Book Review: Pendergast: The Beginning" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

 

It only took six months for the life of Special Agent Dwight Chambers to crumble around him. First, he lost his partner, and then, tragically, his wife. Returning to work at the New Orleans Field Office, Chambers is dismayed to find himself saddled with mentoring a brand new FBI agent—a certain A. X. L. Pendergast. As Chambers tries to pull himself together, his enigmatic and exasperating junior partner pulls an outrageous stunt that gets both of them suspended.

Pendergast welcomes the banishment, because it gives him the opportunity to investigate a peculiar murder in Mississippi that has captured his fancy. Chambers grudgingly goes along. What starts off as a whimsical quest swiftly turns into a terrifying pursuit, as Chambers and Pendergast uncover a string of grisly, ritualistic killings that defy any known serial killer profile.
 
Thanks in large part to Pendergast’s brilliance and unorthodox methods, they solve the case and find the killer… and that is when the true horror begins. - from Netgalley.com  

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

Where to start with this one? Having read all prior 22 books in this series (in order) to finally get to read a prequel on our Special Agent was a true treat. Though in other books, there were bits and pieces of Pendergast's past, mostly scattered bits amongst the books, but this jumps right into what appears to be his first FBI assignment (and case).

To go back - what, twenty to thirty years - to a much younger, and supposedly inexperienced rookie agent of the FBI took some skill from the authors. I see Pendergast being a bit more "uppity" and not as well-adjusted and rounded, to dealing with people that just are not as intelligent as he is. And it was a whole book of it! Every page turn I wanted to see more of his past - the secret military-type organization that brought Proctor and himself together. Here this ties in how Proctor ends up working with/for Pendergast. But there is so much more I want to find out about this exceptional, unique character.

Kudos to Preston and Child on completing yet another great work that I very much enjoyed reading.

Book Review: "The Cabinet of Dr Leng" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

 The tremendous new thriller in Preston & Child’s #1 bestselling series features FBI Special Agent Pendergast and Constance Greene in their most extraordinary circumstances yet.

AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

Astoundingly, Constance has found a way back to the place of her origins, New York City in the late 1800s, leaping at the chance, although it means leaving the present forever.

A DESPERATE OPPORTUNITY

Constance sets off on a quest to prevent the events that lead to the deaths of her sister and brother. But along the road to redemption, Manhattan’s most infamous serial killer, Dr. Enoch Leng, lies in wait, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

UNIMAGINABLE ODDS

Meanwhile, in contemporary New York, Pendergast feverishly searches for a way to reunite with Constance—but will he discover a way back to her before it’s too late? - from Netgalley.com

This ARC was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost and I am providing an unbiased review.

From my sources, this is the 21st book in the Agent Pendergast series, and if you have not read any of them before, you should start them. I believe it is best to read them in chronological order, but to each their own. I am not going on to describe briefly the plot of this particular story, because it is a bit of a continuation from the last book. I will mention (again) you may want to start this series with book one, "The Relic" (which was made into a movie years ago). You won't regret it.

That being said, it was great to return to the Pendergast world, plus the return of some new and old characters. As I stated above, this story continues from the previous book, and answers some, yet not all, of the questions I had at the end of the last book. You may not like me admitting this, but this part of the story raises yet even more questions for me. I am expecting another follow-up story, and that wait will have to be burdened (at least a year, if not more).

Preston & Childs' writing style has always been a good read for me. I have not only read all of the Pendergast series, but some of their individual spin-offs and other stand-alone novels. The Pendergast stories just flow well, considering there are two different people writing them. Once again I give them the applause they deserve.

This where some spoilers may come in...

Thoughts on this story? I don't recall Pendergast ever being so ... distraught? in distress? ... as he was at the start of this novel. What truly are his concerns/feelings for Constance? It was good to see a newer character, Coldmoon, have to return to his 'normal' FBI career, yet cross paths in NY with D'Augustino our earlier FBI agent of several novels.  Their connection to Pendergast will become clearer I think in future writing. And the final question, now the Dr Leng knows what he knows, what will happen? I have my thoughts, but it will be a long wait to find out....