love it"
Anyway, you could easily have writt...more
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i am a huge Pendergast fan, i have read everyone of the novels, however i am very disappointed Mr. Preston and Mr. Childs. This by far was the worst book either of you have ever written. It just did not gel together. it was supposed to be about Penergast tracking down an acient acrtifact that would realease evil unto the world. turns out to be a cruise about a Titanic type ship (same company, maiden voyage also). where he spends most of his time helping the ships crew to solve gambling problems...more
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Just bought from Audible.com 9/7/07
Narrator: Rene Auberjonois
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 2007
Length: 12 hours and 59 min.
Publisher's Summary
FBI Agent Pendergast has taken Constance on a whirlwind Grand Tour, hoping to give her closure and a sense of the world that she's missed. They head to Tibet, where Pendergast intensively trained in martial arts and spiritual studies. At a remote monastery, they learn that a rare and dangerous artifact the monks have been guarding for generation...more
Narrator: Rene Auberjonois
Publisher: Hachette Audio, 2007
Length: 12 hours and 59 min.
Publisher's Summary
FBI Agent Pendergast has taken Constance on a whirlwind Grand Tour, hoping to give her closure and a sense of the world that she's missed. They head to Tibet, where Pendergast intensively trained in martial arts and spiritual studies. At a remote monastery, they learn that a rare and dangerous artifact the monks have been guarding for generation...more
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Read in January, 2008
My fifth book by the pair of authors; this is suspense at it's best. The books are hard to put done but sometimes one has to, simply because the mental involvement can be intense. But I always find myself picking them up again within 5 minutes. The Wheel of Darkness makes me REALLY re-think cruise ships (excuse me, ocean liners) and the appalling working conditions passengers never see. I'm not really into mysticysm, but the book handles it well. The epilogue was VERY disappointing and kept me f...more
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Read in June, 2008
With Pendergast's deadly duel with his brother Diogenes having come to its conclusion in the previous Preston/Child novel, the authors have returned somewhat to their usual love for mysterious death and mayhem. This time there's no Natural History Museum involved (which I was somewhat thankful for; that was starting to get a bit old); instead, there's a deadly Buddhist artifact and a deadly voyage on a luxurious ocean liner. The installment is entertaining, and I was pleased that Preston and C...more
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Read in August, 2007
Needing a rest from the wrath Diogenes Pendergast bestowed upon them FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast and his ward, Constance Greene, seek peace of mind at a remote Tibetan monastery. The abbot asks Agent Pendergast to recover a stolen relic, the cryptic Agozyen, which in the wrong hands, could wipe out humanity. Constance joins Aloysius as y follow the trail to a luxury cruise ship, the Britannia which is making its maiden voyage. Brutal murders suggests the relic's evil might already have been re...more
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Read in September, 2007
I always look forward to the new Pendergast novel after reading
Brimstone in the summer of '05. This is the first time I've been disappointed. To me this novel seemed like a stretch. Almost like they had to pull a book out of nothing to meet a deadline. This isn't true most likely, but thats the way I felt reading it.
Maybe they didn't know what to do with Diogenes gone? The rest of the book seemed to have a purpose or to further the story or had something to tell in the first place. ...more
Brimstone in the summer of '05. This is the first time I've been disappointed. To me this novel seemed like a stretch. Almost like they had to pull a book out of nothing to meet a deadline. This isn't true most likely, but thats the way I felt reading it.
Maybe they didn't know what to do with Diogenes gone? The rest of the book seemed to have a purpose or to further the story or had something to tell in the first place. ...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
Pendergast & Constance Fans
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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I love most of what these guys Douglass Preston and Lincoln Child write together. But I esecially love the story line of FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast and his "ward" Constance Greene.Yeah the books are a bit over the top and Agent Pendergast gets away with ALOT of stuff no Real FBI agent would, but the books are great. Always some end of the world /Crazy person with a venetta to destroy everything plot , and yet always different and fresh. This one takes place on a brand new Ocean Line...more
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Read in March, 2008
Intriguing and certainly gross, this one didn't quite pack the thrill punch that most of the others, especially the initial Relic, Cabinet of Curiosities, and Still Life with Crows. Pendergast is still so much fun to read - a latter day Sherlock Holmes, and I enjoyed the part where he wins money back for the casino by playing cards. The 'mysterious and deadly' object wasn't quite as sinister as it was made out to be, and I wasn't sure just who the murderer really ended up being - some of the d...more
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2.5 stars
Apparently this is a series of books and this was the latest installment so therefore I was a little lost as I didn't have the background info to help me out. The story itself can stand alone but the history of the characters isn't known unless you have read previous books.
It was a good thriller, a quick read and sometimes a bit predictable, but overall pretty good. I'd like to go back and read the series from the beginning now. If what other reviewers are saying is true tha...more
Apparently this is a series of books and this was the latest installment so therefore I was a little lost as I didn't have the background info to help me out. The story itself can stand alone but the history of the characters isn't known unless you have read previous books.
It was a good thriller, a quick read and sometimes a bit predictable, but overall pretty good. I'd like to go back and read the series from the beginning now. If what other reviewers are saying is true tha...more
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Read in October, 2007
I am a little underwhelmed by this book. With a name like "Alyosius Pendergast", I was expecting this FBI agent to be much more than what the character was written in the book. Other than a few intelligent comments, which center around the art of deduction, there wasn't a whole lot of... anything. The writing was good, but it didn't feel as if Pendegrast was the lead character in the story. I would understand if character development takes place over a series, or a "trilogy"....more
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Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
People who love series
I have been reading the FBI Pendergast Series for awhile and this is one of my favorite characters. The stories are typically very intricate and are often filled with interesting facts. This one had integrated the history of tibetan monks and eastern philosophies. However, this book was one of the weaker in the series with the Pendergast character not really developing anymore than he already has. This character usually grows with each book and you get to learn more about this deeply interes...more
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Read in July, 2008
it is only because it is explicitly adventure-fiction that i don't approve this book a greater grade. the characters are great and come to life, the underpinnings of tension and mystery engrossed me throughout the whole weekend. and to boot, the theme--the titanic 2 (the brittania) sets sail to the states with an underprivileged proletariat, fattened bourgeois, and strife-sodden bridge--is mature and intelligent. the entitlement of the rich, among other social issues, is thoughtfully explore...more
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