Kibi W. (Kibi) reviewed on 8/14/2006 + 582 more book reviews

A typically outstanding Preston/Childs novel, August 13, 2006
Reviewer: Matthew A. Bille (Colorado Springs, CO United States)

Preston and Child's wrap up the "Pendergast trilogy" with an addictive novel that shows all their strengths: complex plotting; interesting people and backgrounds; and, a rare gift, the ability to layer in fascinating detail without slowing the pace of the story.
As a science and history writer, I know something about the effort that good research demands, and the work displayed here makes my head hurt just thinking about it. From the look of exotic locales to the details of making your own explosives, there is something for every reader to learn here while enjoying the well-paced, absorbing story.
There are always quibbles. I would have preferred that Agent Pendergast's brother/adversary, Diogenes, meet an unambiguous death rather than a "fell-over-the-cliff" demise that reminds me of Sherlock Holmes' plunge over the falls. And when the museum was setting up for its big gala, I kept waiting for some character to object, reminding everyone how terrible things went the last time they threw a big gala (in the novel Relic).
These are minor objections, though. When I started this novel, I was literally unable to put it down until it was done. Preston and Child have indeed done it again.

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