The Book of the Dead

Although a bit predictable and formulaic, it's still an enjoyable 'read'. I might suggest, however, you read Dance of Death before reading this one. It gives you a good base for the characters.

Like other readers, I was unaware of this being the third in a series until I had finished it, and was advised in the epilog of the best order to read these. I am reading #2 at this moment, and while I know where it goes in the future, it is still good to fill in the blanks. Very well written.
An advisor in the initial book summary would steer readers to have these poresented in a more complete manner.

This is not a bad book, but as a devoted follower of all the Pendergast books I was a bit disappointed. The story was solid enough, the narration terrific, but I was surprised to find that I was almost at the end of the first of two parts before Agent Pendergast made his first appearance. His appearances were brief, also. Most of the story goes on without him, focusing instead on his evil brother. This was my biggest problem with the book. Pendergast is the very soul of this series of books, and to have him appear so little and so late was a peculiar decision, in my opinion. Were this a television show, it would be the one shot when the leading actor was sick, or in a contract dispute with the producers. My second reservation is that I think the author(s) are "jumping the shark" by focusing so much on Pendergast and his family. I preferred the earlier books, where he was the mysterious outsider, appearing out of nowhere with keen insights and esoteric knowledge which flustered those who opposed him. There isn't much mystery left regarding the man himself, unfortunately. I hope that in future works the authors take a step back and allow him to disappear into the shadows again, to reappear in some creepy town where no one knows him, and where the evil he faces is truly unknown, both to him, and the reader.

Months ago I listened to previous book, "Dance of Death" and found it intriguing and suspenseful. This book gives you an extremely rare opportunity to know the villain's alter-ego way before the characters even catch a whiff. The villain is uniquely twisted individual! Brick does a masterful job with these characters. A satisfying read ... make sure you read the other one first. A tiny complaint that the last portion of the book could have been more tighter.

I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It kept me wanting more all the way through, and I often had trouble putting it down, so-to-speak. Scott Brick gave a great narration to this book, and I highly recommend it. I would, however, suggest reading The Dance of Death first to really enjoy this book. This book literally picks up right where Dance of Death leaves off, and while the former was not as entertaining, it is pretty necessary to completely understand all of the nuances of this plot. Preston/Child did not, in my opinion, make this a "stand alone" book. At any rate, this is a great listen! Enjoy!

I recently discovered this author duo. I picked up the series with 'Still Life with Crows,' though I skipped 'Cemetery Dance' (can't tolerate animal cruelty) based on what reviewers said.

I especially like how smart the writing is and the unexpected twists and turns. The protagonist seems to pull off Rambo-like feats, but without the "Rambo" cliche. He has faults and makes mistakes, but credibly still manages to triumph -- and he does it with true honor.

The secondary characters are very well developed and provide great color to the stories.

This particular installment is excellent! Though the Helen trilogy books are my favorites. I think you could pick this one up and read it as a stand alone, but it would probably be more meaningful if you went back to at least 'Still Life with Crows.'

The narrator is absolutely excellent. In a rare class.

The perfect setting for the perfect mystery…no…thriller. A dusty museum, something staking the workers and add to the mix sibling rivalry. Yea, this is the basis for a good listen and Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child delivers. This was my first “FBI Agent Pendergast” book. I liked it so much I am going back to the beginning of the series. Yes it that good!

I love, LOVE this book. It was a fantastic "read" - the revelation about how the Pendergast brothers became so polarized was satisfying and made Agent Pendergast a little more human. I was very happy to see Constance come into her own. Watching her character develope and learning more about her inner workings was great.

So much is resolved in this book, you are almost afraid that like any good story it has no where left to go. So not true. In the end, although I had predicted at least part of this ending, I was left wanting more.

This is by far Pendergasts most personal and revealing novel. He truly becomes a human being in this story. I really hope the authors continue the series.

This was my first title from this author. I was a little lost with the scene changes at first, then I was OK about 1/3 of the way through. By half way I was enjoying the style quite well. I will read another from these guys. I'm also a Brick fan and he did great as usual.

This story was so well detailed and read I found myself dreaming about the characters. The author's took great care in unfolding the plot and developing the characters. I recommend it whole heartedly.