This is the 11th Special Agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast novel and apparently the 2nd in the Helen Esterhazy Pendergast trilogy.

This is not Preston & Child's best work. I've read the books they've written as individuals and you notice the absence of the other author. This reads like someone shoved these two men in a room with a typewriter and forced them to churn out a book.

Its a much slower read than their previous novels. Its better than Brimstone which in my opinion could have removed all the New York filler after Pendergast and D'Agosta left for Italy and been a damn sight better. Cold Vengeance didn't become a page turner until I was more than 70% through it. I kept reading because I love Pendergast. It non-ended horribly leaving you with more questions than it answered. I say non-ended because my copy seems to be missing the page with 'To Be Continued...' on it.

I don't plan on reading this one again, but I'll keep reading Pendergast novels as they are published because Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child have created one of my ultimate favorite literary characters even if he seems a bit unhinged in his latest book.