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Aloysius Pendergast #11
Cold Vengeance
Devastated by the discovery that his wife, Helen, was murdered, Special Agent Pendergast must have retribution. But revenge is not simple. As he stalks his wife's betrayers—a chase that takes him from the wild moors of Scotland to the bustling streets of New York City and the darkest bayous of Louisiana—he is also forced to dig further into Helen's past. And he is stunned to learn that Helen may have been a collaborator in her own murder.
Peeling back the layers of deception, Pendergast realizes that the conspiracy is deeper, goes back generations, and is more monstrous than he could have ever imagined—and everything he's believed, everything he's trusted, everything he's understood . . . may be a horrific lie.
Peeling back the layers of deception, Pendergast realizes that the conspiracy is deeper, goes back generations, and is more monstrous than he could have ever imagined—and everything he's believed, everything he's trusted, everything he's understood . . . may be a horrific lie.
560 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2011
1198 people are currently reading
7704 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 1,675 reviews
August 11, 2011
I did not really enjoy this installation of the Pendergast series. It's not that it's badly written, but the authors are really starting to move Pendergast's character and plot lines into the conspiracy theory thriller genre. While I love a good conspiracy thriller, what I loved about Pendergast was the archeology, science, museum settings, New York City and New Orleans settings and Holmesian feel.
None of that is evident in the new Pendergast. He even goes so far as to make multiple glaring mistakes (and frankly the mistakes are predictable plot points, maybe that's his problem) that he mocks himself for. He's all over the world, hunting stags in a marsh, finding a World War II Nazi conspiracy and shooting half a dozen men on a boat with magically placed gymnastics and bullets and other feats of spy thriller action rather than his previous Holmesian and seemingly magical insights into human habit, psychology and history. And I know I should be for character development, but I want smart Pendergast back...not good shot Pendergast.
One thing I was super happy to see is that they brought back Corrie Swanson from Still Life with Crows. She's probably one of my favorite characters in the series and I've been wondering about her. Constance is also back, as well as a continuance of the characters picked up in Cold Fever.
I was also irritated that this book is set up as a cliffhanger, for no particularly good reason. The book isn't that long and not that much happens in it beyond a hunting accident and the aforementioned slaughter on the boat. It's complete exposition, with far too much inner monologue, apparently to set up for what I hope is a thrilling finale. But there's nothing in here that demanded such time or explanation that it couldn't have been a completed story.
I had hoped with Gideon's Sword getting their apparent penchant for action adventure/conspiracy thrillers out of their systems, that the two authors would return Pendergast to his New York City or New Orleans history settings and deal with the urban monsters that thrilled me so much in the beginning. Apparently, that isn't going to happen anytime soon. I'm ready for this particular trilogy to be over.
None of that is evident in the new Pendergast. He even goes so far as to make multiple glaring mistakes (and frankly the mistakes are predictable plot points, maybe that's his problem) that he mocks himself for. He's all over the world, hunting stags in a marsh, finding a World War II Nazi conspiracy and shooting half a dozen men on a boat with magically placed gymnastics and bullets and other feats of spy thriller action rather than his previous Holmesian and seemingly magical insights into human habit, psychology and history. And I know I should be for character development, but I want smart Pendergast back...not good shot Pendergast.
One thing I was super happy to see is that they brought back Corrie Swanson from Still Life with Crows. She's probably one of my favorite characters in the series and I've been wondering about her. Constance is also back, as well as a continuance of the characters picked up in Cold Fever.
I was also irritated that this book is set up as a cliffhanger, for no particularly good reason. The book isn't that long and not that much happens in it beyond a hunting accident and the aforementioned slaughter on the boat. It's complete exposition, with far too much inner monologue, apparently to set up for what I hope is a thrilling finale. But there's nothing in here that demanded such time or explanation that it couldn't have been a completed story.
I had hoped with Gideon's Sword getting their apparent penchant for action adventure/conspiracy thrillers out of their systems, that the two authors would return Pendergast to his New York City or New Orleans history settings and deal with the urban monsters that thrilled me so much in the beginning. Apparently, that isn't going to happen anytime soon. I'm ready for this particular trilogy to be over.
October 19, 2017
"When I begin to intimidate you, you'll know it!" - Special Agent A. X. L. Pendergast
Just when you think Pendergast has faced just about every challenge, these guys show up . . .
Much like the middle book of the Diogenes trilogy, this seems to serve more as a bridge than a complete story in itself. But, it is very good, action packed, and sees the return of a favorite character from earlier in the series (no hints or spoilers, you just have to read it for yourself).
As it is a bridge book, there is no reason to read this book if you have not read the series up to this point . . . you will be super confused! So, I say, read the whole darn series - you won't regret it!
Just when you think Pendergast has faced just about every challenge, these guys show up . . .
Much like the middle book of the Diogenes trilogy, this seems to serve more as a bridge than a complete story in itself. But, it is very good, action packed, and sees the return of a favorite character from earlier in the series (no hints or spoilers, you just have to read it for yourself).
As it is a bridge book, there is no reason to read this book if you have not read the series up to this point . . . you will be super confused! So, I say, read the whole darn series - you won't regret it!
June 17, 2020
Super good. A lot left to know yet.
May 10, 2022
Cold Vengeance is the 11th book in the Pendergast series written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Considered an FBI suspense thriller, the novels focus on protagonist Pendergast, a mastermind at finding criminals and surviving what appears to be uncertain death. This time, the early part of the book highlights other characters after learning he's thought to be dead in Scotland. Could it be true? Of course not, but readers almost believe it until the enigmatic man rises from the ashes. The best part... trying to decide how he will handle the situation. His wife was murdered. Her brother is the likely culprit. And only readers know there's also someone else involved. Talk about exciting drama!
I buddy read with a good friend who also loved this second book in the Helen arc, part of the overall series. It also ended with a major revelation. While the description of the next book reveals the surprise, I won't say it here in case you don't want the spoiler. But it's a game-changer, and I was certain it would happen, just not sure how or why. Pendergast learns who was after his wife, but not all the complicated reasons. When he discovers her connection to a famous Nazi doctor, things take a turn into the macabre, which is always welcome in this series. It shines a light on the darkness in humanity, but it also provides a healthy dose of reality and history to remind people that these dangers still exist.
I need to learn more about Aunt Cornelia, and Constance is a breath of fresh air. The woman is such a complex character but at times, truly innocent and sheltered. Loving the series more and more with each book. Planning to read the next one in May. I have about 10 to catch up on this year, then I can read the spinoff series too.
I buddy read with a good friend who also loved this second book in the Helen arc, part of the overall series. It also ended with a major revelation. While the description of the next book reveals the surprise, I won't say it here in case you don't want the spoiler. But it's a game-changer, and I was certain it would happen, just not sure how or why. Pendergast learns who was after his wife, but not all the complicated reasons. When he discovers her connection to a famous Nazi doctor, things take a turn into the macabre, which is always welcome in this series. It shines a light on the darkness in humanity, but it also provides a healthy dose of reality and history to remind people that these dangers still exist.
I need to learn more about Aunt Cornelia, and Constance is a breath of fresh air. The woman is such a complex character but at times, truly innocent and sheltered. Loving the series more and more with each book. Planning to read the next one in May. I have about 10 to catch up on this year, then I can read the spinoff series too.
August 2, 2018
Oh my God! What are you doing to me Preston & Child?!
You leave me with TWO cliffhangers in the 2nd book of the Helen trilogy? Good grief!
I love this series and these two writers. The action, mystery and complexities of each book is just so well done. I've never been disappointed with a book from the Pendergast series.
Thanks for the buddy read Terry & Matthew!
Can't wait to get to Two Graves which is the last book in the Helen Pendergast trilogy. It's been a rollercoaster of a ride and it's hard to tell you much about the plot of this book, Cold Vengeance without ruining Fever Dream which is the 1st book in the trilogy.
If you've been living under a rock for the last 20 years and haven't read a Pendergast book, GET TO IT!
You leave me with TWO cliffhangers in the 2nd book of the Helen trilogy? Good grief!
I love this series and these two writers. The action, mystery and complexities of each book is just so well done. I've never been disappointed with a book from the Pendergast series.
Thanks for the buddy read Terry & Matthew!
Can't wait to get to Two Graves which is the last book in the Helen Pendergast trilogy. It's been a rollercoaster of a ride and it's hard to tell you much about the plot of this book, Cold Vengeance without ruining Fever Dream which is the 1st book in the trilogy.
If you've been living under a rock for the last 20 years and haven't read a Pendergast book, GET TO IT!
August 6, 2012
Okay, take notice, I gave this book 4 stars, I like the Pendergast books... I give this preamble because I'm going to say some things that could be taken as negative. But they're not so negative that I didn't enjoy the book.
First let me say, I'm not a died in the wool Preston/Child fan (and why in the listing above does Child get short shrift?)[When I first wrote this, for some reason only Preston's name was listed]. I've read books written by them individually which I found (in my opinion) ranging from mediocre to "wow this is crap". I recently tried the first in their "new collaborative series" Gideon's Sword, which I found frankly ridiculous (or if you read my review, ludicrous ). I don't plan to be following Gideon's Crew up.
Pendergast on the other hand, I mostly enjoy. I was introduced to the character in Relic, a book which my wife loved, when she read it. Later as her health failed she was bed fast and had trouble reading so I was constantly searching out audio books for her. The Pendergast saga continued, as she listened to them (or sometimes after if I wasn't around for the entire read) I'd hear them to. Since her death I have continued to follow the adventurers of our intrepid Special FBI agent.
And Pendergast seems to be a VERY Special Agent as he freelances as often as he works for the Agency. He's been in prison, gone up against his superiors, been involved in more strange, unexplained and bizarre deaths, events and happenings than probably all other members of all federal agencies combined (excepting possibly Scully and Mulder and he'd probably give them a run for their money).
We pick up here where the last installment left off with our dauntless hero plumbing the depths of a mystery surrounding the lowest point of his life, the apparent murder of his beloved wife. Having assumed for 15 years that she died in a horrible hunting accident, when he found otherwise Pendergast has already proved that he will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of all this!
The book follows the story and it's a good yarn. It is at times (unintentionally I believe) a bit laughable with Pendergast putting Superman to shame. Pendergast is THE TOUGHEST, BADDEST, MOST RESOURCEFUL, DEADLY, UNRELENTING protagonist in all thriller fiction. Books, movies, TV..nobody holds a candle to Aloysius Xingu L. Pendergast. James Bond? Phfitt. Dirk Pitt? a wus. Mack Bolan? a pushover. My daughter and I believe he might even be a match for.... Horatio Caine! Though we did come to the conclusion that match-up might result in a black hole or something. Dressed in unremitting black nobody who goes up against Pendergast shall prosper.
Yes I like the books but aside from the good story telling there are so many things like predictable situations (if you don't see the ending to this one coming a mile away you haven't read enough books or seen enough movies), humorous cliches (Why did you do such and such? I'll tell you later...but there's no time now [we never get back to that conversation before the end of the book of course, nor the one that goes] Why didn't you tell me such and such? I'll tell you all later, but right now there's no time!)(Or..."They will be back any minute, I'll only search one more room").
Get the picture?
For some reason none of this bothers me or puts me off. I stay interested in the story and follow it, even as there are times I crack up at the book. Or books...and we'll need to follow "books" it seems, as we seem to be into a plot here that may have legs enough to last through quite a few books. Shall I give any hints that might be semi-spoilers?
Naa, at least not "outside" a spoiler warning. Read the books, enjoy. They're pure brain candy, literary junk food at it's junky, fun, best. Have a ball.
First let me say, I'm not a died in the wool Preston/Child fan (and why in the listing above does Child get short shrift?)[When I first wrote this, for some reason only Preston's name was listed]. I've read books written by them individually which I found (in my opinion) ranging from mediocre to "wow this is crap". I recently tried the first in their "new collaborative series" Gideon's Sword, which I found frankly ridiculous (or if you read my review, ludicrous ). I don't plan to be following Gideon's Crew up.
Pendergast on the other hand, I mostly enjoy. I was introduced to the character in Relic, a book which my wife loved, when she read it. Later as her health failed she was bed fast and had trouble reading so I was constantly searching out audio books for her. The Pendergast saga continued, as she listened to them (or sometimes after if I wasn't around for the entire read) I'd hear them to. Since her death I have continued to follow the adventurers of our intrepid Special FBI agent.
And Pendergast seems to be a VERY Special Agent as he freelances as often as he works for the Agency. He's been in prison, gone up against his superiors, been involved in more strange, unexplained and bizarre deaths, events and happenings than probably all other members of all federal agencies combined (excepting possibly Scully and Mulder and he'd probably give them a run for their money).
We pick up here where the last installment left off with our dauntless hero plumbing the depths of a mystery surrounding the lowest point of his life, the apparent murder of his beloved wife. Having assumed for 15 years that she died in a horrible hunting accident, when he found otherwise Pendergast has already proved that he will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of all this!
The book follows the story and it's a good yarn. It is at times (unintentionally I believe) a bit laughable with Pendergast putting Superman to shame. Pendergast is THE TOUGHEST, BADDEST, MOST RESOURCEFUL, DEADLY, UNRELENTING protagonist in all thriller fiction. Books, movies, TV..nobody holds a candle to Aloysius Xingu L. Pendergast. James Bond? Phfitt. Dirk Pitt? a wus. Mack Bolan? a pushover. My daughter and I believe he might even be a match for.... Horatio Caine! Though we did come to the conclusion that match-up might result in a black hole or something. Dressed in unremitting black nobody who goes up against Pendergast shall prosper.
Yes I like the books but aside from the good story telling there are so many things like predictable situations (if you don't see the ending to this one coming a mile away you haven't read enough books or seen enough movies), humorous cliches (Why did you do such and such? I'll tell you later...but there's no time now [we never get back to that conversation before the end of the book of course, nor the one that goes] Why didn't you tell me such and such? I'll tell you all later, but right now there's no time!)(Or..."They will be back any minute, I'll only search one more room").
Get the picture?
For some reason none of this bothers me or puts me off. I stay interested in the story and follow it, even as there are times I crack up at the book. Or books...and we'll need to follow "books" it seems, as we seem to be into a plot here that may have legs enough to last through quite a few books. Shall I give any hints that might be semi-spoilers?
Naa, at least not "outside" a spoiler warning. Read the books, enjoy. They're pure brain candy, literary junk food at it's junky, fun, best. Have a ball.
December 18, 2019
For reasons unfathomable to the (human) brain, I have been using food metaphors in reviews for books in this series, starting with the hot dog that is Relic. Someone should really stop me from ever putting pen to paper again, but until that happens, let’s keep it going.
This was the most challenging book to fooditize, in part because it’s a little different. There’s not a whole lot of Pendergast mystery solving, faux-supernatural creepiness, serial killers, or arcane NYC secrets. There’s not even much D’Agostino or Hayward. There IS a fair bit of Judson Esterhazy, a little Corrie Swanson, and some supporting turns from new characters who meat gruesome ends, and a LOT of Pendergast going full-on Jason Bourne.
So, what is this book? It’s cold pizza, which is an obvious metaphor, but not for the reasons you think.
See, I would argue that neither pizza nor vengeance are dishes best served cold. I mean, cold pizza is fine, I guess, but ooey gooey warm cheesiness is preferable. Similarly, I’d way rather rip out someone’s jugular the moment they cut in front of me in line at the grocery store, even if unintentionally, so that I can enjoy the baffled look of dumbfoundedness on their stupid faces and let it serve as a warning to everyone else in the area that I am not to be crossed when I am trying to legally purchase milk and eggs as opposed to doing it to them like five years later.*
In short, cold pizza’s not my favorite. It’s fine. I certainly wouldn’t kick it out of bed (though, to be fair, I probably wouldn’t bring it into bed in the first place because I’m just not a crumbs in the sheets kind of guy, just as I am not a make-love-to-pizza kind of guy, though have no such compunctions about laying the wood to a good penne a la vodka). But, if I have my druthers**, I’ll take fresh out of the oven pizza, just as I would pick several of the preceding dectuplet (is that another word for 10?) of Pendergastian adventures over this one.
Still, I just can’t quit Pendergast. Onward to further adventures and resolving the mystery of…well, no spoilers. But there’s a humdinger of a reveal in this one.
*Okay, so, yeah—I might have some issues I need to work through.
**My high school basketball coach used to tell this great story about being on a job interview and getting asked, “If you had your druthers, what would you be doing?” Only he had no idea what the hell “druthers” meant, so he hemmed and hawed and was like, “Yeah, my druthers…well, if I had them—my druthers—I guess if I had some of those, I would be…well, I guess I would be doing what everyone else who has druthers does.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, he did not get that job.
This was the most challenging book to fooditize, in part because it’s a little different. There’s not a whole lot of Pendergast mystery solving, faux-supernatural creepiness, serial killers, or arcane NYC secrets. There’s not even much D’Agostino or Hayward. There IS a fair bit of Judson Esterhazy, a little Corrie Swanson, and some supporting turns from new characters who meat gruesome ends, and a LOT of Pendergast going full-on Jason Bourne.
So, what is this book? It’s cold pizza, which is an obvious metaphor, but not for the reasons you think.
See, I would argue that neither pizza nor vengeance are dishes best served cold. I mean, cold pizza is fine, I guess, but ooey gooey warm cheesiness is preferable. Similarly, I’d way rather rip out someone’s jugular the moment they cut in front of me in line at the grocery store, even if unintentionally, so that I can enjoy the baffled look of dumbfoundedness on their stupid faces and let it serve as a warning to everyone else in the area that I am not to be crossed when I am trying to legally purchase milk and eggs as opposed to doing it to them like five years later.*
In short, cold pizza’s not my favorite. It’s fine. I certainly wouldn’t kick it out of bed (though, to be fair, I probably wouldn’t bring it into bed in the first place because I’m just not a crumbs in the sheets kind of guy, just as I am not a make-love-to-pizza kind of guy, though have no such compunctions about laying the wood to a good penne a la vodka). But, if I have my druthers**, I’ll take fresh out of the oven pizza, just as I would pick several of the preceding dectuplet (is that another word for 10?) of Pendergastian adventures over this one.
Still, I just can’t quit Pendergast. Onward to further adventures and resolving the mystery of…well, no spoilers. But there’s a humdinger of a reveal in this one.
*Okay, so, yeah—I might have some issues I need to work through.
**My high school basketball coach used to tell this great story about being on a job interview and getting asked, “If you had your druthers, what would you be doing?” Only he had no idea what the hell “druthers” meant, so he hemmed and hawed and was like, “Yeah, my druthers…well, if I had them—my druthers—I guess if I had some of those, I would be…well, I guess I would be doing what everyone else who has druthers does.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, he did not get that job.
March 22, 2023
Cold Vengeance is part two of another Agent Pendergast trilogy, and the 11th book in the series. It’s another solid entry, suspenseful and entertaining. Recommended for those caught up on the series. If not, you really should go back and read the first book—Relic—and find out why this series is so popular (spoiler alert: it’s Agent Pendergast 😄).
September 16, 2011
What have they done to Pendergast?!? I'm not liking this stereotypical action stud the authors are turning him into. Where are the strange mysteries, haunted hallways of museums, Pendergast's both cerebral and mystical take on the world? And that this particular storyline - Pendergast investigating his wife's accidental death/murder/disappearance from 12 years prior - is going to take three books is just ridiculous! I'm tired of novels just stopping, with no ending at all. This wasn't that long of a book; this easily could have been brought to a real conclusion. And this certainly isn't a compelling enough story to warrant three novels, probably 1100 pages total, and a wait of a year or more for book #3! They brought back Corrie, a beloved character from the miles superior Still Life with Crows, and gave her almost nothing to do. Enough's enough, guys. Get this silly Nazi conspiracy story out of your system, stop having Pendergast act like he's in a Bourne movie, and go back to the much richer, interesting and unique stories you used to write.
December 12, 2023
I cannot believe I have done this again! I read a novel smack dab in the middle of a trilogy. Will I ever learn. Now I am going back and reading the entire trilogy.
Cold Vengeance is an intense read right from the beginning. Normally you would not expect death and mayhem in the first few pages. Preston and Child have done it again. What a team! I was glued to this book from the git go. The problem with that is I was reading two other books at the same time and I could not give them the attention they needed. Yep .. re-read time.
I love the characters they use in the Pendergast series. I have become very fond of them in prior novels. Their loyalty to Pendergast is strongly expressed in this novel.
In this read deception abounds, suspense supersedes rational thought and anticipation causes fumbling the turning of the next page. The question that comes to mind is … Who is stalking who? I hesitate to say more for I want those who read this novel to experience the same heart racing action that I did.
Welcome to a worthy read.
Cold Vengeance is an intense read right from the beginning. Normally you would not expect death and mayhem in the first few pages. Preston and Child have done it again. What a team! I was glued to this book from the git go. The problem with that is I was reading two other books at the same time and I could not give them the attention they needed. Yep .. re-read time.
I love the characters they use in the Pendergast series. I have become very fond of them in prior novels. Their loyalty to Pendergast is strongly expressed in this novel.
In this read deception abounds, suspense supersedes rational thought and anticipation causes fumbling the turning of the next page. The question that comes to mind is … Who is stalking who? I hesitate to say more for I want those who read this novel to experience the same heart racing action that I did.
Welcome to a worthy read.
December 22, 2017
Agent Pendergast is angry. Not just angry......really really really angry. And out for justice, with a shot of revenge. In the first novel in the Helen Pendergast trilogy (within the Pendergast series), he discovered new evidence in the death of his wife in a lion attack several years before. He swore he would find out who was behind her murder and avenge her. In Cold Vengeance, Pendergast not only discovers that the conspiracy is so much more diabolical and depraved than he thought, but he also discovers that Helen might still be alive.
This book really seems like a bridge between the first novel that introduced Helen and the plot behind her death and the last novel that I'm sure will wrap up the story in a grandiose Pendergastian way. I enjoyed the chase (some of the action scenes were just awesome and there are some great lines by Pendergast in this story), but the weak cliffhanger ending I just really didn't like. I'm a bit tired of the Helen story line, to be honest. I miss the weird cases that lead Pendergast to out of the way dusty museums and archaeological sites. I prefer the somehow distant and reserved Pendergast to this overly emotional, out for revenge version. BUT.....despite my eye roll at the end of the book, this is a good story. There is plenty of action....plenty of bad guys to hate....and enough mystery to the situation to keep it interesting. I will be glad to read through the next book and have the Helen mystery solved so the series can move on to something else. Not that I blame Pendergast for being pissed off that someone killed (or pretended to kill) his wife.....but the overly emotional, almost broken Pendergast is more creepy than his normal strange self. Just a weird vibe to the Helen story-line books. The Constance Green story angle is getting a bit weird also....I hope that gets resolved in the next book or two as well.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book. Rene Auberjonois narrates again. I like his reading pace and his voice. Plus I think he does a really good accent for the Pendergast character. I have partial hearing loss, and never have any problem understanding him. The audiobook is unabridged and just under 12 hours long. Good quality. Very enjoyable.
Cold Vengeance is the 11th book in the Pendergast series. There are 16 books currently, and a 17th coming out in 2018.
For more information on the authors and their books, check out their website: http://www.prestonchild.com/
This book really seems like a bridge between the first novel that introduced Helen and the plot behind her death and the last novel that I'm sure will wrap up the story in a grandiose Pendergastian way. I enjoyed the chase (some of the action scenes were just awesome and there are some great lines by Pendergast in this story), but the weak cliffhanger ending I just really didn't like. I'm a bit tired of the Helen story line, to be honest. I miss the weird cases that lead Pendergast to out of the way dusty museums and archaeological sites. I prefer the somehow distant and reserved Pendergast to this overly emotional, out for revenge version. BUT.....despite my eye roll at the end of the book, this is a good story. There is plenty of action....plenty of bad guys to hate....and enough mystery to the situation to keep it interesting. I will be glad to read through the next book and have the Helen mystery solved so the series can move on to something else. Not that I blame Pendergast for being pissed off that someone killed (or pretended to kill) his wife.....but the overly emotional, almost broken Pendergast is more creepy than his normal strange self. Just a weird vibe to the Helen story-line books. The Constance Green story angle is getting a bit weird also....I hope that gets resolved in the next book or two as well.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book. Rene Auberjonois narrates again. I like his reading pace and his voice. Plus I think he does a really good accent for the Pendergast character. I have partial hearing loss, and never have any problem understanding him. The audiobook is unabridged and just under 12 hours long. Good quality. Very enjoyable.
Cold Vengeance is the 11th book in the Pendergast series. There are 16 books currently, and a 17th coming out in 2018.
For more information on the authors and their books, check out their website: http://www.prestonchild.com/
February 10, 2023
My thoughts...this should probably be read in order 10,11 and 12. I found the writing to be excellent, but the story was a continuation of the previous book. So, it is more of a serialized form of the story rather than an independent book. I rate the book 3.5* as it was just a wild ride with not much to add to the plot.
March 10, 2018
Brilliant! Fast paced (I really didn’t notice the pages flying by) action with barely a pause for breath. Pendergast is wonderful. #Pendergast for President.
June 28, 2019
Nooooo... a cliffhanger ending?!!
Yep, I finished this book in a single day because it was insanely absorbing. Pendergast is a maniac when desperate and I just love it!
The action in this book is worthy of Bourne and Bond, especially that climactic yacht scene.
Brb, reading the next book now.
Yep, I finished this book in a single day because it was insanely absorbing. Pendergast is a maniac when desperate and I just love it!
The action in this book is worthy of Bourne and Bond, especially that climactic yacht scene.
Brb, reading the next book now.
September 29, 2019
Original review over at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Cold Vengeance is the second book in the Helen Pendergast trilogy that began with Fever Dream last year. I very much enjoyed the new twist envisioned by the authors as Pendergast begins to re-examine his past and find out about his wife. This move was a brilliant one by the authors and Fever Dream rekindled many a jaded fan back into Pendergast’s throes.
This book begins almost immediately after the events of the last book. Pendergast has gone hunting with his brother-in-law Judson Esterhazy, things soon go awry and Pendergast is forced to go underground perhaps a second time in his life (the first time was around the events of the Diogenes trilogy). For things are definitely what they seem and this time around even the ever-doughty Vincent D’Agosta can’t be of much help. Things soon take a turn for the unexpected as Corrie Swanson begins her investigation into Pendergast’s absence. Aiding her in cause is Vincent D’Agosta who is slowly recovering from the events of the previous title. On a separate track Ned Betterton is a investigative reporter who fills in the void left by Bill Smithback in Preston-Child world and lastly there is the continuation of Constance’s storyline from the events of the previous few books and we get a viewpoint from Dr. John Felder which helps the reader in knowing more of what is developing.
Thus with such a convoluted storyline, the authors plunge the readers into a morass of storylines wherein nothing is as it seems and Pendergast is even more bewildered than he was shown in the previous volume. The basic storyline is about Helen Pendergast, the long-thought-to-be dead wife of agent Pendergast, however things and plots have been unearthed which make it seem that Helen was murdered and did not die in a hunting accident. This book not only validates that theory but pushes forward a new one which will further shock Pendergast as well as the readers.
The authors have to be congratulated for not only twisting the reader’s perceptions but also backing it up with a tremendous story which does not stop shocking the reader while maintaining its pace and potential. This story’s pace is one which does not allow any time for the reader to pause and collect their thoughts as it carries the reader forward through out. The re-appearance of fan-favorite characters of Corrie Swanson & Vincent D’Agosta further helps in engaging the reader as Pendergast is not often present on the scene of action. It’s very difficult to discuss the details of the plot as even the smallest points are spoiler-ish and therefore its best if the readers themselves come across these points in their reading journey. Among the book’s finer facets are the side plots, which do not detract any attention from the main plot and keep the readers, further engrossed in trying to figure out how it will all end?
The most surprising thing of the book is how assured the authors seem to be in an environment wherein their comfort level is at its zenith, earlier this year the same duo had released Gideon’s Sword and its very hard to believe that both the books were written by the same people in almost an overlapping time period. The difference between both books is startling in terms of plot, characterization and plot twists and is unfathomable. Another remarkable aspect of this book is that even though this is the middle book of the trilogy, it does not show any such signs. It rushes towards the climax while keeping the reader guessing and goes on to deliver not one but two explosive revelations which will have massive repercussions in Pendergast’s world.
This book does not get any better than the pervious excellent thrillers like Reliquary, Cabinet of Curiosities, Riptide, etc. from these virtuoso masters. Not only will it invigorate the series but will go on to gain more fans for the series as many readers who haven’t read the previous series titles can readily start reading the books from Fever Dream and thus will still be enchanted by the world and the characters created by Messrs. Preston & Child.
CONCLUSION: An excellent thriller, "The Dark Knight" to its predecessor and an out-and-out page-turner. Preston & Child have written a fiendishly clever book and inserted enough surprises in it to flummox the most veteran readers and with an ending even more devious than all their previous ones; next year cannot come soon enough for the final book and the resolution to the mystery of Helen Pendergast.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Cold Vengeance is the second book in the Helen Pendergast trilogy that began with Fever Dream last year. I very much enjoyed the new twist envisioned by the authors as Pendergast begins to re-examine his past and find out about his wife. This move was a brilliant one by the authors and Fever Dream rekindled many a jaded fan back into Pendergast’s throes.
This book begins almost immediately after the events of the last book. Pendergast has gone hunting with his brother-in-law Judson Esterhazy, things soon go awry and Pendergast is forced to go underground perhaps a second time in his life (the first time was around the events of the Diogenes trilogy). For things are definitely what they seem and this time around even the ever-doughty Vincent D’Agosta can’t be of much help. Things soon take a turn for the unexpected as Corrie Swanson begins her investigation into Pendergast’s absence. Aiding her in cause is Vincent D’Agosta who is slowly recovering from the events of the previous title. On a separate track Ned Betterton is a investigative reporter who fills in the void left by Bill Smithback in Preston-Child world and lastly there is the continuation of Constance’s storyline from the events of the previous few books and we get a viewpoint from Dr. John Felder which helps the reader in knowing more of what is developing.
Thus with such a convoluted storyline, the authors plunge the readers into a morass of storylines wherein nothing is as it seems and Pendergast is even more bewildered than he was shown in the previous volume. The basic storyline is about Helen Pendergast, the long-thought-to-be dead wife of agent Pendergast, however things and plots have been unearthed which make it seem that Helen was murdered and did not die in a hunting accident. This book not only validates that theory but pushes forward a new one which will further shock Pendergast as well as the readers.
The authors have to be congratulated for not only twisting the reader’s perceptions but also backing it up with a tremendous story which does not stop shocking the reader while maintaining its pace and potential. This story’s pace is one which does not allow any time for the reader to pause and collect their thoughts as it carries the reader forward through out. The re-appearance of fan-favorite characters of Corrie Swanson & Vincent D’Agosta further helps in engaging the reader as Pendergast is not often present on the scene of action. It’s very difficult to discuss the details of the plot as even the smallest points are spoiler-ish and therefore its best if the readers themselves come across these points in their reading journey. Among the book’s finer facets are the side plots, which do not detract any attention from the main plot and keep the readers, further engrossed in trying to figure out how it will all end?
The most surprising thing of the book is how assured the authors seem to be in an environment wherein their comfort level is at its zenith, earlier this year the same duo had released Gideon’s Sword and its very hard to believe that both the books were written by the same people in almost an overlapping time period. The difference between both books is startling in terms of plot, characterization and plot twists and is unfathomable. Another remarkable aspect of this book is that even though this is the middle book of the trilogy, it does not show any such signs. It rushes towards the climax while keeping the reader guessing and goes on to deliver not one but two explosive revelations which will have massive repercussions in Pendergast’s world.
This book does not get any better than the pervious excellent thrillers like Reliquary, Cabinet of Curiosities, Riptide, etc. from these virtuoso masters. Not only will it invigorate the series but will go on to gain more fans for the series as many readers who haven’t read the previous series titles can readily start reading the books from Fever Dream and thus will still be enchanted by the world and the characters created by Messrs. Preston & Child.
CONCLUSION: An excellent thriller, "The Dark Knight" to its predecessor and an out-and-out page-turner. Preston & Child have written a fiendishly clever book and inserted enough surprises in it to flummox the most veteran readers and with an ending even more devious than all their previous ones; next year cannot come soon enough for the final book and the resolution to the mystery of Helen Pendergast.
August 10, 2011
Preston-Childs fans unite, but be warned. This book is best read with the others underneath your belt. A least the one before it, Fever Dream, if you want to understand this one. The other ten if you want the full impact. Do not pick this book up going, ‘Oh! A week-end beach read!’ This is not a beach read. If you want knitting patterns and recipes, the cozy mysteries section is out back.
Once again Preston and Child both grasp the mysterious aspects of their most memorable characters, this time with the biggest mystery of all; whatever happened to Pendergast’s wife? Killed in Africa, or something else?
This review will be extremely short for many reasons. These books are to be shared among fans once completed. There is something of a following, where at the last page we grip out fellow fans by the shoulders in an overdose of joyful emotions and express our hopes and fears about the upcoming book and the book now finished.
This is one of the best in the series, sending the characters, and readers, off a precipice where we’ll have to wait and see where and how we land.
For those of you considering the series, please pick it up, and stick with it. The books are always beautifully written, the characters become instant favorites, and there is no genre or category with enough strength to keep these novels in. I love the style the prose, and the plots that I can never compare to anything else I’ve ever read. Some people have the ability to describe these books to inquiring fellow readers, I do not. I can only tell you to read them.
(If you are interested in discussing the book further because you have read it, feel free to message me.)
Once again Preston and Child both grasp the mysterious aspects of their most memorable characters, this time with the biggest mystery of all; whatever happened to Pendergast’s wife? Killed in Africa, or something else?
This review will be extremely short for many reasons. These books are to be shared among fans once completed. There is something of a following, where at the last page we grip out fellow fans by the shoulders in an overdose of joyful emotions and express our hopes and fears about the upcoming book and the book now finished.
This is one of the best in the series, sending the characters, and readers, off a precipice where we’ll have to wait and see where and how we land.
For those of you considering the series, please pick it up, and stick with it. The books are always beautifully written, the characters become instant favorites, and there is no genre or category with enough strength to keep these novels in. I love the style the prose, and the plots that I can never compare to anything else I’ve ever read. Some people have the ability to describe these books to inquiring fellow readers, I do not. I can only tell you to read them.
(If you are interested in discussing the book further because you have read it, feel free to message me.)
October 8, 2023
Pendergast goes hunting with his brother in law in Scotland. It turns into a cerebral gunfight. Pendergast learns a big secret and goes after it. The supporting cast make appearances. Of course, I read the direct sequel to this book first, dangit.
June 7, 2019
Esta serie es realmente adictiva, Preston & Child han creado un personaje tan enigmático y carismático que es imposible no prendarse de él, pero además cada entrega tiene su punto de acción, de intriga, en ocasiones de situaciones tan locas como raras y sin embargo, por más extraña que parezca la historia es imposible soltarlo.
No voy a negar que esta serie y cada uno de sus libros es tan peliculero que no se porque solo han hecho una sola película de estos libros, una además bastante mala o ya de menos una serie de televisión, Pendergast es un personaje con un aura de super héroe imposible de matar, un batman sin capa, implacable, justiciero, brutalmente inteligente, asquerosamente rico, con un pasado familiar espeluznante, invencible y casi inmortal, ya se que dicho de esa manera podría parecer algo rayado en lo ridículo, pero lo cierto es que estos autores han dado en la diana y han creado una serie de aventuras realmente fabulosa y adictiva.
Esta entrega que resulta en la onceava de Pendergast y la segunda de la trilogía de Helen, es por mucho mejor que el primero de la trilogía, tiene un ritmo espectacular y a pesar de que la mayoría de los libros de esta serie está llena de acción y aventuras, en este caso ha imperado el thriller.
Por supuesto el final de este libro no es autoconclusivo como es el caso de cada entrega, al ser una trilogía nos han dejado con un tremendo “continuará” y afortunadamente como estos libros fueron publicados hace algunos años tengo la fortuna de no tener que esperar por la siguiente entrega, así que próximamente estaré terminando la trilogía, muero por saber en qué acaba todo este embrollo en el que ahora se encuentra metido Pendergast.
A pesar de lo dicho de que este libro es más thriller que cualquier otra cosa, la serie no pierde su esencia en absoluto, sigue teniendo ese sabor a aventura y el ritmo narrativo impresionante, imposible soltarlo una vez comenzado.
Estos libros a excepción de la trilogía de Diógenes y esta que nos ocupa de Helen, son en realidad libros autoconclusivos y los mismos autores han dicho que pueden leerse perfectamente en desorden, sin embargo, yo creo que lo mejor es leerlos en el orden de publicación, Pendergast ya es un personaje bastante enigmático y en cada entrega vamos conociendo un poquito más de él, si bien cada aventura es independiente a otra y tienen finales cerrados, me parece que el peso de su protagonista es tal que es mejor conocerlo desde el principio.
Me encanta esta serie y siempre la voy a recomendar a quienes les gusta la aventura y el thriller.
No voy a negar que esta serie y cada uno de sus libros es tan peliculero que no se porque solo han hecho una sola película de estos libros, una además bastante mala o ya de menos una serie de televisión, Pendergast es un personaje con un aura de super héroe imposible de matar, un batman sin capa, implacable, justiciero, brutalmente inteligente, asquerosamente rico, con un pasado familiar espeluznante, invencible y casi inmortal, ya se que dicho de esa manera podría parecer algo rayado en lo ridículo, pero lo cierto es que estos autores han dado en la diana y han creado una serie de aventuras realmente fabulosa y adictiva.
Esta entrega que resulta en la onceava de Pendergast y la segunda de la trilogía de Helen, es por mucho mejor que el primero de la trilogía, tiene un ritmo espectacular y a pesar de que la mayoría de los libros de esta serie está llena de acción y aventuras, en este caso ha imperado el thriller.
Por supuesto el final de este libro no es autoconclusivo como es el caso de cada entrega, al ser una trilogía nos han dejado con un tremendo “continuará” y afortunadamente como estos libros fueron publicados hace algunos años tengo la fortuna de no tener que esperar por la siguiente entrega, así que próximamente estaré terminando la trilogía, muero por saber en qué acaba todo este embrollo en el que ahora se encuentra metido Pendergast.
A pesar de lo dicho de que este libro es más thriller que cualquier otra cosa, la serie no pierde su esencia en absoluto, sigue teniendo ese sabor a aventura y el ritmo narrativo impresionante, imposible soltarlo una vez comenzado.
Estos libros a excepción de la trilogía de Diógenes y esta que nos ocupa de Helen, son en realidad libros autoconclusivos y los mismos autores han dicho que pueden leerse perfectamente en desorden, sin embargo, yo creo que lo mejor es leerlos en el orden de publicación, Pendergast ya es un personaje bastante enigmático y en cada entrega vamos conociendo un poquito más de él, si bien cada aventura es independiente a otra y tienen finales cerrados, me parece que el peso de su protagonista es tal que es mejor conocerlo desde el principio.
Me encanta esta serie y siempre la voy a recomendar a quienes les gusta la aventura y el thriller.
February 5, 2018
Preston and Child have their little arsenal of stock phrases they can't quit. Depending on where their novels are set, and how much time is spent mountain climbing or in subterranean caverns, there will be varying amounts of susurrus and fingers scrabbling for purchase. Here we have only one "low susurrus of wind" and one set of feet finding a purchase aboard a yacht. But we do have two instances of fingers being tented: Dr. Felder, Constance's psychiatrist, "tented his fingers." Pendergast even takes the time to tent his fingers after his ward Constance has been kidnapped, in order to ponder where she might be. I don't understand why anyone would calmly tent their fingers when lives are at stake and time is of the essence, but then Pendergast is an FBI agent of a different stripe. Tenting signals the thinking professions; in books you won't see a stevedore tent his fingers, or a nanny. Because it is associated with thinking and contemplation, it is of course gendered. "Tented his fingers" and "tenting his fingers" produce 6,010 googlebooks results. "Tented her fingers" and "tenting her fingers" produce 1,511 results.
As we have seen before, Pendergast is not one to manspread. Over the course of two pages, Pendergast "crossed one leg delicately over the other." Not pausing to uncross them, on the very next page he "crossed his legs." A mere eight lines later he "recrossed his legs." So he crossed his newly crossed legs over the previously crossed legs? Because what I'm picturing is some kind of double pretzel. On a later page he is seen "throwing one leg over the other", whether delicately, or athletically, the authors don't say.
February 25, 2018
This book is an non-standard Pendergast since it is essentially an action thriller rather than a mystery. Somehow in the last few books, Pendergast has slowly switched from being an intellectual type who is a marksman, to being Mitch Rapp. I find that this is slowly reducing the appeal of this series since it seeks to compete in a genre where there are much better ones available. I come to Pendergast because it is creepy and there is a mystery to be solved, not because I want to read about the antics of an unstoppable machine.
Other than this gripe, the other essentials still remain. The writing is excellent with some great humour. Overall, this is an ok book.
Other than this gripe, the other essentials still remain. The writing is excellent with some great humour. Overall, this is an ok book.
May 10, 2018
4.5
I always learn so much in these books. They make me laugh, ponder 🤔, “ get the feels” as many of you would say, etc.
Know this, these authors are very good at leaving you hanging SOMEWHERE so that you just must pick up that next one ASAP.
I don’t think this review requires a spoiler warning at all, but just in case this next paragraph may be slightly spoilery?!? So sensitives stop here. 💙
This one gets in deep about Helen and her lineage, and picks up where the last book leaves off. It gives you momentary happiness for the Pendergast family. Momentary. Sigh. I won’t say what is getting deep but I’ll say the plot for this last book is set up perfectly and is very deep. A subject that strikes the heart of most of us.
I always learn so much in these books. They make me laugh, ponder 🤔, “ get the feels” as many of you would say, etc.
Know this, these authors are very good at leaving you hanging SOMEWHERE so that you just must pick up that next one ASAP.
I don’t think this review requires a spoiler warning at all, but just in case this next paragraph may be slightly spoilery?!? So sensitives stop here. 💙
This one gets in deep about Helen and her lineage, and picks up where the last book leaves off. It gives you momentary happiness for the Pendergast family. Momentary. Sigh. I won’t say what is getting deep but I’ll say the plot for this last book is set up perfectly and is very deep. A subject that strikes the heart of most of us.
May 14, 2022
Betterton glanced over his shoulder into the dense green fastness behind him, shadow-woven, mysterious, braided around and above by tree limbs and kudzu vines. What secrets it held – what dreadful event had transpired at Spanish Island – he couldn’t say. But he was sure of one thing. One way or another, this shady bastard Pendergast was at the center of everything.
Another in the stories of AXL Pendergast, FBI special agent extraordinaire with a murky family history, opens with AXL in the Scottish moors – the Foulmire – with brother-in-law Judson Esterhazy, in deep with the wrong kind of people. A tussle in which Esterhazy claims his sister Helen, AXL’s beloved wife, was not dead, then a bullet and AXL disappears into the quicksand (all very Sherlock Holmes, but updated). Naturally, AXL survives, and returns to the States seeking both Esterhazy and answers: the very least being, if Helen is alive, whose body is interred in her grave?
NYPD Lieutenant Vincent D’Acosta, himself recovering from a gunshot wound, is thick in the action; the ageless Constance Greene is holed up, temporarily, in an asylum for her own safety; while a struggling Louisiana journalist, seeking to break a big story, gets more than he bargains for.
Published in 2011, the great thing about the writing style of co-authors Preston and Child, is there are just enough links to earlier books for the reader who prefers to browse, rather than follow a series sequentially, to glean the threads and make sense of it all. Naturally, it involves suspending disbelief, especially in the action scenes where AXL, still recovering from a bullet wound, takes on the villainous crew of a luxury yacht, single-handed.
Verdict: not outstanding, but a good read overall.
Another in the stories of AXL Pendergast, FBI special agent extraordinaire with a murky family history, opens with AXL in the Scottish moors – the Foulmire – with brother-in-law Judson Esterhazy, in deep with the wrong kind of people. A tussle in which Esterhazy claims his sister Helen, AXL’s beloved wife, was not dead, then a bullet and AXL disappears into the quicksand (all very Sherlock Holmes, but updated). Naturally, AXL survives, and returns to the States seeking both Esterhazy and answers: the very least being, if Helen is alive, whose body is interred in her grave?
NYPD Lieutenant Vincent D’Acosta, himself recovering from a gunshot wound, is thick in the action; the ageless Constance Greene is holed up, temporarily, in an asylum for her own safety; while a struggling Louisiana journalist, seeking to break a big story, gets more than he bargains for.
Published in 2011, the great thing about the writing style of co-authors Preston and Child, is there are just enough links to earlier books for the reader who prefers to browse, rather than follow a series sequentially, to glean the threads and make sense of it all. Naturally, it involves suspending disbelief, especially in the action scenes where AXL, still recovering from a bullet wound, takes on the villainous crew of a luxury yacht, single-handed.
Verdict: not outstanding, but a good read overall.
June 1, 2024
Just Awesome!
Also read this series in order!
Also read this series in order!
August 16, 2011
Special Agent Pendergast has been in my life since I was a teenager, and I've followed his adventures through to my thirties. Like Corrie Swanson from Still Life With Crows, I too shared an admiration for the elusive FBI agent. However, through the series he has grown from an aloof and scrupulously scientific investigator to a man very nearly teetering on the edge of whatever is left of his sanity.
FEVER DREAM began the epic journey deeper into Pendergast's psyche as he realized his wife, Helen, was not accidentally killed, but in fact murdered, and COLD VENGEANCE follows through as horrifying discoveries are made concerning her past: that she may have set up her own murder and, in fact, might not be dead. Pendergast's once severely controlled actions begin to spiral and he his warned by friends about his own past. "Consider your family history" echoes throughout these pages implying that Pendergast has the potential to live up to the same misdeeds as the more psychotic members of the infamous family. After reading these two books, a dark and sinister Pendergast is not all that hard to imagine.
There are many moments in each book of the Helen trilogy where I've wanted to turn back, not gaze into the eyes of the beast Pendergast is becoming, but I've been with him this long, and I can't leave him. And like the loyal Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta who has been with the FBI agent through thick and thin, I follow Pendergast through the mire in the hopes he finds the answers to his questions, and perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel.
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have outdone themselves once again, and with COLD VENGEANCE at the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller list, it's proof this is without a doubt the best in the entire series. The third book can't come soon enough.
FEVER DREAM began the epic journey deeper into Pendergast's psyche as he realized his wife, Helen, was not accidentally killed, but in fact murdered, and COLD VENGEANCE follows through as horrifying discoveries are made concerning her past: that she may have set up her own murder and, in fact, might not be dead. Pendergast's once severely controlled actions begin to spiral and he his warned by friends about his own past. "Consider your family history" echoes throughout these pages implying that Pendergast has the potential to live up to the same misdeeds as the more psychotic members of the infamous family. After reading these two books, a dark and sinister Pendergast is not all that hard to imagine.
There are many moments in each book of the Helen trilogy where I've wanted to turn back, not gaze into the eyes of the beast Pendergast is becoming, but I've been with him this long, and I can't leave him. And like the loyal Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta who has been with the FBI agent through thick and thin, I follow Pendergast through the mire in the hopes he finds the answers to his questions, and perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel.
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have outdone themselves once again, and with COLD VENGEANCE at the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller list, it's proof this is without a doubt the best in the entire series. The third book can't come soon enough.
May 28, 2023
Cold Vengeance was a quick read for me. Having read 5 books over 900 pages so far this year this 450ish page thriller was easy to absorb. It has also been a while since I had read any Pendergast... about eight months. The last one I had read – Fever Dream – was a lot of fun and had some exciting action sequences in it. While I enjoyed it some of the plot elements didn't make a lot of sense to me . In Cold Vengeance... a lot of this is explained... and actually answers a lot of my questions from the previous novel.
Unlike many of the other Pendergast stories – this is a pretty straightforward thriller. There's not a scientific backstory this time around – or any supernatural elements – or any mysticism. The story also focuses almost entirely on Aloysius. Constance is involved as well and probably has the most page time of the other Penderverse characters. Corrie Swanson and D'Agosta are in it as well, but hardly at all really. This is an AXLP story.
True to the Pengergast brand... this story features a lot of action and you have to suspend belief a lot at times. The villians in this one seem kind of like Bond Villians – or maybe Dr Evil from the Austin Powers movies. If you've seen those movies you might recall this exchange between Dr Evil and his son Scott...
Scott: Why don't you just kill him? [Austin Powers]
Dr. Evil: No Scott, I have a better idea. I'm going to place him in an easily escapable situation involving an overly elaborate and exotic death
It seems like Esterhazy has a similar view of ridding himself of Pengergast.
The twists in the story are interesting and I'm sure will play out in books to come. The ending was great – quite a cliff-hanger for sure.
Unlike many of the other Pendergast stories – this is a pretty straightforward thriller. There's not a scientific backstory this time around – or any supernatural elements – or any mysticism. The story also focuses almost entirely on Aloysius. Constance is involved as well and probably has the most page time of the other Penderverse characters. Corrie Swanson and D'Agosta are in it as well, but hardly at all really. This is an AXLP story.
True to the Pengergast brand... this story features a lot of action and you have to suspend belief a lot at times. The villians in this one seem kind of like Bond Villians – or maybe Dr Evil from the Austin Powers movies. If you've seen those movies you might recall this exchange between Dr Evil and his son Scott...
Scott: Why don't you just kill him? [Austin Powers]
Dr. Evil: No Scott, I have a better idea. I'm going to place him in an easily escapable situation involving an overly elaborate and exotic death
It seems like Esterhazy has a similar view of ridding himself of Pengergast.
The twists in the story are interesting and I'm sure will play out in books to come. The ending was great – quite a cliff-hanger for sure.
December 26, 2019
Cold Vengeance (Pendergast, #11) by Preston & Child.
Special Agent Pendergast believes his beloved wife, Helen, was murdered. From across the sea in Scotland through the Moors and back the Louisianna Bayouis and into New York City he pursues those responsible for her death. The people responsible for Helen's death is not all he finds. The lies and deception go beyond anything he was seeking. To his shock, he finds that he himself had been betrayed and had been living a lie perpetrated by the love of his life, Helen.
This story was nonstop in action and Pendergast rose to the occasion in a fashion that only he could muster. Excellent addition to this series.
Special Agent Pendergast believes his beloved wife, Helen, was murdered. From across the sea in Scotland through the Moors and back the Louisianna Bayouis and into New York City he pursues those responsible for her death. The people responsible for Helen's death is not all he finds. The lies and deception go beyond anything he was seeking. To his shock, he finds that he himself had been betrayed and had been living a lie perpetrated by the love of his life, Helen.
This story was nonstop in action and Pendergast rose to the occasion in a fashion that only he could muster. Excellent addition to this series.
February 21, 2020
“Aloysius! The Covenant... they’ll kill me!”
Yes, I think they will.
I am both enraptured and annoyed. The authors are clearly inspired by The Holcroft Covenant, the movie version, and have teased to death the Nazi connections in Helen’s past. Oooh Nazi, isn’t it fracking awful that is still salacious fodder?
I did not finish this book dying to pick up the next one. I finished this book pissed.
And I am done with Constance Green. Done.
August 1, 2018
Just terrific - Love this series! If you haven't started reading it, you need to!
May 26, 2016
This 11th novel in the Special Agent Pendergast series is also the middle book in what is referred to as the “Helen” trilogy within the larger series. Picking up on the heels of Fever Dream, Pendergast has learned that his beloved wife, Helen, killed twelve years before by a rogue lion when her rifle misfired, had in fact been murdered. Now he’s out for answers and even vengeance, and the trail leads him to some nasty surprises.
While I enjoyed this novel quite a bit, I’m not sure I like the way Pendergast seems to be evolving. I thought his character from the earlier books was unique, especially considering his rather bizarre personal appearance and his amazing cerebral powers. Now it seems he is evolving into a more rounded action figure, more prone to act with emotion than with his fascinating but curiously thoughtful approach he’s shown before. The last thing I want to see is Pendergast turn into some sort of stock hero character like you find in so many mainstream thriller novels. Perhaps it is just this sub-trilogy concerning his wife Helen that is bringing that behavior out in him but I hope that once the next book is concluded we see a return to the sort of plots from the early part of the series.
Having said that, I must say this book is still a great ride. The authors certainly know how to keep the pages turning and I do like the deepening mysteries of the Pendergast family’s past that are starting to be revealed. The character of Constance (Pendergast’s ward) always seemed odd to me but now we are getting a much clearer picture of who she is and what her role is. It was also nice to see the return of one of my favorite characters, Corrie Swanson from way back in book #4, Still Life With Crows and it would appear she will have a major role to play in the next book as well.
There is a lot going on at this point in the series and I am looking forward to the final “Helen” book and beyond.
While I enjoyed this novel quite a bit, I’m not sure I like the way Pendergast seems to be evolving. I thought his character from the earlier books was unique, especially considering his rather bizarre personal appearance and his amazing cerebral powers. Now it seems he is evolving into a more rounded action figure, more prone to act with emotion than with his fascinating but curiously thoughtful approach he’s shown before. The last thing I want to see is Pendergast turn into some sort of stock hero character like you find in so many mainstream thriller novels. Perhaps it is just this sub-trilogy concerning his wife Helen that is bringing that behavior out in him but I hope that once the next book is concluded we see a return to the sort of plots from the early part of the series.
Having said that, I must say this book is still a great ride. The authors certainly know how to keep the pages turning and I do like the deepening mysteries of the Pendergast family’s past that are starting to be revealed. The character of Constance (Pendergast’s ward) always seemed odd to me but now we are getting a much clearer picture of who she is and what her role is. It was also nice to see the return of one of my favorite characters, Corrie Swanson from way back in book #4, Still Life With Crows and it would appear she will have a major role to play in the next book as well.
There is a lot going on at this point in the series and I am looking forward to the final “Helen” book and beyond.
November 29, 2011
Special Agent Pendergast is one of my favorite characters in contemporary fiction. So here's why Cold Vengeance only gets 3 stars: This is the first of this particular cycle of novels that really feels like just an installment. Not only do you KNOW you're not going to get a decent resolution to this book, but you know it from the beginning. This would be fine if you're lucky enough to be reading the whole series after its publication, but argh, this is one of those cliffhangers we readers could have done without. Sadly, this book feels padded and it reeks of P & C cashing in. Also, our hero is not at his resourceful and intrepid best. Obsessed with tracking down the ultimate fate of his (supposedly) deceased wife, his mind is a little muddled and he makes some serious mistakes that his enemies capitalize on. Sure, this helps extend the story, but it's just not as fun as when Pendergast is at the height of his powers, physically and mentally. For the first third of the novel we don't even know where he is after Esterhazy shoots him. Sure, the sequence on the yacht is vintage Pendergast, but I could have used a bit more of that in this book. And finally, am I just noticing this now, or is Pendergast hardly ever the point-of-view character in these novels anymore? It seems most of the story is told from the viewpoint of other characters, which in my mind weakens the fictional presence of our hero. I'd like to spend more time inside that incredible brain!
NOTE: Don't read this as your first P&C novel. Find the list by publication date and read them in sequence. There are some great ones in there!
NOTE: Don't read this as your first P&C novel. Find the list by publication date and read them in sequence. There are some great ones in there!
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