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Pendergast #18.5
The Strange Case of Monsieur Bertin
Unpublished news from Preston & Child, accompanied by a bonus: the first chapters of Rivière maudite, the 19th adventure of Inspector Pendergast, to be published at the Archipelago in the spring of 2020.
Inspector Aloysius Pendergast is at home in New York when he receives an obituary. Mr. Bertin passed away at the age of 81.
Accompanied by Constance Greene, his protege, Pendergast goes to New Orleans, to the place of his childhood, to attend the funeral of the man who was his tutor.
Although it seems natural, Pendergast cannot help but find Mr. Bertin's death strange. As if it announced the imminence of a danger...
Preston & Child offer this unpublished news to their readers. The unique opportunity for those who do not yet know Inspector A.X.L. Pendergast of the FBI to meet the modern-day Sherlock Holmes.
Inspector Aloysius Pendergast is at home in New York when he receives an obituary. Mr. Bertin passed away at the age of 81.
Accompanied by Constance Greene, his protege, Pendergast goes to New Orleans, to the place of his childhood, to attend the funeral of the man who was his tutor.
Although it seems natural, Pendergast cannot help but find Mr. Bertin's death strange. As if it announced the imminence of a danger...
Preston & Child offer this unpublished news to their readers. The unique opportunity for those who do not yet know Inspector A.X.L. Pendergast of the FBI to meet the modern-day Sherlock Holmes.
70 pages, ebook
First published July 4, 2019
21 people are currently reading
3350 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Preston
183 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
April 13, 2025
I've been craving the Pendergast services from authors Preston and Child, but the next release is a long way away. While searching for it, I realized I had never found this short story, mostly because I just learned that it's only available from the author's website. I quickly downloaded and read it in 30 minutes this morning. We'd met the character before, and it's 3-4 years old, so it signaled something at the end that I already knew about (always read a series in order)... but still, it temporarily quenched my thirst. Macabre, dark, and mysterious. Frequently one of my top recommended series.
February 18, 2022
When you join the Pendergast newsletter they send you a free digital copy of this story and it is sooo good. If you are a fan of the series you will also really enjoy their newsletters. Preston and Child have a lot of appreciation for their fans and frequently share free pieces of writing with them.
This was a dandy of a tale evoking elements of Poe and Stevenson. It certainly has me thinking...which one of their novels should I read next?
If you are interested in this free story and signing up for their newsletter. They do not sell their email list. Here is the link: https://www.prestonchild.com/faq/pend...
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/
This was a dandy of a tale evoking elements of Poe and Stevenson. It certainly has me thinking...which one of their novels should I read next?
If you are interested in this free story and signing up for their newsletter. They do not sell their email list. Here is the link: https://www.prestonchild.com/faq/pend...
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/
April 18, 2020
The mystery of the death of Monsieur Bertin was good until the end.
The ending brought down the rating for me.
This is a short Pendergast novella that is set in New Orleans about an old friend and mentor for FBI Agent Pendergast.
I feel like Preston & Child need to come up
The ending brought down the rating for me.
This is a short Pendergast novella that is set in New Orleans about an old friend and mentor for FBI Agent Pendergast.
I feel like Preston & Child need to come up
November 17, 2024
Was Mr Bertin, the teacher of Diogenes and Aloysius Pendergast murdered or died he of natural reasons? Follow Agent Pendergast and Constance to solve the riddle of his death. This was an extremely atmospheric novella full of details every fan of the series loves to read. What happened to the graves of Pendergast's family after their house burnt down? Here you find many clues and the start of a new case. Highly recommended!
August 8, 2023
This is a novella that the authors offer thru their website for free. In this one Pendergast receives news that his former teacher has passed. He goes to the funeral and gets a little more than he bargained for.
I wish I could give this a higher rating because I appreciate that the authors gave this to their fans for free. Unfortunately I cannot as this is more like a teaser for an upcoming story. For a short story the atmosphere is the highlight as it is definitely creepy that harkens back to works from yesteryear. I was pleasantly surprised by the illustrations that are in the book. I believe my eyes widened when I saw the first illustration of Pendergast. A visual representation of a character that I have imagined for many years now. As for the story there isn't much to it until the end with the cliffhanger. It hints at a story that in my eyes might be played out. I am not surprised by the return of this story but I believe it is time to move on. I think this is the main reason why I could not give this a higher rating.
This is a quick read with a a truly favorite character. I don't think that that is required reading if you are reading the series. I tend to think that the authors will go over this again when they decide to attack the hint of things that are about to happen with that cliffhanger.
I wish I could give this a higher rating because I appreciate that the authors gave this to their fans for free. Unfortunately I cannot as this is more like a teaser for an upcoming story. For a short story the atmosphere is the highlight as it is definitely creepy that harkens back to works from yesteryear. I was pleasantly surprised by the illustrations that are in the book. I believe my eyes widened when I saw the first illustration of Pendergast. A visual representation of a character that I have imagined for many years now. As for the story there isn't much to it until the end with the cliffhanger. It hints at a story that in my eyes might be played out. I am not surprised by the return of this story but I believe it is time to move on. I think this is the main reason why I could not give this a higher rating.
This is a quick read with a a truly favorite character. I don't think that that is required reading if you are reading the series. I tend to think that the authors will go over this again when they decide to attack the hint of things that are about to happen with that cliffhanger.
July 7, 2019
4.5 stars!
Pendergast being Pendergast at his best. What more can I say?
Pendergast being Pendergast at his best. What more can I say?
April 20, 2020
A nice little dandy of a story given out to those on the authors' mailing list. It's free. Why aren't you on it?
Pendergast and Constance head to New Orleans to attend the funeral of Aloysius's childhood tutor. A mystery, of course, ensues. Oh my god, that ending!
Pendergast and Constance head to New Orleans to attend the funeral of Aloysius's childhood tutor. A mystery, of course, ensues. Oh my god, that ending!
August 13, 2019
Nice little teaser... that ending though!
July 5, 2019
FBI Special Agent Pendergast receives an invitation to a funeral and burial of family tutor M. Bertin, who had taught many subjects, including the dark arts to Aloysius and his twin brother, Diogenes. At the funeral home, along with his ward Constance Greene, he desecrates the tutor's body and discovers the name of a non-existent relative, who is supposedly interned in an obscure family mausoleum, which is connected by a long, creepy underground passage to the lost-forever tomb underneath the family's ancestral home, which burned down and was converted to a parking lot. Once there, they find a clever clue, which will be the subject of the next novel.
October 16, 2021
A good Indiana Jones-type adventure mystery wrapped up in a little over 30 pages. Fast and fun read!
July 4, 2019
WHAT? nooooooooo!
A really great (and long awaited, been teased a long time now) story, and I refuse to rehash or regurgitate story line within my review, because that's a task the AUTHORS have already completed, please read their work....but..... again, WHAT?
NOOOOOOO!
I say that as a long time fan who has read the entire series. What a cruel pair you are, Preston/ Child.
Carry on. And soon.
A really great (and long awaited, been teased a long time now) story, and I refuse to rehash or regurgitate story line within my review, because that's a task the AUTHORS have already completed, please read their work....but..... again, WHAT?
NOOOOOOO!
I say that as a long time fan who has read the entire series. What a cruel pair you are, Preston/ Child.
Carry on. And soon.
April 4, 2020
Un relato corto del súpermegafabuloso agente especial Pendergast. Para el bajón lector que tengo fue lo más acertado. Solo 31 páginas con algunas ilustraciones.
April 5, 2025
I cannot believe this, when is my poor Aloysius going to catch a break?
July 21, 2019
A Pendergast short story (alas, too short) that teases up what sounds like the next Pendergast and Constance adventure - I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT WAIT!!! If you're a Preston & Child - Pendergast fan, read The Strange Case of Monsieur Bertin slowly and savor every last word...
November 7, 2021
—- loved the illustrations
—-loved the mood
—-loved how it can add to the main plot but was not necessary to be read; it was more like a bonus.
—-did I mention the illustrations ?!!!!
—- foreshadows a major plot development coming
Thank you Doug & Linc! :) very happy !
—-loved the mood
—-loved how it can add to the main plot but was not necessary to be read; it was more like a bonus.
—-did I mention the illustrations ?!!!!
—- foreshadows a major plot development coming
Thank you Doug & Linc! :) very happy !
May 25, 2020
Preston & Child can do no wrong!
November 8, 2019
As a tantalising look into the coming adventure as well as a dark and grim glimpse of the haunted past, this very brief piece works beautifully.
It loses a star due to the prospect of return of Pendergast's dreaded nemesis, whom I'm positively sick of.
Otherwise, recommended.
It loses a star due to the prospect of return of Pendergast's dreaded nemesis, whom I'm positively sick of.
Otherwise, recommended.
February 12, 2023
The Strange Case of Monsieur Bertin is an Agent Pendergast tale I stumbled upon that I did not know existed. This is a fun little gem-an adventure with Constance that takes us to New Orleans and features-ah! But that would be telling. Constant Reader you will enjoy this. This story is free on the net-thanks Preston and Child!
April 14, 2020
Un pequeño relato para mostrarnos de nuevo en acción al agente especial Pendergast y para mantenernos en vilo hasta que aparezca su nueva novela.. que esperamos que sea pronto.
Geniales, como casi siempre.
Geniales, como casi siempre.
April 8, 2020
An interesting story that adds to the history of Pendergast. It provides a teaser for books to come. A quick and fun read
September 18, 2020
4´5/ 5 🌟
Me ha gustado mucho.
Tenía muchas ganas de volver a leer sobre Pendergast, porque sin duda es uno de mis personajes favoritos de todo los que he leído, además de que su serie de libros también es de mis favoritos.
Es verdad que este relato lo tengo desde hace varios meses pero con tantas lecturas pendientes no pude leerlo, y la verdad que me arrepiento de no haberlo leído antes ya que aunque corto si que lo veo importante para ya adentrarte en el siguiente libro de la serie.
En este caso Pendergast recibe una carta en la cual le llega la noticia de la muerte de su tutor de cuando era pequeño, así que va a su funeral, pero luego lo que parece una muerte natural al final no lo es y el protagonista acaba descubriendo algo que en mi opinión será muy importante para el siguiente libro.
El libro no es muy largo así que se lee como nada, si es verdad que lo leí en ingles y hay alguna palabra que me pareció algo complicada pero mas o menos se entiende todo.
En cuanto a personajes que decir, los principales son Pendergast y Contance y a parte de ellos no sale nadie más, bueno un par de ellos si es verdad que su aparición es importante pero no se profundiza mucho más.
El final es lo mejor de todo. Es la razón por la que van hay y como he dicho antes va ser importante para los siguientes libros. Sin duda un buen comienzo para la siguiente trama.
En conclusión me ha encantado, si es verdad que me falta esa acción que tanto me tiene acostumbrada esta serie pero aún así me encantó gracias a ese final que me deja con ganas de seguir leyendo esta gran serie. Sin duda lo recomiendo, no solo este relato sino también el resto de libros de esta serie.
Me ha gustado mucho.
Tenía muchas ganas de volver a leer sobre Pendergast, porque sin duda es uno de mis personajes favoritos de todo los que he leído, además de que su serie de libros también es de mis favoritos.
Es verdad que este relato lo tengo desde hace varios meses pero con tantas lecturas pendientes no pude leerlo, y la verdad que me arrepiento de no haberlo leído antes ya que aunque corto si que lo veo importante para ya adentrarte en el siguiente libro de la serie.
En este caso Pendergast recibe una carta en la cual le llega la noticia de la muerte de su tutor de cuando era pequeño, así que va a su funeral, pero luego lo que parece una muerte natural al final no lo es y el protagonista acaba descubriendo algo que en mi opinión será muy importante para el siguiente libro.
El libro no es muy largo así que se lee como nada, si es verdad que lo leí en ingles y hay alguna palabra que me pareció algo complicada pero mas o menos se entiende todo.
En cuanto a personajes que decir, los principales son Pendergast y Contance y a parte de ellos no sale nadie más, bueno un par de ellos si es verdad que su aparición es importante pero no se profundiza mucho más.
El final es lo mejor de todo. Es la razón por la que van hay y como he dicho antes va ser importante para los siguientes libros. Sin duda un buen comienzo para la siguiente trama.
En conclusión me ha encantado, si es verdad que me falta esa acción que tanto me tiene acostumbrada esta serie pero aún así me encantó gracias a ese final que me deja con ganas de seguir leyendo esta gran serie. Sin duda lo recomiendo, no solo este relato sino también el resto de libros de esta serie.
June 4, 2020
Kinda short, and the end was a bit "c'mon, really?" but otherwise another fine Pendergast story.
October 26, 2019
Most of this short story was quite interesting until the ridiculous ending. This was obviously written as an introduction and an enticement for the next book. I presume the authors think this will help sell the book.
I definitely will not be buying the next book, I’ve had enough of Diogenes and do not want to see him again. I also think it shows the authors really have run out of ideas if they have to bring him back yet again!
I definitely will not be buying the next book, I’ve had enough of Diogenes and do not want to see him again. I also think it shows the authors really have run out of ideas if they have to bring him back yet again!
April 5, 2020
I found this gem as a freebie on Instagram. I started it late at night and stayed up until it was finished - just a bit over 5 am. What a great ending! I sometimes forget how important pacing and description lend themselves to atmospheric creepiness. From the dead mice to the New Orleans Mausoleum, this had me hooked from beginning to end. A great series to revisit from time to time.
March 31, 2025
This book is provided free as a download by the author as a PDF or ePub file. It even has drawings!
Constance and Pendergast in NYC get a death notice in the mail for the memorial service of Monsieur Bertin, 81 yo in NOLA. Bertin was Pendergast's tutor as a child.
They go and have quite an experience at the deceased's home and the family's crypt setting them up for the next full book adventure.
Constance and Pendergast in NYC get a death notice in the mail for the memorial service of Monsieur Bertin, 81 yo in NOLA. Bertin was Pendergast's tutor as a child.
They go and have quite an experience at the deceased's home and the family's crypt setting them up for the next full book adventure.
April 8, 2020
A quick, neat little bonus short story. Some yuck factor as with all of Pendergast stories.
With overtures to more to come with Pendergast & his family.
A little comic books (ie. Illustrations incl).
With overtures to more to come with Pendergast & his family.
A little comic books (ie. Illustrations incl).
April 4, 2020
I so hope that "The final reckoning" means I'll finally get to see my childhood crush from Brimstone-Dance of Death-The Book of the Dead, but I am aware that it's aiming too high and accepting the fact it's going to be another The Obsidian Chamber. Which is really really sad.
August 5, 2019
This is a giveaway short story from Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child's promotional newsletter -- not available elsewhere, that I know of. It's a nice item for their readers: a new Pendergast "teaser" adventure with some rather elegant illustrations for those who download it to a tablet rather than a dedicated e-reader. (I did both, & could see a major difference.)
The story itself seems intended for serious fans of Agent Pendergast & his mysterious ward Constance Greene. When the pair receive an invitation to attend the funeral of Pendergast's boyhood tutor, grief turns to the dawning realization that All Is Not As It Seems. Exotic murder methods, graveyard investigations, & a heaping helping of family history make this a must read for those of us Pendergastlies who never miss one of the agent's cases. That said, it's still a very short (though free) tale, without many truly unexpected twists.
Recommended for: anyone who either hasn't downloaded their copy yet, or has it in their electronic TBR pile.
The story itself seems intended for serious fans of Agent Pendergast & his mysterious ward Constance Greene. When the pair receive an invitation to attend the funeral of Pendergast's boyhood tutor, grief turns to the dawning realization that All Is Not As It Seems. Exotic murder methods, graveyard investigations, & a heaping helping of family history make this a must read for those of us Pendergastlies who never miss one of the agent's cases. That said, it's still a very short (though free) tale, without many truly unexpected twists.
Recommended for: anyone who either hasn't downloaded their copy yet, or has it in their electronic TBR pile.
July 19, 2019
I was happily enjoying this rare short story involving A.X.L Pendergast, when what I had hope to not see again happened. Diogenes...again. I mean...c'mon! Preston and Child have killed him 2...maybe three times already. Enough with the evil brother schtick! I loved City of Endless Night and Verses for the Dead because it harkened back to the original fun of a Pendergast novel of old. Now we're are back to tired old Diogenes. Sigh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2020
A perfect short story for a cold February afternoon. I was a bit confused by the ending, having read only Relic and two of the more recent novels, but I suspect once I start reading them again in order I’ll have more of a clue about Aloysius’ family history and what might be coming next. Constance intrigues me and I look forward to discovering more about her in other novels.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews