Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum'...
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reviews
Aug 30, 2011
Mike (the Paladin)
rated it: 
This is another book (series of books) I was introduced to by my late wife (we were married 34 years before she passed so there were quite a few books we ended up sharing, sometimes to the surprise of each of us. I introduced her to things like epic fantasy she "introed" me to things like, well Preston/Child or Koontz). I am surprised not only that I liked it (them) but that I decided to give it 4 stars.
This is a surprisingly absorbing read and the Pendergast character whi More...
This is a surprisingly absorbing read and the Pendergast character whi More...
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Jan 23, 2008
Bill
rated it: 
This was recommended to me by several visitors to my site, but I'm sorry folks, I simply couldn't finish it. Cardboard, cliched characters and a monster on a rampage in a museum don't quite add up to a great read. I gave it a good effort, the quick readability of it got me halfway through it but I don't care how it ends or who lives or dies. I'm moving on.
3 comments
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Dec 17, 2009
erin
rated it: 
Surprisingly good...I thought this was an airport type book..you know...amusing enough for the moment and then you leave it somewhere and never think about it again.
It did really draw me in. I kept thinking that it would make a great suspenseful horror movie. It has all the elements...good characters, hateful antagonists and pretty Hollywood boys and girls playing smart historians and scientists and most importantly ancient curses and horrifying deaths.
What is up Hollywood? Here's y More...
It did really draw me in. I kept thinking that it would make a great suspenseful horror movie. It has all the elements...good characters, hateful antagonists and pretty Hollywood boys and girls playing smart historians and scientists and most importantly ancient curses and horrifying deaths.
What is up Hollywood? Here's y More...
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Sep 03, 2011
Linda
rated it:
At first I had a hard time getting into it, but after a while I thought it captivating.
Something strange is happening at the Museum of Natural History. People disappear or die. At the same time, a new exhibition, "Superstition", is being set up, which involves objects from the Kothoga tribe - a mysterius tribe connected to a very strange myth.
Spoilers...
Despite dead bodies, the director doesn't want to postpone the exhibition and the very night of th More...
Something strange is happening at the Museum of Natural History. People disappear or die. At the same time, a new exhibition, "Superstition", is being set up, which involves objects from the Kothoga tribe - a mysterius tribe connected to a very strange myth.
Spoilers...
Despite dead bodies, the director doesn't want to postpone the exhibition and the very night of th More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 01, 2008
Mairi
rated it:
01 Jan 08, early: There are, of course, major differences from the movie and some of them had become interchanged in my head. It is still much, much better than the movie. Amusingly, people don't usually interact with me when I read on the bus. (Notable exception was the WWII conspiracy theorist who went on and on over A Man Called Intrepid.) This book, however, inspired three people to talk to me on three different busses on one day: one who'd seen the movie and wanted to know more; one who'd r
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Apr 15, 2008
Nick
rated it:
This was one of those books that was a fun quick read. I enjoyed it from start to finish. Just don't get hopes up for something that is far to "literary." That being said, I'm glad I pulled my head out of my own far to self important ass in order to read this mass maket fiction book. Because of it I was introduced to one of the most compeling characters I've read in a long time, Agent Pendergast. This character alone is worth the price of admission, and I'm intrested in reading mo
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Jul 23, 2010
I was right, not my genre, but engaging enough to finish. Liked most of the characters (clearly good or bad), hated the gore and blood. Science was too weird (even for me). Don't think I'll read more of the series (but I've been wrong before).
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Jan 30, 2009
Diana
rated it:
The books by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are my guilty pleasure reading because they don't pretend to be anything more than thrillers with some interesting characters and plot twists. With all the more serious literature and scholarly material that I read, do research on, and teach, it's a welcome relief to just sit back on a weekend and take what I know will be a fun ride with these two authors.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, actually; it was the first of their many More...
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, actually; it was the first of their many More...
Dec 17, 2009
Irishcoda
rated it: 
I enjoyed Cabinet of Curiosities so much I decided to go back and read all of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child's books featuring the charmingly weird Detective Pendergast. The very first one was Relic and I was not disappointed, although Pendergast was a secondary character in this one. Still, I found myself turning the pages and reluctant to put the book down until the end. What a twist--I was expecting some kind of weirdness with the killer character but certainly not what happened! A very good
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Sep 30, 2011
Dave
rated it:
This was interesting - it felt a little unpolished at times, but the story was compelling. It moved, was well-written, and the right characters were likable. Some people who were set-up as obstacles to the heroes seemed a bit standard, like we've seen them on TV dozens of times - including the Public Relations director who controls the story at the expense of the truth. However, it seems to work in this. I even felt myself cheering for the monster once or twice as it faced some of the obstacl
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Sep 25, 2011
Mom
rated it:
OK, OK, I guess this thriller area may actually be my all time favorite type of books to read. I have always loved mystery/romance, etc. But they all kind of fit into thriller. Anyway, I love Lincoln and Child, and wait for their next book to come out. It started with this one. I like the characters and the way you get to know them and like them. Even if they are a little weird! This book was one of the scariest books I had read, at least up to this point. Many books you just can't put do
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Sep 17, 2011
Meredith
rated it: 
I'm in the middle of listening to this, but wanted to note this while it's fresh in my mind. What's the deal with the reader changing in the middle (and then I think changing back)? It was as if there had been two different readings that somehow were spliced together for this digital version. Weird.
It's a good thing I accidentally read one of the later books in the series, because if I'd read this one first, I doubt I would have continued.
Granted, there's lots I enjoyed More...
It's a good thing I accidentally read one of the later books in the series, because if I'd read this one first, I doubt I would have continued.
Granted, there's lots I enjoyed More...
Jul 04, 2011
Riju
rated it:
Long ago, in the days of "Jurassic Park" craze, my imagination had been caught by a couplet that was (supposedly) the sure-shot formula at that time (maybe even now) to produce a best-seller: "techno-thriller". Any reader of James Rollins (and Matthew Reilly, before he abandoned writing novels and started composing video-games through words, a highly praise-worthy process, but not entirely suited to my tastes) would know the essential ingredients that go into making of these
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May 13, 2011
Mitch
rated it:
I had never read a Douglas Presten or Lincoln Child book before, so when I picked one of their books up, I was sad to see that it was a later part of a series, The Penergast Series, and because I always must start a series from the start, I quickly ordered "Relic".
"Relic" is the story of a beast that is running wild in the maze of the basement of New York City's biggest musem. Headless bodies with devoured brains are piling up. Policeman D'Agosta and FBI Agent Pe More...
"Relic" is the story of a beast that is running wild in the maze of the basement of New York City's biggest musem. Headless bodies with devoured brains are piling up. Policeman D'Agosta and FBI Agent Pe More...
Dec 23, 2010
Jared
rated it:
I had read some other books by these authors, all of which were amazing, and finally decided that I needed to read the Pendergast books in order. This book is incredibly good, but I wouldn't say it's as good as some of their other books, particularly the later Pendergast books (Cabinet of Curiosities springs to mind). Nevertheless, this is certainly a book that keeps you guessing and entertained throughout.
Without getting too long-winded, it's about a creature in a museum that is killing More...
Without getting too long-winded, it's about a creature in a museum that is killing More...
Jun 10, 2010
Phillip
rated it:
A mysterious storyline would be the best to describe this book. It was really interesting the movie and the book. It has a lot of juicy information which keeps you guessing who is this "killer" in the book? It takes place in a very isolated place at times, which is a museum. Sounds scary that things can happen in the museum such as murder.
As people start dying in the story many people become very frightened by the events and who could be doing it. One lead is that the ki More...
As people start dying in the story many people become very frightened by the events and who could be doing it. One lead is that the ki More...
Apr 24, 2010
Jack
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 19, 2010
Laura
rated it:
My first audiobook, woo hoo!
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's a quick, fun ride of a book. I absolutely plan on reading the next book in the series. Which, usually I'm not a mystery series kind of gal, but these have a nice little twist of horror and scifi to them. I guess I'd call it a thriller overall. The test for the series will be if they rehash this book in the second book (the reason I quit reading Sookie Stackhouse books), or will there only be glancing references that only I, More...
I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's a quick, fun ride of a book. I absolutely plan on reading the next book in the series. Which, usually I'm not a mystery series kind of gal, but these have a nice little twist of horror and scifi to them. I guess I'd call it a thriller overall. The test for the series will be if they rehash this book in the second book (the reason I quit reading Sookie Stackhouse books), or will there only be glancing references that only I, More...
Jun 09, 2009
Because of its intriguing plot, this book has become one of my favorites. In a museum of natural fossils and relics, horrendous murders occur. One of the worst cases is when two young boys are found dead and covered with blood. When the crime investigators inspected the murders, they came to realize that the murderer was not human. It was a monster that resulted from laboratory experiments. It is not until in the end of the book that they encounter and dispose of this criminal. Although it
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Oct 13, 2011
Abbey
rated it:
BOTTOM LINE: Nifty thriller centered upon a stand-in for the New York Museum of Natural History, where its subterranean tunnels now house a creature from the wilds of the Amazon. Due to administrative hubris and poor planning, the star-studded public opening of a new exhibit - Superstition! - is transformed into a horror show. Well-executed, if a bit by-the-numbers, but overall pretty good, a guilty pleasure.
New Orleans Special Agent (FBI) Pendergast has come to New York City on the More...
New Orleans Special Agent (FBI) Pendergast has come to New York City on the More...
Aug 26, 2011
Papercuts1
rated it:
My first Preston/Child, and I intentionally started with the Pendergast series.
All in all, a suspenseful, pseudo-scientific thriller/horror story with a promising 'Special Agent' in charge.
Positive:
Hard to put down, particularly during the last third, when the pace increases.
Crisp, short chapters with cliff-hangers in best thriller fashion.
An interesting main character - the white-haired, pale-eyed and meticulously dressed Southern gentleman Penderg More...
All in all, a suspenseful, pseudo-scientific thriller/horror story with a promising 'Special Agent' in charge.
Positive:
Hard to put down, particularly during the last third, when the pace increases.
Crisp, short chapters with cliff-hangers in best thriller fashion.
An interesting main character - the white-haired, pale-eyed and meticulously dressed Southern gentleman Penderg More...
Jan 30, 2011
Rafal
rated it:
Dość przyzwoicie napisana powieść, której największa wadą jest sztampa ujawniająca się na wszystkich niemal płaszczyznach, od jednowymiarowych postaci począwszy na - nazywając rzecz nieco na wyrost - słabej intrydze skończywszy. Fabuła balansuje, gdzieś pomiędzy tym, co znamy z twórczości Mastertona, a którymś z epizodów "The X-Files", czy może bliżej jej do odcinka serialu "Fringe". Niespodzianek większych nie ma, zwroty akcji i zakończenie łatwo przewidzieć, jakkolwiek trz
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Oct 09, 2011
Jeane
rated it:
I read this book sometime ago (like 15 years ago) and it was really fun to re-read it with more knowledge of the character Pendergast. This is considered the first in the Pendergast series although in the book he is a secondary character when compared to the books real main character, Margo Green, but he is still very much in his character style. What I really love about this book is that it's a mystery-thriller and full of suspense, and although the character of Margo Green is not as strong as
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Aug 03, 2010
Bianca
rated it:
From the start I had the idea that I have read this novel before. I probably borrowed it years ago from the library when I first got interested in the horror genre.
I really like this novel. It's fast-paced yet it does a good job at expaining the technical stuff and even if you don't understand it (all) it doesn't make you understand the story less.
It is very clear which are the good, bad and ambiguous characters. I loved Agent Pendergast and I am certainly going to read more More...
I really like this novel. It's fast-paced yet it does a good job at expaining the technical stuff and even if you don't understand it (all) it doesn't make you understand the story less.
It is very clear which are the good, bad and ambiguous characters. I loved Agent Pendergast and I am certainly going to read more More...
May 31, 2009
Grace
rated it:
Great read. It's almost 400 pages in its hardcover form, but reads quickly. The story line is engaging and I appreciate any suspense writer's attempt at incorporating any other science besides forensics into a book. This may stem from the fact that the book was written almost 15 years ago, before the days of CSI and Cold Case.
I read this book after hearing so much about Agent Pendergast from a couple of my friends. I am intrigued by this character with so many habits that are hard t More...
I read this book after hearing so much about Agent Pendergast from a couple of my friends. I am intrigued by this character with so many habits that are hard t More...
Apr 08, 2011
Dxmaniac69
rated it:
The book starts off as a fairly standard thriller, entertaining enough but nothing special. Then Pendergast gets introduced, and he is just a really fun character. A brilliant FBI agent from the South, he really made the book for me.
That's not to say the other characters are lousy. But they didn't insiper the interest Pendergast did when he first shows up in the novel. However, by the end I certainly did care about all the major characters.
Also, I really enjoyed the More...
That's not to say the other characters are lousy. But they didn't insiper the interest Pendergast did when he first shows up in the novel. However, by the end I certainly did care about all the major characters.
Also, I really enjoyed the More...
Feb 18, 2011
Jann
rated it:
I really enjoy the Pendergast series! This is the first in the series and I stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish it.
An ill-fated expedition to South America in 1987 resulted in the death or disappearance of everyone involved. Still, crates of artifacts managed to make their way to the New York City American Museum of Natural History.
When brutal murders occur in the museum, FBI Agent Pendergast appears. It seems similar deaths occurred in New Orleans when the ship carrying the cra More...
An ill-fated expedition to South America in 1987 resulted in the death or disappearance of everyone involved. Still, crates of artifacts managed to make their way to the New York City American Museum of Natural History.
When brutal murders occur in the museum, FBI Agent Pendergast appears. It seems similar deaths occurred in New Orleans when the ship carrying the cra More...
Jun 21, 2010
Natacha
rated it:
Neste livro, escrito por um dupla de escritores, Douglas Preston e Lincoln Child, temos um pouco de tudo. Temos perseguições por túneis escuros e mal cheirosos, mortes violentas, umas inesperadas outras mais previsíveis, temos heróis e cobardes ambos previsíveis, temos planos diabólicos para acabar com a ameaça e temos um fim, previsível e imprevisível. ;) Para além disso, temos como bónus a oportunidade de aprendermos alguma coisa sobre antropologia e genética e sobre a vida e rotinas de um mus
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Feb 21, 2011
Mark
rated it:
OK, I'll admit that I only read the first four chapters via Amazon's Kindle sample program. But that was enough to convince me that this book definitely wasn't worth my time.
Preston and Child are obviously accomplished (and widely published) storytellers, so I can only assume that they've gotten better over time. But the first four chapter went like this:
* Know-it-all, American researcher in jungle finds artifact, sends it home, and then is killed by a monster.
* Thr More...
Preston and Child are obviously accomplished (and widely published) storytellers, so I can only assume that they've gotten better over time. But the first four chapter went like this:
* Know-it-all, American researcher in jungle finds artifact, sends it home, and then is killed by a monster.
* Thr More...
Feb 23, 2011
Stephanie
rated it:
I am the biggest fan of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I have read several of the Pendergrast novels out of order and have loved them all. This is the first book of the series, so it was neat for me to be able to read about the beginning of the characters I have grown to love.
As for the book, it was the typical mystery thriller. It followed the same format as all the others, but I don't mind. That's why I keep coming back to them. It always seems that by ten pages in, I'm hooke More...
As for the book, it was the typical mystery thriller. It followed the same format as all the others, but I don't mind. That's why I keep coming back to them. It always seems that by ten pages in, I'm hooke More...
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