Dance of Death: Pendergast, Book 6

As with other books in this series I really enjoyed this book and it kept me up late reading " just one more page. " I'm giving it four stars based on the quality of the other books in this series. If this was the first book in this series that I had ever read I probably would have given it five stars, but for me it just didn't quite measure up to the other books that I have read in this series.Agent Pendergast returns from what many believed was from the dead. Now he is facing his most dangerous foe ever, his brilliant but insane brother. It seems that his brother saved him from certain death just to be able to torture him by killing everyone Agent Pendergast has ever cared for. To make catching his brother even more difficult it seems he is even better at disguises than Agent Pendergast, is maybe even more of a genius than Pendergast, and being insane he doesn't care who he hurts or kills...all just to get back at Agent Pendergast.

A wild ride from start to finish. It will leave you breathless for the next book. Exceptional character development with twists and turns the you can't see coming!

In "Dance of Death" authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have taken the logical step of something that has been occurring casually in their writing over the last three novels, they have pulled together all of their joint works (save "Riptide" which can be neither included nor excluded) into one cohesive universe. The primary characters, Bill Smithback, Nora Kelly, Margo Green, Laura Hayward, Vincent D'Agosta and of course Aloysius Pendergast, have all been featured prominently in past works, and while I haven't been much of a fan of this inbreeding of plot lines, I have to admit that it is carried of with a great deal of panache."Dance of Death" is a sequel to the previous "Brimstone", and likewise represents the latest in an arc concerning Pendergast that began with "The Cabinet of Curiosities" and continued in "Still Life With Crows". As such, this isn't the best book to start with these authors, as some sections will border on the incomprehensible to new readers. Dealing with a deadly grudge match between Pendergast and his brother Diogenes, "Dance of Death" cleverly sets up all of the previous Lincoln and Child novels as a training ground for the penultimate showdown between these two enigmatic geniuses, which will, at least as of this writing, find its denouement in next summer's book. Thus be forewarned, that "Dance of Death" ends in a cliffhanger. However, since it is obvious within the context of the book, and since the authors have been more than forthcoming about that fact, this is hardly a criticism.It is worth noting that as with other recent Preston and Child novels, "Dance of Death" drifts away from the early science and story driven novels, and derives more of its tension from character development. While this may disappoint some, it actually works quite well as the authors are now drawing on eight previous books, and as such they are capturing the themes and drama found in those prior works. There's a little bit of "Relic", a dash of "Thunderhead", a portion of "The Ice Limit", so on and so forth. As Pendergast and his faithful Lieutenant D'Agosta are pulled ever deeper into Diogenes murderous plan, more than a few pieces snap satisfyingly into place. At the same time the characters are used in unpredictable ways, so each new plot twist feels just a little more puzzling because of that. Literally up to the last page Preston and Child throw one change-up after another at the reader.In fact, the ending is one of the high points of the book, and speaks to a strong element that pervades the text, namely the fallibility of Pendergast. "In Dance of Death" he is plainly surpassed by his brother, and his need to rely on friends makes him a much more compelling and human character than the polymath superman he has often become; a character which sadly verged on self caricature. How this relates to the conclusion, and without offering any spoilers, is basically this: if you are going to end a book with a cliffhanger, make it a really good, really unexpected one that opens up avenues that were hinted at, but that are only plain in retrospect.My one complaint is that the same tying together of different novels that makes "Dance of Death" so successful has also made the authors too clever for their own good. It is one thing to use a neat bit of story-telling to link seemingly unrelated events, but quite another to riddle the book with self-referential tidbits and mundane inside jokes. In fact, some of the jokes step on their own toes as they reference the sequel to a book they wrote whose characters appear in this novel. It's unnecessary, really distracting, and I frankly wish they would cut it out.That complaint aside, "Dance of Death" is a brisk thriller that so nicely ties together what one might call the Preston/Child Mythos, it's almost impossible not to enjoy. While definitely not for a newcomer, fans will be impressed by the quality of the writing (which improves with each book, the authors clearly take their craft seriously) and the numerous twists and turns. I also appreciate the signal that this novel sends: that once the Pendergast arc is completed, the authors will branch back out into new stories; something which is necessitated by the engaging confluence of characters and stories. As such, it feels like both the end and the beginning, which is certainly appropriate for the second book in a trilogy.Jake Mohlman

I continue to find the series so interesting and so much fun to read however, I found this one just a wee bit more far fetched and not as interesting. I will not give up by because I need all the answers, but this one wasn't a homerun like the others, more like a solid double that produced an RBI. ONWARD TO NO. 7!!!!!

A very impressive follow up to Brimstone. Agent Pendergast has come up against plenty of dangerous foes in the past, but here he finally has an opponent that is his equal in the form of his brother Diogenes. It's another high quality read that is all the better for having such an excellent antagonist. No spoilers, but a major character from the first two books also finally makes a return and the story is better for it. Add in likeable series regulars Nora Kelly, Bill Smithback, and Vincent D'Agosta and you have a formula for success.The only reason I'm not rating this 5 stars is just like the previous book Brimstone, this one ends in a very frustrating cliffhanger - it irritates me beyond belief when authors do this, and having two of them in a row takes some of the enjoyment out of the story. If you're investing in this book be prepared to have to get the next one too.

I am an enormous admirer of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, both as collaborators and as solo writers. With the adventures of Vincent D'Agosta, Agent Pendergast and others they have created some fabulous suspense fiction; coming up with plots that are cunning, intelligent and brimming with atmosphere. Unfortunately Dance of Death, their latest effort, just isn't up to the high standard of their best work such as Still Life With Crows, a fantastic American-gothic thriller, or Riptide, a chinese puzzle box of a novel.Following on directly from the events of their previous book, Brimstone, Dance of Death finally introduces a character referred to in past novels, Pendergast's diabolical younger brother Diogenes. Regular Preston & Child readers will know that Diogenes, the yang to Pendergast's ying, has pledged to pull off a perfect and terrible crime and faked his death years earlier in order to be free to prepare for it. In Dance of Death he finally brings his plans to fruition.The problem is that when finally revealed both Diogenes & his fiendish plot are little more than damp squibs. It could be argued that, after so much anticipation, both character and crime would have been hard pressed to meet readers' expectations, a situation that cannot be blamed on the authors. It is undeniable however, that in the character of Diogenes Preston & Child have come up with one of their weakest villains yet, despite having so much time to work on both him and his machinations.Described as a perfect criminal mind, without any sense of morality or mercy and with a predeliction for torture, Diogenes should be the stuff of nightmares. Instead he comes across as nothing more than a spoilt child and despite his much touted intelligence he makes several basic errors that endanger a plot he has supposedly taken decades to plan. A plot, it should be said, that is hardly as dastardly as expected, although it does threaten some much loved characters from previous books, placing them in real jeopardy at times.With Diogenes providing such a weak core to the story however, the whole book is undermined and no amount of tense set-pieces or sense of iminent danger can rescue it. Not even the reintroduction of hitherto unrelated characters from other novels such as the engmatic Eli Glinn from The Ice Limit can resucitate what for two such talented authors is a weak effort at best. To cap it all they even contrive to end the story on yet another open ended note, obliging readers to obtain the inevitable follow-up in order to discover what happens.The three stars awarded reflect the fact that, even when coasting as they appear to be with Dance of Death, Preston & Child are still able to create thrillers that are far more entertaining and original than most. It must be hoped however, that for their next effort they try a little harder and rely less readers' obvious affection for the characters they have created.

Another rattling good tale from Preston and Childs. The book develops the Agent Pendergast, character and provides an insight into his earlier life. A real mystery and I couldn't guess even nearly at the end of the book the twist in the tale would be, and there always is one from these authors. I've read this series of books once and am re-reading them with pleasure, working my way through the series. They are gripping me with as much interest as they did the first time around. Spectacular plot, magnificent characters, even the diabolical brother of Agent Pendergast intrigues and is utterly fascinating. Can't wait to re-read the next 'episode' Book of the Dead in the Pendergast saga, please, please, please, long may these authors continue with this character..

Perhaps this is because the storyline does not give the Pendergast we know and love a chance to shine? In this book he is determined but struggling, and frequently held back by mundane matters. I always prefer the stories in which he is omnipotent and magnificent. The presence of his brother in the story (although a good bad-guy) is depressing and too many secrets are kept about their past to make it interesting. There never really is a grand dénouement, which is a shame.

This book is the second book of the trilogy concerning Agent Aloysius Prendergast and his dastardly brother Diogenes. It is well written but I didn't find it as good as some of the earlier books. This book specifically needs to be read after Brimstone and before The Book of the Dead for everything to make sense.

... dark, twisted plot, compelling characterisation and I think Pendergast is the closest thing we have had to a Hannibal Lecter-level personality since he appeared. I'm re-reading the whole series before I read the latest and I doubt I'll sleep until they're done!