Monday, January 4, 2010

Review - Cemetary Dance

Cemetary Dance

by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child



Available in Hardback 448 pages and MP3 Audio
Released May 12, 2009


During this reflective time of year, I thought I'd look back on a book series that has been like an old friend. I'm a huge fan of mystery tinged with the supernatural and the best example of this is the Pendergast series by
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. They released the ninth book of the series in 2009 titled "Cemetery Dance".

Without giving too much away (not a big fan of spoilers), the novel deals with the death of a reoccurring character, zombies and a cult that lives in a mysterious fortress nicknamed "The Ville". Preston and Child have a keen sense of pacing. The novel reads like a great popcorn film. It's fast paced, engaging and humorous. The main character of Special Agent Pendergast of the FBI is one of the best characters ever put to print. Mysterious and clever, he is a modern day Sherlock Holmes. His deductive powers are unrivaled and his droll southern wit and charm are the icing on the cake.

If you are unfamiliar with the series, I would start off with the initial Pendergast novel "The Relic". Moviephiles may remember that this book was turned into a film, but the powers that be made the asinine decision to remove the main character of Pendergast and turn his able-bodied NYPD assistant Sgt D'Agosta into the star of the film. At the time, I could have imagined Val Kilmer (Tombstone) or Dennis Quaid (The Big Easy) as a perfect Pendergast for the big screen. From what I understand (and this is the internet - so don't take it to the bank) Paramount Studios own the right to the character of Pendergast but have yet to make a movie with this great character.



If you are a fan of great mystery and have not had the pleasure of reading this great series, I highly encourage you to try it out and enjoy the ride!

2 comments:

Creative Chronicler said...

I'm a huge fan of this duo and have most of their books. I'll have to add this one to my list.

I agree with your assessment on the film front. Wouldn't the Pendergast stories make a great TV series? (well, if they didn't ruin it.)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That would be my fear - they'd ruin it!