Preston & Child - The Book of the Dead -Review

 

Around 2005, I stumbled upon the Preston and Child writing duo. It was unusual to find two authors on one project at the time. The Cabinet of Curiosities was my introduction to these highly entertaining thriller novels. What captured my attention and turned me into an enthusiastic fan of these novels is their unusual protagonist, Special Agent Pendergast.

Special Agent Pendergast is a throwback to 18th-century aristocracy. He dresses in expensive fine-cut suits (usually black) and has the observational and detective skills matching only the famed Sherlock Holmes. The detective arrives at a crime scene in a chauffeured-driven, bright, yellow Roles Royce. Pendergast is slight in build, with the complexion of an albino, stark silver eyes, and the hair of Andy Warhol. He speaks several languages and has excellent knowledge of forensics, history, chemistry, music, archaeology, philosophy, and eastern religion. People seeing the detective for the first time comment that his stride and movement are that of a cat. The man is shrouded in mystery which causes readers to dive into all the novels of the "Pendergast series."

Readers and fans of the series have asked the authors in what order you should read them. I've read a few out of order; however, the authors have written each novel stands on its own.

In The Book of the Dead, we find Pendergast locked in a high-security prison. He has been framed by his diabolical twin brother, Diogenes. This evil genius twin hates the world and is out for revenge. We finally discover why Diogenes turned to crime, becoming the "evil genius," and why he hates his brother with such passion.

The center of the tale is the New York Museum of Natural History. Nora Kelly (a familiar character in the novels) is a researcher and curator at the Museum. Because of a series of crimes and murders in the Museum perpetrated by Diogenes, the Museum has hit a slow patch. Suddenly a French billionaire donates $10 million for them to display the ancient Egyptian Tomb of SENEF. What I found interesting and disturbing is that archaeologists back in the day, usually British or French, would uncover these ancient tombs, steal the gold and riches, and take apart the tombs brick by brick to reconstruct them in their castles, mansions, and museums. The Tomb of SENEF was donated to the New York Museum of Natural History in the early 1930s. Now it is Nora Kelly's job to bring the Tomb out of storage and back to life.

Preston and Child's writing is quite descriptive and detailed. For example, when reading about the grand opening of the Tomb, including a laser light show and 3D holographic Tomb robbers, as they say, "You felt you were actually there."

If you enjoy fast-paced and educational thrillers (the novel includes a reference page), Preston & Child's The Book of the Dead will not disappoint.

A fun ride of a read.