Relic: Pendergast, Book 1

Even thought "Relic" was published 'way back in 1994, it still delivers plenty of thrills and excitement after all these years. In my opinion, that test of timelessness indicates a good novel. The plot of "Relic" had the potential to flop, since it tells an improbable monster story. But Preston/Child's excellent writing and thorough research facilitate our willing suspension of disbelief, rendering even the most far-fetched plot concepts scientifically plausible. "Relic" grips you right from the beginning, and doesn't let go until the end. The extended sequence in the dark catacombs under New York's Natural History Museum provides unparalleled suspense. "Relic," unlike most thrillers, has no primary hero, but, rather, three or four protagonists. However, it commences a wonderful series of intelligent thrillers featuring the brilliant, erudite, albino F.B.I. agent Aloysius Pendergast, introduced in this novel. David Colacci gives us an excellent reading of this audiobook. I highly recommend "Relic" to any thriller aficionado.

This book was written in 1994. The technology is somewhat dated, but the story line was great. The narration is second to none. Like others, I bought this book because it was on sale, but it was truly entertaining. It is an early Pendergast novel, and it really sets the stage for novels later in the series. Even though the sci-fi gets a little incredible at the end, if you like a good sci-fi mystery, download this book. You will not be sorry.

This is one of those books I have read more than once, but as soon as I saw it was available for download, I had to listen again. I love the whole series, but my favorites are the first two books, Relic and Reliquary. Although all the books can stand alone, it is particularly interesting to listen to them in order, since many of the characters are revisited as the series progresses.

If you enjoy a little science with your supense, you will definitely enjoy Preston and Child's books.

I read another Agent Pendergast novel before this one, and barely liked it. Not even sure why I bought this one, but I really liked it. The details about the museum and the research were fascinating, and the premise enjoyable. Much of the story reminded me of the old "Night Stalker" show.

Part of it you can believe, but some of it will tax credibility, and there are holes they don't even bother laying boards across, much less filling in. But overall, a good, smart, tense monster mystery that will have you deciding to drive slower or set your alarm half an hour later to fit in one more scene.

And the narrator fits the story--quick, accurate, detailed. Never trips over complicated science or academic terms. Good job.

This is my first experience with Detective Pendergast and I can assure it will not be my last. I have already downloaded the sequel and can't wait to see what happens next. I was dubious of this monster type genre at first, but the museum provides such a titilating backdrop and the characters are so interesting that my preconceptions quickly fell away. You won't regret trying this one!

This was undoubtedly an excellent listen. I have followed all the books for FBI Pendergast, and I was thrilled to see finally we have the beginning of all of the characters introduced in the later of the series. The characters are well developed and this book definetely kept me interested all the way to the epilogue... Cant wait to download Book 2.

I was leery of getting this book because I had seen the movie and it was HORRIBLE. However, the book is nothing like the movie. I am a big SciFi fan, and thoroughly enjoyed the twists of this book. I thought the authors did an extremely good job and the book wasn't predictable to me. I'm extremely picky about narrators and thought this one did an ok job. He didn't annoy me like a lot of narrators do.

Perhaps this is just not my genre--mixing science fiction into a thriller. If that juxtaposition doesn't bother you, you may love the book. My larger complaint is the overbearing Southern accent used for Pendergast. As a native Southerner, I find that the exaggerated dialect and mannerisms of the Pendergast character make him less credible, and frankly quite annoying. I won't be back for more of this series.

The book doesn't really pick up until the second half, but when it gets rolling it's hard to stop listening. I immediately started listening to the second book in the "Pendergast series", The Reliquary, on the strength of Agent Pendergasts portrayal in, The Relic.

My main complaint is that the narrator's voicing of some characters, for example the scotsman, is annoyingly cliche. Also, some descriptions of technology circa 1996 are a tad overdone in the style of the movie "Hackers".

Finally, let me just say that there is a great payoff in the last few chapters and epilogue. I highly recommend listening all the way through this book.

I was very glad when Audible offered this title as I've greatly enjoyed the rest of the series. While the story is good and captivating, it's not quite as good as the others in the Pendergast series. My biggest complaint, though is the narration. I've found the "special" effects added to the voices annoying and distracting -- the tunnel voice, the telephone voice, the intercom voice, the thinking to yourself voice. The voice being used for a specific character also abruptly changed on a couple of occasions. Overall, I'd give the story 3.5 stars and the narration 2 stars.