Relic

Pendergast, Book 1

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: David Colacci

Length: 13 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Relic, a Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child thriller that introduces FBI Special Agent Pendergast

Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human....

But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.

Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who - or what - is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?

Prolong the suspense: listen to the sequel, Reliquary.

©1994 by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. (P)1995 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"With its close-up view of museum life and politics, plausible scientific background, sharply drawn characters and a plot line that's blissfully free of gratuitous romance, this well-crafted novel offers first-rate thrills and chills." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Wildly cool....Thrill hounds couldn't ask for a creepier environment....a thriller staged in the world's scariest building, with no room for the squeamish." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Great thriller

I really enjoyed this book! The action was a little slow at the beginning and you really had to pay attention to the facts to understand what occurs later in the story. Towards the end of the book, the 'climax or action in the story' lasts for quite a while so it redeems the slow start. I also liked how this is going to continue into a sequel. I am about to purchase the second book!

A 4 star enjoyable sci-fi thriller from the best.

Always thrillers, but thrillers with mysticism and sci-fi. Read/listen to this series, then listen to more. Reader was top notch. Will listen to again.

BTW. this has been made into a TV movie enjoyable- mot as much as the series, but good B fun: The Relic is a 1997 science fiction/horror film directed by...... Google

Good story but a little slow.

I enjoyed the Relic. I mainly bought it because I am interested in some of the other Child/Preston books and wanted to go back to the start.

"He who walks on all fours"

I have read/listened to many Preston novels and Child novels. Individually, each author is exquisite; If you have read any of them you know what I mean. Mbwun (M-bwoon) has been released and is causing chaos and death in the American Museum of National History and its up to Pendergast along with a spectacular team to figure out how to stop him. A thrill ride from the beginning that is sure to keep your attention throughout with a twist that will keep your head spinning long after the novel is finished.

Be sure to check out the film adaptation of the movie. It was released in 1997 and here are many differences between the book and movie but its still great to see the similarities.

Fast paced moved right along

Where does Relic rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Four star

What other book might you compare Relic to and why?

No comparison first book I have listened to of this kind.

Which scene was your favorite?

The sewer

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No just a good read

Any additional comments?

David colacci narrative was great I enjoyed his tone with the book

A Night at the Museum Gone Wrong

Where does Relic rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would rank Relic pretty highly amongst the other audiobooks I've listened to. It's a thrilling tell and the narrator does a great job to bring the book to life.

What other book might you compare Relic to and why?

The only books I can really compare this to is the Michael Crichton books. It blends elements of horror, science fiction and general thriller similar to some Crichton books like Congo.

What about David Colacci’s performance did you like?

David Colacci does a great job and giving each character a distinct and unique voice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Without giving away to many spoilers there are some tense scenes in the book that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Relic & Reliquary Excellent

Would you listen to Relic again? Why?

I was looking for something new and read some of the reviews - they were really on the mark. What a GREAT couple of books. At times quite scary and very suspenseful. Really enjoyed them - great narration. Will be listening to more of this series.

What other book might you compare Relic to and why?

Reliquary is the 2nd in the series and awesome. Really scary at times - especially if you think tunnels are claustrophobic! but that's enough now listen and find out it is worth it!

What does David Colacci bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

David Colacci is an excellent narrator. He brought this book alive and made it very suspenseful.

could not stop listening

Very good. I love to get lost in a story that takes me out of "my world" into a world that is far out and exciting. This book does it. You have to read the sequel 'Reliquary. What a surprise!

Good entertainment. Good fun.

There were a few stupidity parts (below). But I was willing to accept them because overall it was a good read.

1. The good guys know the beast has an acute sense of hearing. They are hiding behind a door which has an opening covered in cardboard. The beast is on the other side of the door. Why are they whispering? The beast can hear them.

2. There have been murders. All museum employees are told never go anywhere alone and leave the building at 5 pm. So why does one female go somewhere alone after 5 which puts her next to the beast?

3. A security guard calls on the radio asking for backup because he heard a noise. The dispatcher laughs at him and makes fun of him saying are you scared? Of course the guard gets killed.

AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR - David Colacci was good.

Genre: science fiction suspense thriller.

OTHER BOOKS:
This is book #1 in the Pendergast series. So far there are 14 books in the series.

Narration painful

Would you try another book from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and/or David Colacci?

Yes on the authors. No on the narrator

Would you be willing to try another one of David Colacci’s performances?

His voice was fine in an of itself but his imitation accents became more and more unbearable to the point that I finished the book by just reading it, which was to bad because I enjoy listening to books in the car.

Any additional comments?

I noticed that the rest of the books in the series are narrated by speakers who attempt accents, unsuccessfully. I wish that the narrators would just read the book and not attempt to dramatize.