The Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast, Book 3)
by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
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Book Summary Information
Author: Douglas Preston, Lincoln ChildEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-06-01
ISBN: 0446611239
Number of pages: 656
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Book Reviews of The Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast, Book 3)
Book Review: Open the cabinet!
Summary: 5 Stars
Underneath was a piece of paper, torn from the page of a book. It had been folded twice. Parts of it were stained and faded, but it read unmistakably: "I am Mary Greene age 19 years No. 16 Watter Street."..."So?" She asked, but she had already read the results in his face.
"The note, Dr Kelley, was written in human blood. No doubt the very blood of the young woman herself."
The "cabinets of curiosities" scattered around 19th century New York were the precursors to the New York Museum of Natural History. Anyone who could scrape a few pennies together could go inside and see strange and bizarre items gathered from all around the world --- some real, and some not. Whale eyes in formaldehyde, shaven and stuffed orangutans with labels that called them ancient Pygmy hunters, bones and artifacts were displayed for all to see.
In modern day New York, a construction crew digging away at the foundations of one of these old cabinets cuts into the cellar underneath, and discover the carefully hidden remains of 36 people. Anthony Fairhaven, the owner of the site, wishes to build his glass tower of apartments before bad publicity and archeologists looking for a new dig site can stop him. He had the bodies quickly taken away and buried, but not before Dr. Nora Kelly and FBI Special Agent Pendegrast take a cursory look. It is Nora who discovers the note, sewn into the bodice of a discarded dress. Nora has her reservations about continuing the investigation, despite the personal connection she feels to Mary Greene through her painstakingly created note. She has recently been hired by the museum, and she is afraid of losing her job, especially since now budget cuts and politics have made it harder for her to continue her research.
Agent Pendegrast, determined to discover the name of the murderer for his own reasons, is not willing to take no for an answer. The two work together, and soon discover a hidden letter that reveals the identity of the murderer --- a letter Nora describes to her boyfriend, William Smithback. A careerist reporter, Smithback sees no harm in writing the story up for the New York Times, especially since it seems Nora's employers are trying to bury all information. This does not help her as he hopes, and she refuses to have anything further to do with him. Worse, the article seems to have created a copy cat killer, and a woman is found murdered the same way as the bodies discovered under the cabinet. Her body will not be the last as the killer struggles to keep the secrets of his identity and his agenda safe.
Preston and Child do a very good job of writing a novel that evokes a dark, almost Victorian feel of horror. Despite its modern day setting, it has a gas lit feel that makes it much more chilling. The Surgeon, as the new killer is called, owes a great deal to Jack the Ripper and other penny-dreadful villains. His modus operandi and his desire to make an elixir to prolong his life are both ghastly and imaginative. Nora Kelley is a decent heroine, although one does not have much sympathy for her boyfriend Smithback. Agent Pendegrast is by far the strongest character, and most interesting. Incredibly intelligent, he possesses an old time gentility and sense of honor that recalls a less acerbic Sherlock Holmes. The climax of the story works well, even though it shouldn't. The action are exciting and the horror aspects made me wish I'd finished reading before midnight.
Summary of The Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast, Book 3)
In an ancient tunnel underneath New York City a charnel house is discovered. Inside are thirty-six bodies all murdered and mutilated more than a century ago. While FBI agent Pendergast investigates the old crimes, identical killings start to terrorize the city. The nightmare has begun. Again.Literary Books
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