Cemetery Dance (Hardcover)
Posted on | October 14, 2009 |
From Publishers Weekly
Bestsellers Preston and Child kill off a regular supporting character at the outset of this suspenseful tale of urban terror, their ninth to feature FBI special agent Aloysius Pendergast (after The Wheel of Darkness). William Smithback, a New York Times reporter, and his wife, Nora Kelly, an anthropologist with the New York Museum of Natural History, are celebrating their first anniversary when Smithback is fatally stabbed in their Manhattan apartment, apparen (more…)
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13 Responses to “Cemetery Dance (Hardcover)”
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October 14th, 2009 @ 9:20 pm
I’ve decided that I’m going to designate this book as a “ripping good yarn” because, by golly, that’s what it is. This is one of those books where you just have to say to yourself, okay, this is totally escape reading and it’s so far-fetched that it can’t possibly ever be true. Once you get past that hurdle, then you can do what the authors intended for you to do: sit back, relax, and have fun with it. If you can’t do that, then move along, because this book is definitely not for you. Literary snobs need not apply.
I enjoy “ripping good yarns” (aka escape fiction) once in a while, especially from these two authors both together and independently. I especially enjoy the Agent Pendergast series, which I’ve been following since he first came out of Preston and Child’s collective imaginations. He’s an enigma and I like enigmas. I’ve read all of these stories; I’ve pre-ordered or bought each one as soon as I heard of its release, and I happen to like them. I am a Pendergast junkie.
I absolutely cannot tell you much, because of the plot twists in this book. To tell is to ruin. The book opens with the murder of an old friend from other books in the series (whose name I will not divulge here — but if you’re a Preston and Child follower, you’ll be a bit sad). The identity of the murderer is not in doubt — it was one Colin Fearing, who lived in the same building, and was caught on tape at the building at the time of the murder. Several people recognized him. The only problem is that Colin Fearing was dead at the time the murder was committed — his body had been even been identified by a relative. So…enter Agent Pendergast, who was a very good friend to the murder victim, and another recurring character, Lt. Vince D’Agosta of the NYPD. What begins as a bizarre case of murder gets even more bizarre as the investigation takes our heroes into the bizarro world of religious animal sacrifice and voodoo. But when a second killing occurs at the hand of another dead person, it just gets very weird, and their efforts to find the killer puts Pendergast and his pals in a very dangerous situation where their very lives are at stake.
This book has it all…the supernatural, mystery, suspense…that is the hallmark of the writing of Preston and Child. There are plot twists that you won’t see coming (or at least I didn’t), and it’s generally a very fun novel with quite a bit of action.
Yes, it’s a bit unbelievable, and it’s a bit over the top in some spots, but the authors managed to grab me from the start and I didn’t stop until I was finished. I think you’d want to read the other Pendergast novels rather than making this your first foray into the minds of these two authors. This book was much better than the last one — Wheel of Darkness — and I hope there are many more Pendergast novels in their futures.
I’d recommend this book to people who enjoy fun escape fiction or to those who like a supernatural cast to their mysteries. These two authors are very good at their craft and now I’ll just wait patiently until the next installment arrives — sigh –
October 15th, 2009 @ 1:02 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing Compares!
I refrain from parroting the plot of the latest Pendergast/D’Agosta adventure in this review. And instead, focus my comments solely on the unabridged audio recording, which is,…
October 15th, 2009 @ 2:01 am
I bought this book on preorder because I love the Preston/Child series, even though I have been let down recently with them. This book could have been much better than it turned out to be, and frankly should have been.
The power Douglas and Lincoln have in their creativity lies in creating monsters that are fearsome, terrible, and very believable, and in the end grounded in some kind of scientific fact (or fictional psudofact that works in the plotline). This book really had none of that. To me the storyline plodded along to a very predictable end with little or no real involvement on the part of the central characters.
Pendergast really did nothing but “slip in” and out of chairs, look at things with his silvery eyes, and stash things in his pockets. D’Agosta was angry and frustrated until he was not angry anymore. There was a lack of depth that I did not appreciate. I had been getting a little irritated with the Superman aspect of Pendergast, and maybe the authors were trying to tone that back a bit. If that is the case they did so at the cost of the fullnes of the story.
There is an endpaper in the book written by the duo listing all their collaborative efforts and suggesting the sequence they should be read in (while denying all the while they are doing so). I think it is time for Messers. Preston and Child to divorce themselves from their fan base long enough to put compelling characters in a compelling horror story again. I know they can do it. Both are seasoned and accomplished talents.
It had a few minor frights, but the rest was stock in trade chase scenesm a riot, a clash with a pushy martinet or two, and then it was over.
And hey: no Constance Green.
I am sure to buy the next one because these fellas always have potential. On second thought, perhaps I’ll get on the library waiting list and see how they improve.
Better luck for all of us next time.
October 15th, 2009 @ 3:09 am
2.0 out of 5 stars
Poorly written, not enough Pendergast
I gave up after a painful 100 pages, more than I usually give a book. I don’t know what’s happened to this writing team, but I won’t buy again.
October 15th, 2009 @ 3:26 am
I’m a fan of the “Agent Pendergast” novels by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, but the last few entries in the series have been less than stellar. While CEMETERY DANCE is a readable effort, it is ultimately a disappointment.
I think the major flaw of this series is that the only really interesting character is the central one, FBI Special Agent Pendergast. Unfortunately, Pendergast plays a relatively small role in CEMETERY DANCE. Much of the book is instead devoted to familiar but ultimately two-dimensional characters like Vincent D’Agosta (the hot-headed Watson to Pendergast’s Holmes) and Nora Kelly (who mainly plays the victim role here).
The plot is more silly than interesting (voodoo and zombies play a key role) and doesn’t seem to move forward with the rapid-fire intensity that made the earlier Pendergast books so successful. The flat, cartoonish characterization also dampens the suspense. In the end, there are too many action scenes, and not enough character development. The result is a repititive read that didn’t really engage me.
In short, CEMETERY DANCE is a pretty minor effort — enjoyable enough, but not worth your valuable reading time. If you’ve never read Preston & Child before, my advice is to read RELIC, BRIMSTONE, CABINET OF CURIOSITIES or STILL LIFE WITH CROWS instead. They are far superior to this middling effort.
October 15th, 2009 @ 7:50 am
3.0 out of 5 stars
Downhill
It’s unfortunate that the last two Pendergast books have been so lackluster. Nothing seems to compare to the Pendergast trilogy.
October 15th, 2009 @ 12:38 pm
1.0 out of 5 stars
Scooby Doo Trash
What Garbage !!! I put this book down halfway through, I haven’t done this with any other book for years. I couldn’t take it anymore.
October 15th, 2009 @ 5:45 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bittersweet Addition to an Awesome Series
Let me first mention that I’m a huge fan of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. When I say huge fan, I mean that I’ve read all their works, multiple times — in fact, every time…
October 15th, 2009 @ 8:27 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Keeps you guessing…..
Never read the works from these authors before. Found this compelling and also entertaining. Totally holds your attention throughout the novel.
October 15th, 2009 @ 10:57 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Pendergast caper
CEMETERY DANCE is the latest mystery/suspense novel by the team of Preston and Child to feature eccentric FBI freelancer Aloysius Pendergast and his friend and sometime…
October 16th, 2009 @ 5:43 am
2.0 out of 5 stars
boring, never hooked me, though the vodoo was interesting
i usually LOVE these books…this one seemed to be quickly written and dashed off with out allot of thought. The characters barely interacted…
October 16th, 2009 @ 10:29 am
2.0 out of 5 stars
Lukewarm and Disappointing
After the exciting trilogy that began the series with Agent Pendergast and partner Lieutenant D’Agosta, this story felt bland and predictable in comparison.
October 16th, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Full of suspense and excitement
listened to the audio version of Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and was captivated right from the start.