“Longtime readers of Preston and Child will love to see the beloved characters of Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson take center stage in what is a terrific start to a new series. Their writing talent shines as this mix of history, exploration of nature, and crime will without a doubt land on the top of the bestseller lists.”
—Associated Press
“Old Bones exceeds expectations at every juncture, a thriller extraordinaire that turns history upside down in forming the basis of a riveting and relentless tale.”
—The Providence Sunday Journal
“A smart, satisfying read.”
—Kirkus
“This outing belongs to two dedicated women whose future adventures will be happily anticipated.”
—Booklist
“Preston & Child is one of those ‘names’ on a book that make you want to set everything else aside in order to read what amazing words they’ve written…From the best writing team out there, you do not want to miss this book.”
—Suspense Magazine
“From the thriller world’s dynamic duo comes a new work of archeology, murder, and the Donner Party. This one should please longtime fans of Preston and Child, as well as new devotees drawn in by that ever-appealing set up of a past crime coming back to haunt the present.”
—CrimeReads
“Preston and Child have created a fine mix of fiction and historical fact. The story is peopled by complex and engaging characters with sometimes murky ambitions…The ending, which seems far-fetched, is definitely, disturbingly possible.”
—Booktrib
“Old Bones has it all: chills, thrills, and a blend of history, along with archaeological expertise you can only get from a Preston & Child novel. I loved spending time with Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson, and look forward to seeing them in future adventures. Longtime readers will be rewarded not only by this pairing but by some other surprises leading up to the conclusion of this exciting read.”
—Bookreporter
“The two strong female protagonists [Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson] share a dynamic reminiscent of that between Pendergast and his friend on the NYPD, Vincent D’Agosta. An intriguing series launch.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Preston and Child’s cast of characters spin off in their latest, starring Nora Kelly and ex-distinguished youth-turned-FBI agent Corrie Swanson. Kelly leads an expedition to excavate the Donner Party camp, while Swanson investigates a series of grave robberies. The longtime writing team yet again seamlessly merges science and suspense.”
—Newsweek
“Pendergast—often described as modern-day Sherlock Holmes—remains one of the most brilliant series leads. If the series is one of the most exciting ones, this novel is the finest of the series. Like other novels of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, you cannot pull away from this one either.”
—The Washington BookReview
“Verses for the Dead is classic Preston & Child, full of complex characters, plot twists and storylines that border on supernatural or otherworldly elements […] The story is full of suspense and surprises that all converge in a jaw-dropping ending.”
—BookReporter
“Multifaceted and complex. Legendary. Working together, Preston and Child are masters at crafting a story that goes beyond a simple mystery or thriller…Readers unfamiliar with Pendergast will find this novel a fantastic launch point. He’s a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, and the story reads like classic literature.”
—Associated Press
“Doug Preston and Lincoln Child’s master detective A.X.L. Pendergast is every bit the modern equivalent of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. And his investigative skills have never been sharper than in the altogether brilliant Verses for the Dead…A throwback to classic crime fiction while maintaining a sharp, postmodern edge.”
—Providence Journal
“The 18th installment in the Pendergast series by Preston and Child gives the hero a partner in the hunt for a strange killer…Pendergast is highly successful in closing cases on his own but ‘was about as rogue as they came,’ and suspects tend not to survive his investigations. Agent Coldmoon’s secret assignment is to keep a close eye on his partner, ‘a bomb waiting to go off’…[Verses for the Dead has] a nerve-wracking finish. Readers will love the quirky characters in this clever yarn. Pendergast and Coldmoon make an excellent pair.”
—Kirkus (starred review)
“If you’d like to know how Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes tales would be reviewed today, look no further than City of Endless Night…A typically terrific mystery laced with the gothic overtones for which this series is known…This is mystery thriller writing of the highest order, a tale as relentlessly riveting as it is sumptuously scintillating.”
—Providence Sunday Journal
“Preston and Child continue to write tense and compelling tales while also invoking the feel of Sherlock Holmes or other gothic stories of the late 19th century…Marvelous.”
—Associated Press
“As always, the authors have crafted a story that is almost impossible to pull away from, and their prose is as elegant as fans have come to expect. Pendergast continues to be one of thrillerdom’s most exciting and intriguing series leads, and the series remains among the most reliable in the genre.”
—Booklist
“VERDICT: Fans of the Pendergast series will be delighted with this latest romp and its careful plotting and suspense should appeal to mystery fans generally as well.”
—Library Journal
“This, yet another masterpiece by Preston & Child, will be the perfect way to start out your New Year. Just as it was when D’Agosta and Pendergast first met up in the thrilling book, Relic, they are together once again solving a crime of mammoth proportions. Preston, Child, and their well-known characters are always sheer perfection!”
—Amy Lignor, Suspense Magazine
“One of the best in the series—tense and tightly wound, with death relentlessly circling, stalking, lurking behind every shadow.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“The latest novel in Preston & Child’s Pendergast series picks up from the cliffhanger ending of Crimson Shore and doesn’t let up. The authors keep readers guessing…The crisp writing and exemplary stories are still in abundance in this consistently exciting and never predictable series.”
—Associated Press
“Rivetingly superb…great fun…thriller-writing of the highest order. A lavish, brilliantly conceived puzzle that pieces together neo-gothic plotting with splendidly rich tones.”
—Providence Journal
“Keep[s] the excitement meter pegged…Action-adventure with a macabre, sometimes-fantastical flair.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“As any reader of suspense knows, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child write a series of books featuring one of the best characters in the history of suspense literature: Aloysius Pendergast. [The Obsidian Chamber is] an excellent story by these two unbelievably talented authors. A page-turner, a deluxe suspense, a perfect mystery—Preston & Child remain the best of the best and never let their huge fan base down!”
—Suspense Magazine
“A complex puzzle box of a story…stellar…most surprising.”
—BookReporter.com
“It’s like Christmas for lovers of suspense when the words Preston & Child once again appear on a book cover. It’s a truly great Christmas when the main character of that novel is Aloysius X. L. Pendergast. For those who have read these books voraciously, it’s not a surprise to learn that this latest tale is one that will keep you riveted until the very end…Preston & Child continue to make these books the absolute best there is in the suspense realm.”
—Suspense Magazine
“Secrets and mysteries abound…the shock and twist are perfect. The unusual becomes believable and normal in the authors’ capable hands.”
—Associated Press
“The Pendergast novels combine elegant prose with sharp-witted storytelling, and the FBI agent continues to be one of thrillerdom’s more engaging characters.”
—Booklist
“New readers will be hooked…Die-hard fans will add this to their must-read lists.”
—Library Journal (Starred Review) LibraryReads Pick
“Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have fashioned their most complex, ambitious entry yet in their stellar Aloysius Pendergast series…a perfect puzzle of a tale that would challenge the wits of even Sherlock Holmes. A twist-filled, tour de force of classical storytelling.”
—Providence Journal
“Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have created one of the most distinctive—and eccentric—sleuths in the history of crime fiction. FBI Special Agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast…solves crimes as no one else does.”
—Maine Sunday Telegram
“One of the best thriller series of all time.”
—Examiner.com
“Pendergast is an appealingly quirky hero…a modern Sherlock Holmes.”
—Kirkus
ONE OF THE TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR
—THE STRAND MAGAZINE
“Fast-moving, sophisticated and bursting with surprises…If you’re willing to surrender to Preston and Child’s fiendish imaginations, you might devour the Pendergast books the way kids do Halloween candy…There’s nothing else like them.”
—The Washington Post
“Preston and Child have the ability to blend contemporary forensic thrillers with a dose of Dickensian/Sherlock Holmes-era atmosphere. Add a villain to a vendetta that has spanned generations and a cast of characters that readers will find emotionally satisfying, and the end result is another best-seller for the duo.”
—Associated Press
“Preston & Child once again bring A.X.L. Pendergast to life and offer up a host of thrills, heart-pumping action, and an intricate plot that pits a vengeful killer against (still) the most interesting character in fiction.”
—Suspense Magazine
“Quirky and compelling.”
—San Francisco Bee
“Those who have grown to love Agent Pendergast will not be disappointed in the newest installment of his series by Preston and Child. The sharp wit and secretive demeanor of Pendergast are both amusing and mystifying to readers, and the plot unfolds in twists that will keep readers guessing right up to the end.”
—RT Reviews
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
—LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Excellent…Small-town politics, murder, a century-old conspiracy, arson, and a detective who embodies a modern-day Holmes add up to an amazing journey…Preston and Child’s best novel to date.”
—Associated Press
“Sherlock Holmes fans will relish [this novel]…one of their best in this popular series…easily stands on its own with only passing references to Pendergast’s complex backstory.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[Preston and Child] are a bestselling team for a reason…You can’t flip the pages fast enough to discover who survives.”
—Newark Star-Ledger
“These dynamic authors’ best thriller to date.”
—Library Journal
“Pendergast isn’t the only offbeat detective in the latest thriller by Preston and Child. With a deft hand, the pair create a new mystery for Sherlock Holmes.”
—Oklahoman
“Fans of Sherlock Holmes will devour Preston and Child’s latest thriller, not only because of its connection to Conan Doyle, but because Pendergast bears a striking resemblance to the iconic detective, and has powers as eerily uncanny as Sherlock’s. Readers will race toward the final page, and once there, will thirst for more.”
—BookReporter.com
“It has everything that has made this reader eagerly await the next book in this series: a great story, solid supporting characters, an element of the macabre (or two), and an original touch.”
—TheMysterySite.com
“A remarkable plot that ties together multiple killings…a secret Sherlock Holmes story and a meeting between Oscar Wilde and Arthur Conan Doyle keep readers glued to the page.”
—RT Book Reviews
“A good thriller forces the reader to finish the book in one sitting. An exceptional thriller does that plus forces the reader to slow down to savor every word. With Two Graves, Preston and Child have delivered another exceptional book…The gothic atmosphere that oozes from the pages will envelop the reader…Pendergast is a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, quirks and all…The mystery tantalizes, and the shocks throughout the narrative are like bolts of lightning. Fans will love the conclusion to the trilogy, and newcomers will seek out the authors’ earlier titles.”
—Associated Press
“Pendergast—an always-black-clad pale blond polymath, gaunt yet physically deadly, an FBI agent operating without supervision or reprimand—lurks at the dark, sharp edge of crime fiction protagonists.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A lavish story and one that takes the time for some skillful vignettes and characterizations.”
—Charlotte Observer
“Preston and Child’s high-adrenaline thriller wraps up the trilogy…with a bang…[An] intelligent suspense novel.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Two Graves provides readers exactly what they would expect from a Preston and Child novel—thrills, high adventure, treacherous plot twists, and well-researched scientific intrigue. The story is never predictable, and Pendergast is a multi-layered personality who keeps you guessing throughout.”
—BookReporter.com
“The action is constant and starts with a bang.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Another fast-paced murder mystery that crosses the country, dips into Mexico and then wallops Manhattan hotels. It’s the perfect holiday gift for that thriller-genre lover in your life.”
—Asbury Park Press
“Before you even open the cover of a Preston and Child book, you know you’re in for a good, if chilling, even thrilling time.”
—Asbury Park Press
“[Preston and Child are] still going strong…Such is the talent of our authors that we happily follow their characters…all over the globe, from the moors of Scotland to the loony bins of New York City; the recipe is mixed well with a dash of assassins here and a soupcon of Nazis there, a couple of traitors and some really fascinating secondary characters…Cold Vengeance is a hot hell of a fun read.”
—Examiner.com
“4½ stars! Top Pick! Preston and Child continue their dominance of the thriller genre with stellar writing and twists that come at a furious pace. Others may try to write like them, but no one can come close. The best in the business deliver another winner.”
—RT Book Reviews