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From bestselling authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child comes Relic , the thriller that introduces FBI Special Agent Pendergast.
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who--or what--is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who--or what--is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
About the author
Douglas Preston
175 books12.5k followersDouglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two front teeth to his brother Richard's fist; and various broken bones, also incurred in dust-ups with Richard. (Richard went on to write The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event, which tells you all you need to know about what it was like to grow up with him as a brother.)
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,580 reviews
December 29, 2015
Sometimes I really want a hot dog.
I don’t care that it’s filled with crunchy bits of pig hoofs or that it’s encased in a horse’s transverse colon or even that it will provide enough sodium to last me for the next 75 years. I just want to bite into that thick, juicy tube o’ meat and let the uniquely succulent flavor of indulgence course through my veins even as it drips greasy trails of superfluous yumminess down my chin.
That’s kind of how I feel about thrillers. I don’t read them all the time, but every once in a while, the mood strikes, and I just want—nay, NEED—one. It doesn’t matter that it may be full of clunky expository dialogue or stock characters or logic-defying plot twists; as long as it’s taut and tense and keeps the pages turning, I want it in my literary gullet.
And, boy, did I treat Messrs. Preston and Child like a hearty Oscar Mayer Selects Smoked Uncured Angus Beef Frank vis-à-vis insertion into said gullet. I charred them to perfection, slathered them with ketchup, and just about swallowed them whole.
Relic was exactly what I was in the mood for: a dark and mysterious page-turning thriller, one set IN A MUSEUM, no less (I’m hard pressed to think of a more perfect setting)—one that incorporated history and myth in equal measure, and one, due to the date of its publication, that didn’t rely TOO much on new-fangled technology to play deus ex machina (with one notable exception that I shan’t spoil).
This is the kind of thriller I especially like—there are nods to character development (even if they don’t necessarily go anywhere), and the central investigative figure—FBI Agent Pendergast—is both entertaining and compelling, a fastidious Holmes archetype with a southern drawl and just the tiniest bit of menace.
It was creepy, it was engrossing, it was set IN A MUSEUM (did I mention that? Because that really was a stroke of genius…rooms full of dusty old relics, access to a warren of tunnels underneath New York City, a gathering place for super smart academic types well suited to chasing down clues of both a historical and scientific nature…brilliant)…it was, in short, a worthy read, and I will undoubtedly check out Mr. Pendergast and company’s next adventure.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go wash the fetid goat stink out of my clothes, because there’s a lot of that going on in this story. And it’s kind of gross. But, an effective descriptive device.
I don’t care that it’s filled with crunchy bits of pig hoofs or that it’s encased in a horse’s transverse colon or even that it will provide enough sodium to last me for the next 75 years. I just want to bite into that thick, juicy tube o’ meat and let the uniquely succulent flavor of indulgence course through my veins even as it drips greasy trails of superfluous yumminess down my chin.
That’s kind of how I feel about thrillers. I don’t read them all the time, but every once in a while, the mood strikes, and I just want—nay, NEED—one. It doesn’t matter that it may be full of clunky expository dialogue or stock characters or logic-defying plot twists; as long as it’s taut and tense and keeps the pages turning, I want it in my literary gullet.
And, boy, did I treat Messrs. Preston and Child like a hearty Oscar Mayer Selects Smoked Uncured Angus Beef Frank vis-à-vis insertion into said gullet. I charred them to perfection, slathered them with ketchup, and just about swallowed them whole.
Relic was exactly what I was in the mood for: a dark and mysterious page-turning thriller, one set IN A MUSEUM, no less (I’m hard pressed to think of a more perfect setting)—one that incorporated history and myth in equal measure, and one, due to the date of its publication, that didn’t rely TOO much on new-fangled technology to play deus ex machina (with one notable exception that I shan’t spoil).
This is the kind of thriller I especially like—there are nods to character development (even if they don’t necessarily go anywhere), and the central investigative figure—FBI Agent Pendergast—is both entertaining and compelling, a fastidious Holmes archetype with a southern drawl and just the tiniest bit of menace.
It was creepy, it was engrossing, it was set IN A MUSEUM (did I mention that? Because that really was a stroke of genius…rooms full of dusty old relics, access to a warren of tunnels underneath New York City, a gathering place for super smart academic types well suited to chasing down clues of both a historical and scientific nature…brilliant)…it was, in short, a worthy read, and I will undoubtedly check out Mr. Pendergast and company’s next adventure.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go wash the fetid goat stink out of my clothes, because there’s a lot of that going on in this story. And it’s kind of gross. But, an effective descriptive device.
May 21, 2021
Have you ever read a book that was so intense and absorbing in some areas you were reading so fast, and you thought, ''did I read all of that part ?'' This is one of those books.
I have to thank Matthew for his recommendation on this one.
This was an enjoyable thriller read for me. Since I had worked before in an Art Museum as security personal and then curator, I could place myself in that atmosphere.
It was a great thriller with different twists
I can't wait to read more from these authors
This is a perfect novel to read right before you go to sleep at night =)
I have to thank Matthew for his recommendation on this one.
This was an enjoyable thriller read for me. Since I had worked before in an Art Museum as security personal and then curator, I could place myself in that atmosphere.
It was a great thriller with different twists
I can't wait to read more from these authors
This is a perfect novel to read right before you go to sleep at night =)
August 7, 2018
”Every sixty to seventy million years or so, life starts getting very well adapted to its environment. Too well adapted, perhaps. There is a population explosion of the successful life forms. Then, suddenly a new species appears out of the blue. It is almost always a predatory creature, a killing machine. It tears through the host population, killing, feeding, multiplying. Slowly at first, then ever faster.”
The Amazon has always been an attractive source for exploration for the scientific community. There are so many unknown critters, bugs, fauna, and lost tribes that scientists, regardless of what particular field they are specializing in, will find opportunities to make their career, if they are willing to risk their lives in the deep, dark jungles of Brazil.
Even if they survive the poisonous snakes, the flesh eating diseases, and the hostile tribes, there are things, monstrous things, that might find them tasty. Dr. Julian Whittlesey is more than a little annoyed when Crocker disappears into the jungle because he is holding up the expedition, but Crocker, as it turns out, has a very good reason for being missing.
”A cloud of fat flies roared and swarmed about the open rib cage. Whittlesey noticed that a severed left arm was lashed to the tree trunk with a fibrous rope, the palm sliced open. A number of spent cartridge casings lay around the body. Then he saw the head. It lay face up under the corpse’s armit, the back of the skull torn away, the cloudy eyes staring upward, the cheeks bulging.
Whittlesey had found Crocker.”
Whittlesey is going to discover that he is leaving the Amazonian jungle one damn day too late.
The crates of specimens from the expedition make their way back to the museum in New York, but the members of the expedition join the ranks of the many missing explorers and scientists who have disappeared in the mountains, the rivers, the jungles, and the deserts of the world.
Something has followed the crates back to the United States.
When savagely mutilated bodies start showing up in the museum basement, the police and the FBI soon find themselves in a desperate battle with a beast that defies categorization. When a claw is recovered from the body of a victim, the analysis of the DNA is more baffling than helpful. ”The analysis of the claw creates a general caricature of the creature in the question, comprising a primary mix of primate, reptile, and human genes; a nocturnal nature; a strong sense of smell; a quadruped build; a maximum speed of 60-70 KPH; and thick muscle definition and bone structure. Frock describes this hypothetical combination as having the strength of a grizzly bear, the speed of a greyhound, and the intelligence of a human being - the ultimate predator.”
Did I say baffling? I meant terrifying!
The team of museum staff, Detective Vincent D’Agosta and FBI special agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, are in a desperate race to discover what exactly they are chasing in the bowels of the museum, while at the same time trying to convince the powers that be that the gala event to raise funds for the museum will just be providing a buffet for the monster. Further research ties this creature to the Kothoga tribe who worshiped a lizard god called Mbwun--HE WHO WALKS ON ALL FOURS. It is addicted to a plant that produces the same hormones as the hypothalamus in the human brain.
Could this be the creature in the bowels of the museum? Could this explain the busted skulls and slashed brains of the victims?
The computer programming that was so intrical in determining the type of creature will seem antiquated to many readers now, but since I was using computers in that era, for me it was just a bit of nostalgia. It does not detract from the plot, but it certainly places the situation in historical context. The details about the workings of the museum were also fascinating. One of the authors, Douglas Preston, worked in the American Museum of Natural History in New York for seven years so that experience lends so much authenticity to not only the culture of the museum, but also the characters. Preston also wrote a book called Dinosaurs in the Attic about his time spent working in a museum.
Wouldn’t it be great to work in a museum?
The movie stars Tom Sizemore and Penelope Ann Miller.
There was a movie made of the same name in 1997. It follows the book pretty well, but interesting enough, one of the main key characters in the book is completely erased from the script. Special Agent Pendergast, whose character continues to be developed by the writing team in fifteen more books after Relic, is sliced from the movie storyline. The writers on the movie script expand the role of Detective D’Agosta and keep things simple by eliminating the odd, but very interesting character of Pendergast. I read this book probably fifteen years ago and recently decided that I wanted to read more of the series because I remembered really enjoying this one. It holds up well after all these years, and now I’ve reopened the gateway to read the rest of the series. Memory rebooted. Onward to Reliquary.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
The Amazon has always been an attractive source for exploration for the scientific community. There are so many unknown critters, bugs, fauna, and lost tribes that scientists, regardless of what particular field they are specializing in, will find opportunities to make their career, if they are willing to risk their lives in the deep, dark jungles of Brazil.
Even if they survive the poisonous snakes, the flesh eating diseases, and the hostile tribes, there are things, monstrous things, that might find them tasty. Dr. Julian Whittlesey is more than a little annoyed when Crocker disappears into the jungle because he is holding up the expedition, but Crocker, as it turns out, has a very good reason for being missing.
”A cloud of fat flies roared and swarmed about the open rib cage. Whittlesey noticed that a severed left arm was lashed to the tree trunk with a fibrous rope, the palm sliced open. A number of spent cartridge casings lay around the body. Then he saw the head. It lay face up under the corpse’s armit, the back of the skull torn away, the cloudy eyes staring upward, the cheeks bulging.
Whittlesey had found Crocker.”
Whittlesey is going to discover that he is leaving the Amazonian jungle one damn day too late.
The crates of specimens from the expedition make their way back to the museum in New York, but the members of the expedition join the ranks of the many missing explorers and scientists who have disappeared in the mountains, the rivers, the jungles, and the deserts of the world.
Something has followed the crates back to the United States.
When savagely mutilated bodies start showing up in the museum basement, the police and the FBI soon find themselves in a desperate battle with a beast that defies categorization. When a claw is recovered from the body of a victim, the analysis of the DNA is more baffling than helpful. ”The analysis of the claw creates a general caricature of the creature in the question, comprising a primary mix of primate, reptile, and human genes; a nocturnal nature; a strong sense of smell; a quadruped build; a maximum speed of 60-70 KPH; and thick muscle definition and bone structure. Frock describes this hypothetical combination as having the strength of a grizzly bear, the speed of a greyhound, and the intelligence of a human being - the ultimate predator.”
Did I say baffling? I meant terrifying!
The team of museum staff, Detective Vincent D’Agosta and FBI special agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, are in a desperate race to discover what exactly they are chasing in the bowels of the museum, while at the same time trying to convince the powers that be that the gala event to raise funds for the museum will just be providing a buffet for the monster. Further research ties this creature to the Kothoga tribe who worshiped a lizard god called Mbwun--HE WHO WALKS ON ALL FOURS. It is addicted to a plant that produces the same hormones as the hypothalamus in the human brain.
Could this be the creature in the bowels of the museum? Could this explain the busted skulls and slashed brains of the victims?
The computer programming that was so intrical in determining the type of creature will seem antiquated to many readers now, but since I was using computers in that era, for me it was just a bit of nostalgia. It does not detract from the plot, but it certainly places the situation in historical context. The details about the workings of the museum were also fascinating. One of the authors, Douglas Preston, worked in the American Museum of Natural History in New York for seven years so that experience lends so much authenticity to not only the culture of the museum, but also the characters. Preston also wrote a book called Dinosaurs in the Attic about his time spent working in a museum.
Wouldn’t it be great to work in a museum?
The movie stars Tom Sizemore and Penelope Ann Miller.
There was a movie made of the same name in 1997. It follows the book pretty well, but interesting enough, one of the main key characters in the book is completely erased from the script. Special Agent Pendergast, whose character continues to be developed by the writing team in fifteen more books after Relic, is sliced from the movie storyline. The writers on the movie script expand the role of Detective D’Agosta and keep things simple by eliminating the odd, but very interesting character of Pendergast. I read this book probably fifteen years ago and recently decided that I wanted to read more of the series because I remembered really enjoying this one. It holds up well after all these years, and now I’ve reopened the gateway to read the rest of the series. Memory rebooted. Onward to Reliquary.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
September 11, 2022
Didn´t anyone tell them to leave the haunted, bloodsoaked cult object back in the jungle? Sigh
Mystical element
It´s not as big as one might expect from the title, more focused on the museum and protagonists, but it perfectly fits to show characters' motivations, career ambitions, and investigation methods. Maybe the whole thing is more about establishing the whole Pendergast series than getting a compelling horror thriller, which is kind of a fake, but at least a good one.
Characters
Maybe a bit stereotypical, but still compelling, especially the dynamic of the crew and the different motivations and egoistic career motives to use the bloodbath for personal interests and manipulate the investigation in a direction that is good for them. Pushing scientific research in a certain direction, by establishing one's theories as the best ones, plays in here too. The strange field of the economics of science is maybe even weirder than the monster, forcing any kind of research to go to straight application road and forget essential, basic research, especially theoretical stuff.
How a museum is run
I guess that universities and secret underground military biological warfare labs roll in a similar way and how politics and money always play a big part in each decision, instead of the mentioned basic research and science, is a sad truth. That´s the problem with science that has no military or technical application.
Wit
Both characters and writing style are guarantees for good entertainment, there are puns, funny dialogues, quirky character motivations, and a general easygoing attitude. By this, the whole killing affairs aren´t close as disturbing as in other genre works with a general dark undertone.
Some outdated science
Of course, this decade old piece can´t be as accurate as modern ones, a big problem in any kind of technothriller sci fi works including science, duh. It´s often not sure if there aren´t even new developments that make mentioned facts obsolete or even wrong, but updating the facts is maybe sometimes a bad idea too, because it would change whole plots or make them impossible and destroy the credibility of the whole work.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph....
Mystical element
It´s not as big as one might expect from the title, more focused on the museum and protagonists, but it perfectly fits to show characters' motivations, career ambitions, and investigation methods. Maybe the whole thing is more about establishing the whole Pendergast series than getting a compelling horror thriller, which is kind of a fake, but at least a good one.
Characters
Maybe a bit stereotypical, but still compelling, especially the dynamic of the crew and the different motivations and egoistic career motives to use the bloodbath for personal interests and manipulate the investigation in a direction that is good for them. Pushing scientific research in a certain direction, by establishing one's theories as the best ones, plays in here too. The strange field of the economics of science is maybe even weirder than the monster, forcing any kind of research to go to straight application road and forget essential, basic research, especially theoretical stuff.
How a museum is run
I guess that universities and secret underground military biological warfare labs roll in a similar way and how politics and money always play a big part in each decision, instead of the mentioned basic research and science, is a sad truth. That´s the problem with science that has no military or technical application.
Wit
Both characters and writing style are guarantees for good entertainment, there are puns, funny dialogues, quirky character motivations, and a general easygoing attitude. By this, the whole killing affairs aren´t close as disturbing as in other genre works with a general dark undertone.
Some outdated science
Of course, this decade old piece can´t be as accurate as modern ones, a big problem in any kind of technothriller sci fi works including science, duh. It´s often not sure if there aren´t even new developments that make mentioned facts obsolete or even wrong, but updating the facts is maybe sometimes a bad idea too, because it would change whole plots or make them impossible and destroy the credibility of the whole work.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph....
April 20, 2022
2022
4.5⭐!
A crate containing various items such as ritual objects, field notes, and a figurine from a deserted hut in the Amazon Basin was sent back to the New York Museum of Natural History. Whittlesey wishes to study more about local plants but without much time he used them for packing material to be studied later. One scientist in Whittlesey's expedition is missing so he decided to stay behind to look for the man.
Relic incorporates many aspects I love! This is a mystery-suspense with horror and sci-fi elements.
Prior to the opening of the "Superstition Exhibit" at the New York Museum of Natural History, two lost boys wandered into the museum's basement and were later found dead. A night museum guard was also killed while sneaking in a smoke. While the investigation into the deaths was underway, the museum director had no intention of postponing a party for the exhibit.
Special Agent Pendergast, an FBI agent from New Orleans arrives to assist with the investigation as he has an unsolved case that appears to be similar. Recurring characters such as Detective D'Agosta, Margo Green who's working on her dissertation, and writer/journalist Smithback are introduced. Gregory Kawakita's computer program helped identify the mysterious creature.
I'm very happy to re-read Relic. I had to read this one more time since I rated it three stars many moons ago. I usually don't re-read books especially when I have many in the series left to read. Pendergast is such a unique and intriguing FBI character who stands out. He's intelligent, soft-spoken, and a southern gentleman. He's described as lean, formal-looking in a crisp black suit, hair so blonde that looks almost white, pale blue eyes, and moves like a cat!
Book 1 and 2 with audio are currently included with Kindle Unlimited subscription.
2015
My old review vanished.
Going to try this book again someday. I love this series.
4.5⭐!
A crate containing various items such as ritual objects, field notes, and a figurine from a deserted hut in the Amazon Basin was sent back to the New York Museum of Natural History. Whittlesey wishes to study more about local plants but without much time he used them for packing material to be studied later. One scientist in Whittlesey's expedition is missing so he decided to stay behind to look for the man.
Relic incorporates many aspects I love! This is a mystery-suspense with horror and sci-fi elements.
Prior to the opening of the "Superstition Exhibit" at the New York Museum of Natural History, two lost boys wandered into the museum's basement and were later found dead. A night museum guard was also killed while sneaking in a smoke. While the investigation into the deaths was underway, the museum director had no intention of postponing a party for the exhibit.
Special Agent Pendergast, an FBI agent from New Orleans arrives to assist with the investigation as he has an unsolved case that appears to be similar. Recurring characters such as Detective D'Agosta, Margo Green who's working on her dissertation, and writer/journalist Smithback are introduced. Gregory Kawakita's computer program helped identify the mysterious creature.
I'm very happy to re-read Relic. I had to read this one more time since I rated it three stars many moons ago. I usually don't re-read books especially when I have many in the series left to read. Pendergast is such a unique and intriguing FBI character who stands out. He's intelligent, soft-spoken, and a southern gentleman. He's described as lean, formal-looking in a crisp black suit, hair so blonde that looks almost white, pale blue eyes, and moves like a cat!
Book 1 and 2 with audio are currently included with Kindle Unlimited subscription.
2015
My old review vanished.
Going to try this book again someday. I love this series.
January 4, 2013
This is another book (series of books) I was introduced to by my late wife (we were married 34 years before she passed so there were quite a few books we ended up sharing, sometimes to the surprise of each of us. I introduced her to things like epic fantasy she "introed" me to things like, well Preston/Child or Koontz). I am surprised not only that I liked it (them) but that I decided to give it 4 stars.
This is a surprisingly absorbing read and the Pendergast character while he could have ended up a caricature works very well. You come to know him and like him (even if it would be a lot like being friends with Superman).
This book can be enjoyed on several different levels and you can think about it or not pretty much as the mood hits you.
So, no spoilers, a threat from the jungle invades the museum.... It turns out to be more than what we might first think of as a threat from the "natural world", at least the "natural world" we're familiar with. This is a bit of a genre bending title and comes closest to a cross between horror and urban fantasy. I suppose the closest comparison I might make would be with the repairman Jack books. Of course, Jack is a somewhat more believable "human" than Pendergast who seems to be a master of all disciplines eastern and western and tough enough to make the incredible Hulk pale (green) if he happened to know what he was up against in the tall painfully thin Special Agent in unrelieved black.
Lots of fun, lots of action, pure brain candy.
Pretty good book. Enjoy.
This is a surprisingly absorbing read and the Pendergast character while he could have ended up a caricature works very well. You come to know him and like him (even if it would be a lot like being friends with Superman).
This book can be enjoyed on several different levels and you can think about it or not pretty much as the mood hits you.
So, no spoilers, a threat from the jungle invades the museum.... It turns out to be more than what we might first think of as a threat from the "natural world", at least the "natural world" we're familiar with. This is a bit of a genre bending title and comes closest to a cross between horror and urban fantasy. I suppose the closest comparison I might make would be with the repairman Jack books. Of course, Jack is a somewhat more believable "human" than Pendergast who seems to be a master of all disciplines eastern and western and tough enough to make the incredible Hulk pale (green) if he happened to know what he was up against in the tall painfully thin Special Agent in unrelieved black.
Lots of fun, lots of action, pure brain candy.
Pretty good book. Enjoy.
August 28, 2021
Days before the New York Museum of Natural History is about to have a huge gala exhibition, people are getting murdered within the museum. Is it a serial killer, or something even more dangerous?
This was an extremely enjoyable thriller, and I had a hard time putting it down. I loved the setting, in a very large museum, with tons of dark creepy rooms filled with rare artifacts, dinosaur bones, and lots of winding tunnels running underneath. I really liked some of the characters, like Pendergast, Margo, Dr. Frock, and Lieutenant D’Agosta. Some characters were annoying and I looked forward to them getting bumped off. The creature was quite horrible and scary.
A very entertaining read.
This was an extremely enjoyable thriller, and I had a hard time putting it down. I loved the setting, in a very large museum, with tons of dark creepy rooms filled with rare artifacts, dinosaur bones, and lots of winding tunnels running underneath. I really liked some of the characters, like Pendergast, Margo, Dr. Frock, and Lieutenant D’Agosta. Some characters were annoying and I looked forward to them getting bumped off. The creature was quite horrible and scary.
A very entertaining read.
January 21, 2019
Relic
Some thoughts.
Now, this isn’t really a review, simply because too much time has passed since I actually read the novel to form any objective and cohesive opinion on its literary merit. What I would like to focus on is what remained with me.
I’m sticking to my original rating. This novel is one of the few that my wife and I still discuss on a rather regular basis, even after all this time.
Relic ticked quite a few of the right boxes. Such as:
(1) Atmospheric setting. In this case, the museum. When night falls, the museum itself becomes a character in the story: creepy as all hell.
(2) Interesting protagonist. Even though Aloysius Pendergast was still sharing the lead role(s) with Margo Green and Vincent D’Agosta when Relic was published (he made the series truly his own by book 3: The Cabinet of Curiosities), he is as endearingly eccentric and competent here as he is in any of the later instalments.
(3) Creature feature. Ah, I specifically liked this aspect of the novel. In fact, my wife and I were so enamoured with Mbwun, we took to calling our dogs by that name.
(4) Scares. Yes, there are plenty of them, courtesy of the synergy of the aforementioned Atmospheric setting and Creature feature, when combined.
(5) Twists. I, for one, did not see that coming! Did you?
(6) Well researched. You have to give honour where honour is due. Preston and Child go to a lot of trouble to get it right. My wife is a medical doctor and we had some interesting discussions regarding, for example, the function of the hypothalamus and the book’s depiction of forensic autopsy.
Expect some horror elements, police procedural elements and a bit of Michael Crichton. I still recommend this novel to everybody I discuss books with. Yes, not everybody likes it, but if you are going to fall for Relic, you’re going to fall big time.
In closing
You can’t help but be dumbfounded by Hollywood’s stupendous lack of foresight by leaving Pendergast out of the film. What were they thinking?
Some thoughts.
Now, this isn’t really a review, simply because too much time has passed since I actually read the novel to form any objective and cohesive opinion on its literary merit. What I would like to focus on is what remained with me.
I’m sticking to my original rating. This novel is one of the few that my wife and I still discuss on a rather regular basis, even after all this time.
Relic ticked quite a few of the right boxes. Such as:
(1) Atmospheric setting. In this case, the museum. When night falls, the museum itself becomes a character in the story: creepy as all hell.
(2) Interesting protagonist. Even though Aloysius Pendergast was still sharing the lead role(s) with Margo Green and Vincent D’Agosta when Relic was published (he made the series truly his own by book 3: The Cabinet of Curiosities), he is as endearingly eccentric and competent here as he is in any of the later instalments.
(3) Creature feature. Ah, I specifically liked this aspect of the novel. In fact, my wife and I were so enamoured with Mbwun, we took to calling our dogs by that name.
(4) Scares. Yes, there are plenty of them, courtesy of the synergy of the aforementioned Atmospheric setting and Creature feature, when combined.
(5) Twists. I, for one, did not see that coming! Did you?
(6) Well researched. You have to give honour where honour is due. Preston and Child go to a lot of trouble to get it right. My wife is a medical doctor and we had some interesting discussions regarding, for example, the function of the hypothalamus and the book’s depiction of forensic autopsy.
Expect some horror elements, police procedural elements and a bit of Michael Crichton. I still recommend this novel to everybody I discuss books with. Yes, not everybody likes it, but if you are going to fall for Relic, you’re going to fall big time.
In closing
You can’t help but be dumbfounded by Hollywood’s stupendous lack of foresight by leaving Pendergast out of the film. What were they thinking?
January 16, 2015
A good mix of science and suspense. Reminds me of Michael Crichton. Very thrilling - lots of good twists that I did not see coming.
November 30, 2017
I loved Relic and definitely plan to read more books in this series. Relic was entertaining and suspenseful from the beginning to the end! It was totally riveting and the tension just builds and builds. I literally could not keep turning the pages fast enough.
What I loved about it:
The creature was intelligent, cunning and scary enough to freak you out! And the mystery behind the origin of the creature was well thought out.
The setting of the dark chambers of the museum was fantastic for a creature to stalk its victims!
The book is packed with cool science descriptions and a well-written narrative.
The dialogue is realistic and the characters were great. It’s a perfect blend of characters that you will love and hate.
For entertainment level alone, this is well worth the read and I will be investing in more books written by these authors.
What I loved about it:
The creature was intelligent, cunning and scary enough to freak you out! And the mystery behind the origin of the creature was well thought out.
The setting of the dark chambers of the museum was fantastic for a creature to stalk its victims!
The book is packed with cool science descriptions and a well-written narrative.
The dialogue is realistic and the characters were great. It’s a perfect blend of characters that you will love and hate.
For entertainment level alone, this is well worth the read and I will be investing in more books written by these authors.
February 20, 2020
Relic is the first book in the Pendergast series co-written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I'd heard of the books and knew they were highly recommended, but I never dove into them. Recently, a blogger friend suggested I give the series a chance (thanks Mae), so I ordered Relic from the library and read this 1995 hit. Now I need to watch the movie, although I hear they dropped a key character. What!?! This first book combines a bit of supernatural/evolution with science, thriller and suspense fiction, and I'm glad I took the chance on it. Let's dive into a few details...
Relic starts out with a mysterious jungle scene. Some objects have been stolen from a local tribe. A few team members are missing. We learn they're from NYC's Museum of Natural History, and they're trying to get back home with this amazing find. Fast-forward a bit... it seems everyone from the trip has died in the last few years. Now, in present time, the crates from their expedition finally arrive at the museum, and a new exhibit will open with some of the objects. That's when the murders start happening again... and the creature killing people has strange claws for a modern beast. Is it human? Is it an animal? Is it the end of the world?
We follow 4 or 5 key museum employees trying to figure out all the connections, then the FBI agent Pendergast comes in. And he's quite a hoot. What a great personality! Loved him... but he needs to be even more over-the-top. I am curious how he evolves in future books. I'm so glad he has a chance to battle the other FBI agent, Coffey, a painfully awful (but well written) character. I also found myself thrilled by the setting. A majority of the book takes place over a week in the museum. While learning about history and many of the other artifacts, we also learn about how the building was remodeled and connects underground. Very cool stuff.
I enjoy that the books were co-written. It felt seamless to me. I liked many of the characters and the chase / murder scenes. You have to suspend a little disbelief at the creature's birth / process for coming to life, but that's the fun aspect. Rather than a straightforward thriller, there is an evolutionary fear happening, and if there's a monster that might have some supernatural capabilities, I'm all for it. I am really psyched for how the book ended. Although the plot is resolved for how it all came together, a nice little monkey wrench was thrown in, setting up book two... the subplot might be even more important than the first one. I can't tell if the hint at the end will turn the entire book upside down or just give us another intense mystery.
Looking forward to reading more, seeing if I am fond of the series, the writing, the style, or all of it. Based on other input, it keeps getting better... will be back again soon with #2!
Relic starts out with a mysterious jungle scene. Some objects have been stolen from a local tribe. A few team members are missing. We learn they're from NYC's Museum of Natural History, and they're trying to get back home with this amazing find. Fast-forward a bit... it seems everyone from the trip has died in the last few years. Now, in present time, the crates from their expedition finally arrive at the museum, and a new exhibit will open with some of the objects. That's when the murders start happening again... and the creature killing people has strange claws for a modern beast. Is it human? Is it an animal? Is it the end of the world?
We follow 4 or 5 key museum employees trying to figure out all the connections, then the FBI agent Pendergast comes in. And he's quite a hoot. What a great personality! Loved him... but he needs to be even more over-the-top. I am curious how he evolves in future books. I'm so glad he has a chance to battle the other FBI agent, Coffey, a painfully awful (but well written) character. I also found myself thrilled by the setting. A majority of the book takes place over a week in the museum. While learning about history and many of the other artifacts, we also learn about how the building was remodeled and connects underground. Very cool stuff.
I enjoy that the books were co-written. It felt seamless to me. I liked many of the characters and the chase / murder scenes. You have to suspend a little disbelief at the creature's birth / process for coming to life, but that's the fun aspect. Rather than a straightforward thriller, there is an evolutionary fear happening, and if there's a monster that might have some supernatural capabilities, I'm all for it. I am really psyched for how the book ended. Although the plot is resolved for how it all came together, a nice little monkey wrench was thrown in, setting up book two... the subplot might be even more important than the first one. I can't tell if the hint at the end will turn the entire book upside down or just give us another intense mystery.
Looking forward to reading more, seeing if I am fond of the series, the writing, the style, or all of it. Based on other input, it keeps getting better... will be back again soon with #2!
January 12, 2017
3.5 stars rounded up because I liked the characters.
Well... I started this in 2016, so it counts! Bahahaha. Slammed the last 40% last night when I got home (most of it) and finished the Epilogue this morning. Woof. Talk about action and pacing... and that revelation in the last few pages! Yikes!
Starting this, I felt like I was reading a Jurassic Park knockoff. Not in a bad way, but it was all super-sciencey and talked about a prehistoric creature from the Amazon. The museum setting was fantastic -- it really lent itself to the vibe of claustrophobia which inevitably upped the suspense factor of the book. The characters themselves were fantastic. Smithback stood out and I hope we see him again; I was really annoyed by him at first, but then when everything went to hell and he wound up hiding under a table stuffing his face, I was just like... SMITHBACK IS ME. And then we were cool for the rest of the book. Margo and Dr Frock and Moriarty and D'Agosta were excellent as well.
Coffey... well, this was me any time he opened his idiot mouth:
I was a little disappointed in how small of a role Pendergast seemed to have, considering how this is the Pendergast series. But I'm sure we'll see more of him as the series goes along, and I'm content with that. (Also, GR says his name is Aloysius XL Pendergast WHY DO THESE CHARACTERS GET SUCH KICKASS NAMES)
Well... I started this in 2016, so it counts! Bahahaha. Slammed the last 40% last night when I got home (most of it) and finished the Epilogue this morning. Woof. Talk about action and pacing... and that revelation in the last few pages! Yikes!
Starting this, I felt like I was reading a Jurassic Park knockoff. Not in a bad way, but it was all super-sciencey and talked about a prehistoric creature from the Amazon. The museum setting was fantastic -- it really lent itself to the vibe of claustrophobia which inevitably upped the suspense factor of the book. The characters themselves were fantastic. Smithback stood out and I hope we see him again; I was really annoyed by him at first, but then when everything went to hell and he wound up hiding under a table stuffing his face, I was just like... SMITHBACK IS ME. And then we were cool for the rest of the book. Margo and Dr Frock and Moriarty and D'Agosta were excellent as well.
Coffey... well, this was me any time he opened his idiot mouth:
I was a little disappointed in how small of a role Pendergast seemed to have, considering how this is the Pendergast series. But I'm sure we'll see more of him as the series goes along, and I'm content with that. (Also, GR says his name is Aloysius XL Pendergast WHY DO THESE CHARACTERS GET SUCH KICKASS NAMES)
April 21, 2023
“What we have here is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”
Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is a captivating and thrilling read and thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is a perfect blend of science fiction, mystery, and suspense, which kept me hooked from the very beginning. The characters were well-developed, and the plot was intricately woven, which added to the overall experience of the book.
The authors' attention to detail is commendable, and it was clear that they had done extensive research on the scientific concepts and settings described in the book. I particularly enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the American Museum of Natural History, which set the perfect tone for the eerie and tense atmosphere of the story.
The pacing of the book was perfect, with the tension building up steadily throughout the narrative until the explosive finale. The twists and turns in the plot kept me on edge, and I couldn't wait to see how it would all play out.
Overall, Relic is an excellent read that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a thrilling and well-crafted story. It's a page-turner that will keep you engaged until the very end.
January 19, 2013
I'll be damned! This silly book turned out to be one big, over the top, cheesy, load of fun! I enjoyed it quite a bit.
I’ve read some reviews where people called The Relic a mystery horror (and I guess in some ways it is) but I tend to look at it as a crazy, disaster, monster film. If you took The Position Adventure, threw in a furry, brain-eating, velociraptor, and then had a total nincompoop in charge of the rescue mission -- that would be this book. Yes it’s that crazy. There are lots of WTF moments.
Were the characters one dimensional? Hell, yes! But I grew to be fond of them. D’Agosta is the hard broiled New York city cop just trying to do his job. Smithback is a slimy journalist who turns out to be not such a bad guy. Dr. Frock is the crackpot scientist genius. Pendergast is the amazing (Sherlock Holmes like) FBI Agent who comes from out of nowhere to assist. Wright is the totally self-absorbed director of the museum who cares more about money than human life (he has a couple of cronies that hang out with him.) And Coffey! OMG that guy was hilarious. He gets the Dwayne T Robinson award for being the most obnoxious (I’m in charge of this operation and we don’t need fire exits) stupid asshat.
I’m still laughing at that guy!
And last but not least there’s Margo Green the doctorial student. She’s pretty boring. I think of her as the token female character that was put in so it wouldn’t be just men. It's a full cast. :D
Did I have problems with the book? Yes -- I thought it was too long. The beginning is painfully slow. I think some text could have been cut out to make the story more taut. Maybe it would have been more interesting if there had been real characters with real dialogue, but that wasn’t the case, so it was a bit tedious to read. There's lots of science babble, which is repeated several times, and since the scientific theory is so damn silly anyway, it’s probably kind of superfluous.
The ending was great though. I couldn’t set the book down. I wanted to know what was going to happen and find out who was going to get eaten. This book has so many clichés, but they are fun clichés. I was laughing while I was reading. So if you want to read a disaster, monster book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, I think you would enjoy this.
I'll definitely be reading another Pendergast book. This was fun.
This was a buddy read with Margaret. :D
I’ve read some reviews where people called The Relic a mystery horror (and I guess in some ways it is) but I tend to look at it as a crazy, disaster, monster film. If you took The Position Adventure, threw in a furry, brain-eating, velociraptor, and then had a total nincompoop in charge of the rescue mission -- that would be this book. Yes it’s that crazy. There are lots of WTF moments.
Were the characters one dimensional? Hell, yes! But I grew to be fond of them. D’Agosta is the hard broiled New York city cop just trying to do his job. Smithback is a slimy journalist who turns out to be not such a bad guy. Dr. Frock is the crackpot scientist genius. Pendergast is the amazing (Sherlock Holmes like) FBI Agent who comes from out of nowhere to assist. Wright is the totally self-absorbed director of the museum who cares more about money than human life (he has a couple of cronies that hang out with him.) And Coffey! OMG that guy was hilarious. He gets the Dwayne T Robinson award for being the most obnoxious (I’m in charge of this operation and we don’t need fire exits) stupid asshat.
I’m still laughing at that guy!
And last but not least there’s Margo Green the doctorial student. She’s pretty boring. I think of her as the token female character that was put in so it wouldn’t be just men. It's a full cast. :D
Did I have problems with the book? Yes -- I thought it was too long. The beginning is painfully slow. I think some text could have been cut out to make the story more taut. Maybe it would have been more interesting if there had been real characters with real dialogue, but that wasn’t the case, so it was a bit tedious to read. There's lots of science babble, which is repeated several times, and since the scientific theory is so damn silly anyway, it’s probably kind of superfluous.
The ending was great though. I couldn’t set the book down. I wanted to know what was going to happen and find out who was going to get eaten. This book has so many clichés, but they are fun clichés. I was laughing while I was reading. So if you want to read a disaster, monster book that doesn’t take itself too seriously, I think you would enjoy this.
I'll definitely be reading another Pendergast book. This was fun.
This was a buddy read with Margaret. :D
October 14, 2018
Ooh, this was a perfect spooky read for October. Several of my coworkers have raved about the Pendergast series, and despite feeling daunted by the number of books on the list, I decided to check out the first one.
"Relic" is the story of a mysterious creature from the Amazon who somehow finds its way to New York City and goes on a killing spree in the Museum of Natural History. FBI Agent Pendergast has been tracking the suspicious killings and works with scientists at the museum to catch the beast.
When I picked up this book, it was just what I needed: something fast-paced with clever characters and zippy dialogue. There's even a good twist at the end. I was thoroughly entertained and am looking forward to more adventures with Agent Pendergast.
Favorite Quote
"You see, when someone says 'it's impossible,' I have this very bad habit, I can't help myself, I immediately contradict that person in the most positive terms possible. A very bad habit, but one that I find hard to break."
"Relic" is the story of a mysterious creature from the Amazon who somehow finds its way to New York City and goes on a killing spree in the Museum of Natural History. FBI Agent Pendergast has been tracking the suspicious killings and works with scientists at the museum to catch the beast.
When I picked up this book, it was just what I needed: something fast-paced with clever characters and zippy dialogue. There's even a good twist at the end. I was thoroughly entertained and am looking forward to more adventures with Agent Pendergast.
Favorite Quote
"You see, when someone says 'it's impossible,' I have this very bad habit, I can't help myself, I immediately contradict that person in the most positive terms possible. A very bad habit, but one that I find hard to break."
January 14, 2020
He who walks on all fours.....
Upper Xingú
Sept. 17, 1987
Montague, I’ve decided to send Carlos back with the last crate and go on alone in search of Crocker. Carlos is trustworthy, and I can’t risk losing the crate should anything happen to me. Take note of the shaman’s rattle and other ritual objects. They seem unique. But the figurine I’ve enclosed, which we found in a deserted hut at this site, is the proof I’ve been looking for. Note the exaggerated claws, the reptilian attributes, the hints at bipedalia. The Kothoga exist, and the Mbwun legend is not mere fabrication.
All my field notes are in this notebook. It also contains a complete account of the breakup of the expedition, which you will of course know about by the time this reaches you.
Use my notebook and the artifacts, as you see fit, to help restore my good standing with the Museum. But above all else, take care of this figurine. I am convinced that its worth to anthropology is incalculable. We discovered it yesterday by accident. It seems to be the centerpiece of the Mbwun cult. However, there is no other trace of habitation nearby. This strikes me as odd.
The vegetation here is very unusual. The cycads and ferns look almost primordial. Too bad there isn’t time for more careful study. We’ve used a particularly resilient variety as packing material for the crates; feel free to let Jörgensen take a look, if he’s interested.
I fully expect to be with you at the Explorer’s Club a month from now, celebrating our success with a brace of dry martinis and a good Macanudo. Until then, I know I can entrust this material and my reputation to you.
Your colleague,
Whittlesey
*********
Audiobook Edition
Relic by Douglas Preston is the first book in the Prendergast series and it is as terrifying, horrific, and unpausable as they come! This audiobook is expertly performed by David Colacci is one of THE best audiobooks I've ever listened to!
His ability to give each individual character a different accent gives the narration an extra realistic quality that makes the audio editition more 3-D (if that makes sense) than the book. The sound effects incorporated into the narration, static of police radios, echoes of the tunnels and in the basement adds an additional element to the story.
I'm not one for SciFi but this is the third time I've listened as I enjoyed it twice already and I needed a SciFi for a challenge I'm working on.
There have been years between listening and while I remember a good bit of the general storyline, I still had forgotten lots of clever details that I hadn't noticed before and, in fact many parts of the story that I didn't remember at all, making it even more enjoyable and frightening this time around! And the conclusion? No, I did not remember the shocking conclusion!
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS IN THE DARK!
Side note:
I couldn't recall if Agent Prendergast's first name was ever said in the novel so, just out of curiosity, I went searching for it on Google. Here's what I found:
Special Agent Aloysius Xingu Leng Pendergast.
No wonder he's known simply as Pendergast!
Upper Xingú
Sept. 17, 1987
Montague, I’ve decided to send Carlos back with the last crate and go on alone in search of Crocker. Carlos is trustworthy, and I can’t risk losing the crate should anything happen to me. Take note of the shaman’s rattle and other ritual objects. They seem unique. But the figurine I’ve enclosed, which we found in a deserted hut at this site, is the proof I’ve been looking for. Note the exaggerated claws, the reptilian attributes, the hints at bipedalia. The Kothoga exist, and the Mbwun legend is not mere fabrication.
All my field notes are in this notebook. It also contains a complete account of the breakup of the expedition, which you will of course know about by the time this reaches you.
Use my notebook and the artifacts, as you see fit, to help restore my good standing with the Museum. But above all else, take care of this figurine. I am convinced that its worth to anthropology is incalculable. We discovered it yesterday by accident. It seems to be the centerpiece of the Mbwun cult. However, there is no other trace of habitation nearby. This strikes me as odd.
The vegetation here is very unusual. The cycads and ferns look almost primordial. Too bad there isn’t time for more careful study. We’ve used a particularly resilient variety as packing material for the crates; feel free to let Jörgensen take a look, if he’s interested.
I fully expect to be with you at the Explorer’s Club a month from now, celebrating our success with a brace of dry martinis and a good Macanudo. Until then, I know I can entrust this material and my reputation to you.
Your colleague,
Whittlesey
*********
Audiobook Edition
Relic by Douglas Preston is the first book in the Prendergast series and it is as terrifying, horrific, and unpausable as they come! This audiobook is expertly performed by David Colacci is one of THE best audiobooks I've ever listened to!
His ability to give each individual character a different accent gives the narration an extra realistic quality that makes the audio editition more 3-D (if that makes sense) than the book. The sound effects incorporated into the narration, static of police radios, echoes of the tunnels and in the basement adds an additional element to the story.
I'm not one for SciFi but this is the third time I've listened as I enjoyed it twice already and I needed a SciFi for a challenge I'm working on.
There have been years between listening and while I remember a good bit of the general storyline, I still had forgotten lots of clever details that I hadn't noticed before and, in fact many parts of the story that I didn't remember at all, making it even more enjoyable and frightening this time around! And the conclusion? No, I did not remember the shocking conclusion!
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS IN THE DARK!
Side note:
I couldn't recall if Agent Prendergast's first name was ever said in the novel so, just out of curiosity, I went searching for it on Google. Here's what I found:
Special Agent Aloysius Xingu Leng Pendergast.
No wonder he's known simply as Pendergast!
March 2, 2022
I have a confession to make! Do not judge me too harshly. Although I enjoy reading classic literary novels, and respectable Pulitzer Prize and Booker Prize award-winning books, and challenging books that are taught in Great Literature classes, and informative topical non-fiction - I also am a fan of the Silly Saturday SyFy horror movies! I watch them all day and into the night! (Ok, ok, I look away a lot.) The traditional classic horror scenarios of being trapped and hunted down one by one on a moving train or in a haunted house or in a skyscraper or in an abandoned psychiatric hospital, or lost in a jungle or on an island being chased by a vengeful magical undying monster - ah! Popcorn heaven! Such delightful terrors and thrills!
But the number one top horror location has to be....the never-to-be-topped classic Museum of Natural History! OMG! Natural history museums have it all! Sacred artifacts and preserved half-rotted dead things! Secret hallways, alcoves, rooms and dangerous mad mental scientists elbow-deep amidst large medieval manuscripts and maps, and bubbling chemicals! Boxes of Bones! Mummy critters! Shrunken heads!
I bet, gentle reader, like me, you LOVE museums of the dead! Of course, they are not called that. 'Natural History' is the 'safe word'. If one is too overt in using words, the room clears out. Think about the difference between 'steak, and 'dead cow meat'. But we know the truth, gentle reader! During the day, natural history museums all seem so respectably academic and culturally thought-provoking, displaying all of those objects so artistically. So educational. But, at night, the truth is revealed in all those glittering glass-eyes of dead creatures in the displays, and in the glass cases of dusty carvings of staring gods and in the lifeless remains of hundreds of dried-up skeletons, skins and thiinnggss! They are looking at you!
'Relic', the first book in the Pendergast series by Douglas Preston, is just such a shivery spooky creepfest! There is much to love in a traditional (well, since the 1970's) horror novel done well, and 'Relic' is done very well! This is the first novel in the FBI detective Aloysius X.L. Pendergast series.
I am not going to say anything else about it. No. Not. 'They' might come for me! Monsters always come when you think about them! Or say their name three times! Or look in mirrors at night aloooonnne. Or pick up objects with curses written all over them. Don't you know ANYTHING? Don't be too stupid to live, like young adults in the horror movies! Honestly!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameri...
But the number one top horror location has to be....the never-to-be-topped classic Museum of Natural History! OMG! Natural history museums have it all! Sacred artifacts and preserved half-rotted dead things! Secret hallways, alcoves, rooms and dangerous mad mental scientists elbow-deep amidst large medieval manuscripts and maps, and bubbling chemicals! Boxes of Bones! Mummy critters! Shrunken heads!
I bet, gentle reader, like me, you LOVE museums of the dead! Of course, they are not called that. 'Natural History' is the 'safe word'. If one is too overt in using words, the room clears out. Think about the difference between 'steak, and 'dead cow meat'. But we know the truth, gentle reader! During the day, natural history museums all seem so respectably academic and culturally thought-provoking, displaying all of those objects so artistically. So educational. But, at night, the truth is revealed in all those glittering glass-eyes of dead creatures in the displays, and in the glass cases of dusty carvings of staring gods and in the lifeless remains of hundreds of dried-up skeletons, skins and thiinnggss! They are looking at you!
'Relic', the first book in the Pendergast series by Douglas Preston, is just such a shivery spooky creepfest! There is much to love in a traditional (well, since the 1970's) horror novel done well, and 'Relic' is done very well! This is the first novel in the FBI detective Aloysius X.L. Pendergast series.
I am not going to say anything else about it. No. Not. 'They' might come for me! Monsters always come when you think about them! Or say their name three times! Or look in mirrors at night aloooonnne. Or pick up objects with curses written all over them. Don't you know ANYTHING? Don't be too stupid to live, like young adults in the horror movies! Honestly!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameri...
May 16, 2020
A strange case where I’ve been taking some notes while I was reading the book, which I rarely do, and said notes were mostly negative, but I still enjoyed the book immensely.
I think this is almost a tale of two halves. In the beginning I wasn’t quite sure if I’m reading a mystery, or a thriller, or a horror novel, or maybe even science-fiction. The first chapter actually makes it quite clear what this is going to be, but then it felt a little like the authors were trying to pretend this is something more than just some popcorn fun. I like stuffing my mouth with popcorn while I’m watching something silly unfold in front of me. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Popcorn fun is good. Embrace your creation!
Okay, so this is what it’s about. At the American Museum of Natural History in New York City several people are found dead. However, they were not only killed, but also mutilated. Someone pried open their heads and removed the hypothalamus. But what for? Police comes in to investigate, and also Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast, who came over from New Orleans, where he had worked on a similar case.
Pendergast is an interesting main character, who is extremely courteous and cultured, but also has something just a little mean about him. I wish he would have played a larger role in that book. But somehow the authors decided to introduce a new character almost every chapter, some of them interesting, some others very card-board(ish), and a couple of them instantly forgettable.
The huge number of characters leads to a significant number of sideplots being played out, which are mostly power-plays of some sort or form. There’s an upcoming exhibition, that is very important for the museum, for financial reasons, and some people are pushing for it to go ahead, even in the light of recent events. There’s a reporter who’s writing a book about the museum, and his client who doesn’t want any negative publicity. We also have several scientists working on different projects. Some of them more concerned with the murders than others. And so on. The only thing no one seems to think about is doing a thorough search of the museum. Odd.
The museum, including some century-old underground tunnel systems, is a great setting, of course. I can hardly think of a better one for a story like this. And the authors make good use of it. In spite of what I’ve said above. It was the main reason I picked up this book, and it certainly delivered on that front.
I think my main problems with the first half were that the pacing is too slow, and that the authors were trying to make this look like a book that’s a little more serious and clever than it actually is, by inserting some unnecessary and ultimately in its detail rather pointless technobabble, or by letting their characters slip in some sentences in foreign languages, which I guess was supposed to show how smart the authors are, but really just makes you look silly and a little pretentious when you then get the meaning of those sentences wrong. Add to that the several plot holes and some almost laughable scientific theories, and I wasn’t impressed.
In the end, it all barely matters. Because at some point I was just willing to accept that this is a pretty silly story, and shortly thereafter, around the 60% mark, the authors also finally started to embrace the silliness of their own work. And from there on out it was just a lot of demented fun. The pacing picked up, the setting remained as great as ever, the characters were reduced to those whom I either hated or rooted for, the narrative as a whole became more focused, and it was all just very exciting and creepy, and immensely entertaining.
I’m actually looking forward now to read another novel of the Agent Pendergast series. Recommendations are welcomed. :)
The movie adaptation, by the way, sucks big time. I saw it before, but couldn’t really remember any of it. Watched it once more yesterday, and hopefully will forget about it again very soon.
I think this is almost a tale of two halves. In the beginning I wasn’t quite sure if I’m reading a mystery, or a thriller, or a horror novel, or maybe even science-fiction. The first chapter actually makes it quite clear what this is going to be, but then it felt a little like the authors were trying to pretend this is something more than just some popcorn fun. I like stuffing my mouth with popcorn while I’m watching something silly unfold in front of me. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Popcorn fun is good. Embrace your creation!
Okay, so this is what it’s about. At the American Museum of Natural History in New York City several people are found dead. However, they were not only killed, but also mutilated. Someone pried open their heads and removed the hypothalamus. But what for? Police comes in to investigate, and also Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast, who came over from New Orleans, where he had worked on a similar case.
Pendergast is an interesting main character, who is extremely courteous and cultured, but also has something just a little mean about him. I wish he would have played a larger role in that book. But somehow the authors decided to introduce a new character almost every chapter, some of them interesting, some others very card-board(ish), and a couple of them instantly forgettable.
The huge number of characters leads to a significant number of sideplots being played out, which are mostly power-plays of some sort or form. There’s an upcoming exhibition, that is very important for the museum, for financial reasons, and some people are pushing for it to go ahead, even in the light of recent events. There’s a reporter who’s writing a book about the museum, and his client who doesn’t want any negative publicity. We also have several scientists working on different projects. Some of them more concerned with the murders than others. And so on. The only thing no one seems to think about is doing a thorough search of the museum. Odd.
The museum, including some century-old underground tunnel systems, is a great setting, of course. I can hardly think of a better one for a story like this. And the authors make good use of it. In spite of what I’ve said above. It was the main reason I picked up this book, and it certainly delivered on that front.
I think my main problems with the first half were that the pacing is too slow, and that the authors were trying to make this look like a book that’s a little more serious and clever than it actually is, by inserting some unnecessary and ultimately in its detail rather pointless technobabble, or by letting their characters slip in some sentences in foreign languages, which I guess was supposed to show how smart the authors are, but really just makes you look silly and a little pretentious when you then get the meaning of those sentences wrong. Add to that the several plot holes and some almost laughable scientific theories, and I wasn’t impressed.
In the end, it all barely matters. Because at some point I was just willing to accept that this is a pretty silly story, and shortly thereafter, around the 60% mark, the authors also finally started to embrace the silliness of their own work. And from there on out it was just a lot of demented fun. The pacing picked up, the setting remained as great as ever, the characters were reduced to those whom I either hated or rooted for, the narrative as a whole became more focused, and it was all just very exciting and creepy, and immensely entertaining.
I’m actually looking forward now to read another novel of the Agent Pendergast series. Recommendations are welcomed. :)
The movie adaptation, by the way, sucks big time. I saw it before, but couldn’t really remember any of it. Watched it once more yesterday, and hopefully will forget about it again very soon.
June 4, 2023
Well deserved five stars. I've bought almost this complete series of Agent Pendergast novels. Preston & Child have written this horror and terror filled book masterfully. This Novel introduces us to Agent Pendergast, an astounding type of Agent. The placement of the events entailed in a museum made this very informational in many types of cultures throughout history, of which I personally found interesting.
I watched this movie again before reading which deepened my feeling of being involved with the characters and horrifying events. Both the movie and book are quite good, but of course, as with others the book is much better.
A creature never before seen in this era, where did it come from and can it be destroyed? The terror of the crowd of the most influential people torn apart and eaten. Will it end, you need to read until the very last page which felt like a cliff hanger to me.
I watched this movie again before reading which deepened my feeling of being involved with the characters and horrifying events. Both the movie and book are quite good, but of course, as with others the book is much better.
A creature never before seen in this era, where did it come from and can it be destroyed? The terror of the crowd of the most influential people torn apart and eaten. Will it end, you need to read until the very last page which felt like a cliff hanger to me.
January 23, 2008
This was recommended to me by several visitors to my site, but I'm sorry folks, I simply couldn't finish it. Cardboard, cliched characters and a monster on a rampage in a museum don't quite add up to a great read. I gave it a good effort, the quick readability of it got me halfway through it but I don't care how it ends or who lives or dies. I'm moving on.
May 5, 2020
Re-read for the second time. I had forgotten how much action there was in this book as I hadn't read it since its first publication in 1995, when I was introduced to Agent Pendergast.
The first part of the book starts out a little slow as it provides the back drop for the story and then the last half of the story the action begins.
What better way to spend the day at a museum without a care in the world until you find out there is a creature loose in the place and no one knows where it could be or where it could strike next. This is no ordinary creature either as it is very intelligent and even has the capability to open doors. It also likes humans, but not to get friendly with them, but to add them to its snack list.
The book has suspense, mystery, horror, and a little gore thrown in for good measure!
I am still giving the book five stars like I did before and I will be continuing the series.
The first part of the book starts out a little slow as it provides the back drop for the story and then the last half of the story the action begins.
What better way to spend the day at a museum without a care in the world until you find out there is a creature loose in the place and no one knows where it could be or where it could strike next. This is no ordinary creature either as it is very intelligent and even has the capability to open doors. It also likes humans, but not to get friendly with them, but to add them to its snack list.
The book has suspense, mystery, horror, and a little gore thrown in for good measure!
I am still giving the book five stars like I did before and I will be continuing the series.
March 7, 2020
3.5 stars.
Relic marks a promising start in my attempt to read more crimes/mysteries/thrillers aside from Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon books.
This novel has all the necessary ingredients to satisfy the requirements of a page-turning thriller. Set in the massive New York Museum of Natural History, the element of horror around the gruesome and brutal killings has just the right atmospheric tone to make the narrative creepy enough without being too cheesy.
The story started with two separate Prologues that allude to the potential source of the mysterious murders in the museum. Introduction of the main characters did slow down the first quarter of the book to a certain extent before the investigation went full swing with the arrival of Agent Pendergast.
As far as characterisation goes, it is hard to avoid some form of tropes in this genre, which has an immense amount of published material. Aside from the titular character, we have a resourceful young researcher in training under a distinguished anthropologist and curator, the arrogant and smartass upstart, the disgruntled and outspoken journalist, the hard-bitten and competent lieutenant, and the museum administration who refuses to listen. Oh, and how can I forget the obnoxious FBI agent who struts in and imposes control over a situation which he doesn't understand.
Agent Pendergast has sufficiently intrigued me with his Holmes-like persona. A learned and eccentric Southerner with a refined and immaculate poise ever so lightly touched with a threatening presence, his eventual arrival to the museum was when the story becomes way more engaging.
This is a well-written book with tight pacing and a pretty clever plot. While I view the story predictable, the suspense and action scenes towards the end of the book are quite intense. There is one thing about this genre, however, which I always find jarring and that is the typical exposition by soliloquy. Regardless, it does not by any measure reduce the entertainment value of the story and I’ll take it as the standard literary device in this genre.
More importantly, am I going to continue reading this series? Absolutely!
This review can also be found at Booknest
Relic marks a promising start in my attempt to read more crimes/mysteries/thrillers aside from Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon books.
This novel has all the necessary ingredients to satisfy the requirements of a page-turning thriller. Set in the massive New York Museum of Natural History, the element of horror around the gruesome and brutal killings has just the right atmospheric tone to make the narrative creepy enough without being too cheesy.
The story started with two separate Prologues that allude to the potential source of the mysterious murders in the museum. Introduction of the main characters did slow down the first quarter of the book to a certain extent before the investigation went full swing with the arrival of Agent Pendergast.
As far as characterisation goes, it is hard to avoid some form of tropes in this genre, which has an immense amount of published material. Aside from the titular character, we have a resourceful young researcher in training under a distinguished anthropologist and curator, the arrogant and smartass upstart, the disgruntled and outspoken journalist, the hard-bitten and competent lieutenant, and the museum administration who refuses to listen. Oh, and how can I forget the obnoxious FBI agent who struts in and imposes control over a situation which he doesn't understand.
Agent Pendergast has sufficiently intrigued me with his Holmes-like persona. A learned and eccentric Southerner with a refined and immaculate poise ever so lightly touched with a threatening presence, his eventual arrival to the museum was when the story becomes way more engaging.
This is a well-written book with tight pacing and a pretty clever plot. While I view the story predictable, the suspense and action scenes towards the end of the book are quite intense. There is one thing about this genre, however, which I always find jarring and that is the typical exposition by soliloquy. Regardless, it does not by any measure reduce the entertainment value of the story and I’ll take it as the standard literary device in this genre.
More importantly, am I going to continue reading this series? Absolutely!
This review can also be found at Booknest
September 1, 2021
4.5
I almost want to give this book a five. It kept my attention until I finished it. I had trouble taking breaks from it or setting it down.
It’s the first of Special Agent Pendergast series and while I wasn’t all that impressed with him, I like his manner and can’t wait to see what he will do or say in future books.
It was an intelligent read steeped in fields of archaeology, anthropology, botany, paleontology and evolution. It was hard to get bored here, especially since it all happened inside the walls of The National Museum of History in New York.
The premise, somewhat like that of Jurassic Park, is that nature does some weird things to adapt. Nature finds a way.
I wish there was a bit more on the Kothaga tribe, and less swearing but nothing is perfect.
Honestly, I would read this book again. There is so much information you are bound to miss something unless you read it about two or three times.
I haven’t seen the movie and will probably keep it that way. My husband says he has seen the movie and read the book. I had no idea until I was 79% through it and I started describing the plot to him and he started completing my sentences. He swore it was by Michael Crichton though. I am in the middle of Jurassic Park, now.. but so far this book held my attention far more.
I have high hopes for Pendergast.
I almost want to give this book a five. It kept my attention until I finished it. I had trouble taking breaks from it or setting it down.
It’s the first of Special Agent Pendergast series and while I wasn’t all that impressed with him, I like his manner and can’t wait to see what he will do or say in future books.
It was an intelligent read steeped in fields of archaeology, anthropology, botany, paleontology and evolution. It was hard to get bored here, especially since it all happened inside the walls of The National Museum of History in New York.
The premise, somewhat like that of Jurassic Park, is that nature does some weird things to adapt. Nature finds a way.
I wish there was a bit more on the Kothaga tribe, and less swearing but nothing is perfect.
Honestly, I would read this book again. There is so much information you are bound to miss something unless you read it about two or three times.
I haven’t seen the movie and will probably keep it that way. My husband says he has seen the movie and read the book. I had no idea until I was 79% through it and I started describing the plot to him and he started completing my sentences. He swore it was by Michael Crichton though. I am in the middle of Jurassic Park, now.. but so far this book held my attention far more.
I have high hopes for Pendergast.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2023
Well wow, that was a wild ride from beginning to end!!
I was completely enthralled with this book. When I wasn't devouring the pages I was thinking of devouring it. Been a while since a book hung in my mind when I wasn't reading. Now that is how you know it's an epic tale.
The characters were brilliant, I loved all of them. Even the douche bags. Love to hate I guess you could say.
When I was about 1/3 of the way in it was hard to wrap my head around how the book could last so much longer. Not that it started poorly but it seemed like it could have been wrapped up pretty easily - the authors did a great job weaving in so many points of view and many times overlaping. It proved for a very interesting reader perspective!
Now that ending, I have to say I didn't expect it at all. It wrapped things up quite nicely while leaving it open ended and disturbing at the same time.
Wow. What a great read.
I was completely enthralled with this book. When I wasn't devouring the pages I was thinking of devouring it. Been a while since a book hung in my mind when I wasn't reading. Now that is how you know it's an epic tale.
The characters were brilliant, I loved all of them. Even the douche bags. Love to hate I guess you could say.
When I was about 1/3 of the way in it was hard to wrap my head around how the book could last so much longer. Not that it started poorly but it seemed like it could have been wrapped up pretty easily - the authors did a great job weaving in so many points of view and many times overlaping. It proved for a very interesting reader perspective!
Now that ending, I have to say I didn't expect it at all. It wrapped things up quite nicely while leaving it open ended and disturbing at the same time.
Wow. What a great read.
October 15, 2021
So, the first time I read Relic was way back around 2003ish. Back then was the very start of my book reviewing – then in the form of book journals – and my reviews were pretty…. well, primitive is the first word that comes to mind actually. The review was just a few sentences long, if you can even call it sentences, and basically looked something like this:
THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME!! LOVED IT!!! 5 STARS!!!
Like I said…. very primitive. I’ve come a long way with reviewing since then, but that is neither here nor there. My point is that I read this book a long time ago. The Pendergast series is currently on book 17. I have read almost the whole series since then. The last few I need to still catch up to. Somewhere around 2009 (give or take a year), I saw that the audiobooks for the Pendergast series was read by an actor I absolutely adore, Rene Auberjonois! Instantly I thought, “OMG! What a perfect person to play Pendergast!!”. Rene’s voice is exactly the type of voice I had always heard in my head when reading the series. Soft and gentle yet powerful and commanding. I have been longing to listen to him read the books ever since I first found out about it. It was one of those things that has been “On The List” but never gotten around to actually doing it. Until now! I finally said, “You know what? Fuck it! I’m listening to the WHOLE DAMN SERIES!!!”.
I didn’t really want to buy the audio, because I already have 2 copies of this book. >.> I didn’t really need to have another version of it. I went to the local library to see if they had it. They did! But it was abridged. This was literally the face I made when I picked it up and saw it was abridged…
After disgustedly putting it back on the shelf and leaving, I looked to see how many credits I had on Audible. Fine. I will just have another version of it. I had a credit. Looked up Relic. Didn’t even stop to read anything about it, I was just ready to go. Got the audio. Downloaded it. Excitedly opened up to listen to it. Hit play. And…
It was not Rene doing the audio. *Points to above picture of facial expression* Ok, well, I have this audio now. Rene apparently didn’t start doing the audio for the series until a couple of books in. Ok. That’s fine. I guess. I mean…. I wasn’t super pleased with that but I wanted to start at the beginning of the series since it’s been so long since I’ve read them.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archeologist when I grew up. I used to fantasize all the time about finding ancient artifacts and all the crazy adventures of trying to track down these long lost items. I can’t stand the sun and the heat, and bugs drive me crazy (not the cool bugs that are fun to look at, I’m talking about the flying buzzing jerk bugs that dive bomb your eyes and ears and /or fly up your nose and has a thousand relatives doing the same), so my dreams of archeology was crushed pretty early on. I have always lived vicariously through books- fiction and nonfiction- that had archeologist, archeology, expeditions, etc. in it. Relic hit a lot of those marks with me and I was absolutely in love with it.
The book starts out with an expedition looking for a hidden tribe in the Amazon. They find some artifacts that are unlike anything ever found before. Then people on the expedition start to vanish. The leader of the expedition packs up the items, and sends it back to the museum he works for in NYC. The expedition is never heard from again. Dun dun DUUUUNNNNN. So right off the bat there are a lot of things I’m loving, I’m hooked immediately, and the book has only just begun.
Then we move to present day, at the museum the expedition came from. I love natural history museums, I could spend forever just wandering around, drooling on everything while making grabby hands at stuff I can’t touch. I absolutely loved the settings for Relic. The way the authors described the locations, both the Amazon and the museum, it made me really feel like I was there, doing the work right along with the characters in the story. You could tell the authors were very familiar with the inner workings of a museum and that first hand knowledge really help you feel like you are part of the story.
AS IF all of that wasn’t enough to hit every mark for me, Relic is also a creature feature horror! 😀 The story revolving around the creature was terrifying and extremely creative. I remember the first time I read the book and got to the explanation of the creature, I was really caught off guard and I’m pretty sure my mind was blown. My mouth just hung open in shock. And the very ending? Holy crap…
At first, the characters of Relic seem pretty familiar. You have the good girl and her mentor who accidentally get caught up in the trouble, you have the harden NYC police officer with a no bullshit attitude. You even have the asshole head director of the museum who makes life for the main characters a pain almost 24/7. But then comes Mr. Pendergast, and everything stops. He arrives almost half way through the book and instantly steals the show. And it’s weird, because he isn’t even the leading star of Relic. He is vague. He is quiet. He gives nothing away as to what he is thinking and feeling. You don’t even know his full name. Yet his presence is commanding and you feel the power radiating from him. A mystery, an enigma, and you feel drawn to him, wanting to know more about this man.
Like I said earlier, when I re “read” Relic, I did it by listening to the audio narrated by David Colacci. I was not in love with Mr. Colacci’s performance. It wasn’t bad, exactly… it was just… so different then what I had envisioned in my head as the main characters voices, especially D’Agosta and Pendergast. D’Agosta sounded so much older then I could have sworn he was. Pendergast sounded so deep when I thought he was supposed to have a softer voice. I don’t know. Am I just being picky and biassed after 15+ novels with these characters?? I honestly don’t know. But Colacci’s performance just didn’t seem to fit the characters.
Re-visiting Relic, I was reminded of all the reasons I loved the book the first time around. A wonderful creature horror story with characters, locations, and themes you can really sink your claws in to. Even though I wasn’t wild about the narrator, I still enjoyed listening to this audio. Book or audio, it really doesn’t matter. Relic is an outstanding horror book and a great start to the Pendergast series.
THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME!! LOVED IT!!! 5 STARS!!!
Like I said…. very primitive. I’ve come a long way with reviewing since then, but that is neither here nor there. My point is that I read this book a long time ago. The Pendergast series is currently on book 17. I have read almost the whole series since then. The last few I need to still catch up to. Somewhere around 2009 (give or take a year), I saw that the audiobooks for the Pendergast series was read by an actor I absolutely adore, Rene Auberjonois! Instantly I thought, “OMG! What a perfect person to play Pendergast!!”. Rene’s voice is exactly the type of voice I had always heard in my head when reading the series. Soft and gentle yet powerful and commanding. I have been longing to listen to him read the books ever since I first found out about it. It was one of those things that has been “On The List” but never gotten around to actually doing it. Until now! I finally said, “You know what? Fuck it! I’m listening to the WHOLE DAMN SERIES!!!”.
I didn’t really want to buy the audio, because I already have 2 copies of this book. >.> I didn’t really need to have another version of it. I went to the local library to see if they had it. They did! But it was abridged. This was literally the face I made when I picked it up and saw it was abridged…
After disgustedly putting it back on the shelf and leaving, I looked to see how many credits I had on Audible. Fine. I will just have another version of it. I had a credit. Looked up Relic. Didn’t even stop to read anything about it, I was just ready to go. Got the audio. Downloaded it. Excitedly opened up to listen to it. Hit play. And…
It was not Rene doing the audio. *Points to above picture of facial expression* Ok, well, I have this audio now. Rene apparently didn’t start doing the audio for the series until a couple of books in. Ok. That’s fine. I guess. I mean…. I wasn’t super pleased with that but I wanted to start at the beginning of the series since it’s been so long since I’ve read them.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archeologist when I grew up. I used to fantasize all the time about finding ancient artifacts and all the crazy adventures of trying to track down these long lost items. I can’t stand the sun and the heat, and bugs drive me crazy (not the cool bugs that are fun to look at, I’m talking about the flying buzzing jerk bugs that dive bomb your eyes and ears and /or fly up your nose and has a thousand relatives doing the same), so my dreams of archeology was crushed pretty early on. I have always lived vicariously through books- fiction and nonfiction- that had archeologist, archeology, expeditions, etc. in it. Relic hit a lot of those marks with me and I was absolutely in love with it.
The book starts out with an expedition looking for a hidden tribe in the Amazon. They find some artifacts that are unlike anything ever found before. Then people on the expedition start to vanish. The leader of the expedition packs up the items, and sends it back to the museum he works for in NYC. The expedition is never heard from again. Dun dun DUUUUNNNNN. So right off the bat there are a lot of things I’m loving, I’m hooked immediately, and the book has only just begun.
Then we move to present day, at the museum the expedition came from. I love natural history museums, I could spend forever just wandering around, drooling on everything while making grabby hands at stuff I can’t touch. I absolutely loved the settings for Relic. The way the authors described the locations, both the Amazon and the museum, it made me really feel like I was there, doing the work right along with the characters in the story. You could tell the authors were very familiar with the inner workings of a museum and that first hand knowledge really help you feel like you are part of the story.
AS IF all of that wasn’t enough to hit every mark for me, Relic is also a creature feature horror! 😀 The story revolving around the creature was terrifying and extremely creative. I remember the first time I read the book and got to the explanation of the creature, I was really caught off guard and I’m pretty sure my mind was blown. My mouth just hung open in shock. And the very ending? Holy crap…
At first, the characters of Relic seem pretty familiar. You have the good girl and her mentor who accidentally get caught up in the trouble, you have the harden NYC police officer with a no bullshit attitude. You even have the asshole head director of the museum who makes life for the main characters a pain almost 24/7. But then comes Mr. Pendergast, and everything stops. He arrives almost half way through the book and instantly steals the show. And it’s weird, because he isn’t even the leading star of Relic. He is vague. He is quiet. He gives nothing away as to what he is thinking and feeling. You don’t even know his full name. Yet his presence is commanding and you feel the power radiating from him. A mystery, an enigma, and you feel drawn to him, wanting to know more about this man.
Like I said earlier, when I re “read” Relic, I did it by listening to the audio narrated by David Colacci. I was not in love with Mr. Colacci’s performance. It wasn’t bad, exactly… it was just… so different then what I had envisioned in my head as the main characters voices, especially D’Agosta and Pendergast. D’Agosta sounded so much older then I could have sworn he was. Pendergast sounded so deep when I thought he was supposed to have a softer voice. I don’t know. Am I just being picky and biassed after 15+ novels with these characters?? I honestly don’t know. But Colacci’s performance just didn’t seem to fit the characters.
Re-visiting Relic, I was reminded of all the reasons I loved the book the first time around. A wonderful creature horror story with characters, locations, and themes you can really sink your claws in to. Even though I wasn’t wild about the narrator, I still enjoyed listening to this audio. Book or audio, it really doesn’t matter. Relic is an outstanding horror book and a great start to the Pendergast series.
March 19, 2020
The Relic is the first of the popular and long running Pendergast book series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. At the time I am writing this there are 19 in the series. The good news for me is that since I thoroughly enjoyed this one I’m looking forward to many more by Preston/Child.
Aloysius X.L. Pendergast is a southern FBI agent who is very well educated, courteous and well spoken, and he’s also not above breaking a few rules to get things done. He has an interesting knack of breaking the ice with people by mentioning something that they are passionate about when he meets them for the first time. For example, if meeting a college professor he might say “I read your paper on *blah*” and the professor- thinking they are being set up asks a few follow up questions- and discovers “He actually DID read my paper...”. It’s pretty funny. I’ve seen many websites reference Pendergast as a modern literary equivalent to Sherlock Holmes - not a bad detective to be compared to.
Interestingly enough Pendergast isn’t in the book for quite some time as there is a lot of backstory to develop first. The book begins with a group of researchers investigating cultures in the Amazon basin. One of the goals was to find proof of a lost tribe known as the Kothoga. In a scene that could have easily been in an Indiana Jones movie (that’s actually how I visualized in my head while reading) a mysterious statue of a lizard god called Mbwun is discovered. (Skipping a lot to avoid spoilers). Years later this statue makes its way back to a New York museum as the centerpiece of a “Superstition” exhibition.
Shortly before the exhibition is set to open a there are some murders at the museum. Is it a return of the rumored “museum beast” ? Has the relocation of the Mbwun artifact awakened some curse ? In any case this is when things start getting interesting.
Aside from Pendergast there are many other likable characters in the book along with some nice character development. The first of which is Margo Green. Margo is a struggling grad student trying to get funding for her research. At first I wasn’t sure how much of a big part in the story she would play. As it turns out she is just as important as Pendergast and is critical to solving the mystery.
Bill Smithback plays the part of a reporter who has been hired by the museum to promote the exhibit. He is constantly at odds with the museum administration who want to avoid any controversial topics and seem to just want a tailored propaganda story. There are similar conflicts between the researchers and the same admin folks about striking a balance between funding the museum via cheap sensationalism vs using the exhibits as a way to educate the public. The researchers- being scientists - prefer the latter.
Vincent D’Agosta is a NYPD Lieutenant who has been brought in to investigate the murders. Like Pendergast he’s not shy to break a few eggs to make an omelet. For the most part, the higher you go up above Vincent in his chain of command - the lower the IQ. Pendergast enters later to assist him.
Greg Kawakita is a colleague of Margo’s - as well as a rival for research funding. He’s developing a gene sequencing algorithm that he hopes will bring him fame and more $$$. Another major museum character is Margo’s mentor - Dr Whitney Frock. Frock is an important figure in the museum but his controversial theories on evolutionary species development have lost him some of the support he once enjoyed.
The story has a lot of twists and turns. I enjoyed the science concepts that accompanied the storyline - admittedly as this isn’t exactly my area I just went along with it in spots - seems plausible though. As mentioned above, there is a lot of build up at the beginning. By the time you get to the opening of the exhibit there is nonstop action though. It was a lot of fun!
Unlike a lot of books - the epilogue was very important- it explains a lot and is a good setup for the second book.
————
As for the Hollywood movie... I really thought the ambience and spooky atmosphere of exhibit was well done. It was very much what I pictured from the book. Penelope Ann Miller did a decent job of playing Margo. Likewise, Tom Sizemore was ok as D’Agosta. As for Pendergast... ummmm - there was NO Pendergast - in a Pendergast movie?!?! Unforgivable 😀. It is definitely a classic example of “The book was better than the movie”
Aloysius X.L. Pendergast is a southern FBI agent who is very well educated, courteous and well spoken, and he’s also not above breaking a few rules to get things done. He has an interesting knack of breaking the ice with people by mentioning something that they are passionate about when he meets them for the first time. For example, if meeting a college professor he might say “I read your paper on *blah*” and the professor- thinking they are being set up asks a few follow up questions- and discovers “He actually DID read my paper...”. It’s pretty funny. I’ve seen many websites reference Pendergast as a modern literary equivalent to Sherlock Holmes - not a bad detective to be compared to.
Interestingly enough Pendergast isn’t in the book for quite some time as there is a lot of backstory to develop first. The book begins with a group of researchers investigating cultures in the Amazon basin. One of the goals was to find proof of a lost tribe known as the Kothoga. In a scene that could have easily been in an Indiana Jones movie (that’s actually how I visualized in my head while reading) a mysterious statue of a lizard god called Mbwun is discovered. (Skipping a lot to avoid spoilers). Years later this statue makes its way back to a New York museum as the centerpiece of a “Superstition” exhibition.
Shortly before the exhibition is set to open a there are some murders at the museum. Is it a return of the rumored “museum beast” ? Has the relocation of the Mbwun artifact awakened some curse ? In any case this is when things start getting interesting.
Aside from Pendergast there are many other likable characters in the book along with some nice character development. The first of which is Margo Green. Margo is a struggling grad student trying to get funding for her research. At first I wasn’t sure how much of a big part in the story she would play. As it turns out she is just as important as Pendergast and is critical to solving the mystery.
Bill Smithback plays the part of a reporter who has been hired by the museum to promote the exhibit. He is constantly at odds with the museum administration who want to avoid any controversial topics and seem to just want a tailored propaganda story. There are similar conflicts between the researchers and the same admin folks about striking a balance between funding the museum via cheap sensationalism vs using the exhibits as a way to educate the public. The researchers- being scientists - prefer the latter.
Vincent D’Agosta is a NYPD Lieutenant who has been brought in to investigate the murders. Like Pendergast he’s not shy to break a few eggs to make an omelet. For the most part, the higher you go up above Vincent in his chain of command - the lower the IQ. Pendergast enters later to assist him.
Greg Kawakita is a colleague of Margo’s - as well as a rival for research funding. He’s developing a gene sequencing algorithm that he hopes will bring him fame and more $$$. Another major museum character is Margo’s mentor - Dr Whitney Frock. Frock is an important figure in the museum but his controversial theories on evolutionary species development have lost him some of the support he once enjoyed.
The story has a lot of twists and turns. I enjoyed the science concepts that accompanied the storyline - admittedly as this isn’t exactly my area I just went along with it in spots - seems plausible though. As mentioned above, there is a lot of build up at the beginning. By the time you get to the opening of the exhibit there is nonstop action though. It was a lot of fun!
Unlike a lot of books - the epilogue was very important- it explains a lot and is a good setup for the second book.
————
As for the Hollywood movie... I really thought the ambience and spooky atmosphere of exhibit was well done. It was very much what I pictured from the book. Penelope Ann Miller did a decent job of playing Margo. Likewise, Tom Sizemore was ok as D’Agosta. As for Pendergast... ummmm - there was NO Pendergast - in a Pendergast movie?!?! Unforgivable 😀. It is definitely a classic example of “The book was better than the movie”
February 27, 2017
I've never rode a rollercoaster because am too chicken to ride one. While reading this book, I said to myself, "Is this is how a rollercoaster ride would feel? The extent of thrill boderdering on... horror?"
What an adrenaline rush has been, this ride I mean read! :D
Enough said. I am off to read the sequel(s).
What an adrenaline rush has been, this ride I mean read! :D
Enough said. I am off to read the sequel(s).
January 28, 2016
“What we have here is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”
When I was a young horror-watching gal, I used to watch Relic. I didn’t know it was based on a book, but I enjoyed its fun monster movie gimmicks set in a conveniently too-dark museum. The past few years I’ve seen mention of these authors, and even had an unread book of theirs donning my shelves, yet I knew nothing about them. I wasn’t sure if they wrote horror, mystery, but knew I’d figure it out eventually. (edited to note – I still don’t know their genre really – horror/mystery/thriller??) Now fast forward to this year, after I bought a lot more of their books from a friend, where I was finally spurred on by a group read, where everyone was digging into Relic, and now here we finally are.
If you were like me and had seen the movie but not read the book, expect big differences. Murders occur at the New York Museum of Natural History before a major opening exhibit, prompting the arrival of the local detective D’Agosta. When more bodies pop up, enter the FBI agent Pendergast. It slowly becomes clear to the characters that more than a mere man is responsible for these monstrosities. Half the book is mystery trying to figure the culprit; the other half is figuring out how to best the beast and escape with their lives.
Despite being a fascinating story, the book does produce dull moments, especially in the first quarter. It keeps picking up, however, and proved to be a surprisingly quick read at 473 pages. The slightly sedate pace worked well to develop the right kind of atmosphere for a creepy tale. The close wraps up the book with a wallop ending I didn’t see coming.
I’d heard about what a great character Pendergast is – and he proved to be all that and more (except my misgivings about big game hunting stories). He takes a while to come on board, but meanwhile detective D’Agosta is an unexpected delight who steals the page-time just as hard. Margo as the main character is serviceable but nothing special.
Thanks to the characters we have humor, but thanks to the writers we have a dark book that’s hard to put down. You can almost feel the shadows closing in when reading this one. Tense scenes are riveting, I may have chewed a fingernail or two. The monster is a creepy villain who manages to stay creepy even when he’s not on scene. It’s not particularly bloody, but it’s violent when needed. Mystery is strong as I figured things out slowly along with the other characters. A good thing about intellectual mumbo-jumbo like this is I can’t fully pre-guess what’s going to happen since I can’t fully grasp it in the first place!
The ending leaves the book open for a sequel. Once you close the page you’re already ready for more. Despite some slower areas and a little academically dry dribble, this was an excellent start to a series I plan to continue.
June 12, 2018
Sci-fi thriller meets creature feature horror in a page turning novel with a strong "X-Files" vibe packed with twists, action, chills and a great ending that sadly was spoiled to me by watching the 1997 movie based on it.
I used to like a lot that flick, but the book is far better and I just not understand some of the changes filmakers made like deleting agent Pendergast from the storyline and calling the monster with the name of the tribe Kothoga instead of Mbwun" ("He Who Walks On All Fours"). Meh :/
April 7, 2014
MINI REVIEW: A chilling thriller that takes place mostly in a colossal museum in NYC. Don't be fooled if you hate museums. It's still very interesting with a combination of horror, sleuthing and melodrama.
Characters are mostly vivid and while one could argue several plot points were predictable they were still satisfying. BTW, the movie is a terribly poor representation of the book.
CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: A minus; STORY/PLOT POINTS: A minus to A; CREEPINESS/HORROR: B plus; OVERALL GRADE: A minus to A; WHEN READ: May to July 2010.
Characters are mostly vivid and while one could argue several plot points were predictable they were still satisfying. BTW, the movie is a terribly poor representation of the book.
CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: A minus; STORY/PLOT POINTS: A minus to A; CREEPINESS/HORROR: B plus; OVERALL GRADE: A minus to A; WHEN READ: May to July 2010.
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