Book Review - "The Cabinet of Curiosities"

I’m sure I’m not alone in missing the all-too-short three “seasons” (barely 10 episodes) of “Sherlock”, the modern-day re-imagining of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle character and his companion, Dr. Watson, as played by movie stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. (The busy schedules of these actors are the culprit.)

​Consider, then, that there are other stories to tell, and another, equally fascinating detective character for some talented performer to realize: I’m referring to Aloysius E. Pendergast, a very rich FBI agent who comes from old New Orleans money and cruises around in a vintage Rolls- Royce. He’s almost albino, he’s so fair. Always impeccable in a black suit (which somehow has secret pockets containing forensic tools), he’s wickedly intelligent, and, when needed, a master of disguise. And, of course, there’s an aristocratic arrogance that’s delightful when deployed against lesser minds. Yes, I’d say he’s a lot like Sherlock Holmes, but you won’t be thinking about that, because his stories are just SO GOOD!

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Co-written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (not related to Lee Child of the Jack Reacher series), the Pendergast novels are truly thrilling. Pendergast first appeared in the authors’ breakout, “Relic”, which was a "Jurrassic Park"-like thriller that takes place in the cavernous Museum of Natural History in New York City. (Preston is an expert on the place.) There were several memorable characters introduced in that story. Interestingly, when the #1 movie was made, Pendergast's part was left out. There was a sequel, “Reliquary”, set in the underground below the subway system in NYC. After a few other books, the authors realized that Pendergast was the gem in the mix, and they came out with “The Cabinet of Curiosities”, which has been named as one of the 100 best American mystery novels.
I won’t go into the details of the story, but suffice to say that it ROCKS! There’s a healthy dose of the supernatural underpinning these stories, and the bizarre and fascinating Pendergast family history begins to emerge. This is continued effectively in “Stll Life With Crows”, the Diogenes trilogy (“Brimstone”, “Dance of Death” and “The Book of the Dead”) - once again set in the museum -, and “Wheel of Darkness”, which features arcane Tibetan mysticism. 18 Books in all.
Just don’t blame me if you lose sleep reading these!