Take a photo of a barcode or cover
primrosepath's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
thetigerwrites's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoy Pendergast. I like characters who have hidden facets or might be more than they seemed, and having something like the first third of the novel told from everyone's point of view but the titular character certainly helps create that sense. (I don't consider the two previous novels to be Pendergast books, simply book where Pendergast happens to be in them). And even some of the scenes where we are in his POV help that along.
But this is where we start entering the 'trying so very hard' area.
At times, we spend so much time in Pendergast's head it slows the already slow pace of the story. The the authors try sonar to make this a horror novel they artificially end the chapters at the expense of the correct passage of time and expects me to believe that a character is in the same, close to death, position all the while the other characters are running around the city.
Then they try so very hard to make this a comedy, we end up with a character in a job there is no way he could have worked his way to, or even been appointed to.
They try to make this a mystery by making it impossible for the reader to figure it out on their own. When the mystery is revealed, if I'm wrong, I want a 'now I get it' reaction, not 'where did they pull that from?'
And then they go and kill ones of the few likable characters in the story, while keeping alive the one unlikable one.
I understand that this is an ear.y worm, but relic shows they are capable of more, and I am looking forward to being proven right.
But this is where we start entering the 'trying so very hard' area.
At times, we spend so much time in Pendergast's head it slows the already slow pace of the story. The the authors try sonar to make this a horror novel they artificially end the chapters at the expense of the correct passage of time and expects me to believe that a character is in the same, close to death, position all the while the other characters are running around the city.
Then they try so very hard to make this a comedy, we end up with a character in a job there is no way he could have worked his way to, or even been appointed to.
They try to make this a mystery by making it impossible for the reader to figure it out on their own. When the mystery is revealed, if I'm wrong, I want a 'now I get it' reaction, not 'where did they pull that from?'
And then they go and kill ones of the few likable characters in the story, while keeping alive the one unlikable one.
I understand that this is an ear.y worm, but relic shows they are capable of more, and I am looking forward to being proven right.
t_cate's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
milesmark's review against another edition
5.0
Back in the late 90s my wife and I started reading The Pendergast books. For some reason I missed Reliquary and The Cabinet of Curiosities. I have read books 4-20. I was motivated to go back and pick up the two I missed because of book 21 (The Cabinet of Dr. Leng) being recently released.
This one is exactly what you would expect from a Pendergast novel. This was his third outing and it seems his personality and methods were cemented pretty early on. It was very enjoyable and now I will proceed to the new one.
This one is exactly what you would expect from a Pendergast novel. This was his third outing and it seems his personality and methods were cemented pretty early on. It was very enjoyable and now I will proceed to the new one.
shtc10's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
momacpac22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
bishop's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
cathepsut's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
On a construction site in Manhattan workers find a vault with thirty-six dismembered bodies, interred there over 100 years ago. Pendergast shows up to investigate. And we don’t have to wait long for a copy-cat killer.
Pendergast is a pretty over the top character. The authors’ weirder version of Sherlock Holmes? I find it hard to emphasize and to take him seriously. I haven‘t managed to connect to him yet. Smithback I mostly disliked (again). The only relatable character is Nora Kelly.
I struggled with the plot. As a supposedly fast moving thriller about a serial killer this fell flat and dragged at times. The Enoch Leng storyline was just odd. Somewhat supernatural, with a dash of horror and the grotesque. And some curious omissions, despite the otherwise narrative overabundance.
The book in general was just too long. This really did not need over 600 pages. Relic was almost 200 pages shorter. That could have helped tightening this one here as well. As it was, I started skimming in the second half of the book. There was just so much detail that I didn‘t need or want and that slowed me down and even bored me.
Custer and his chapters in the second part of the book were ridiculous and superfluous. Why even bother to add those parts of the investigation? They didn‘t serve any purpose.
And the ending of our bad guy came out of the blue and lacked a proper closure. It was weird, gross and a lame way of getting Pendergast out of this particular pickle.
On the plus side, Pendergast’s “memory crossing” was oddly compelling. A kind of memory palace technique, but with moving pictures. More like lucid dreaming. That part was interesting.
Despite my abundant complaining I just made myself a list of the Pendergast/Nora Kelly books. I am pretty sure I will (re-)read more of them. Probably not in order, but as my library and KU have them available.
Pendergast is a pretty over the top character. The authors’ weirder version of Sherlock Holmes? I find it hard to emphasize and to take him seriously. I haven‘t managed to connect to him yet. Smithback I mostly disliked (again). The only relatable character is Nora Kelly.
I struggled with the plot. As a supposedly fast moving thriller about a serial killer this fell flat and dragged at times. The Enoch Leng storyline was just odd. Somewhat supernatural, with a dash of horror and the grotesque. And some curious omissions, despite the otherwise narrative overabundance.
The book in general was just too long. This really did not need over 600 pages. Relic was almost 200 pages shorter. That could have helped tightening this one here as well. As it was, I started skimming in the second half of the book. There was just so much detail that I didn‘t need or want and that slowed me down and even bored me.
Custer and his chapters in the second part of the book were ridiculous and superfluous. Why even bother to add those parts of the investigation? They didn‘t serve any purpose.
And the ending of our bad guy came out of the blue and lacked a proper closure. It was weird, gross and a lame way of getting Pendergast out of this particular pickle.
On the plus side, Pendergast’s “memory crossing” was oddly compelling. A kind of memory palace technique, but with moving pictures. More like lucid dreaming. That part was interesting.
Despite my abundant complaining I just made myself a list of the Pendergast/Nora Kelly books. I am pretty sure I will (re-)read more of them. Probably not in order, but as my library and KU have them available.