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Summary
Devastated by the discovery that his wife, Helen, was murdered, Special Agent Pendergast must have retribution. But revenge is not simple. As he stalks his wife's betrayers--a chase that takes him from the wild moors of Scotland to the bustling streets of New York City and the darkest bayous of Louisiana--he is also forced to dig further into Helen's past. And he is stunned to learn that Helen may have been a collaborator in her own murder.
I'm a huge fan of the Pendergast novels! They are incredibly addictive, and every time I finish one, I immediately crave the next. Recently, the series started to explore some strange and bizarre territory (which was still captivating and suspenseful), so I was relieved to see that with the last two books, they returned to a more believable level of implausibility. Now, that might sound like I'm criticizing the books, but I'm really not. It's just that the whole concept of a museum repeatedly ignoring warnings and proceeding with their openings, resulting in a massacre, can be a bit far-fetched. However, despite this, the story remains gripping, exciting, and full of suspense. Moving on, I must mention that this particular book has nothing to do with the museum storyline.
Here's the diabolical part: I happened to glance at the player just when the intensity was reaching its peak, only to discover that there were only about 39 minutes left. It was impossible for the story to reach a satisfying conclusion in such a short time, and it didn't. Instead, the book left me hanging on the edge of a cliff, clinging desperately with one fragile fingernail – and sadly, there's no Pendergast to save me. To make matters worse, I won't be able to get my hands on the next Pendergast novel until December, or so I've heard.
In my opinion, that's just pure evil. But let me tell you, despite the frustration, I'll be the first in line to grab the next installment when it's released.
I've only listened to the second Pendergast book, "Cold Vengeance". The story was good, but I was disappointed that it didn't have a proper ending. It felt like it dragged on and on. To get some answers, I'll have to read or listen to the next book in the series. The level of violence was excessive for my taste, and it didn't seem to contribute much to the plot or help the main characters. It felt like the violence was just there for the sake of it. Preston & Child usually make a great team, but they went too far with the violence in this book and didn't provide a satisfactory conclusion to the story.
I really enjoyed this second book in the Helen Pendergast series. However, I can't help but hope that the series wraps up with "Two Graves." It seems like in order to truly understand what's happening, you have to read all three books so far. While there are references to earlier novels, they're not necessary to read.
What started off as an enjoyable multi-book story is now becoming a bit overwhelming, like taking an undergraduate course on Pendergast. There's just so much information to keep track of, and it feels like there's no end in sight.
On the positive side, Rene Auberjonois does an amazing job bringing Pendergast to life. He perfectly portrays the complex hero and all the other characters that come and go throughout the novel and series.
However, I did find the authors' attempt to depict Pendergast's love for his wife Helen to be awkward and amateurish. Scenes like gazing at a "buttery moon" made me cringe and showed that the authors are much better at writing fast-paced thrillers with unexpected twists than sappy teenage romances.
Overall, it's still a good read, but I really hope we get a satisfying conclusion soon.
Did Preston and Child actually write a complete book, only for the publisher to suggest splitting it to make more money? Or are they simply trying to squeeze every last drop of profit out of the Pendergast franchise?
Even if this were a standalone book and not just a half-hearted attempt, it would still feel cliché. All the predictable soap opera thriller elements are there: secret twins, miraculous recoveries from near-death experiences, and even Nazis… really? Nazis? If you're trying to create a believable conspiracy theory in this day and age, you don't rely on swastikas, German accents, and copies of Mein Kampf. The real villains are the ones in expensive suits, sitting comfortably in corporate offices. Just turn on the news, for crying out loud.
Agent Pendergast, our relationship is over. It's not me, it's definitely you.
It seems like Preston and Douglas either didn't meet their deadline or simply wanted to make more money because they only managed to write half of the story. This isn't a case of resolving one plot and leaving some loose ends for a sequel; it's more like abruptly stopping in the middle. While the story itself is a bit outlandish and complicated, it still manages to captivate your attention. That's what makes the lack of a proper ending so infuriating. I was fully expecting the service to notify me that there was one more part to download, so you can imagine my shock when it instead told me to simply hope I enjoyed the book. Preston and Douglas, you owe me the rest of the story for free.
I'm extremely let down by the fact that this book felt incomplete. Nowhere was it indicated beforehand that this would be the situation. I've devoured every single book written by Preston-Child, but this one felt like it was written by someone else entirely. Pendergast did not exhibit the same brilliance as the "Holmes" of this narrative.
I absolutely loved 'Cold Vengeance'! It was another fantastic book from my favorite duo that I just couldn't stop reading. The story was filled with excitement and suspense, and the narration was superb.
I'm a huge fan of the Pendergast series. If you're new to the series, I wouldn't recommend starting with this book as it could be quite confusing without the background information from previous books. For those who can't stand cliffhangers, I'd suggest avoiding trilogies altogether, and definitely steer clear of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series! And to our friend who thinks there's too much violence, well, it's a Mysteries and Thrillers genre, violence is kind of expected. But if you're into character development and intricate storylines, and if you appreciate the genre, then I believe you'll thoroughly enjoy this book and the others in the series.
I've purchased and devoured every installment of this series, and I truly adore them all, including this one. Although I must admit, the ending has left me quite frustrated, but I won't say more about it.
I genuinely hope the next book comes out swiftly because I'm already craving another dose.
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