Crooked River

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Jefferson Mays

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

From the #1 New York Times bestselling authors: Racing to uncover the mystery of several severed feet found floating in the Gulf of Mexico, Agent Pendergast is faced with the most inexplicable challenge of his career.

A startling crime with dozens of victims. Appearing out of nowhere to horrify the quiet resort town of Sanibel Island, Florida, dozens of identical, ordinary-looking shoes float in on the tide and are washed up on the tropical beach—each one with a crudely severed human foot inside.

A ghastly enigma with no apparent solution. Called away from vacation elsewhere in the state, Agent Pendergast reluctantly agrees to visit the crime scene—and, despite himself, is quickly drawn in by the incomprehensible puzzle. An early pathology report only adds to the mystery. With an ocean of possibilities confronting the investigation, no one is sure what happened, why, or from where the feet originated. And they desperately need to know: are the victims still alive?

A worthy challenge for a brilliant mind. In short order, Pendergast finds himself facing the most complex and inexplicable challenge of his career: a tangled thread of evidence that spans seas and traverses continents, connected to one of the most baffling mysteries in modern medical science. Through shocking twists and turns, all trails lead back to a powerful adversary with a sadistic agenda and who—in a cruel irony—ultimately sees in Pendergast the ideal subject for their malevolent research.

©2020 Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (P)2020 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"Jefferson Mays gives a sensationally entertaining performance of this latest entry in Preston and Child's Pendergast mystery series. Mays's dry cultured elocution perfectly represents Pendergast's personality.... The real tour de force in Mays's performance is his utter attention and commitment to the plot. He is your perfect partner in suspending disbelief, the open sesame to the pleasures of this kind of high-voltage blam-pow adventure. Kudos." (AudioFile magazine)

"Exciting. Nail-biting. Quality storytelling."—Publishers Weekly

"[An] action-filled adventure [...] There is plenty of suspense, and the action gets bloody. Great storytelling, a quirky hero, and a quirkier plot make this a winner for adventure fans."—Kirkus

"Preston and Child know how to craft compelling stories that are both baffling and surprising. The cast of characters feels authentic and moves the story forward in unexpected ways.... the authors are masters of the procedural with a gothic flair."—Associated Press

WOW!!!! This book is EXCELLENT!!!!

Less than one minute into this book and a child finds what he thinks is the prototype of a new shoe. This is followed by screaming and the realization that the shoe contains an amputated foot.
Scroll forward and there are over 100 shoes with feet still in them. The question is: where did they come from?
Pendergast is teamed up once again with the native America Agent Coldmoon. Coldmoon follows leads from the US to Guatemala to Mexico and back to the United States. By then Pendergast has been abducted and Roger Smithback (the journalist) has just escaped. Meanwhile in China another agent working another aspect of the case has been tortured and murdered. And then there’s Constance. What would Pendergast do without her?
This book is crazy fast paced.
Jefferson Mays does a fantastic job narrating.
This book has my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.
If you found this review helpful please indicate so.
Thank You.

It was ok but not the best

I have read every one of the Prendergast novels but this was my least favorite. It was not as mysterious as I would have like d it to be.

Great Book!

As always, this Pendergast story is a hit! When I heard Rene Auberjonois had passed away, I thought they'd never get as good a narrator. I was wrong Jefferson Mays is every bit as great! Looking forward to the next story in the series. Thank you Preston and Child.

classic

classic Pendergast loved his new partner. great story line. nothing else to say not 15

Crooked River

Thrilling Pendergast?!!!! Can't wait for the next one. I enjoy this series so much. Constance at her best

Another Home Run for Preston & Child

Another great Pendergast novel. They do not disappoint with this next installment in the series. Fast paced, suspenseful, and draws you in from the first page. Expertly and delightfully read by Jefferson Mays. Highly recommend!

Narration

Following to last Pendergast outing, I submitted a review the subject of which was my disappointment in having a stranger’s voice personify Pendergast, et al. After spending a second book with Jefferson Mays, I must say, he is now Pendergast. I could still hear Renee Auberjonois in my head sometimes, but as a pleasant memory rather than as a distraction. Kudos, Mr. Mays.

All those Feet

Another exciting novel by Preston and Child. Lots of interesting new characters, and some cliffhanger moments.

Thank you

I was so afraid Rene’ would not be respected for his role as our beloved Pendergast. But I am so thankful for Jefferson Mays. I’m in tears.

A little too much cookie cutter drama

Please bring back narrator Rene Auberjonos. He is the voice of Pendergast.
The plot was very cookie cutter until the last chapter. I like the addition of Constance but the book did not have a great deal of surprises. Time to mix it up boys