Relic

Pendergast, Book 1

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: David Colacci

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Relic, a Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child thriller that introduces FBI Special Agent Pendergast

Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human....

But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.

Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who - or what - is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?

Prolong the suspense: listen to the sequel, Reliquary.

©1994 by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. (P)1995 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"With its close-up view of museum life and politics, plausible scientific background, sharply drawn characters and a plot line that's blissfully free of gratuitous romance, this well-crafted novel offers first-rate thrills and chills." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Wildly cool....Thrill hounds couldn't ask for a creepier environment....a thriller staged in the world's scariest building, with no room for the squeamish." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Meh

After reading the "in Death" series, all 40 of them I have been searching for the next. I heard good things about this series, so far I'm not impressed. Hopefully the authors hit their stride as the series continues.

Kind of out there.

Would you listen to Relic again? Why?

I only started Relic because I read book 4 of Pendergast's series and fell in love with the characters. I was not expecting a story that was borderline science fiction. It was well written science fiction, but the plot was a little bit too far from reality for me.

Kept My Interest!

What made the experience of listening to Relic the most enjoyable?

The narrator did a good job of differentiating the characters' voices. I also enjoyed the special sound effects.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Relic?

One of the most memorable moments was the discovery of the actual killer and the resulting shock.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene is nonspecific --it's when the beast is known and running amuck.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Between the Eyes

Good audio

Really love it when the narrator uses different inflections in his voice so it's easy to tell which of the characters is speaking.

Great story!

Loved the story, couldn't stop listening, the author was great apart from a couple pf minor annoyances with the unusual way he pronounced a few simple words.

Other than that it was excellent.

Nice blend of science and horror

Excellent read. The narrator did an excellent job performing each part and the attention to detail was fantastic. I listened through to the end, which is pretty good for me. I listened through many long exhaustive tomes only to quit with a couple-three hours left.

Very solid good listen

A creature horror/ action book. Narrator did great job. Character development very well done. Worth the credit.

Good book, slow start

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, although it started very slowly, once it gained speed it turned out to be a really good book.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I had already figured out it would end that way. It's kind of the standard with this type of book.

Not a standout

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I think that it was so so... It could have been better.. the story dragged on in the final third.
It had me at my most in the beginning- and taking the artifacts to the museum.

What could Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It needed more counter plot - the final third of the book drudged on.. the only spark was the hint that one of the biochemist was synthetizing a new plant form.. and that could spark more monsters.

Which character – as performed by David Colacci – was your favorite?

Sorry- nobody outstanding.. Dr. Margo Green? maybe.

Could you see Relic being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Uh- daah... how old is this website? Who is running this ? Movie was made back in 1997!
IMDB gave it5.6 stars out of 10.. starring Penelepe A Miller and Tom Sizemore..
This is 2014!!! tsk tsk.

Relic - effective mystery, good narration

People at the New York Museum are turning up savagely murdered as the count down to a new exibition themed "superstitions" covering world myths and superstitions draws near. Who or what is behind these awful murders? Well you need to read this book to find out.

I am surprised that I'm giving this selection 4 stars. The first few chapters give some seemingly unrelated stories that look into the past. It's hard to get through because you don't know why the information is important. Once you get into the actual story the ride has its ups and downs. So for the things i liked:
- Agent Pendergast - he's relate-able and provides a charming outsiders perspective on the situation
- Degoste - the NYC detective. His New York attitude is paired with a quirky wit.
- The structure of the story - It hits all of the necessary plot points just at the right time to keep you interested.

This is a very cerebral story, dealing with genetics and a number of other scientific areas of study including paleontology. At times the technical explanations, though necessary, become a bit cumbersome. The author also spends a lot of time building suspense and emphasizing the horrific feelings that the antagonist conjures with the mystery of its presence. I do like the use of smell as additional trigger. I've never smelled a "goattish musk", but I've smelled a raccoon. That has to be close right? lol. I think it is easy to call to mind mind some of the most horrible things you have smelled and attach it to the authors' description of this antagonist.

My favorite thing about this book was the aftermath wrap up. I had a theory throughout the book and was disappointed that it had not resulted as the answer when the culprit was revealed. Then comes the denouement. My theory was spot on and the author skillfully sets up the next book and makes me want to read it. That is amazing. This author knows how to give people what they want: a well-crafted intelligent mystery with an antagonist with a je ne sais quoi to keep the attention to the very end.

I did enjoy the narrator and actually missed him in the second audiobook. He does well to give each character a voice. My only issue was that his voice for women in the book wavered.