After his wife, Helen, is brazenly abducted before his eyes, Special Agent Pendergast furiously pursues the kidnappers, chasing them across the country and into Mexico. But then, things go terribly, tragically wrong; the kidnappers escape; and a shattered Pendergast retreats to his New York apartment and shuts out the world.
But when a string of bizarre murders erupts across several Manhattan hotels - perpetrated by a boy who seems to have an almost psychic ability to elude capture - NYPD Lieutenant D'Agosta asks his friend Pendergast for help. Reluctant at first, Pendergast soon discovers that the killings are a message from his wife's kidnappers. But why a message? And what does it mean?
When the kidnappers strike again at those closest to Pendergast, the FBI agent, filled anew with vengeful fury, sets out to track down and destroy those responsible. His journey takes him deep into the trackless forests of South America, where he ultimately finds himself face to face with an old evil that - rather than having been eradicated - is stirring anew... and with potentially world-altering consequences.
Confucius once said: "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, first dig two graves." Pendergast is about to learn the hard way just how true those words still ring.
©2012 Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child (P)2012 Hachette
"Not their best work"
I love Preston & Child and have read everything they've written as a writing team, especially the Pendergast books. I so looked forward to this one! However, it seems to me that Pendergast is nearly on his last leg as a character. The story was OK but not nearly as engaging as the earlier books. Rene Auberjonois did a fine job as narrator.
I am an avid listener. I listen between 75-100 hours per month on my iPhone: 60% fiction to 40% non-fiction.
"Whiplash from the emotional rollercaster"
Everyone you care about shows up in the conclusion of this riveting trilogy. From the first chapters, you are thrown left and right from one event to the next. You barely recover from a harrowing drop to only experience a jolt up then down as the plot spirals twists your emotional gut like a taffy puller. This Prendergast novel is far and away among the best. This is Lincoln and Child’s second trilogy within the Prendergast series. The first one, starting with Brimstone and ending with Book of the Dead, was fabulous. This trilogy, starting with Fever Dreams is even better -- you can believe it.
I give outstanding marks to Rene Auberjonis, the voice of series. His steady guiding tone makes the story seamless and enjoyable as always.
One of the best things about the Prendergast series is all of the characters are multi-dimensional. This trilogy humanizes Prendergast is a way that was badly needed. Good job authors in anticipating the needs from your audience. I have come to know these characters and enjoy seeing how they evolve. It’s hard to believe that the authors were able to get so much backstory into this action packed plot. I warn you, you won’t always get what you want, but as the song goes, you’ll get what you need. Two Graves a must, must, listen!
"Should be labeled Science Fiction"
The story started out very promising, but then went south quickly with characters taking on more or less Super Hero powers. I can buy into using advanced science to justify certain stretches of reality, but this went way beyond the believable, and made the story seem rather ridiculous. If you like science fiction/fantasy, this is a good story, but if you're looking for an intelligent mystery, this is not it.
Not the genre it's listed in, but I feel it has been misrepresented and should be in the Science Fiction category.
Overall good reading.
"It's time to retire Pendergast."
The last few Pendergast novels have become more like formulas - nothing like the inventive thrilling series that began with Relic. The plot was thin. Pendergast has become less of a thinking top FBI agent and more of a plastic super hero. Enough is enough. Preston and Child have been among my top ten favorite authors for years, but I was disappointed with this book. On the plus side, Auberjonois is a great narrator.
"Kind of like a season finale of a soap opera"
I love all the Pendergast series. That said, this was as if the authors dropped pages of characters all over the floor and swept them up together in a haphazard fashion. This was the last of the "Helen" series, which played out like a soap opera with evil twins and not really dead characters, unknown children appearing and disappearing, and characters from other novels seemed to just drop in for a cameo. A seriously overly dramatic Pendergast went against his own character here, as well, which isn't logical. In these novels we are always asked to suspend our sense of reality a bit, but we usually do it willingly. This was unwilling. And all the answers to all the characters' life questions were unceremoniously answered as though it were a rush to the grand finale of the series. I had figured it was just that until the very ending, which seemed to leave one tiny window cracked open for a sequel in this continuing series, which has continued true to form so far. It was almost a parody; but not quite. As it was these authors and Pendergast, it was worthwhile--just not their best by far.
"Long and Boring"
It was a long and drawn out plot with few surprises.
Yes, I have read several of their books and have enjoyed them.
None
Boredom
"Just Ok"
Getting kind of tired of these characters although Pendergast is more lively and interesting than in some of the previous stories. Still, there doesn't seem to be a real point to this series anymore. Maybe it's time for the authors to start something new.
"not what I had hoped"
I have read/listened to all the Pendergast stories, and enjoyed them all. This was by far my least favorite.
Yes
Think He did a fine job
Online Grad Student, I prefer audiobooks to bound books. Preferences: history, disasters, Preston/Child, Lee Child
"Thank God it's Over"
Preston and Child must have known this series was running thin. Aside from an interesting plot line in Brazil, the other pieces seem to wrap up too cleanly and quickly. For the first time, I was able to figure out the last four hours before I heard them.
If you've listened to the entire series, this audio book won't have you wishing for another. Even the authors sound like they've had enough. As usual, narration was excellent.
"Surprisingly disappointing"
I would not ask a friend to waste their time on this. It is a mish mash of different stories that seemingly do not have much in common. I expect Pendergast to be more organized, poised and much less emotional from all of his previous history.
They could have made the central character more like the Pendergast that we've come to know and love. Yes, some of the previous story lines have been huge and almost unbelievable, but this is like SuperPendergast who is out to save the world without a believable pretense. It is hard to write an accurate review without ruining the story for others who've not experienced the unreasonable and unbelievable occurrences that make this much less than it should have become.
As always, Mr. Auberjonois gives a fantastic performance. He is a joy to listen to and gives the book the most normal part of Pendergast that we have come to expect.
Yes, but it would be more of a supernatural movie than the thriller that the previous bbooks have given us.