Book Reviews of Still Life with Crows (Pendergast, Bk 4)

Another great book from these writers, they can really keep you interested & scared

This latest Preston and Child thriller, even in abbreviated form, offers gore galore, mutilations, bizarre ritual murders, an obstreperous sheriff, a young woman in jeopardy, a town consumed by terror and a spooky local legend-in short, an abundance of traditional suspense novel ingredients. Compensating for this apparent lack of imagination is the thriller's remarkable hero, Special Agent Pendergast, who's on leave from the FBI. This somewhat ethereal, cerebral specialist in macabre murders is a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Mulder of The X-Files, but with his courtly Southern manner and combat expertise, he's very much his own man. Narrator Auberjonois, a familiar stage and screen presence, uses an appropriately silky accent and a playfully sarcastic tone for Pendergast. Auberjonois is equally successful with the other characters, especially the hard-headed but good-hearted Sheriff Dent Hazen, who emerges as a Wilfred Brimley minus the bluster; 18-year-old town rebel Corrie Swanson; and the killer, whose method of communication would challenge any vocal interpreter. Equally important, Auberjonois narrates the tale with the sort of mesmerizing intensity that can, and does, turn a fairly familiar yarn into a scary campfire chillfest.

Not a review really, just a Pendergastian thing I find quite interesting... Preston and Child make use of a concept that has become increasingly well-known in the last few decades--the "memory palace." In the mid-80s Jonathan Spence wrote a book titled The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci, a nonfiction account of the life of Matteo Ricci (1552-1616), an Italian Jesuit who went to China to spread Catholicism in the largely Confucian country. In order to persuade the educated Chinese to abandon their traditional faith for the new one he was carrying, Ricci realized he'd have to do something to convince the Chinese that Western culture was superior. So he taught young Confucian scholars tricks to increase their memory skills--a big advantage given the countless laws and rituals they had to learn by heart. Ricci got a lot of students; more important, Ricci came to have a sympathetic understanding for China that he communicated to Rome, and thence to the European nations at large.

Terrific, eh? Or else you're thinking, "What does this have to do with Still Life with Crows?" With no further ado, then, here is Agent Aloysius Pendergast explaining his own memory palace:

"It is a mental exercise, a kind of memory training, that goes back at least as far as the ancient Greek poet Simonides. It was refined by Matteo Ricci in the late 15th century, when he taught the technique to Chinese scholars. I perform a similar form of mental concentration, one of my own devising, which combines the memory palace with elements of Chongg Ran, an ancient Bhutanese form of meditation. I call my technique a memory crossing. . . through intence research, followed by intense concentration, I attempt to recreate, in my mind, a particular place at a particular time in the past. . . It gives me a perspective obtainable in no other way. It fills in gaps, missing bits of data, that otherwise would not even be perceived as gaps. And it is frequently in these very gaps that crucial information lies."

What's cool about all this, for Pendergast fans, is that our dear albino aristocrat uses this memory-palace technique again and again in subsequent books, and it's fascinating the way Preston and Child write their way ever deeper into Aloysius's mind. It's such a vague, elusive notion, but P and C make it come alive, make it become an almost tangible part of each investigation--especially those having to do with Diogenes, and their joint childhood.

Now... are you, by any chance, thinking, "Where have I read of this memory palace before? And it wasn't in a Preston-Child book, either!" You're right. You *have* read about it. Thomas Harris used Matteo Ricci's memory palace in Hannibal, in which he gives Hannibal Lecter, flourishing in Florence at the time, a lush and well-appointed (would Hannibal stand for anything less?) memory palace of his very own. For my money, Harris does a better job of describing what a memory palace is used for, and what such a place might look like, but Preston and Child run away with the prize when it comes to developing the concept, through a series of adventures/books, into a superlative tool for accomplishments of the mind--e.g., detective work. (Or does it ultimately devolve into psychoanalytic work? Your call.)

At any rate, it's a small bit in Still Life with Crows--which is excellent on so many other levels you don't need me to tell you--but it is worth noting for the further unfolding of the tale of Agent Pendergast.

Agent Pendergast is back again to solve the mystery of a small Kansas town caught in the grips of a madman who is turning their town into a killing ground. Lots of twists, great adventure, pretty scary.

Good vs Evil; serial killer; FBI agent. An excellent book with bits of history, science, suspense, well developed characters and a great surprise twist at the end. These two authors work very well together and I would recommend anything written by them.

Preston and Child have yet to dissappoint me. --Always a thriller and takes you to the very end wanting more!

First book I've read by these authors and I picked a winner. Outstanding book! Violent and gruesome at times but held together by a great plot line and an interesting mix of curious characters. Where's the movie????

Another great book by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs, you cannot put this down! A terrific thriller. Highly recommended.

I really like the Special Agent Pendergast books, and this is a good entry in the series, if a reader is willing to suspend disbelief and just go with the story. This time the setting is rural Kansas, and the American countryside has never been creepier. Often gruesome, the book has an involving if not wholly original plot, with surprisingly solid and believable supporting characters. Even the stereotypically misfit teen Corrie, predictable as she was, managed to become an asset. For me, though, learning more about Pendergast is the reason for reading, and I wasn't disappointed.

that was one pf the best pendergast books ive read to date! amazing

I have enjoyed all the Preston and Child books I've read. The Agent Pendergast books are particular favorites. With this book (the fourth in the series though it works fine as a stand alone), the authors seem to return slightly more to the roots of this series (Relic and Reliquary) with a plausible real-life "monster" - suspenseful and intricate. I continue to appreciate that the always enigmatic Agent Pendergast selects a plucky, capable and intelligent female character to aid him in his dangerous investigations, as he again does in this book. Once the premise and groundwork are laid and characters introduced and expanded (about mid-way in the book), the reader is taken for a non-stop action ride to the finish. A bit gruesome at times, this book is one thrilling puzzle.

This may be one of the best novels Preston and Child have written. If you like these guys and have followed the career of FBI agent Pendergast this is a must read. You won't put the book down once you start

Another great thriller by Preston & Child! These guys are awesome! Love Pendergast.

As always Preston and Child weave a great mystery.

Started slow---but has a great hook!!!

New York Times bestselling authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child return with a suspenseful midwest Gothic thriller about a serial killer who terrorizes a small town.
Medicine Creek, Kansas, has been slowly dying for the last century. A small, quiet place, the primary occupation is still farming, Main Street is a stretch of old and dusty businesses, and the nearest mall is 200 miles away. In a town where nothing changes, the community is terrified after a series of grisly murders takes place. Even more alarming, the bodies are displayed in bizarre tableaus.
With the entire town in shock, FBI Agent Pendergast arrives from New Orleans to investigate. From the fields to the local caves, Pendergast discovers the remnants of a Prohibition-era moonshine operation and the truth behind one of the town's greatest mysteries: who was behind the Medicine Creek Massacre of 1865.
Now, Pendergast must discover the twisted secret hiding within a four-generation Kansas family--before someone else is murdered.

Another great thriller from Preston and Child....if you're choosing it based on their other works...this one feels a bit different. Set in Kansas, it still features Pendergast, but it's otherwise removed from the famliar characters in their other books. It's still enjoyable, filled with head-scratching false clues and twists that will keep you guessing until the final chapters.

This is a great book!!! I finished it in 3 days....I can't wait to read more from these authors!!

Easily one of the best books I have ever read.

This is after "Cabinet of Curiosities" so it's third in the series (if you don't count "Reliquary"). There's a monster in the cornfield. Luckily, Agent Pendergast is on vacation in Kansas.

This latest Preston and Child thriller, even in abbreviated form, offers gore galore, mutilations, bizarre ritual murders, an obstreperous sheriff, a young woman in jeopardy, a town consumed by terror and a spooky local legend-in short, an abundance of traditional suspense novel ingredients. Compensating for this apparent lack of imagination is the thriller's remarkable hero, Special Agent Pendergast, who's on leave from the FBI.

I loved this book--It really get's you close to FBI Agent Pendergast!!

I really liked this book - truly centers on the persona of the main character, Agent Pendergast, who appears in may of the Preston/Child books. This marks the 4th appearance of the distinguished FBI agent - a bit more violent than some of his other outings, but definitely exciting.

Are mysterious killings in Kansas the work of a seriral killer or a curse upon the land. Another Agent Pendergast tale.

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Another Preston-Child book, as good as ever. They weave a just enough of the incredible into their books to make you start looking over your shoulders. Very compelling reading, fascinating settings, and another insomniac's delight.

BiZarre murder mystery set in corn country

Awesome read! Reeks with atmosphere and suspense.

"A small Kansas town has turned into a killing ground. Is it a serial killer, a man with the need to destroy? Or is it a darker force, a curse upon the land? Amid golden cornfields, FBI Special Agent Pendergast discovers evil in the blood of America's heartland."

Excellent! One of the most enjoyable Preston/Child books yet.

Great read - Preston and Lincoln's hero Pendergast is in great style. Lots of mystery as to who he really is. Very diverting.

Great and gruesome thriller!

I loved it! Suspense in a novel format.

good book, scary

GREAT BOOK FULL OF MYSTERY AND HORROR

A twisty plot with creepy overtones typical of Preston and Child. Some of the characters were a little stereotypical but overall it was an enjoyable read.

a real scary one

IF you like thrillers that keep you guessing who did it until the very end - this is for you! I had no idea who the killer was until the last chapter - very entertaining!

Great Read as only these two can do

The best of this series so far. Very high suspense; very good read.

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