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Fever Dream (Pendergast #10)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 11,381 ratings · 903 reviews

Yesterday, Special Agent Pendergast still mourned the loss of his beloved wife, Helen, who died in a tragic accident in Africa twelve years ago.

Today, he discovers she was murdered.

Tomorrow, he will learn her most guarded secrets, leaving him to wonder: Who was the woman I married? Why was she murdered? And, above all . . . Who murdered her?

FEVER DREAM

Revenge is not sweet:...more

Paperback, 544 pages

Published April 1st 2011 by Vision (first published May 11th 2010)

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Jun 18, 2010 Stacey Chancellor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was very excited to read this novel after how great of a novel Cemetary Dance was. They have really cranked their writing up a few notches lately and the idea of Pendergast trying to find out whom murdered his wife (he thought her death was an accident).

The result was kind of am mixed bag. From a character point of view Pendergast was his usual awesome. The added benefit of getting to see him lose his cool because what he was going through was too personal was interesting as hell. Normally he...more

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May 20, 2010 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-fiction-read, 1000-fiction, 1121-thrillers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really like this series, and this installment was quite enjoyable. I liked finding out more about Pendergast's late wife, and I also found myself looking up a lot of things this time around - particularly about Audubon - which was nice; I like learning things, even from fiction. Preston & Child do have a really keen ability for evoking a aura of creepiness that I admire. The central mystery of this installment wasn't my favorite, but broader narrative was great.

I am confused about the time...more I really like this series, and this installment was quite enjoyable. I liked finding out more about Pendergast's late wife, and I also found myself looking up a lot of things this time around - particularly about Audubon - which was nice; I like learning things, even from fiction. Preston & Child do have a really keen ability for evoking a aura of creepiness that I admire. The central mystery of this installment wasn't my favorite, but broader narrative was great.

I am confused about the timeline for the Pendergast novels now, though. If this one was supposed to be happening in 2010 (or even 2009), then the death of Pendergast's wife happened in 1998 (or 1997), yet the first book in the series, Relic, came out in 1996 and started after his wife's death. It wouldn't really be that big a deal, except the timeline this book posits makes Pendergast about ten years younger than I had always considered him, making his achievements all the more improbable.

I'm not yet sure how I feel about how Laura Hayward's character was developed here. On the one hand, I'm glad that she came around to Pendergast's way of thinking; on the other hand, I was interested to see how the authors might present a showdown between Hayward and Pendergast, which they were setting up in the previous novel.

I am also anxiously awaiting next year's addition to the series, since this one left a major enemy (with an exciting Hungarian name! - I love the Esterhazys!) at large. More importantly, though, I was rather surprised with the way Constance's storyline turned out in this one, and I'm interested to see that developed in the next one; again, I think we're headed for a serious confrontation. I remembered Pendergast and Constance as getting along better than they seemed to in this one; I was surprised that he was pushing for her committal. I also really want to go back and re-read some of the novels from the middle of the series (I'm not sure that I've read those more than once, or at least I haven't read them as many times as I've read the first three), since I'm now somewhat hazy - but still very intrigued - about the details of the Pendergast family.

Definitely an enjoyable read! And definitely a pleasure to have a chance to read something fictional entirely for my own pleasure, since I haven't had a chance to do that in months.

(re-read July 2012 to review for the sequel)(less)

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Dec 14, 2010 Sue rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, paranormal-or-ghost-stories, crime-thriller, library-book

This is the latest of Preston & Child's Pendergast sagas. This time there is no paranormal influence on the outcome or happenings, just the wondrous skill of Pendergast himself. (Of course Constance Green does have a minor presence and her existence does bring many questions into play.)

Pendergast's wife died 12 years ago (who knew he had been married!). Now he accidentally discovers she was actually murdered. Then his obsessive search begins to find and punish the murderer(s). He involves fr...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Jean rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Jean by: Lorraine

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Yowsa! I really liked this book. Had me turning pages late into the night. Doug and Lincoln can be overly concerned at times with minute details in describing things or places, but man the action scenes really get your heart pumping! Well done Preston and Child! Can't wait for the next one, which has been ordered for me at my library! (Large Print)

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Jan 06, 2013 Cyn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great read. And of course, the authors leave you wanting to read the next book for "the rest of the story". Fever Dream is definitely one of their best, if not THE BEST!!

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Nov 27, 2011 Andre Farant rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have been following the Pendergast series of books since Relic, published in 1995. Since then, nine more books (with a tenth on the way) have been published featuring the clever and eccentric FBI agent. Like Arthur Conan Doyle before them, Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston have created in FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast a character that elevates any plot in which he might feature and, similarly, enlivens the reading experience. There is more than a little dose of the Holmsian in Penderga...more I have been following the Pendergast series of books since Relic, published in 1995. Since then, nine more books (with a tenth on the way) have been published featuring the clever and eccentric FBI agent. Like Arthur Conan Doyle before them, Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston have created in FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast a character that elevates any plot in which he might feature and, similarly, enlivens the reading experience. There is more than a little dose of the Holmsian in Pendergast’s genius and eccentricities, his method and madness.

With Fever Dream, Preston and Child delve deeper into the history of the enigmatic FBI Agent, as they send him on a mission with intensely personal roots. Pendergast uncovers new information that leads him to suspect the death of his beloved and long-lamented wife might not have been accident, as originally believed. As usual, New York cop Vincent D’Agosta is along to help out but, as a real treat and fun change of pace, we also see Pendergast teaming up with Captain Laura Hayward, Vinnie’s boss and lover, and a person who does not count Pendergast among her favourite people.

Preston and Child are kings at infusing a crime-suspense narrative with Crichton-like techno-thrills. Fever Dream is a perfect example of such mastery, with strange science masquerading as the supernatural, and the life and art of John James Audubon playing an intriguingly unlikely role in the mystery.

An interesting subplot involves Pendergast’s ward, Constance Green, who, with her every action and very presence, seems to foster more questions than answers, promising that she will remain an important player in Pendergast’s continuing adventures.

Still, the strength of the series is in its main character and, In Fever Dream, Pendergast is in excellent form, despite the emotionally draining aspects of his investigation. As an added bonus, Fever Dream sets off yet another unofficial trilogy and introduces a brand new villain.

Highly recommended.
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Feb 24, 2013 Menion rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

What can I really say? It is another Special Agent Pendergast adventure, from two authors whose work is NEVER below the 'very good' level, and hits the 'outstanding' level the majority of the time. This is what you expect from the authors-a good mystery that you probably won't solve on your own, fast-paced writing, and enough twists to keep you reading late into the night. This one is over 500 pages, and I blew through it in two days. Overall, I will rank this one at the 4.5 star level. It is no...more What can I really say? It is another Special Agent Pendergast adventure, from two authors whose work is NEVER below the 'very good' level, and hits the 'outstanding' level the majority of the time. This is what you expect from the authors-a good mystery that you probably won't solve on your own, fast-paced writing, and enough twists to keep you reading late into the night. This one is over 500 pages, and I blew through it in two days. Overall, I will rank this one at the 4.5 star level. It is not quite as good as my favorites from the series, 'Still Life with Crows', 'Cemetery Dance' and 'Reliquary,' but it is pretty close.
I won't go into the plot much, as it is tough to do without giving too much away. Suffice it to say, through an accidental discovery, Special Agent Pendergast learns that the death of his wife twelve years prior was not an accident, but murder. Is a trail twelve years old too cold for him? Not a chance, the guy is a human bloodhound. Needing help this time, he enlists his frequent friend from the other books, NYPD Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta, ad they set off on the trail. You have to then settle in and enjoy it, since as always, it has many twists, and tight situations that only Pendergast and D'Agosta could squirm out of.
Fun things about this one: this is the first book where Pendergast does lose his cool on occasion, and I will admit, he is a bit more brutal at times than usual. This makes it a lot of fun, especially in the swamp scene, where Pendergast really lays the smack down on some southern boys. Thankfully, Laura Hayward, (D'Agosta's flame) gets more of a part than usual, and finally gets to do something other than fighting with Pendergast. Very happy she got a bigger role this time. Vinnie is great as usual, he makes a perfect foil to Pendergast, with their contrasting styles. My only minor grump-will Margo Green (you may remember her from the book 'The Relic,' which was made into a bad movie) and Corrie Swanson (from 'Still Life With Crows) ever get bigger parts again? Swanson in particular was a great character, why has she not come back yet?
This book, like all others in the series, is worth reading. However, contrary to what the authors themselves say, you are advised to read them in order. The order can be found on the authors' website, prestonchild.com. This book was around #10 or #11 in the series. The only one (in my opinion) that can really stand alone is 'Still Life With Crows.' If you are new to the series, go back, find a copy of 'Relic,' and strap yourself in-this series is one hell of a ride!
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Aug 30, 2012 Jim Rada rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers

Fever Dream was the first book I've read by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. It features FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast who I pictured in my mind a young Col. Sanders. He is a Southern gentleman who comes from a once-wealthy family. Though Fever Dream isn't the first book featuring Pendergast, this one delves into his discovery that his wife, who has believed was killed accidentally on a safari a dozen years earlier, was actually murdered.

He calls on his friend, NYPD Detective Vincent D...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourite-series

This latest Agent Pendergast book is classic Preston & Child, by which I mean it is diabolically clever, labyrinthine in complexity, and full of exciting twists and turns.

I really enjoyed this book, mainly because it focused on Pendergast being Pendergast, and doing what he does best - going after the answer to the mystery and hunting down the bad guys with the ingenuity, the quirkiness and the tenacity that only Pendergast can pull off.

I still adore this character, and I wish he was real....more

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Jul 25, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really liked the premise of the novel. FBI Agent Aloysius Pendergast finds out 12 years after his wife was killed in a tragic accident, that it wasn't an accident, it was murder. He then embarks on a suspenseful action filled journey to find out who her killer is and what was their motive.

The novel takes place in Africa and in Louisiana during present day. If you liked the movie The Constant Gardener you will enjoy this novel. I actually thought that maybe that movie was based on the novel but...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Ward Bond rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From Publishers Weekly

...more

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Preston and Child up the emotional ante considerably in their 10th thriller featuring brilliant and eccentric FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast (after Cemetery Dance), one of the best in the series. For 12 years, Pendergast has believed that the death of his wife, Helen, in the jaws of a ferocious red-maned lion in Zambia was just a tragedy, but his chance examination of the gun she carried on the fateful day reveals that someone loaded it with blanks. Pendergast drags his longtime NYPD ally, Lt. Vincent D'Agosta, into a leave of absence that includes travel to Africa as well as the American South. The motive for Helen's murder appears to be linked to her fascination with John James Audubon and her quest for a mysterious lost Audubon painting. Once again, the bestselling authors show they have few peers at creating taut scenes of suspense. Their restraint in the book's early sections make the payoffs all the more compelling. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"René Auberjonois...lends the proper air of gravitas to his performance. With the underlying story featuring zombies and the undead, it takes the sober Auberjonois to help maintain the credibility of the plot. His sincere delivery is perfect for a strange story that is more than a little creepy." (AudioFile Magazine on CEMETERY DANCE )

"[A] suspenseful tale of urban terror...this taut page-turner can only add to the authors' growing fan base." (Publishers Weekly on CEMETERY DANCE )

"Narrator As Pendergast discovers that his beloved wife kept a myriad of secrets, Auberjonois's characterization dramatizes the special agent's confusion over his wife's loyalty." (_AudioFile_ )

SUMMARY: At the old family manse in Louisiana, Special Agent Pendergast is putting to rest long-ignored possessions reminiscent of his wife Helen's tragic death, only to make a stunning-and dreadful-discovery. Helen had been mauled by an unusually large and vicious lion while they were big game hunting in Africa. But now, Pendergast learns that her rifle-her only protection from the beast-had been deliberately loaded with blanks. Who could have wanted Helen dead...and why? With Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta's assistance, Pendergast embarks on a quest to uncover the mystery of his wife's murder. It is a journey that sends him deep into her past where he learns much that Helen herself had wished to keep hidden. Helen Pendergast had nursed a secret obsession with the famed naturalist-painter John James Audubon, in particular a long-lost painting of his known as the Black Frame.As Pendergast probes more deeply into the riddle-the answer to which is revealed in a night of shocking violence, deep in the Louisiana bayou-he finds himself faced with an even greater question: who was the woman he married?

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Apr 24, 2012 Kerry Nietz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“All because one barrel of a bloodied rifle had not been cleaned.”

Indeed. That setup is essentially where “Fever Dream” begins, and it is a can’t-wait-to-get-back-to-it thrill ride from then on out. More than once I found myself marveling at the many trails such a simple beginning had taken. Lots of locations, lots of secrets, and a fun dash of history.

I was also amazed at how approachable the book was as a standalone novel. I’ve read some of the previous Special Agent Pendergast novels, but th...more “All because one barrel of a bloodied rifle had not been cleaned.”

Indeed. That setup is essentially where “Fever Dream” begins, and it is a can’t-wait-to-get-back-to-it thrill ride from then on out. More than once I found myself marveling at the many trails such a simple beginning had taken. Lots of locations, lots of secrets, and a fun dash of history.

I was also amazed at how approachable the book was as a standalone novel. I’ve read some of the previous Special Agent Pendergast novels, but the two preceding this book I’ve missed. It made no difference to my enjoyment. I was able to dive into “Fever Dream” without a hitch. There are only a few scenes in the book involving Constance Green (and an infanticide that is seemingly winked at) that are extraneous to the main narrative. I assume these scenes are continuations of things that happened previously, or setup for novels to come. (“Cold Vengeance” perhaps?)

Let’s face it; Preston and Child know how to write thrillers.

There was only one scenario in the book that made me groan. These authors appear to be under the assumption that somewhere in America, there are crowds of white folk (….environmentalist-hating local boys in this case, but fundamentalist Christians in the case of Preston’s “Blasphemy”...) just waiting to be whipped into a killing frenzy with only the slightest provocation. I understand this is a plot device used to add tension and to raise the stakes on our heroes, but really? To use such a plot device twice? (That I know of.) And with conservative Caucasians as the antagonists? If you watch the news, such behavior is seemingly more likely with other racial and religious groups. Why not use them? (I know...because it isn’t PC to do so... :) )

All in all, though, “Fever Dream” is a great read. I’m looking forward to the next book in the Helen Trilogy.

(A final note: This book is fairly light on adult situations and language. Though not for children, I think it is appropriate for nearly everyone else.)
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Apr 05, 2012 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Irgendwo zwischen John Steed und James Bond mag man diesen ungewöhnlichen FBI-Agenten aus bestem Hause einordnen. In diesem Buch wird Pendergasts distinguierte Fassade zum ersten Mal durch Emotionen erschüttert. Zwölf Jahre ging er davon aus, dass seine Frau bei einer Safari durch einen Löwen zu Tode kam. Ein unvorhersehbare Tragödie? Weit gefehlt. Denn erst jetzt bemerkt er, dass ihr Gewehr mit Platzpatronen geladen war! Es sieht alles nach einem geplanten - fast perfekten - Mord aus. Pendergas...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast was married to a beautiful and unusual woman, Helen, for just two years before she was killed in a hunting accident in Africa. Or was it really an accident? Pendergast finds evidence of murder and enlists a friend, NYPD Detective Vincent D'Agosta, to help to track down the perpetrators. As the search ensues, Pendergast finds out that there was more to Helen than he ever knew. Is he ready for the betrayal that's coming or will he be blindsided?

I absolutely love the...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Caz rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fever Dream could have been a good book. The central premise -- that Pendergast finds out his dead wife was murdered, seeks revenge on her killers, and goes on to discover secrets she kept from him -- is intriguing, and there are a few good set-pieces, such as a car chase through a Louisiana swamp. And Preston & Child aren't terrible authors; I enjoyed the two Diogenes-featuring novels in this series, albeit only by ignoring a lot of extraneous words that were probably meant to sound clever....more Fever Dream could have been a good book. The central premise -- that Pendergast finds out his dead wife was murdered, seeks revenge on her killers, and goes on to discover secrets she kept from him -- is intriguing, and there are a few good set-pieces, such as a car chase through a Louisiana swamp. And Preston & Child aren't terrible authors; I enjoyed the two Diogenes-featuring novels in this series, albeit only by ignoring a lot of extraneous words that were probably meant to sound clever.

But I literally couldn't finish this book. I forget exactly how far I was, but at some point after the reveal of the painting built up as so horrifying that nobody would talk about it, I put it down and haven't been able to bring myself to pick it up again. There are just so many things to read that interest me more, such as ingredients lists on the backs of cereal boxes. Speaking of that painting, did anyone reading this actually get to the reveal and feel that the painting deserved its build-up? I can't have been the only one who didn't buy that every man, woman and child who'd looked at it would had been shocked into lifelong silence.

Part of the problem is that the writing is so lazy. A lot of the novel's flaws -- such as sentences just an edit away from fluency, and inconstancies like a character having a New Zealand accent in one chapter and an Australian one in another -- seem like they came out of a lack of effort rather than a lack of talent. And the story is full of flat bit characters who have no personality besides a duty to shove the plot along, and clichés presented with a completely straight face. I couldn't stop laughing when Pendergast and D'Agosta were driving through creepy skeletal trees towards a mansion, and the mansion was silhouetted by a bolt of lightning that must have taken a wrong turn on its way to a Hammer horror movie. The Pendergast universe seems to operate on the rule that if the authors think it's cool, it doesn't have to make sense -- and while turning off your brain to enjoy something isn't inherently bad, this book pretty much requires it all the way through, which is likely to annoy anyone who cares that a bullet shouldn't throw somebody backwards into a wall.

As for the characters, I couldn't stand them. They just weren't likeable for me at all. The authors can't go five minutes without reminding the reader that Pendergast is handsome, aquiline, cultured and frighteningly intelligent. When he quotes the classics you can taste the authors' self-satisfaction, and when he talks you start to feel sorry for their thesaurus. And the reverse is true for D'Agosta: he's working class and A Regular Guy and it must be true because the reader is constantly told it. He'll be swigging a Bud while his upmarket partner delicately sips from a glass of 300-year-old Château de Fancier Than You, which will be described with a loving obsession I haven't seen since the feast scenes in Brian Jacques' Redwall books.

Wordiness isn't a problem for me (I love Tolkien to pieces), but this book has words for the sake of words instead of using them for interesting description or anything like that. Smart or cultured or eloquent protagonists don't automatically get my back up, but when a character is eloquent like a thirteen-year-old in a wolf roleplay on Proboards, I can't even start to take them seriously. Clichés don't piss me off inherently, but to throw them prefabricated into a would-be serious drama and expect them to still be scary or emotionally engaging just stinks of laziness on the part of the authors.

Several of my friends absolutely adore this book, and it was recommended to me as if it had descended from Heaven on a moonbeam to bring peace and love to the world of literature. I was looking forward to reading it. I just wish I'd actually liked it.(less)

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Dec 08, 2011 Johnny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, thriller

For a long time, the Pendergast novels teetered on the edge of the supernatural for me. That made many of the novels interesting as I tried to figure out non-supernatural explanations for those factors which seemed to be supernatural. On some occasions, Preston and Childs tantalized without offering any overt explanation. I liked that, too. There should always be room for some mystery in one’s mystery novels. Fever Dream doesn’t offer any hint of the supernatural. This one teeters on the verge o...more For a long time, the Pendergast novels teetered on the edge of the supernatural for me. That made many of the novels interesting as I tried to figure out non-supernatural explanations for those factors which seemed to be supernatural. On some occasions, Preston and Childs tantalized without offering any overt explanation. I liked that, too. There should always be room for some mystery in one’s mystery novels. Fever Dream doesn’t offer any hint of the supernatural. This one teeters on the verge of science-fiction for me. The solution to the mystery presumes certain biochemical research to be probable if not possible. The idea is fascinating, though it isn’t developed enough to argue “yea” or “nay.” It seems possible.

Since both a blurb on the back cover of this novel and my own previous posting has compared Special Agent Pendergast (the most unorthodox F.B.I. agent you’re ever likely to encounter inside or outside of literature) to Sherlock Holmes (Doyle’s “great detective” as opposed to the bumbling incompetent of the M. J. Trow canon), it seems fair to note that whereas Pendergast had his genius villain (his brother) in previous novels, the mastermind behind the conundrum in Fever Dream is as much a victim of his genius as perpetrator of his scheme. And, even as other Pendergast novels have occasionally left a loose thread hanging in cliffhanger fashion, there is a cliffhanger at the conclusion of Fever Dream.

Fever Dream is fascinating in that the original mystery to be solved occurred twelve years ago in Pendergast’s fictional chronology, but the key to the mystery is locked (as it were) in another century—in the work of John James Audubon. Pendergast's wife has been killed and the realization hits him at the beginning of this novel. And the mystery, the globetrotting mystery that takes you from the veldt of Africa to the swamps of Louisiana, is a fascinating mix of genius, greed, “ghosts” (figuratively speaking) and ‘gators (what’s a swamp without ‘em?). To be sure, the solution had nothing to do with my original expectation. When I discover that a protagonist’s spouse or lover had a “secret life,” I have a temptation to jump to a very different conclusion than was warranted in this novel. The authors even telegraphed the issue in one way, but I was too busy hurdling to a premature conclusion to be able to track the initial clue.

And, just in case you are a reader who, like me, loves novels in a series because of the way the lives of supporting characters unfold, you’re going to love Fever Dream. Detective D’Agosta’s relationship with Captain Hayward finds a new level in unexpected ways and Pendergast’s ward, Constance Green plays an eerie but important role. Her baby, spawn of what was heretofore the series’ ultimate bad guy, plays a very different role than I had expected when that plot wrinkle was introduced.

In short, Fever Dream was everything I would normally expect from a novel in this series and more. It offered that mixture of comfort and surprise that keeps me coming back for more. What better recommendation can I give than to say that even though I have a huge stack of books to get through, I’m looking forward to getting the next one.
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Oct 15, 2011 Joe Nowak rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, thriller

In this novel, Agent Pendergast of the FBI discovers that the tragic accident that caused his wife's death 12 years ago was not an accident but murder. When Pendergast ets on a case, he never gets off. This time he is truly motivated.

For those that have not met the man, Pendergast is not your typical FBI agent. He is a loose canon with the manners and speech patterns of someone from the antebellum south. Nearly all the members of his family have the nasty habit of going quite insane at some stag...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Talia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was interesting, as it was set in New Orleans, which is something of a departure from the usual Pendergast novels. Having lived in Louisiana and visited the city a few times, I was better able to follow the book in my head. Many of the places they visited in the book are places I’ve also visited. It’s always nice when that happens.

We only really got three our regulars this time around – Laura, Vinnie and Pendergast. I’ll give Constance a half-day’s attendance, as she wasn’t in the majority...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Mel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ah, the Pendergast series...honestly, once you start this series, you simply cannot stop reading them. These are finish-in-a-day books for me, and that means going without sleep. Some I have liked more than others; although in retrospect I liked this one less than some of the others (#9 is a standout), this still gave us plenty to work with. I loved all the parts about his late wife, Helen, and I'm itching to read the sequel once it comes out in paperback.

Essentially, these are archaeological/h...more Ah, the Pendergast series...honestly, once you start this series, you simply cannot stop reading them. These are finish-in-a-day books for me, and that means going without sleep. Some I have liked more than others; although in retrospect I liked this one less than some of the others (#9 is a standout), this still gave us plenty to work with. I loved all the parts about his late wife, Helen, and I'm itching to read the sequel once it comes out in paperback.

Essentially, these are archaeological/historical/traveler type mysteries, for all that they are nominally police procedural. And I mean nominally. Special Agent Pendergast and his longtime friend and sometimes partner NYPD detective Vincent D'Agosta, plus Vincent's lady friend NYPD Captain Laura Hayward, solve mysteries. There really isn't any police-type work here; it's much more private eye style and a LOT of Indiana Jones-style historical clues and knowledge.

One of the things I love about this series is that it doesn't pull punches. There are supernatural things in it, and they aren't all debunked, as it were. And frankly, main characters bite the big one sometimes. The entirety of Cemetery Dance (#9), I practically mourned my way through after one of my favorite characters dies in the opening scene. I honestly couldn't believe it. It feels a little now like Preston and Child were closing a chapter on that part of the series, as William Smithback, Nora Kelly, and Margo Green were kinda the main supporting cast for the earlier part of the series. Now that they are written out, the authors can move on with D'Agosta and Hayward, and of course, Pendergast. And if you jump into the middle of the series, there is the three-book arc that runs with Diogenes, Pendergast's supremely evil brother...

But that is all before this book. Here, we are dealing with a mystery of Audubon's lost painting, a strange plague, and what REALLY happened to Pendergast's beloved wife, Helen. This book kicks off a new arc; although there is not a cliffhanger, per se, it's clear the next book, Cold Vengeance, continues with some loose threads here. Pendergast has to confront a villain that got away, and ask more questions about Helen that weren't completely answered.

The background with Audubon is very interesting. The main downside of the book, and why I gave it only four stars, is that it dragged just a hair time to time. Pendergast and D'Agosta kept having to split up and go investigate in different directions; this led to passages with them on the road or them on the phone. It wasn't as action-packed as the others and spent a lot of time setting up background. Still, it was satisfying and heart wrenching in spots, and it gave a good historical backdrop.

If you wish to read this series, you can honestly start at the beginning of any arc and jump right in. My favorite spot was with Brimstone, which is #5 and starts off the Diogenes arc. Jump earlier to the beginning (Relic) to get the intro to D'Agosta, but it's not necessary. Another good spot is Cabinet of Curiosities, which is #3. I feel the series really started here, ignoring Relic and Reliquary, and started the great historical feel.

If you like adventure, a dash of horror, good clean detective work, and nice historical fact, this is definitely the series for you!
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Sep 04, 2011 X5-494 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Sarah

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Aug 17, 2011 Twainy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

OK I skipped over a few books in this series. I am reading Brimstone but read that Fever Dream was Pendergast back story so figured I could listen to it out of order cuz I reallly love the character! OK on a strictly informative level, it was good. You learn a lot. When I think of the content, I'm not a writer but a few criticisms come to mind, first of all they are constantly describing Pendergast; his suit, hair, eyes ... which haven't changed from book one. I don't know if this is particularl...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Natalie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-uncategorized, murder-mystery

If you want to get in the full spirit of this review the background music should be a Kidz Bop version of "Oops...I Did It Again".

1. First response: Outrageous, bloody, awful (& bloody awful too) but still somehow entertaining. The Audubon plot and bio-entrepreneurship elements are fascinating. Found myself realizing how fortunate I have been to be able to view Audubon's double elephant folio at the Cal Academy library.
2. Plot elements somehow couldn't be more ridiculous.
3. OTT Example: (v ...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Riju Ganguly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When the sordid saga of Pendergast family and sibling rivalry had seemed to come to an end with The Book of the Dead (Pendergast, Book 7), and the promises of a new beginning were made through Cemetery Dance (Pendergast, Bk 9), we, the inveterate lovers of Special Agent Pendergast had great expectations. But that book, while vastly superior to the so-called Pendergast-trilogy books and the frankly-pathetic The Wheel of Darkness (Special Agent Pendergast), was a huge disappointment because Pender...more When the sordid saga of Pendergast family and sibling rivalry had seemed to come to an end with The Book of the Dead (Pendergast, Book 7), and the promises of a new beginning were made through Cemetery Dance (Pendergast, Bk 9), we, the inveterate lovers of Special Agent Pendergast had great expectations. But that book, while vastly superior to the so-called Pendergast-trilogy books and the frankly-pathetic The Wheel of Darkness (Special Agent Pendergast), was a huge disappointment because Pendergast was off-colour and almost entirely working on hunches, while his companions had very genuine reasons to feel betrayed because of his "method" of keeping them in the dark till the end. And now comes this book, where Pendergast is working with an even greater handicap: the knowledge (12 years after the event) that his wife had not died in an hunting accident, but it was an act of murder, since someone had deliberately loaded her gun with blanks when she had faced a man-eating lion! Yes, this knowledge would have unsettled even a present-day incarnation of Sherlock Holmes, but on Pendergast it has rather unusual impacts: it makes him negligent in terms of some basic investigative techniques, so-much-so, that he allows his friends' lives to be jeopardised while they are helping him in a very personal mission, and lastly: his musings into his own familial past, apart from being irrelevant to the main events of the story, only makes the backdrop of these events (Lousiana with all its swamps & forests) even more gothic & opaque. Now I come to the main story, which involves Pendergast's (and in the process Vincent D' Agosta's , and after his near-fatal injury, Laura Hayward's) travels & troubles in ferreting out the who & why behind Helen Pendergast's murder. Unfortunatley, the main events in the story follow a storyline somewhat similar to James Rolin's techno-thriller Altar of Eden: A Novel, making this read even more dependent on our perception of Pendergast, which, I beg to state, has grown somewhat dimmer as a result of excessive dosage of his family-history served through the previous books. Therefore, it seems that the time has come when the venerable preston-Child duo should take a call on whether to continue with the history of Pendergast family (or that of Helen's, since some tantalsising hints have been suggested by certain phrases that might provide openings for further sequels), or to make a clean break and go back to Relic-era stand-alone chillers; but, the way this book ended, and they way Cold Vengeance (Special Agent Pendergast) is being promoted, I am afraid that Preston-Child magic is going to wear out soon. Although, being a sucker for Pendergast and his methods (amply displayed in his dealings with a bunch of rednecks in the final pages of the book), I have placed a pre-order for the nest book, and would stick till the end. What about you?(less)

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Jun 17, 2011 Wendell rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trash-horror-guilty-pleasures

Get set for the usual irritating tics one expects from this pair of talented and dangerously complacent writers, who either eschew or don’t have editors and, if you listen on CD, for René Auberjonois to be perfectly awful as a reader. His Africans sound Italian; his women sound like RuPaul; his southern crackers sound like someone trying to satirize an old Hee-Haw sketch. He doesn’t know—and his “director” apparently never told him—that the airport in Florida is pronounced Sarasota-BRAYdenton (n...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Gena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Twelve years ago Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his bride of two years, on safari in the Musalangu Game Management Area in Africa, were set upon by a legendary red-maned lion. Only Pendergast survived the attack and devastated he returned to his life as an FBI agent. Now a chance discovery convinces him that the tragedy was anything but an accident. In desperation he turns to his trusted friend and associate, Vincent D’Agosta, for help solving this twisted mystery. It leads them from the...more Twelve years ago Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his bride of two years, on safari in the Musalangu Game Management Area in Africa, were set upon by a legendary red-maned lion. Only Pendergast survived the attack and devastated he returned to his life as an FBI agent. Now a chance discovery convinces him that the tragedy was anything but an accident. In desperation he turns to his trusted friend and associate, Vincent D’Agosta, for help solving this twisted mystery. It leads them from the dark swamps of Louisiana to the harsh plains of Africa in a deadly race to discover the truth.

In the latest Special Agent Pendergast book, Preston & Child have taken their enigmatic hero from the confines of his role as an FBI agent and made it personal. They’ve managed to peel back a few more of Pendergast’s layers and give the reader a glimpse of the man beneath without giving away too much of his mystery. Still reeling from the events of his brother’s betrayal and death, and his ward’s role in both, Pendergast is at his most vulnerable - for a nearly invulnerable guy. These books are always great fun. The pairing of extraordinary Pendergast with old-school NYPD detective D’Agosta has to be the best partnership since Holmes and Watson. Add to that the uncertainty of how Pendergast is capable of the things he does, and the creepy characters that surround his past and you have a very thrilling series of books.

Fever Dream is fast paced and with a compelling mystery that involves a lost John James Audubon painting, a man-eating lion, and a missing parrot. I couldn’t wait to find out how all these things connected and how in the end it would reveal who had killed Pendergast’s wife. I’m a huge fan of this series; I like the mix of thriller with an almost supernatural atmosphere. Aloysius Pendergast is a fascinating character, one who possesses skills and talents that seem almost unexplainable and Vincent D’Agosta is the perfect partner, a tough no-nonsense guy who doesn’t believe anything but what he sees. Fever Dream is another brilliant case that only these two could solve, one that could only be written by Preston & child.
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May 26, 2011 Ori rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just as I was once a fan of the original Sherlock Holmes novels, I love the character Preston & Child have created in Agent Pendergast. He's pretty much the ultimate in gentile bad-assery.

Most of the Pendergast novels traffic in cliffhangers and suspense. I'm rarely able to guess what twists and turns the plot will take, but that's not because they're random, but instead because it's well written. Reoccurring characters act according to their character and are not just tools in the action. A...more Just as I was once a fan of the original Sherlock Holmes novels, I love the character Preston & Child have created in Agent Pendergast. He's pretty much the ultimate in gentile bad-assery.

Most of the Pendergast novels traffic in cliffhangers and suspense. I'm rarely able to guess what twists and turns the plot will take, but that's not because they're random, but instead because it's well written. Reoccurring characters act according to their character and are not just tools in the action. Another thing that's cool about the Pendergast novels, is that characters, even reoccurring ones, are not immortal. If they must be killed to advance the narrative that's exactly what's done.

Sadly, this entry in the series feels like a paint-by-number affair. While we don't know all the details, the main villian and betrayer is clear within the first 45 pages, and even the final plot twist isn't all that surprising. Maybe the Pendergast novels have jumped the shark. I mean, I don't know how it's possible to top thrills and twists of The Cabinet of Curiosities, but each subsequent book has at least made an effort.

In Fever Dream beloved characters like Vincent D'Agosta and Laura Heyward are just shadows of their past characters. D'Agosta fulfills his usual "every-man-detective" role. Heyward is anxious and indignant about D'Agosta working Pendergast, but in the end they all put forth their best effort and problems are solved. Nothing new is added to their character.

In fact, though the novel is ostensibly about Pendergast's past, and more specifically his married life, we learn precious little new about Pendergast, and certainly nothing that really changes our conception of his character.

Meanwhile, they toss in a totally disconnected subplot involving Constance Greene. The events of her narrative seem to be in direct conflict with the mythology set in place by Book of the Dead and Wheel of Darkness, specifically the prophecy in the latter. True, we only get heresay, we never see the relevant scene, however, even if a later book squares up the mythology, there was still virtually no connection between the main plot of the book and Constance Greene's plot line. Yes, her situation at the end of the book does dovetail neatly with Pendergast family history, however it feels more like a convenience to reduce her role in later books, which is a shame, because she's always been the character with the most potential to both have an increased role in Pendergast's adventures, and also grow as an emotional entity. Now it looks like this growth has been stopped.

Had Preston and Child not already set such a high bar perhaps this would have risen to three stars. While not as impressive as usual, the book is still well researched, and the historical basis is interesting, but over all this book was a disappointment that I hope will not become the trend in this series. (less)

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Jan 12, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, mystery

After the horrendous last two Pendergast books by Preston and Child I was ready to give up the series for good. Thankfully, I didn't. Fever Dream reminded me why I love this series. After a string of 10 books I couldn't finish, I was starting to think I was just not in the mood for reading. It took a great book for me to realize that it wasn't reading I was against, just bad books, and Fever Dream is a great book.

Pendergast shows more emotion in Fever Dream than in any previous book in the serie...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Joe Murray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Enigmatic FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast is back and in top form in this blood-pumping thriller, Fever Dream, from prolific writing team Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

This atmospheric novel starts out in Musalangu, Zambia, 12 years in the past, where Pendergast is relaxing with his beautiful wife, Helen. We enter the story just as our happy couple embark on the adventure that will leave Helen dead in a most brutal fashion.

Fast forward to present day Louisiana, at the old family home,...more Enigmatic FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast is back and in top form in this blood-pumping thriller, Fever Dream, from prolific writing team Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

This atmospheric novel starts out in Musalangu, Zambia, 12 years in the past, where Pendergast is relaxing with his beautiful wife, Helen. We enter the story just as our happy couple embark on the adventure that will leave Helen dead in a most brutal fashion.

Fast forward to present day Louisiana, at the old family home, where Pendergast chances to examine Helen’s rifle from that fateful day. To his horror, he discovers evidence that her horrific death was an elaborately staged accident. The rifle used by Helen on that terrible day had been deliberately loaded with blanks. Who could have wanted to murder Helen, and equally important, why? Soon Pendergast discovers that Helen had nursed a secret obsession with famed naturalist-painter, John James Audubon, and in particular a long-lost painting of his known as the “Black Frame.” The painting was never found, and Audubon’s life ended in madness.

Pendergast soon embarks on an agonising quest to uncover the mystery of his wife's murder, and seeks the help of old pal and soon-to-be-married, NYPD Lieutenant, Vincent D’Agosta, to accompany him on the cold-trail journey. It’s a journey that sends Pendergast deep into his dead wife’s murky past—a past he learns Helen had wished to keep hidden.

Unfortunately for Pendergast, the more he discovers about Helen’s secret life, the more he realizes that he never really knew her. As he probes more deeply into the riddle—the answer to which is revealed in a night of shocking violence, deep in the Louisiana bayou—he soon finds himself faced with an even greater question: Who was this woman he had married?

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have collaborated on numerous other novels featuring Pendergast, but this is possibly their strongest and most ambitious to date. Fever Dream is one of those great adventure/mystery stories we all yearn for. The vivid descriptions of Africa and Louisiana Bayou are absorbingly authentic, making the smells and the sounds of exotic and mysterious creatures call out to the reader. While the level of violence and suspense is ratcheted up several notches, it is matched with the perfect balance of eloquent prose and action that is both intense and unpredictable. Coupled with this are a whole cast of creepy and totally original characters, some of whom Alfred Hitchcock would have loved dearly to sip spiked tea with.

Fever Dream is a solid page-turner of a book, delivered just in time for those hot and feverish summer days ahead. Make sure you’re in a cool place while reading it.(less)

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Jul 02, 2010 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jul 01, 2010 Bob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this newest Pendergast novel we learn that he was once married but lost his wife while on safari in Africa. Because he had a license to shoot big game he was required to assist in shooting a lion that had been terrorizing local villages. He and his wife set out with a tracker and gun bearer to find the lion who had killed a German photographer and in the ensuing encounter Pendergast’s wife was killed. Twelve years later while examining her rifle he discovered that one of the barrels was dirty...more

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About Douglas Preston

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...(less)

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Books by Douglas Preston

The Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast, #3)

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

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

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Fever Dream (Pendergast #10)

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