White Fire

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois

Length: 12 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Past and present collide in Preston and Child's most thrilling novel ever....

Special Agent Pendergast arrives at an exclusive Colorado ski resort to rescue his protégée, Corrie Swanson, from serious trouble with the law. His sudden appearance coincides with the first attack of a murderous arsonist who - with brutal precision - begins burning down multimillion-dollar mansions with the families locked inside. After springing Corrie from jail, Pendergast learns she made a discovery while examining the bones of several miners who were killed 150 years earlier by a rogue grizzly bear. Her finding is so astonishing that it, even more than the arsonist, threatens the resort's very existence.

Drawn deeper into the investigation, Pendergast uncovers a mysterious connection between the dead miners and a fabled, long-lost Sherlock Holmes story - one that might just offer the key to the modern day killings as well.

Now, with the ski resort snowed in and under savage attack - and Corrie's life suddenly in grave danger - Pendergast must solve the enigma of the past before the town of the present goes up in flames.

©2013 Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

“Narrator René Auberjonois is perfection as he portrays the rip-roaring assortment of Preston and Child's over-the-top characters... Auberjonois's cool persona is ideal for the black-suited mystery-man Pendergast. As Corrie, he's a hard-headed 20-something who won't be bullied. A sadistic serial arsonist, a beleaguered sheriff, wizened miners, and 'old money' interests give Auberjonois plenty of opportunities to dazzle.” (AudioFile Magazine)

"Sherlock Holmes fans will relish Preston and Child's 13th novel featuring eccentric FBI agent Aloysius Pendergast (after 2012's Two Graves), one of their best in this popular series...easily stands on its own with only passing references to Pendergast's complex backstory." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"Another highly entertaining and genuinely thrilling story from Preston & Child starring their romantic, faintly gothic, and always mysterious FBI agent, Aloysius Pendergast. As always the prose is elegant, replete with exquisite descriptions, and this time we're treated to dashes of historic characters Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde, as well as a positively delicious serving of the great Sherlock Holmes. Through myriad shocks, surprises, twists and turns, the suspense never lets up. Great fun to the last page." (Anne Rice)

A thrill ride that runs off the board a bit much.

I kept flip-flopping between giving this book a “5” and a “4” rating. I ultimately had to go for “4” because the authors play fast and loose with reality in a way that bugs me, and I hated the outcome of who the arsonist was (even though they dropped a clue halfway through and I then inwardly prayed it wouldn’t be who the clue revealed it to be, but it was). So much more credible if it would have been the creepy archivist who groped Corrie. I was going for the “5” because Preston and Child are great storytellers with a wicked and edgy sense of humor and play havoc with all of the elements of society who I personally despise (like greedy real estate developers and self-righteous private property rights champions etc.) I especially loved the scene where Agent Pendergast took over the public hearing about moving the miners’ cemetery, and I love the Pendergast character in general, plus the way Rene Auberjonois plays him in the audiobook. I also was much intrigued with the story’s connections to Conan Doyle and the Sherlock Holmes adventures. However, I thought Corrie was remarkably naïve in breaking into the warehouse early on, and I could not for a second believe she had any important reason to personally collect data from the ancient miners at the end, certainly not any reason compelling enough to put her life in grave danger. Nor could I come up with any credible reason whatsoever why Mrs. Kermode would be in the same place at the same time. The authors play fast and loose with reality for the sake of the story in lots of ways. Demoded: 5 stars down to 4.

Edge of your seat.....Love Preston&Child...

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

Yes I have recommended this book to many.
The book is a total thriller with unexpected twists and turns. I have yet to figure how any of Preston&Child novels will end up. Refreshing and nail biting

What other book might you compare White Fire to and why?

All of the books Preston&Child have written....As far as comparison in White Fire the Authors do refer the reader to Sir Aurther Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskerville.
Also the the Study in Scarlett

Which scene was your favorite?

The Cave scene where Corrie was chained and left to burning, very devistating...I was screaming "Where is Agent Pendergast...He has gotten her out of all the fixes before."

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

Don't sit alone...cause something is going to come up behind you

Any additional comments?

If they do make a movie of this I hope that they do not exclude anything in the book.
Relic was an excellent movie until I read the Book and realized how much of the book was cut out. In the Book I was introduced to Agent Pendergast. I do not believe he was in the Movie Relic

What happened to Helen?

Any additional comments?

When the last Pendergast book ended I yelled nooooo! I wasn't ready for the story to end, but looked forward to a continuation here. This book was good. The story and performance were classically strong Preston & Child. But what happened?

Great read

Another great book by these two great authors. So excited to read the next book in the series

Love, Love and Love Pendergast! Can't get enough!

Where does White Fire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I find every book of this series amazing, well researched and always amazing, crazy and interesting stories.

What was one of the most memorable moments of White Fire?

When Pendergast arrived at the ski resort during the trial and revealed some interesting facts about the way the town had been running some of the real state developments...

Which character – as performed by Rene Auberjonois – was your favorite?

All of them?

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Pendergast cried thinking that his protegee had died.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait for the next book!!!!

Good stories that continue to be ruined by lazy absurd cliches

Preston and Child continue to write good stories but they have fallen into the lazy habit of making otherwise intelligent characters always do idiotic things to put themselves in danger. Let’s see, someone has cut off the head of my dog to warn me, shot a bullet through my windshield when I was driving, and I’ve been told repeatedly by a genius detective that someone is determined to kill me and to not leave the hotel under any circumstances. I know what I will do, I will go alone in the snow to an abandoned mining cave! Ya, that’s the ticket. This type of absurdity takes stories from 5 stars to 3.

Book Should Be Named: Corrie's Idiocy

The story that could have been great was totally ruined by the truly unbelievable moronic decisions of Corrie. It was infuriating to read, partly because these bad choices were absolutely not believable, and partly because of the too-often repeated chase scenes that are becoming all the same. Really, everything except anything related to Corrie was great in the book. Except that they killed the dog. If there's anymore dead dogs in this series, I'm done forever.

I <3 Pendergast!

Where does White Fire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Finally! I stumbled across Agent Pendergast by chance last year when I bought Two Graves on a whim - I liked the story but I fell in love with the characters! I went from Relic back through Two Graves in 6 months so White Fire got here just in time!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Pendergast is brilliant as always! White Fire is Lincoln & Child at their best - I can't wait to see what they've got in store for Tristrum, Alban, and Vincent Dgosta!

Have you listened to any of Rene Auberjonois’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Rene Auberjonois is hands down my favorite narrorator.

True page turner classic Pendergast!

Really loved this book. Two mysteries in one with a dusting of 1800''s mining history and a visit from authors Sir Conan Doyle/Oscar Wilde plus we get to see Corey again. Hope she appears in future stories. Full of twists and turns!

Sherlock Rocks!!!

Loved the story within the story!
Have been a Sherlock Holmes fan for many, many years. Pendergast very much reminds me of him.