Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
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Book Reviews of Cemetery Dance
Book Review: Hooked on Preston & Child!
Summary: 5 Stars
This was the first book by this excellent duo that I have read, and I am definitely hooked on their books now! I am a #1 fan for life! I have never before read such interesting books in the mystery/horror genre and I have been reading this type of book for at least fifty years. I had given up on horror based books because Stephen King and, especially Dean Koontz, have gotten just too far out to be interesting or believable to me anymore and Koontz's books are just too weird, they are downright creepy and not to my taste anymore.
But when I read "Cemetery Dance" I found it to be one of the most interesting books I have ever read. I cannot explain why it was such a wonderful, edge-of-your-chair-read, because it is very creepy also, I mean, Zombies in New York City? what could be more far out or creepier, but the book is written in such a way, it is very, very interesting, not just a lot of blood and gore. All of the background info about earlier times in New York City helps keep it more on a realistic level, I think, and that helps. And everything is explained in a rational way before the book ends, though how can Zombies be rational? This writing team of P.& C. just has a way with words and uses them in the right way to make it all interesting and tie together neatly and smoothly, which makes it easy for us to half-way believe, I think. And the history that they include in their books helps them to be believable though we know in our hearts that these things (like real Zombies) is impossible, right? But Preston & Child can make us doubt this obvious fact and we can't help but wonder, "well, maybe it's possible." Since reading this book I have already ordered and received several other of the books that this duo has written with Agent Pendergast featured as the main protagonist. I have several other of the books in this series on order and should receive them soon. I will not stop until I have read every one of the books in the series and then I will start on other books by these two authors! They have spoiled me for other books as none that I try to read now can hold my attention and interest as these books do. Preston and Child are such good researchers and go so far back in their research of ancient things and places, you really learn a lot by reading their books. The only other book that I have read in the last couple of years that held my interest and made me want to know more about the characters and inspired me to do a lot of my own research is "Catherine" by Anya Seton, and it is a biography of Catherine Swinford, mistress and eventually wife, of John O'Gaunt,(son of King Henry of England) in the 14th Century. Nothing at all in the same genre as the Lincoln Child-D.Preston books but it was just a really good book if you are interested in history, and it also held my attention beyond the norm, as "Cemetery Dance" did. If you want a really good, edge-of your-seat read, this is it! A fabulous mystery story. I am currently reading another of their books "The Cabinet of Curiosities" and it is as good and as interesting as "Cemetery Dance" and was actually written before "Cemetery..." If you want to start with the first book in the series, start with "Relic." I am going to read that one next and then read all the others in order of publication dates. For lots of good info on each of the books, read all of the customer reviews on amazon for the books and the reviews will lead you to more and more of the books in this series and let you know what order it is best to read them in and also, you can decide if you want to skip any one of them due to it not being as good as most of the others. The people who have read them are usually very honest in their reviews. I find the customer's take on the books of great value when I am trying to decide if I may want to buy a particular book.
Book Review: RIP, William Smithback Jr.
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me preface this that I picked up a copy and had it signed by Preston and Child themsevles at the very first stop of their book signing tour at a local Barnes and Noble. If you have an opportunity to go see them, do so! Very personable, open to questions and had a great time talking to the fans, signing the books and answering the questions! They are working on another book and I did ask them if we'll ever see a sequel to Ice Limit (which if you'll recall was mentioned in Still Life with Crowes) and when I asked Lincoln Child he said 'yes there will be and sooner than you think!'
Now, on to the review.
Simply put, I loved it. Pendergast, D'agosta, Hayward, Kelly, Smithback, they're all here. This is simply yet another great mystery/whodunit penned by Preston and Child featuring characters that we fans have been reading for years now and if you're anything like me, have grown rather attached to.
I'm not giving anything away in saying that Smithback is murdered in this book. It's very sad to say the least which shows just how engaging these characters have become to me as a long time fan. Who did it? A man named Colin Fearing. But is he just a man? The majority of this book covers Voodoo and Zombis. Sound a little far fetched? Perhaps at first glance but as with Preston and Child novels, the Pendergast books in particular, the far fetched doesn't always seem as unbeleivable after you start to turn the pages. I haven't encountered other authors than can go out on a limb with the supernatural and mystical and be able to land on their feet like Preston and Child.
At the center of this mystery is a cult like village referred to as the Ville which is situated in one of the most remote forests of Manhattan (and this is a real live place, not made up). Talk of animal sacrifice, murder and voodoo rituals coupled with the murder of Smithback by a zombi makes the public outcry immense against the Ville.
Pendergast, D'agosta and Nora Kelly are hell bent on finding out who would be after and want to murder their fallen friend/husband and what is really at the bottom of this zombi mystery. Let me say that it's definetly more complicated than it seems at first glance.
It took me a little while to read this book. Not because it was incredibly long, not because it was boring or difficult to read or hard to follow. It's simply because when a Preston and Child novel comes out I tend to read them slower because I enjoy them so much I find myself not wanting them to end, even though I'm eager to see how everything plays out.
Cemetery Dance doesn't disappoint and any fans of Preston and Child novels and their repeating characters should get their hands on this one!
Book Review: Suspenseful and unique.
Summary: 5 Stars
Since reading Relic years ago, I have enjoyed many of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's novels. Their stories are always well presented, feature a number of plot twists and surprises, have interesting characters (many of whom have appeared in other stories), and come with dialog that is natural and not forced. Are there any other characters as great as Pendergast and D'Agosta? Cemetery Dance is a fitting addition to the body of work they've already created. I've looked at that body of work and have to admit that I've missed too many of their books.
William Smithback, fearless NYT reporter and veteran of previous Preston/Childs books, is murdered shortly after his arrival home with his wife Nora Kelly after an evening on the town celebrating their first wedding anniversary. Nora has left William alone to run out to purchase dessert fitting for the occasion and gets back just in time to see the suspected killer leave the scene. The apparent killer is Colin Fearing, a neighbor who is observed leaving the scene. So, what's strange about this? I mean things like this happen all the time, right? This is Manhattan after all. Well, for one thing Colin Fearing died ten days earlier. Since all of this happens in the first few pages you can be sure that the rest of the book is worth your effort to read.
One final observation. Both Preston and Child are very talented authors in their own right, both having successful solo careers. Something happens, however, when they cooperate on a story. Its a case of the sums being greater than the whole. Somehow, both authors must subdue their own egos with an eye to forming a shared and mutual creation. Perhaps that says more about the authors than anything else.
Was Smithback killed by the living dead? By a zombie? Was Smithback's murder related to a series of articles he has recently written or a tragic random event? Can Pendergast/D'Agosta solve this puzzle?
It's not for me to reveal the answers but I will promise that you'll enjoy the read.
Peace to all.
Book Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a fan of these two authors ever since their first book and I think they've returned to form with this one.
I'm mildly surprised at the mixed scores of the reviews here. I thought the 2 authors went downhill with their last 3-4 books but I thought this one was pretty good. I didn't like the Diogenes trilogy because you always knew who the enemy was: Diogenes, and I didn't much like the last WoD cruise ship either.
My rundown:
1) Story. I really like stories centered in NY city. In fact, after the story I spent a lot of time on Google Earth looking at the different parts of the city and travelling on the streets virtually. NY just has this feeling of a huge labyrinth to it, especially these old buildings. I also like the story of the zombies, which was not unravelled until the end. It's hard to come up with new and challenging stories every time and I thought they did a good job here.
2) The writing. Traditionally, the LC and DP books have not been very easy to read. Each book is thick and the writing required quite a bit of effort to read. I'd rather be effortlessly drawn through the book rather than to have to slog through it, that's just IMHO. However, having said that, this book is about the easiest DP and LC book I've read. It was easy to go through. IMHO, the readibility has improved. I think it's important because not every reader is a good reader.
3) Peeves. I'm glad that they didn't rest their pens on the back of SA Pendergast too much this time. It's just too easy to have Pendergast magic his way out of sticky situations.
4) So to summarize, against the opinions of most of my fellow DP and LC fans, I thought this book was a step up from the last 3-4 books. If you're a DP/LC fan, you're going to buy this anyway. If you've never read them before, the body of work that these two authors have done are too good to pass up, so either way, my thumbs are up on this one.
Book Review: Yet ANOTHER triumph for Pendergast and his fans!
Summary: 5 Stars
What can I say? Within a few pages of beginning 'Cemetary Dance' a main character is knocked off. This isn't exactly the *norm* when it comes to a usual Preston/Child story. In fact, considering some of their previous novels, I wasn't exactly convinced it had actually happened to be honest...at least not at first. I came around--reluctantly, but I came around...my initial shock was tempered by the sheer storytelling force behind 'Cemetary Dance'.
In more than one way it reminded me (albeit briefly) of 'The Cabinet Of Curiosities', my personal favorite (well, next to Relic, which still reigns supreme IMO). What a great 'What If' scenario: How could someone be killed, and more importantly SEEN being killed by someone who was already DEAD. My first instinct was that it was a TWIN!! But don't for a second think that this obvious thread wasn't thoroughly and completely considered by both authors. What you THINK isn't necessarily what will end up HAPPENING I can assure you that.
While 'Cemetary Dance' isn't ground breaking by any stretch, it certainly IS creative--which is my chief reason for why I continue to read whatever these guys produce...whether together OR apart (although I personally believe they write better together). Also, ANY chance I get to whittle around inside the head of FBI Agent Pendergast is one I cannot see giving up.
Unlike some authors I have been reading lately who seem to stagnate (to at least SOME degree) with some of their regular characters and storytelling, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child continue to impress me with creativity and more importantly, FRESH plots that keep their writing new by taking us to unexplored areas which go a LONG WAY towards ensuring that I will be reading their stories for many years to come (or at least I HOPE to).
Another winner from the duo that simply cannot miss.