Give 'em a read, dear friends. Start with The Relic and go from there. I won’t give away anything here, but their “good-guy” characters are people you want to know and will feel warm and comfortable with.
What makes their work such a great read is that they take the trouble to research and work that research into their work. (So to speak!)
Get back to me on who/what Agent Pendergast is!
Q
I read The Relic years and years ago. Wasn’t bad, but didn’t impress me enough to keep an eye out for anything else they’ve written. What else have they done, and would you say they’ve tended to improve or to repeat themselves?
Take a look at Still Life With Crows or Cabinet of Curiosities.
I think you will be pleasantly surprised!
Q
Well, now I’m intrigued. I started Cabinet of Curiosities last night and am hooked. Interesting characters, good pacing, and an intriguing mystery. No cliches, and similes are few and well-chosen. (Horror writers are way too fond of similes for my taste.)
So there’s a question about “who/what Pendergast is”? Cool!
Loved these guys from the Relic on. Riptide (the one about the Money Pit) is one I can read over and over again. And Pendergast? Awesome character. I wasn’t aware of a question about “what” he is, though. Enlighten me? Spoilers, most likely.
Hey, Quasi, I was thinking of starting this very thread. The only reason to read The Relic, though, is to get aquainted with Agent Pendergast, who shouldn’t be missed. I think it’s their worst book.
The Ice Limit, Thunderhead, Cabinet of Curiosities, The Codex and Riptide are much, much more fun.
I pop 'em like jellybeans.
ooo, thanks for the thread! i picked up The Cabinet of Curiosities, loved it to, uh, death and have been meaning to pick up more in the series ever since. this finally gave me some additional titles to be searching for (plus the extra push to actually add it to my “books to find” list).
they are tops. i buy their books as soon as they hit the shelf. they have an interesting message board on their web site. people seem to be ab. fas. by the pendergast group.
i also like their solo books.
i would add james rollins and matt reilly to the lists of must reads. great action thrillers.
I’ve read a few of their books; Cabinet of Curiosities, Riptide, The Ice Limit, and Brimstone.
I enjoyed all of them. Pendergast is one of the best characters. I want to read The Relic but my local library doesn’t have it so it will have to wait until I can order it.
…who or what is Pendergast?
I’d be interested in reading your opinions, and if this thread has appeared before , please forgive. I have been away for a while…
Thanks
Quasi
Is there really much mystery about Pendergast? I don’t think he’s got crazy origins like Enoch Root in Cryptonomicon. I thought Pendergast came from an abusive (or neglectful, at least) wealthy family, and turned his attentions inward. Having done so, he joined the FBI to put his talents to good use.
Is there more to it?
Well, he seems to have pretty much carte blanche from the FBI (he’s said a few times that he gets to pick his cases; though not everyone seems to have gotten the memo (as in Still Life…)) but I can’t recall anything that would imply anything unusual about him. He’s remarkably skilled but even so he seems more realistic than most action/adventure heros.
(Oh, and a delayed agree with *Rocking Chair on James Rollins, though I sometimes think his work isn’t as well researched as he would like you to believe.)
If you like Pendergast – and really, how could you not – you might like Mystery, by Peter Straub. Lamont von Heilitz is every bit as cool.
I’m reading Dance of Death right now, and it has quite a bit about Pendergast’s family and background in it. I’m quite enjoying it, the only other one I’ve read is Still Life With Crows.
yep, you do learn a bit more about the pendergast family in dance of death.
I’m currently reading “Brimstone”. My uncle suggested I start the “Pendergast” novels and loaned me “Cabinet…” and “Still Life…”. I’m hooked now. After I get done with the books after “Brimstone” I’m going to go back to the first novels Pendergast was in.
He quickly became one of my favorite literary characters. But it’s not only him. The other characters are interesting as well.