Aloysius X. L. Pendergast is an FBI special agent as enigmatic as his name. In this case, the stylish sleuth grapples with a culprit even more singular than himself. A Museum of Natural History archaeologist and his wife have been savagely attacked in the Upper West Side apartment; the assailant, identified by eyewitnesses and a security camera, is someone believed on incontestable evidence to be dead. As the case proceeds, Pendergast, Detective Laura Hayward, and Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta begin to wonder whether they have a zombie monster on their hands!
Publishers Weekly
Bestsellers Preston and Child kill off a regular supporting character at the outset of this suspenseful tale of urban terror, their ninth to feature FBI special agent Aloysius Pendergast (after The Wheel of Darkness). William Smithback, a New York Times reporter, and his wife, Nora Kelly, an anthropologist with the New York Museum of Natural History, are celebrating their first anniversary when Smithback is fatally stabbed in their Manhattan apartment, apparently by a creepy neighbor, Colin Fearing, an out-of-work British actor. Given eyewitness descriptions of the killer, including one from Kelly herself, as well as surveillance footage showing a blood-stained Fearing emerging from the apartment building right after the crime, the case appears to be open and shut-until Pendergast and his NYPD ally, Lt. Vincent D'Agosta, learn that Fearing died almost two weeks earlier. This taut page-turner can only add to the authors' growing fan base. 8-city author tour. (May)
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Library Journal
In his latest outing, Agent Pendergast (The Wheel of Darkness) and partner Lieutenant D'Agosta probe the murder of a reporter they both admired and considered a friend. The evidence appears to be a slam dunk because the perpetrator was seen by several people who knew him and appears on security camera footage holding a bloody knife right after the crime. The only problem-the man they are looking for was found floating in the Hudson River days before. When Pendergast heads to the morgue to examine the corpse, he discovers the body has disappeared. Blend in a secretive cult that believes in animal sacrifices and the possible reanimation of the dead, and the result is another winner from thriller masters Preston and Child, who specialize in a compelling story, intriguing characters, and the implausible becoming terrifyingly real. Even though Pendergast is prominent here, D'Agosta has a chance to shine as well. Another guaranteed hit that is highly recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ1/09; see also the Q&A with Child in the Feb. 5 edition of LJ's BookSmack! e-newsletter at tinyurl.com/co4ng5.-Ed.]
—Jeff Ayers
From the Publisher
"[A] suspenseful tale of urban terror...this taut page-turner can only add to the authors' growing fan base."—Publishers Weekly
"A page-turner...plenty of action and a cast of truly odd characters...thoroughly enjoyable."—Times Record News
"A top-notch action packed, high-octane thriller that takes the reader on an incredible literary roller-coaster ride... enough unexpected plot twists and turns to satisfy even the most jaded reader. With narrow escapes galore...This book offers compelling, page-turning, tense suspense."—Lansing State Journal
JUNE 2009 - AudioFile
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have a reputation for writing sinister horror stories set in New York City. This one does not disappoint. Mysterious FBI agent Pendergast returns to solve the murder of NEW YORK TIMES reporter William Smithback, whose killer is plainly visible on a security camera. The only trouble is: The killer had died two weeks before the murder. René Auberjonois, who played the alien Odo on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and the grim Paul Lewiston on “Boston Legal,” lends the proper air of gravitas to his performance. With the underlying story featuring zombies and the undead, it takes the sober Auberjonois to help maintain the credibility of the plot. His sincere delivery is perfect for a strange story that is more than a little creepy. M.S. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
