Cold Vengeance

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Devastated by the discovery that his wife, Helen, was murdered, Special Agent Pendergast must have retribution. But revenge is not simple. As he stalks his wife's betrayers - a chase that takes him from the wild moors of Scotland to the bustling streets of New York City and the darkest bayous of Louisiana - he is also forced to dig further into Helen's past. And he is stunned to learn that Helen may have been a collaborator in her own murder.

Peeling back the layers of deception, Pendergast realizes that the conspiracy is deeper, goes back generations, and is more monstrous than he could have ever imagined - and everything he's believed, everything he's trusted, everything he's understood... may be a horrific lie.

©2011 Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child (P)2011 Hachette Audio

Great book

I can't understand why this bood isn't on the best seller's list. One of the best listens in a long time.

cold vengeance

Loved it, can't wait for the next one. I hope it is not the last we see of agent Pendergast!

Great Book

Loved the story line but wonder what is
Next. The reading is slick and convincing. I will continue the series and dread the end of this series.

Great storytelling

It's a great read!!! I have fallen for Pendergast! It was a wonderful story that will leave satisfied. . . Yet wanting more! Enjoyed this story and of course will be looking forward two the next story!

my thoughts

Preston and child are my favorite authors and this was a good story however I normally cut off any authors who have seen too many Spielberg movies and used propaganda to besmirch the good German people who drove out the international bankers. I'm very disappointed that you would join in the lies and the alteration of history, adding to the false narrative.

Another Excellent Adventure!

I can't get enough of this series! This is a must for any person that enjoys mysteries with so many twists and turns. Always keeps you guessing and wanting more!

Suspense

I didn't expect the twist of the plot in the end. The book is well written, of course. And Rene's narration brings the suspense at every scene change.

Good entertainment. Love this series.

Engaging story. This is a solid installment and push for the characters. Only bad thing is I feel I’m moving through the series too fast.

Cliff hanger!

I have bought and read every book in this series and I love them all, this one included. I am a little pissed however with the ending, I shall say no more.

I do hope the next book follows very soon, I need a fix already./

Need. Final Book. In Trilogy. NOW!

"Cold Vengeance" is the second book in Preston & Child's 'Helen Trilogy.' The first is "Fever Dreams". While "Cold Vengeance" can stand on its own, I recommend listening to them in order. "Fever Dreams" is an intriguing story, and it gives the characters' actions in "Cold Vengeance" motivation and depth.

Some of my favorite Preston & Child characters are in this novel. I was glad to see the return of Corey Swanson, Pendergast's assistant in Medicine Creek,from "Still Life in Crows." Corey dresses and acts like a Lisbeth Salander ("The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"), but has an introspection Lisbeth lacks. Corey's now running a Pendergast fan site. The site's a slow load, but a cute attempt at a college student's fanzine.

Pendergast is desperately trying to find his wife, Helen Esterhazy Pendergast, who was burried years before, the victim of a lion attack on an African Safari. It sounds preposterous, but in these authors' hands, the premise is believable.

I was disappinted that the authors rely on a plot device that's been common for more than 70 years now. I expect a little more creativity from these authors, and that's why I've rated the story at a 3, not higher. Once again, though, I absolutely love the descriptions of places. That's part of what got me hooked on the Pendergast series - "Still Life With Crows" is eerie in its descrptions of Kansas. The descriptions in that book compare to these sense of place Stephen King gave "Salem's Lot."

There was one particular part of the story that I found jarring: Pendergast needed to find out what had happened to a particular individual - but I did not remember how he even knew the name, much less where to look for her. If it was earlier in the book, I missed it.

Rene Auberjonois gives a great performance. He tells the story, without intruding on it; and his character voices are consistent.

The only problem I've got now is that the third book in the trilogy doesn't come out until December 11, 2012. I'll watch for it, and buy it as soon as it's available - like I did when Steig Larsson's "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and then "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" were published. I only hope that "Two Graves" is as exciting as the second book of Larsson's Millenium trilogy (I was bored by the political screed that was a majority of 'Hornet's Nest').