Cemetery Dance (Pendergast, Bk 9)

Once again Preston & Child's do great thrilling works. What a page turner...The book came very quickly and I read it in four days could not put it down and what a surprise ending

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.

When I see a new Pendergast Novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, my heart gets all a flutter. Nothing could brighten my day more then carrying it on home and cracking it open. This is my favorite series. In Cemetary Dance, there is some bad mojo in the way of murderous zombies, terrorizing New York and FBI Special Agent A. Pendergast and fearless Lt. Vinnie D'Agosta, are on the case in the ninth book of the series. This story is a gristly gem if you like late night visits to the cemetary, sprinkled with some voo doo, and bloody zombiis. Personally, for me, it doesn't get any better then that. Cemetary Dance has the great characters that make up this series and some new ones such as Monsieur Bertin, Pendergast's former tutor from New Orleans who is an expert at identifying certain religious practices. I think all of the Pendergast novels can be read as stand alone stories, so if you are new to these guys, take the plunge. If you enjoy reading Cemetary Dance, then you are lucky that you have the other eight to read. Brimestone and Cabinet of Curiosities are my favorites. I love the back drop of New York City and all of the atmosphere and the characters. I really enjoy one old researcher that Pendergast relies on whose name is Wren. You can find him amidst his dusty piles of old manuscripts and books down below in the belly of the New York Public Library. Cemetary Dance is a page turner and a great get away without leaving your livingroom. Lincoln & Childs are masterful story tellers. I always look forward to their books and they are always a delight to read. They can be a little gross and disturbing, but that's half the fun.

This book came out yesterday and I finished it in less than a day. As usual, Preston-Child succeeded well at creating a story that is as addictive and all-encompassing as I imagine an opium den of the turn of last century would be. For those of you who are seasoned readers of their somewhat ethereally connected series, you will certainly NOT be disappointed. Big plusses (no spoilers): 1). Appearances by the New York Museum of Natural History and its varied faces. 2). Many many favourite recurring characters (I will refrain from naming names, because part of my pleasure is to see a familiar name pop up unexpectedly and bring a smile to my face). 3). A lovely juxtaposition of Modern Manhattan and Historic Manhattan (a feature almost exclusive to big cities that harbour so much of their past while existing with a patina of their present). 4). The shocks that accompany so many of the Preston-Child novels. I resent them because they are sooooo unexpected and often graphic and, too put it mildly, upsetting (does anyone remember the almost cavalier gruesomeness in "Thunderhead"?), but they are also a tribute to how loyal the authors are to the story and their characters -- I am all the more affected by the fragility of life demonstrated in these books when it occurs unpredictably and to the three-dimensional, as opposed to peripheral, characters; I am all the more engrossed and all-believing. 5). Aloysius Pendergast. In fine form (is there any other way?). I could go on, but instead, I say, "Start reading!" You may be brought to tears, you will be brought to chuckles, if not outright laughter, and you will certainly be brought to catching your breath. What are the minuses, you ask? Only that we have another seemingly interminable wait before reading the next installment of Preston-Child's intricate, fact-fictional, imaginative, and utterly disarming works.

The first review is always a tough one to follow, but I'll do my best. I have been anticipating this book for more than a year and the wait was worth it. Once again the authors deliver one of those creepy tales set in contemporary New York City. I particularly like the way they always center their plots around the Museum of Natural History because it can be a scary place even on a good day. Special Agent Pendergast returns in his role as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. He speaks very little, but he takes everything in. His Aunt Cordelia also returns and never fails to send chills down my spine. The inciting incident is shocking, but I don't think I'd want you to know what it is up front. It's difficult to see a recurring character die, especially one who is this likable. If you follow the series you will not be disappointed with the latest installment. And if you are a "newby" you'll want to go back and read the previous books. Either way, enjoy!