What do you think?
Rate this book
Pendergast #8
The Wheel of Darkness
Book by Douglas Preston
528 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2007
1363 people are currently reading
7122 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Preston
182 books13.5k 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...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,582 reviews
February 10, 2024
The Wheel of Darkness was my least favorite of the Pendergast series.
"But Ginger, you still gave it 3 stars?!"
"Well, have you read any Pendergast books yet my fellow Goodreads friend?"
"No."
"Well, let me explain. So far, every book has been fun, suspenseful and entertaining. At times the books can creep you the f@€k out!
I mean, they can't all be 5 star books. Right?!"
Why did I give this a lower rating?
I think the unbelievability with this plot was a bit much for me along with how Pendergast and Constance always got their way while on the Britannia.
And to be honest, I think my mind is too damn dumb to understand the complexities of the Agozyen.
It was an interesting, powerful and fascinating Tibetan artifact. I liked the idea of it and wish I was smarter so I can figure out how to take over the world.
I enjoyed the secondary characters, the premise of the plot and all the action. This was definitely a fun and enjoyable read!
Recommended to fellow Pendergast fans, fans of thrillers and action genres, and anyone looking for a high seas and dramamine induced nautical read!
"But Ginger, you still gave it 3 stars?!"
"Well, have you read any Pendergast books yet my fellow Goodreads friend?"
"No."
"Well, let me explain. So far, every book has been fun, suspenseful and entertaining. At times the books can creep you the f@€k out!
I mean, they can't all be 5 star books. Right?!"
Why did I give this a lower rating?
I think the unbelievability with this plot was a bit much for me along with how Pendergast and Constance always got their way while on the Britannia.
And to be honest, I think my mind is too damn dumb to understand the complexities of the Agozyen.
It was an interesting, powerful and fascinating Tibetan artifact. I liked the idea of it and wish I was smarter so I can figure out how to take over the world.
I enjoyed the secondary characters, the premise of the plot and all the action. This was definitely a fun and enjoyable read!
Recommended to fellow Pendergast fans, fans of thrillers and action genres, and anyone looking for a high seas and dramamine induced nautical read!
December 17, 2018
This book is calamari.
Before I explain WHY this book is calamari, it’s important to note two things: 1) in a pretty spot-on demonstration of my poor taste, going back to Relic, I’ve elected to use food metaphors to describe each book in a series that usually features serial killers; and 2) I hate seafood, with one exception.
Wheel of Darkness sees the Pendergast series careening wildly through thriller tropes and treading dangerously close to parody territory. If Sherlock Holmes, Bruce Lee, and Macgyver cranked up the Kenny G, passed around a bottle of Jergens, and created a homogenous mixture of their, ah, genetic material, which was then used to fertilize an egg from Barbara Gordon, you’d get Pendergast. Toss him onto the surging high seas along with his mysterious ward Constance Green, a bunch of rich assholes, and a mystical and potentially world-ending object and you’ve got the makings of one very weird locked-room mystery.
Hence, calamari. Like I said, I hate seafood—my rule of thumb is that for me to eat something that used to be sentient, it needs to have been cute and cuddly at one point, not look like whatever alien species ultimately conquers earth and turns us into either food or sex toys. But, for reasons inexplicable, I don’t mind calamari (okay, it’s actually probably pretty explicable—deep fry anything and it’s generally edible). But, it’s gotta be done right—if it’s breaded and fright and crunchy and not too squiddy, it’s a delight. If it’s seared and lemony and not breaded at some fancy pants eating venue, it’s like, “Hey, awesome—thanks for giving me the opportunity to pay $20 for the privilege of chewing on some lemon-flavored rubber for a little while before I swallow and it feels like cold baby bird feet sliding down my throat.” And, whether it’s breaded and fried or not, if it’s in tiny octosquid form rather than shaped into little rings…? Forget about it and fire your head chef.
Wheel of Darkness represents the entire continuum of calamari. At times, it’s crunchy and delicious and you just want to scoop it up and go to town. At other times, you’re looking side-eyed at it like it’s going to regain locomotive abilities, crawl across the table, and force its way down your throat whether you want it or not. (It could also really use some editing, because there are multiple instances where basic information is repeated with the same or similar phrasing in rapid succession for no particular reason.)
But, I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating here: Preston and Child are absolute masters of their craft, and even when they’re writing something set in an environment where at any given moment the characters might literally be jumping a shark, it’s compulsively readable and has in no way diminished my desire to continue on with Pendergast and company in subsequent adventures.
Not the best example of what Messrs. Preston and Child are capable of, but sufficiently entertaining, and if you’re in on Pendergast, probably worth a read. But, you may need to drown it in cocktail sauce here and there to choke it down.
Before I explain WHY this book is calamari, it’s important to note two things: 1) in a pretty spot-on demonstration of my poor taste, going back to Relic, I’ve elected to use food metaphors to describe each book in a series that usually features serial killers; and 2) I hate seafood, with one exception.
Wheel of Darkness sees the Pendergast series careening wildly through thriller tropes and treading dangerously close to parody territory. If Sherlock Holmes, Bruce Lee, and Macgyver cranked up the Kenny G, passed around a bottle of Jergens, and created a homogenous mixture of their, ah, genetic material, which was then used to fertilize an egg from Barbara Gordon, you’d get Pendergast. Toss him onto the surging high seas along with his mysterious ward Constance Green, a bunch of rich assholes, and a mystical and potentially world-ending object and you’ve got the makings of one very weird locked-room mystery.
Hence, calamari. Like I said, I hate seafood—my rule of thumb is that for me to eat something that used to be sentient, it needs to have been cute and cuddly at one point, not look like whatever alien species ultimately conquers earth and turns us into either food or sex toys. But, for reasons inexplicable, I don’t mind calamari (okay, it’s actually probably pretty explicable—deep fry anything and it’s generally edible). But, it’s gotta be done right—if it’s breaded and fright and crunchy and not too squiddy, it’s a delight. If it’s seared and lemony and not breaded at some fancy pants eating venue, it’s like, “Hey, awesome—thanks for giving me the opportunity to pay $20 for the privilege of chewing on some lemon-flavored rubber for a little while before I swallow and it feels like cold baby bird feet sliding down my throat.” And, whether it’s breaded and fried or not, if it’s in tiny octosquid form rather than shaped into little rings…? Forget about it and fire your head chef.
Wheel of Darkness represents the entire continuum of calamari. At times, it’s crunchy and delicious and you just want to scoop it up and go to town. At other times, you’re looking side-eyed at it like it’s going to regain locomotive abilities, crawl across the table, and force its way down your throat whether you want it or not. (It could also really use some editing, because there are multiple instances where basic information is repeated with the same or similar phrasing in rapid succession for no particular reason.)
But, I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating here: Preston and Child are absolute masters of their craft, and even when they’re writing something set in an environment where at any given moment the characters might literally be jumping a shark, it’s compulsively readable and has in no way diminished my desire to continue on with Pendergast and company in subsequent adventures.
Not the best example of what Messrs. Preston and Child are capable of, but sufficiently entertaining, and if you’re in on Pendergast, probably worth a read. But, you may need to drown it in cocktail sauce here and there to choke it down.
June 8, 2017
Well, if you thought Pendergast went odd adventures before . . . you haven't seen anything yet!
This is a book that as I try to review I fear that anything I say will be a spoiler. When that is the case, I find a bullet point review lets me share my thoughts without giving too much away.
- The book has a slightly different feel than any of the previous ones
- You can read this one as a stand alone. However there are a few points that tie it back into the rest of the books that will be spoilers if you want to read them to.
Pros:
- Lots of suspense
- Mystery and surprises at every turn
- Characters you root for and characters you root against
- Interesting setting
Cons:
- Key plot points kind of confusing. After finishing, I am still not sure I understand some of it.
- Some plot development was a little too convenient. I am not always a fan of the Deus Ex Machina - and it happened quite often here.
Even with those couple of cons, still another strong Pendergast entry and I will continue to read this series!
This is a book that as I try to review I fear that anything I say will be a spoiler. When that is the case, I find a bullet point review lets me share my thoughts without giving too much away.
- The book has a slightly different feel than any of the previous ones
- You can read this one as a stand alone. However there are a few points that tie it back into the rest of the books that will be spoilers if you want to read them to.
Pros:
- Lots of suspense
- Mystery and surprises at every turn
- Characters you root for and characters you root against
- Interesting setting
Cons:
- Key plot points kind of confusing. After finishing, I am still not sure I understand some of it.
- Some plot development was a little too convenient. I am not always a fan of the Deus Ex Machina - and it happened quite often here.
Even with those couple of cons, still another strong Pendergast entry and I will continue to read this series!
April 30, 2022
Ever since I began reading the Pendergast series written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, I find myself more and more intrigued with each one. The Wheel of Darkness is the 8th book in the thriller and suspense collection, and while not my favorite to date, it had a page-turning plot that unfolded on an ocean liner crossing the Atlantic. But that's not where it all began... a stolen Tibetan artifact that has the potential to destroy the world kicks off this treasure hunt. You're probably thinking... is this science-fiction or reality? Perhaps a little of both, with a dash of fantasy thrown in? Who knows... but when a good friend and I reached the same book in the series at the same time, we decided to read it together as a buddy read.
Four days... check-ins via text message... so much fun. Especially when one of us a frequent ship passenger. That person's world might never be the same again! As always, Pendergast, the main character, is amazing. His personality is just on the border of obnoxious yet he's so intelligent and generous, it's easily overlooked. Except, for a few scenes, he went completely rogue and scared me a bit. Luckily, there are explanations for everything. Alternating between different stories on the ship, the chapters slowly bring readers together to find the thief and murderer, only to realize there's a lot more going on than we'd originally knew. More murder. Mutiny. Psychotic behavior. And a cool gambling trick revealed.
These are the kinds of books that take you away into another world that is very unlikely to happen but probably does have a touch of reality for about a hundred people throughout history. Someone knows the secret to life, and Pendergast is desperate to protect it, or at least what he thinks it is. Truthfully, I didn't care much for what the actual hidden message in the Tibetan artifact would reveal; I mostly was so enamored with the journey to hide and find it, and the insanity that happened upon this ocean liner, that I smiled the entire time I was reading the story.
All that said, a few things weren't tied together as perfectly as I'd like. Some of the reasons behind the murders and the alliances on the ship weren't clear enough. I also missed several of the core characters. Mostly, only Pendergast and Constance were present in this novel. In the end, totally recommended but shy of the 5-star mark. I'm sure the next one will be right back up there.
Four days... check-ins via text message... so much fun. Especially when one of us a frequent ship passenger. That person's world might never be the same again! As always, Pendergast, the main character, is amazing. His personality is just on the border of obnoxious yet he's so intelligent and generous, it's easily overlooked. Except, for a few scenes, he went completely rogue and scared me a bit. Luckily, there are explanations for everything. Alternating between different stories on the ship, the chapters slowly bring readers together to find the thief and murderer, only to realize there's a lot more going on than we'd originally knew. More murder. Mutiny. Psychotic behavior. And a cool gambling trick revealed.
These are the kinds of books that take you away into another world that is very unlikely to happen but probably does have a touch of reality for about a hundred people throughout history. Someone knows the secret to life, and Pendergast is desperate to protect it, or at least what he thinks it is. Truthfully, I didn't care much for what the actual hidden message in the Tibetan artifact would reveal; I mostly was so enamored with the journey to hide and find it, and the insanity that happened upon this ocean liner, that I smiled the entire time I was reading the story.
All that said, a few things weren't tied together as perfectly as I'd like. Some of the reasons behind the murders and the alliances on the ship weren't clear enough. I also missed several of the core characters. Mostly, only Pendergast and Constance were present in this novel. In the end, totally recommended but shy of the 5-star mark. I'm sure the next one will be right back up there.
July 17, 2023
The passengers on this cruise certainly got their thrills!
If it is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then it's clear that Preston and Child are none too shy about expressing their unabashed admiration for Conan Doyle's hero, Sherlock Holmes.
Just as Holmes struggled to the death with his arch-enemy Moriarty on the brink of Reichenbach Falls and then retired briefly from the world to a life of contemplative meditation in the Tibetan Himalayas, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his ward Constance Greene have sought the peace and solitude of the isolated Gsalrig Chongg monastery after their titanic struggle with Pendergast's evil sibling, Diogenes. This hard won respite and serenity is but short-lived as the monks seek Pendergast's assistance with the recovery of a thousand year old relic. The Agozyen, one of the monastery's most guarded artifacts, has been stolen by a mountaineer who stayed briefly at the monastery to recover from injuries sustained in a climbing accident. The monks are terrified that the thief may inadvertently release the power of the Agozyen prophesied to have the power to cleanse the world of mankind's evil by eliminating all life!
Pendergast and Greene ingeniously track the Agozyen and follow its gruesome trail of murder onto the maiden voyage of the ultra-modern ocean liner, the Britannia. At that point, Preston and Child jam the thriller throttle to the stops and never let it up until the delicious ending of an amazing epilogue. Their style is eminently recognizable and, if it isn't trademarked, it sure ought to be! THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS is a superb blend of stoicism, mysticism, philosophy, eastern religion and, indeed, the paranormal with character development of almost astonishing power and depth, exciting dialogue and non-stop high speed standard thriller action and chills. Like all of its predecessors, THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS is also a wellspring of informative, arcane detail on a fascinating piece of technology that somehow furthers the plot - in this case, the minutiae of the construction and operation of a massive modern ocean-going passenger ship!
Newcomers to Pendergast, be warned! Unless the idea of getting to the end of a book and saying, "What in the world was that all about?" appeals to you, do NOT read this book without reading the rest of the series first. Do yourself a favour and go back - go way back - to the very beginning and start with RELIC!
Old-time Pendergast fans may also take warning. Enjoy every delicious page and, whatever you do, don't take that proverbial peek at the last page!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
If it is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then it's clear that Preston and Child are none too shy about expressing their unabashed admiration for Conan Doyle's hero, Sherlock Holmes.
Just as Holmes struggled to the death with his arch-enemy Moriarty on the brink of Reichenbach Falls and then retired briefly from the world to a life of contemplative meditation in the Tibetan Himalayas, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his ward Constance Greene have sought the peace and solitude of the isolated Gsalrig Chongg monastery after their titanic struggle with Pendergast's evil sibling, Diogenes. This hard won respite and serenity is but short-lived as the monks seek Pendergast's assistance with the recovery of a thousand year old relic. The Agozyen, one of the monastery's most guarded artifacts, has been stolen by a mountaineer who stayed briefly at the monastery to recover from injuries sustained in a climbing accident. The monks are terrified that the thief may inadvertently release the power of the Agozyen prophesied to have the power to cleanse the world of mankind's evil by eliminating all life!
Pendergast and Greene ingeniously track the Agozyen and follow its gruesome trail of murder onto the maiden voyage of the ultra-modern ocean liner, the Britannia. At that point, Preston and Child jam the thriller throttle to the stops and never let it up until the delicious ending of an amazing epilogue. Their style is eminently recognizable and, if it isn't trademarked, it sure ought to be! THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS is a superb blend of stoicism, mysticism, philosophy, eastern religion and, indeed, the paranormal with character development of almost astonishing power and depth, exciting dialogue and non-stop high speed standard thriller action and chills. Like all of its predecessors, THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS is also a wellspring of informative, arcane detail on a fascinating piece of technology that somehow furthers the plot - in this case, the minutiae of the construction and operation of a massive modern ocean-going passenger ship!
Newcomers to Pendergast, be warned! Unless the idea of getting to the end of a book and saying, "What in the world was that all about?" appeals to you, do NOT read this book without reading the rest of the series first. Do yourself a favour and go back - go way back - to the very beginning and start with RELIC!
Old-time Pendergast fans may also take warning. Enjoy every delicious page and, whatever you do, don't take that proverbial peek at the last page!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
November 16, 2017
Following the horrors of their last adventure, Special Agent Pendergast knows his ward, Constance Greene, needs a breather, a trip to renew her physically and psychologically. What better place to renew and become mentally stronger than a Tibetan monastery? Although the monks don't normally admit women, Constance is special. She learns much from them during her time there. Then the monks discover that a dangerous artifact that has been in their keeping for centuries has been stolen. They ask Pendergast and Charlotte to get it back for them because in the wrong hands the artifact could destroy humanity. The duo find themselves on board a cruise liner, The Brittania, searching for the artifact. Unfortunately, the passenger who possesses the cursed item is already attempting to use its power. Will Pendergast be able to retrieve the artifact before its evil is released on all of humanity?
Wheel of Darkness is the 8th novel in the Agent Pendergast series. I found this book to be a bit weaker than the others I've read so far. Still enjoyable.....but the story felt like a "mop up'' of the prior Diogenes-centered storylines. But, I do have to mention that I listened to an abridged audiobook version of this story. I am not sure how much was gleaned out to shorten this book to just over six hours, but my guess is about half of the story was removed. So it could very probably be that I felt this was a weaker story because I didn't get to hear the entires story the way Preston & Child wrote it. I don't like abridged audiobooks, but in this case, it was the only option I had at my local library. I enjoyed Rene Auberjonois as narrator. He reads at a nice even pace, and I like the accent he uses for Pendergast. But I don't like the fact that so much of the story was removed. In a few places it was quite obvious that portions of the storyline were absent.
Plotwise, I found the story interesting, and it was a bit of a departure from Pendergast's usual behavior. Although some of the differences were due to the effects of the artifact. The action being on a ship at sea made for some exciting suspense. I for one would not want to be in the middle of the ocean on a ship with a powerful and evil artifact causing mayhem onboard. That's a basic fear for a lot of people, I think. Being faced with danger and a possible excruciating, torturous death while stuck somewhere that prevents escape. You can't exactly jump off a cruise ship and swim for it. The setting really made this story a lot more creepy. For the most part, I enjoyed the book.....I just wish I had been able to get an unabridged version.
I would rate this book 4 stars based solely on the story itself, but lowering to 3 stars for this particular audiobook version. Just too much was removed from the book....leaving some obvious holes in the action. Bleck.
There are 15 books in the Pendergast series, with a new one scheduled for 2018. I already have the next audiobook on hold at the library (unabridged!!!!! yay!!!). I'm hoping to be caught up by the time the new book comes out!
For more information on the authors and their books, check out their website: https://www.prestonchild.com/
Wheel of Darkness is the 8th novel in the Agent Pendergast series. I found this book to be a bit weaker than the others I've read so far. Still enjoyable.....but the story felt like a "mop up'' of the prior Diogenes-centered storylines. But, I do have to mention that I listened to an abridged audiobook version of this story. I am not sure how much was gleaned out to shorten this book to just over six hours, but my guess is about half of the story was removed. So it could very probably be that I felt this was a weaker story because I didn't get to hear the entires story the way Preston & Child wrote it. I don't like abridged audiobooks, but in this case, it was the only option I had at my local library. I enjoyed Rene Auberjonois as narrator. He reads at a nice even pace, and I like the accent he uses for Pendergast. But I don't like the fact that so much of the story was removed. In a few places it was quite obvious that portions of the storyline were absent.
Plotwise, I found the story interesting, and it was a bit of a departure from Pendergast's usual behavior. Although some of the differences were due to the effects of the artifact. The action being on a ship at sea made for some exciting suspense. I for one would not want to be in the middle of the ocean on a ship with a powerful and evil artifact causing mayhem onboard. That's a basic fear for a lot of people, I think. Being faced with danger and a possible excruciating, torturous death while stuck somewhere that prevents escape. You can't exactly jump off a cruise ship and swim for it. The setting really made this story a lot more creepy. For the most part, I enjoyed the book.....I just wish I had been able to get an unabridged version.
I would rate this book 4 stars based solely on the story itself, but lowering to 3 stars for this particular audiobook version. Just too much was removed from the book....leaving some obvious holes in the action. Bleck.
There are 15 books in the Pendergast series, with a new one scheduled for 2018. I already have the next audiobook on hold at the library (unabridged!!!!! yay!!!). I'm hoping to be caught up by the time the new book comes out!
For more information on the authors and their books, check out their website: https://www.prestonchild.com/
March 18, 2018
This book is a little different from the other Pendergast books in this series, but not to its detriment for me. It was an interesting mystery, and the resolution was certainly exciting to the end! The Preston/Child writing style certainly holds to form here as well as this was a very easy feeling book to read. I recommend as a continuation of the overall Pendergast series. 4.0/5.0 stars for me.
July 26, 2019
It was good to read one of the Pendergast series again. These books have been consistently good, and this one was no exception . These authors know how to develop characters, which is the most vital part of a book for me. I will return to the series to see what happens to the characters- the rest of the plot is a bonus.
March 28, 2019
3.5 stars.
Not as good as the last few books but still makes for a compulsive, addictive read. The bulk of the story took place on a massive luxury ocean liner; a setting which can give one the creeps when faced with mysterious disappearances, a gruesome suicide and murders while stuck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The plotline was a bit ludicrous, treading into the supernatural with Eastern mysticism as its basis. As much as I enjoyed the supernatural, it felt inconsistent with the series so far where any bizarre occurrences can be explained. Fortunately, Pendergast, as usual, was a joy to read.
P/S: I would so love to watch that card counting scene.
Not as good as the last few books but still makes for a compulsive, addictive read. The bulk of the story took place on a massive luxury ocean liner; a setting which can give one the creeps when faced with mysterious disappearances, a gruesome suicide and murders while stuck in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The plotline was a bit ludicrous, treading into the supernatural with Eastern mysticism as its basis. As much as I enjoyed the supernatural, it felt inconsistent with the series so far where any bizarre occurrences can be explained. Fortunately, Pendergast, as usual, was a joy to read.
P/S: I would so love to watch that card counting scene.
July 25, 2022
I continue reading the Pendergast books in order written. As with others in the series the writing is great but.....I didn't care for the plot. Constance was just wallpaper in the story. She did not seem to have much storyline and was a bit player. Pendergast's insight and calculations were fantastical. I never resonated with the main characters on the ship. It was just and ok book. I did guess the end.
March 4, 2008
There are two types of people who rate this book highly. Those that have never read the rest of the Pendergast series and those whose understanding of the rest of the Pendergast series is skin deep.
This book is an insult to the rest of the series. I wonder if Preston and Child just got to the point where they said "I bet we can write any piece of garbage and put our names on it and put the name Pendergast in it and people will still love it"
Anyway, you could easily have written this book and replaced all of the character names with other new characters and the book would be better off. It would still be pretty bad, but at least it wouldn't soil the rest of the series. Pendergast and Constance bear little resemblance to the characters in previous books anyway.
This book is an insult to the rest of the series. I wonder if Preston and Child just got to the point where they said "I bet we can write any piece of garbage and put our names on it and put the name Pendergast in it and people will still love it"
Anyway, you could easily have written this book and replaced all of the character names with other new characters and the book would be better off. It would still be pretty bad, but at least it wouldn't soil the rest of the series. Pendergast and Constance bear little resemblance to the characters in previous books anyway.
April 16, 2022
It's been a while since I have ventured into the Pendergast universe – about six months. I had left off with the conclusion of the Diogenes series – which was very well done. I can't say I went into this totally open minded as I had noticed that ratings overall were a bit lower than the rest. If you follow my reviews – you probably figured out I am a pretty lenient grader so that usually doesn't scare me off. Nevertheless, this may have factored into my delay.
So now that I read it... what do I think? Well... easy grader or not – this was my least favorite of the series so far. Why? It had fewer arc characters for one. Aloysius and Constance. No Margo Green's, Vincent D'Agosta's, Nora Kelly's, and certainly no one as interesting as Diogenes. Constance – for me anyway – is not the most interesting character anyway. She started to show more sides to herself in the last book – and I'm sure she will improve – but so far she's not very interesting to me. No Bill Smithback wisecracking humor from her for sure. 😀
What about new characters? There were a few I liked, but not nearly as much as the earlier books. I know they like to bring back characters a lot in the series. I would like to see some of them return in a different setting, but I guess I'll have to wait. 😀
Less settings. It starts out in Tibet – which was cool, but that didn't last long. Then they wound up on the ship before too long and although I really liked certain pieces of that – there wasn't much they could do with it without getting repetitive.
I had a hard time buying into the plot. It started out as a seemingly straightforward murder/mystery type story, but then took a hard right turn into Eastern mysticism. For the first half of the book it seemed so simple I was wondering when and if this would morph into a typical crazy P&C plot. The second half was quite a bit different for sure. A lot of P&C stories are a lot like TV shows. They have an A plot and almost always a pretty significant B plot. Some have a third C plot as well to keep track of. This was just the one story... it's noticeable in the length too as this is one of the shorter of the books.
What did I like? Despite my comment of 'being stuck on the ship'... the ship was cool! The way they described it made it seem very extravagant.. and the references to the opulence of the Titanic were clearly no coincidence. Pendergast in the casino was great. It had a fair share of exciting parts – I can't say I liked the ending really , but the epilogue was interesting.
I gave it three stars, but it was probably a 3.5 for me. I couldn't in good conscious round this up to a 4. That would given it the same rating I did Cabinet of Curiosities or Brimstone. and I found both of those to be much more entertaining. On to the next one! This series has so many possibilities. 😀
So now that I read it... what do I think? Well... easy grader or not – this was my least favorite of the series so far. Why? It had fewer arc characters for one. Aloysius and Constance. No Margo Green's, Vincent D'Agosta's, Nora Kelly's, and certainly no one as interesting as Diogenes. Constance – for me anyway – is not the most interesting character anyway. She started to show more sides to herself in the last book – and I'm sure she will improve – but so far she's not very interesting to me. No Bill Smithback wisecracking humor from her for sure. 😀
What about new characters? There were a few I liked, but not nearly as much as the earlier books. I know they like to bring back characters a lot in the series. I would like to see some of them return in a different setting, but I guess I'll have to wait. 😀
Less settings. It starts out in Tibet – which was cool, but that didn't last long. Then they wound up on the ship before too long and although I really liked certain pieces of that – there wasn't much they could do with it without getting repetitive.
I had a hard time buying into the plot. It started out as a seemingly straightforward murder/mystery type story, but then took a hard right turn into Eastern mysticism. For the first half of the book it seemed so simple I was wondering when and if this would morph into a typical crazy P&C plot. The second half was quite a bit different for sure. A lot of P&C stories are a lot like TV shows. They have an A plot and almost always a pretty significant B plot. Some have a third C plot as well to keep track of. This was just the one story... it's noticeable in the length too as this is one of the shorter of the books.
What did I like? Despite my comment of 'being stuck on the ship'... the ship was cool! The way they described it made it seem very extravagant.. and the references to the opulence of the Titanic were clearly no coincidence. Pendergast in the casino was great. It had a fair share of exciting parts – I can't say I liked the ending really , but the epilogue was interesting.
I gave it three stars, but it was probably a 3.5 for me. I couldn't in good conscious round this up to a 4. That would given it the same rating I did Cabinet of Curiosities or Brimstone. and I found both of those to be much more entertaining. On to the next one! This series has so many possibilities. 😀
August 14, 2025
3,5/5
Lo primero que debo decir, es que ya intenté leer este libro, poco después de haber leido el último libro de la trilogía Diógenes, y no pasé del primer capítulo, estaba claro que no era su momento. Soy fan de las series de Pendergast y Nora Kelly de Douglas Preston y Lincoln Child, aunque la primera es mi favorita.
Después de bastante tiempo, decidí retomar esta novela, y es de las más flojas que les he leido, sobre todo, entre las novelas pertenecientes a la serie Pendergast.
La novela comienza tras los acontecimientos ocurridos en el último libro de la trilogía Diógenes, El libro de los muertos que me pareció brutal. Constance y Pendergast hacen un viaje de curación al Tibet. Y estando allí, a los monjes les roban un artefacto, el Agoyzen y le piden a Pendergast que lo recupere.
Pendergast sigue la pista del Agoyzen, hasta Londres donde Constance se reunirá con él para embarcar en el Britannia, pero no será un viaje de placer, ni para los pasajeros ni para la tripulación, el viaje estará salpicado de diversos acontecimientos imprevisibles, y parece ser que un asesino anda suelto en el barco.....
La novela no está entre las que más me han gustado, tiene un inicio lento y además toda la parte del Tibet me ha aburrido bastante. La novela mejora bastante a partir de que Constance y Pendergast embarcan en el crucero. La parte paranormal me ha parecido bastante inverosímil y el giro final me lo ví venir.
Lo primero que debo decir, es que ya intenté leer este libro, poco después de haber leido el último libro de la trilogía Diógenes, y no pasé del primer capítulo, estaba claro que no era su momento. Soy fan de las series de Pendergast y Nora Kelly de Douglas Preston y Lincoln Child, aunque la primera es mi favorita.
Después de bastante tiempo, decidí retomar esta novela, y es de las más flojas que les he leido, sobre todo, entre las novelas pertenecientes a la serie Pendergast.
La novela comienza tras los acontecimientos ocurridos en el último libro de la trilogía Diógenes, El libro de los muertos que me pareció brutal. Constance y Pendergast hacen un viaje de curación al Tibet. Y estando allí, a los monjes les roban un artefacto, el Agoyzen y le piden a Pendergast que lo recupere.
Pendergast sigue la pista del Agoyzen, hasta Londres donde Constance se reunirá con él para embarcar en el Britannia, pero no será un viaje de placer, ni para los pasajeros ni para la tripulación, el viaje estará salpicado de diversos acontecimientos imprevisibles, y parece ser que un asesino anda suelto en el barco.....
La novela no está entre las que más me han gustado, tiene un inicio lento y además toda la parte del Tibet me ha aburrido bastante. La novela mejora bastante a partir de que Constance y Pendergast embarcan en el crucero. La parte paranormal me ha parecido bastante inverosímil y el giro final me lo ví venir.
February 22, 2018
After the disappointing Diogenes trilogy, Agent Pendergast is back in a much better book. The story is set in Tibet & on an ocean liner which brings back the feeling of claustrophobia that existed in The Relic. In addition, Constance is now a much more involved character which brings that extra oomph that was missing.
Not everything is great though. The ending is a deus ex machina. Plus, the plot point used here is quite similar to the plot point in The Book of the Dead.
So, The Wheel of Darkness is a decent Agent Pendergast book but it palls in comparison to the first three in the series.
Not everything is great though. The ending is a deus ex machina. Plus, the plot point used here is quite similar to the plot point in The Book of the Dead.
So, The Wheel of Darkness is a decent Agent Pendergast book but it palls in comparison to the first three in the series.
October 15, 2007
This is the latest book in the "Pendergast series" from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. It's their superhero FBI agent at it once again, saving lost pieces of art, relics and outwitting everyone all while making you, the reader, feel like you need to go out and start buying Hugo Boss suits and driving around in vintage luxury cars.
Actually, this book is a departure from the usual behavior of Agent Pendergast. He actually becomes a victim of sorts in this book and it's interesting to see Preston and Child trying to develop his character beyond the "super-cop" hero archetype. Or, maybe that is part of the archetype...guess I didn't pay enough attention in anthropology class.
All in all it is an entertaining read. I finished it in a few days (give me a break I was on my way to Afghanistan when I read it...otherwise it would be a one or two day read) and of course it left me wanting Preston and Child to hurry up and finish their next Pendergast novel. Not the most sophisticated or demanding read, but definitely entertaining and Pendergast is such a great character that you can't help but want to spend more time at your local museum of natural history...or something.
Actually, this book is a departure from the usual behavior of Agent Pendergast. He actually becomes a victim of sorts in this book and it's interesting to see Preston and Child trying to develop his character beyond the "super-cop" hero archetype. Or, maybe that is part of the archetype...guess I didn't pay enough attention in anthropology class.
All in all it is an entertaining read. I finished it in a few days (give me a break I was on my way to Afghanistan when I read it...otherwise it would be a one or two day read) and of course it left me wanting Preston and Child to hurry up and finish their next Pendergast novel. Not the most sophisticated or demanding read, but definitely entertaining and Pendergast is such a great character that you can't help but want to spend more time at your local museum of natural history...or something.
August 21, 2021
This battle, for Pendergast, ends up being a metaphysical one. Constance is with him and they are at sea on a cruise and somewhere on this ocean liner is their target; the person whom has stolen a mandala that can unleash ultimate destruction.
But after what AXL had faced with his brother, will be able to face himself as he goes against the mandala and make it out sanely ? Will he be able to face his own ultimate evil as the mandala corrupts him or will his mind and Tibetan teachings; his memory palace be strong enough to overcome the corruption?
Can he beat this hidden enemy and the mandala ? Is Constance Greene ready to help?
Very tense read although it may be one if the slower books in the series.
But after what AXL had faced with his brother, will be able to face himself as he goes against the mandala and make it out sanely ? Will he be able to face his own ultimate evil as the mandala corrupts him or will his mind and Tibetan teachings; his memory palace be strong enough to overcome the corruption?
Can he beat this hidden enemy and the mandala ? Is Constance Greene ready to help?
Very tense read although it may be one if the slower books in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2020
4/5
Había leído críticas bastante negativas pero a mi me ha encantado jaja
Había leído críticas bastante negativas pero a mi me ha encantado jaja
September 17, 2007
After a leaving their last book soaked with uncertainty, Preston and Child return with a very disappointing conclusion. Many a thread are left untied with the conclusion of this book. In their past books they have treated the unknown with science and explanation, but here they delve way too deeply into the supernatural. The ending is remenicent of the deus ex machina endings of ancient Greek theatre. The authors build up the suspense, but then take the easy way out by having very improbable things happen. The hanging elements of the previous book are left out of the entire story until the last page of the epilogue, wherein they are treated very lightly. Hopefully the authors are not planning to try and squeeze another title out of this storyline because they really aren't going anywhere.
June 14, 2022
Pendergast brings Constance Green to a Lamasery in Tibet to learn super secret meditation techniques. It turns out to be a timely visit, as a mystic object that can bring the end of human existence was recently stolen.
Pendergast quickly tracks it to The Britannia, the biggest cruise ship in the the world. From there we get snippets of The Titanic, Cruise into Terror, The Caine Mutiny, Deep Rising,and several other ship board movies. Speed 2 was conspicuous by its absence, in a good way.
On the whole, it's very readable, but I felt like the setting of the cruise ship should have been more a part of the story. The world of the cruise ship just never came alive for me.
Pretty good, but not, I think, indispensable.
Pendergast quickly tracks it to The Britannia, the biggest cruise ship in the the world. From there we get snippets of The Titanic, Cruise into Terror, The Caine Mutiny, Deep Rising,and several other ship board movies. Speed 2 was conspicuous by its absence, in a good way.
On the whole, it's very readable, but I felt like the setting of the cruise ship should have been more a part of the story. The world of the cruise ship just never came alive for me.
Pretty good, but not, I think, indispensable.
January 22, 2019
Preston & Child han tenido un gran acierto con este libro, después de escribir un libro tan bueno y tan brutal como cierre de la trilogía de Diógenes, me daba miedo esta entrega, era difícil que se superaran o al menos se igualaran con El libro de los muertos, la séptima entrega de esta serie.
Pues bueno, han dado un giro tan extraordinario que es imposible comparar este libro con el anterior, sin dejar de lado su estilo narrativo sigue la serie, le han dado continuidad a la historia de Pendergast y sobre todo le han dado un papel mucho más importante a Constance, pero este libro nada tiene que ver con el anterior, esta historia resulta mucho más ligera que la entrega anterior, pero no por eso menos interesante y atrapante.
En una combinación perfecta de la historia del Titanic, con un estilo detectivesco muy de Agatha Christie, nos envuelven en una historia, con sus ya muy singulares temas esotéricos, nos acercan mucho más a la personalidad de Pendergast, que hasta el momento siempre había estado rodeado de un misterio muy peculiar, conocemos al personaje casi desde la primera entrega, pero realmente no sabemos mucho de él o de su personalidad, esta es la primera vez que lo he sentido más cerca del ser humano que por supuesto es y sin dejar de ser ese agente del FBI, ahora se ha embarcado en una investigación privada junto con Constance, otro personaje que había aparecido siempre a la sombra, una mujer que me había parecido siempre extraña por la manera en que se escondía, bueno ha sido un buen giro tenerla en primera línea, siendo ya más una persona normal, siendo además el brazo fuerte de Pendergast.
El final como siempre ha sido fabuloso, nos dejan con esa miel en la boca para querer seguir con el siguiente, como siempre estos autores me dejan con un extraordinario sabor de boca, siempre que termino uno de sus libros quiero correr por el siguiente, sin duda van más allá de entretenidos, que sí, que son raros, que sí que son peliculeros, que sí, que tocan temas fuera de toda realidad, pero siempre lo hacen de manera prodigiosa y como siempre digo, por encima de todo está el entretenimiento.
A por el que sigue, sin duda cada libro me gusta más que el anterior.
Pues bueno, han dado un giro tan extraordinario que es imposible comparar este libro con el anterior, sin dejar de lado su estilo narrativo sigue la serie, le han dado continuidad a la historia de Pendergast y sobre todo le han dado un papel mucho más importante a Constance, pero este libro nada tiene que ver con el anterior, esta historia resulta mucho más ligera que la entrega anterior, pero no por eso menos interesante y atrapante.
En una combinación perfecta de la historia del Titanic, con un estilo detectivesco muy de Agatha Christie, nos envuelven en una historia, con sus ya muy singulares temas esotéricos, nos acercan mucho más a la personalidad de Pendergast, que hasta el momento siempre había estado rodeado de un misterio muy peculiar, conocemos al personaje casi desde la primera entrega, pero realmente no sabemos mucho de él o de su personalidad, esta es la primera vez que lo he sentido más cerca del ser humano que por supuesto es y sin dejar de ser ese agente del FBI, ahora se ha embarcado en una investigación privada junto con Constance, otro personaje que había aparecido siempre a la sombra, una mujer que me había parecido siempre extraña por la manera en que se escondía, bueno ha sido un buen giro tenerla en primera línea, siendo ya más una persona normal, siendo además el brazo fuerte de Pendergast.
El final como siempre ha sido fabuloso, nos dejan con esa miel en la boca para querer seguir con el siguiente, como siempre estos autores me dejan con un extraordinario sabor de boca, siempre que termino uno de sus libros quiero correr por el siguiente, sin duda van más allá de entretenidos, que sí, que son raros, que sí que son peliculeros, que sí, que tocan temas fuera de toda realidad, pero siempre lo hacen de manera prodigiosa y como siempre digo, por encima de todo está el entretenimiento.
A por el que sigue, sin duda cada libro me gusta más que el anterior.
April 11, 2024
Rating: 2.80
Inasmuch as this team of authors have published countless stories, this was the first that features Aloysius Pendergast I'd read. To say I was disappointed is a vast understatement having enjoyed many of the Nora Kelly series.
Put simply, this is a weak attempt at merging Murder on the Orient Express with Sherlock Holmes and a dab of James Bond. A fan of believable characters, I struggled with Pendergast's off-putting persona, affluence and style of communication which we might normally witness from a snotty PhD. The use of 'precisely' mimic Holmes to a 'T', though his sidekick Constance Green seems normal.
Worse yet, its a bit hard to swallow an FBI agent learning The Way from Tibetan monks who coral him to find the stolen Azoygen mural produced by Indian Buddhists a thousand years previous. The story moves across the world ending in London where our eponymous FBI agent procures one of the MOST expensive suites on the FULLY BOOKED, maiden voyage of the "Britannia", the largest ocean liner in the world due to suspicion the thief is onboard.
From thereon, the story is nearly identical to Orient Express complete with mysterious murders of all types. Predictable, dull and unrealistic, this has to be one of the worst in the series. As I've said in the past, 'writing is art and individual tastes vary'. "..and that's all I'm gonna say about that.." ~ Forrest Gump
Inasmuch as this team of authors have published countless stories, this was the first that features Aloysius Pendergast I'd read. To say I was disappointed is a vast understatement having enjoyed many of the Nora Kelly series.
Put simply, this is a weak attempt at merging Murder on the Orient Express with Sherlock Holmes and a dab of James Bond. A fan of believable characters, I struggled with Pendergast's off-putting persona, affluence and style of communication which we might normally witness from a snotty PhD. The use of 'precisely' mimic Holmes to a 'T', though his sidekick Constance Green seems normal.
Worse yet, its a bit hard to swallow an FBI agent learning The Way from Tibetan monks who coral him to find the stolen Azoygen mural produced by Indian Buddhists a thousand years previous. The story moves across the world ending in London where our eponymous FBI agent procures one of the MOST expensive suites on the FULLY BOOKED, maiden voyage of the "Britannia", the largest ocean liner in the world due to suspicion the thief is onboard.
From thereon, the story is nearly identical to Orient Express complete with mysterious murders of all types. Predictable, dull and unrealistic, this has to be one of the worst in the series. As I've said in the past, 'writing is art and individual tastes vary'. "..and that's all I'm gonna say about that.." ~ Forrest Gump
July 26, 2014
My rating is 1.5 stars.
This continues the story of Agent Pendergast and Constance. This is part of a series but it can be a stand alone novel. In this novel Pendergast is trying to locate a stolen item that was in the protection of Buddhist monks. The search leads him to the high seas and onto a maiden voyage of an ocean liner.
This is probably the weakest novel of this series. I had no problem with the setting and the action sequences from this setting was well written. Part of the problem was the main character. So far he has been portrayed as a likable above average intellect. But in this novel he was portrayed as a smug know it all person. I have really enjoyed the main character up to this point but in this novel he was unlikable. The other problem was the supporting cast. They never developed separate personalities and they were interchangeable.
Another drawback in this novel was the plotline. This series of novels are supernatural in theory but end up being explained by science. It is a great premise and is enjoyable because of the suspense of what can be explained. This novel never accomplished this trait and I felt like I was reading a novel from a different author.
I can only recommend reading this novel if your plan is to read the entire series.
This continues the story of Agent Pendergast and Constance. This is part of a series but it can be a stand alone novel. In this novel Pendergast is trying to locate a stolen item that was in the protection of Buddhist monks. The search leads him to the high seas and onto a maiden voyage of an ocean liner.
This is probably the weakest novel of this series. I had no problem with the setting and the action sequences from this setting was well written. Part of the problem was the main character. So far he has been portrayed as a likable above average intellect. But in this novel he was portrayed as a smug know it all person. I have really enjoyed the main character up to this point but in this novel he was unlikable. The other problem was the supporting cast. They never developed separate personalities and they were interchangeable.
Another drawback in this novel was the plotline. This series of novels are supernatural in theory but end up being explained by science. It is a great premise and is enjoyable because of the suspense of what can be explained. This novel never accomplished this trait and I felt like I was reading a novel from a different author.
I can only recommend reading this novel if your plan is to read the entire series.
November 30, 2018
Audiobook review. Sometimes I want to give a book zero stars. This is one of those books. Having read a few books in this series and enjoyed them, I was expecting at least a 2.5-star experience. Scott Brick has ably narrated previous novels. This one is narrated by actor René Auberjonois, who’s most entertaining when reading fun, bit characters like a cranky old woman or an intoxicated man. The rest of the time, he’s rather low energy, and at times, it’s difficult to discern when he switches characters.
As for the story itself, it goes from feasible to completely ridiculous. You need not just be willing to suspend disbelief, you need to gag and blind it. What was a detective story becomes something altogether foolish. It often reads like the authors expect it to be made into a movie, Pendergast’s mental forays as one example.
I’ll keep reading because other reviewers say the authors return to their previous style, but I wouldn’t recommend this book for anything but kindling.
As for the story itself, it goes from feasible to completely ridiculous. You need not just be willing to suspend disbelief, you need to gag and blind it. What was a detective story becomes something altogether foolish. It often reads like the authors expect it to be made into a movie, Pendergast’s mental forays as one example.
I’ll keep reading because other reviewers say the authors return to their previous style, but I wouldn’t recommend this book for anything but kindling.
November 10, 2015
When you look at this book individually, it's not entirely bad. Mystery novels are supposed to be a fun romp with a whodunit. But when you look at this book as compared to the rest of the series it belongs to, it becomes a bit worse. Nothing about The Wheel of Darkness added to the series. The plots drew from Titanic and Sherlock Holmes. And dare I say, the characters seemed to have different personalities. I just hope this book was a fluke and the rest of the series will shine.
October 1, 2019
This story is the first after the Diogenes stories. Pendergast takes Constance to a Tibetan monastery for some meditation. While there, one of the group asks Pendergast to look into the theft of the Agozyen, an artifact the monks were guarding.
Thus begins a trans Atlantic ship crossing, with the detectives on the trail of a thief/murderer.
Thus begins a trans Atlantic ship crossing, with the detectives on the trail of a thief/murderer.
June 17, 2020
3.5 Stars - You're never bored with Pendergast
Starting out as a reminder of Lost Horizon and moving on to a scenario straight out of Murder on the Nile but quickly moving on to being all Pendergast.
This novel is slightly more "mystic" than the previous ones, where the previous novels where "more or less" within the frame of reality, this one contains truly paranormal parts which defy s explanation.
There are also some major plot issues, where things happens too convenient and factual plot mistakes, which i didn't notice in the previous novels.
All that said I'm definitely continuing with the series.
Starting out as a reminder of Lost Horizon and moving on to a scenario straight out of Murder on the Nile but quickly moving on to being all Pendergast.
This novel is slightly more "mystic" than the previous ones, where the previous novels where "more or less" within the frame of reality, this one contains truly paranormal parts which defy s explanation.
There are also some major plot issues, where things happens too convenient and factual plot mistakes, which i didn't notice in the previous novels.
All that said I'm definitely continuing with the series.
February 11, 2025
I really enjoyed this book - but tbh I was probably just glad to be through the Diogenes books. Which I didn’t care for as much as the other books in the series.
I missed the crime solving action that Pendergast gets into and this one being set on a cruise ship was so much fun. We still get that slight paranormal/monster element on top of real crimes and Pendergast who is such a fun and quirky crime solver.
The end of the book had me hooked and I was desperate to find out what was going to happen when it seemed there was no way out.
I didn’t quite understand what was going on with that paining but I didn’t care tbh lol I was there purely for all the other action going on.
3.5 stars rounded up. I look forward to continuing this series to see what Pendergast gets into next.
I missed the crime solving action that Pendergast gets into and this one being set on a cruise ship was so much fun. We still get that slight paranormal/monster element on top of real crimes and Pendergast who is such a fun and quirky crime solver.
The end of the book had me hooked and I was desperate to find out what was going to happen when it seemed there was no way out.
I didn’t quite understand what was going on with that paining but I didn’t care tbh lol I was there purely for all the other action going on.
3.5 stars rounded up. I look forward to continuing this series to see what Pendergast gets into next.
May 4, 2019
Oh, this was quite good. There was a stronger sense of mysticism to this novel than there have been even before, and I very much appreciated that.
The one thing that sometimes nags at me about Preston/Child books is that they go so in-depth with the detailing of certain aspects about novels. In this one, it had to do with nautical terms. They crash course you, and while I appreciate learning something new, there's no way I attained even half of the information thrown at me. Still, I am glad that they go as full into research as they do.
It's a lot sometimes though. Quite a bit.
But, as a whole, the story was fascinating, so fast paced, and while I was a little worried that a novel taking place 90% in a ship would drag...my worries were dispelled. Pendergast and Constance were as stellar as ever alongside some new, intriguing characters.
The one thing that sometimes nags at me about Preston/Child books is that they go so in-depth with the detailing of certain aspects about novels. In this one, it had to do with nautical terms. They crash course you, and while I appreciate learning something new, there's no way I attained even half of the information thrown at me. Still, I am glad that they go as full into research as they do.
It's a lot sometimes though. Quite a bit.
But, as a whole, the story was fascinating, so fast paced, and while I was a little worried that a novel taking place 90% in a ship would drag...my worries were dispelled. Pendergast and Constance were as stellar as ever alongside some new, intriguing characters.
April 29, 2010
I am in love with this series. I gobble each one up. Pendergast is one of my favorite characters in modern fiction and I can’t get enough of him.
January 27, 2025
Another imaginative story with lots of supernatural events. I love reading this series as it's so creative and full of mystery.
In this book, Pendergast is faced with evil, so powerful he gets drawn into it, and it starts sucking his soul. Will he defeat it? Personally, I thought it was the end of him. You must read it to find out!
In this book, Pendergast is faced with evil, so powerful he gets drawn into it, and it starts sucking his soul. Will he defeat it? Personally, I thought it was the end of him. You must read it to find out!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,582 reviews