Dance of Death
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: 2006-01-01
ISBN: 0446617091
Number of pages: 592
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Book Reviews of Dance of Death
Book Review: Dance of Death a Slow Predictable Two-Step
Summary: 3 Stars
Perhaps since I read Preston and Child's "Dance of Death" out of sequence and was well aware of the outcome before the actual events transpired throughout the novel, I found this contribution featuring the reoccurring characters of Special Agent Pendergast, police lieutenant D'Agosta, New York Times reporter Bill Smithback, Nora Kelly, Margo Green and the rest of the Museum of Nature History team not up to the coauthors' usual page-turning standard.
It's not as if the novel excites the reader with fresh scenarios or ideas; certainly Smithback, Pendergast and D'Agosta have moments that seem all too familiar. Nevertheless this novel does bridge "Brimstone," the first novel featuring Pendergast's deranged brother, Diogenes with "The Book of the Dead," the culmination of this trilogy whose overall theme pits the ingenious siblings against each other. Perhaps this explains to a degree why the action seems stalled and rather hackneyed.
Plot, in this one, seems to be sacrificed for further character development, the inclusion of a love interest for white knight Pendergast interjects some emotion to an otherwise rationally, educationally and intellectually developed human machine whose lack of reaction and intuitiveness sometimes seems uber human. That Diogenes would utilize Pendergast's personal weakness to his utmost advantage comes as little surprise. In fact, what is lacking in this novel is just that: the bombshell twists and turns that one has come to equate with a Preston/Child novel fizzle like dud firecrackers wet-blanketing the reader with about fifty cents of bang for his/her expected buck.
"Dance of Death" attempts to assemble some Pendergast family history for us while tunneling further into the deep dark secret that Pendergast has hidden even from himself with regard to his brother's lack of humanity. Because of this, unlike "Relic", "Reliquary", "Thunderhead", etc., this novel does not rely on unique state-of-the-art scientific factoids to explain initially nebulous events that occur throughout the plot. Instead of baffling and then educating the reader with fascinating archaeological or forensic scientific tidbits that eventually formulate the basis for a tightly crafted tale, "Dance of Death" relies on the reader's built up interest in the characters themselves. The entire galaxy of players cultivated from "Relic" on appears in this the writing team's tenth work. Knowing and understanding the actual interrelations between the different personalities enhances an otherwise mundane kidnapping/chase storyline with this genre of writing's glib and sometimes senselessly predictable dialogue.
Bottom line? The bridging nature of "Dance of Death" necessitates it being read in the correct sequence. The second in the Diogenes trilogy of novels, its success depends on the reader's knowledge of characters that Preston and Child have developed in the first nine of their popular thrillers. Although I enjoy the Pendergast saga and would like to see this develop further, I prefer to see this author collaboration inject more scientific/technical data to give their adventure more teeth. Recommended to those who like Agent Pendergast and enjoy a Cain versus Abel type romp through New York City and its environs.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"
Summary of Dance of Death
Two brothers. One, top FBI Agent, Aloysius Pendergast. The other, Diogenes, a brilliant and twisted criminal. An undying hatred between them. Now, a perfect crime. And the ultimate challenged: Stop me if you can.Literature & Fiction Books
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