Blue Labyrinth

Six-word review: Pendergast finally comes back to life.

Extended review:

The last few Pendergast books have seemed borderline insipid to me, despite some feverish action and weird over-the-top drama with the Helen story and the twins. It was as if--not uncommonly for series writers--Preston and Child were running out of steam with their protagonist, and maybe even turning to NaNoWriMo plot ninjas for their story twists. In fact, for a while I suspected them of willing him to die.

With this one, they seem to have resurrected the Pendergast of old, albeit channeling the spirit of Sherlock Holmes in a way that he never did until recently.

What's markedly different, however, is the project team. There's a fierce and very tight circle of show more partisan collaborators who are willing to dare anything and risk everything to save him when he is beyond the possibility of saving himself. These are characters we've seen in previous episodes, but bonded and coordinated now in ways they haven't been before. Even though I've happily admired Pendergast's prowess as the cat that walks by himself, I'm glad to see the extent of loyal collaboration on his behalf, which tells us more about his character than any amount of authorial description.

In this wide-ranging tale of witting and unwitting evil, madness, desperation, and revenge, Pendergast faces demons spawned by his personal and family history. Not without the almost obligatory underground chase (back in the museum once again), it also ranges from New York to California to Brazil to Switzerland and offers realistic-sounding glimpses of unknown landscapes. As is often the case, I find myself wondering if the authors have invented such places as the crimehold in Rio and the abandoned desert hotel, or based them on research, or visited them themselves. The descriptions always sound vividly authentic, a quality I value. I even appreciate the totally bizarre touches such as the room full of whale eyeballs, which is far too outlandish to be anything but real.

This fourteenth installment also seems to have been blessed by tighter editing. There are relatively few conspicuous lapses aside from a heavy, and often not quite apt, use of -ing participles ("Moving quickly now down the hallway, she descended the steps..." [page 311]), which express simultaneity but here are used way too often to speed up depiction of consecutive actions. Nevertheless, I saw very little use of a wrong word, and "dogleg" occurred only once, and if anyone sported anything, it escaped my notice. Instead the story moved right along, held my attention, and proved a highly satisfactory page-turner just when I needed one.

What puzzles me, in the end, aside from a few loose ends (how did the turquoise actually come to rest where it was found?), is the title. Series books often have titles that seem only to label the volume and not to describe the contents, typically with some sort of overall consistency or recognizable pattern that distinguishes the series; but usually one can find some sort of connection to the novel, however tenuous (Cemetery Dance, White Fire). But here, even though a labyrinth would be entirely in keeping with the plot elements of many Pendergast novels (and the idea is enforced by the incorporation of a maze device at every chapter head), there is no labyrinth in this book, much less a blue one. The title seems arbitrary, a grabber, possibly even one forced on the book by a marketing team with little regard to fitness. (Were they drawing one from column A and one from column B?) I notice that the preceding book uses "white" in the title and the following "crimson," as if we were now going to borrow the palette of John D. MacDonald's color-titled Travis McGee series.

If we now have a Crayola box of Pendergast stories to come, that sounds fine to me. I'm still following. show less

As a big fan of Preston and Child's Pendergast books (this is #14 in the series), I was really exciting to finally get around to reading "Blue Labyrinth". I was not disappointed. The book starts fast with a body dropped off at the Dakota residence of FBI agent A.X.L. Pendergast. Not just another body, by the way, but rather that of his evil son, Alban. A car screeches away from the apartment and a great thriller begins.

Pendergast is stunned, not so much because of the death of his son, but rather because someone was able to best his formidable offspring. Clues are left soon drawing Pendergast and his ward, Constance Greene into a search for the killer or killers.

The plot soon parallels a murder investigation led by Lieutenant Vincent show more D'Agosta with assistance from another name from the past, Margo Green. As D'Agosta attempts to find the killer of a National Museum of History employee, his case starts to intertwine with Pendergast's. Constance and Margo become main players in the book as the add their expertise to the story.

The Pendergast that fans of the character took to in the earlier Preston and Child novels is certainly back in "Blue Labyrinth". He is irascible, arrogant, brilliant, and even fallible in parts. The plot is carefully crafted with numerous shocks and twists throughout. Most readers will find themselves saying, "I didn't see that coming" more than once.

Totally enjoyable and immensely intense, fans of the series will want to rush out and get a copy of "Blue Labyrinth" as soon as they can. show less

The fact that I am still having this much fun 14 books into this series is a testament to the collective creative genius of the writing team of Preston and Child. Having read some of their separately written novels I think I can pick out who writes which scenes and where the ideas come from, but it is like the Beatles--the combination of the talents creates something very special.

The plot in this latest installment was ingenious. Complex yet fitting so satisfying. And still packing some surprises. I particularly loved the fact that Constance and Margo got so much page time here. Constance is a real bad ass when she gets pissed off!

Set aside a day or two (because you will read pretty much non-stop) and enjoy.

Someone has dumped the body of Pendergast’s son, Alban, on the doorstep of his mansion. Although he doesn’t mourn his son’s death – Alban was one of the most cunning and dangerous criminals he has ever encountered – he realizes that the murder is meant as both a message and a challenge to him and he has no choice but to accept. However, it becomes very clear that his adversary, as impossible as it seems, can only be Alban himself and, in what could possibly be Pendergast’s last case, he may be no match of his dead son.

Blue Labyrinth is the 14th novel in this series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and it’s all about the past both Pendergast’s and the series. Pendergast is much more present in this novel than he was show more in the last one, White Fire. But, after a deadly encounter that leaves him on the brink of death, it is left to his friends Vincent, Margot, and Constance to solve the case and, as it turns out, the female may really be the most deadly of the species.

In Blue Labyrinth, Preston and Child return to the roots of the story and they ratchet up the suspense and excitement to turbo-charge. This is one fast-paced, nail-biting roller coaster of a ride. It seemed for a while that the series was losing its oomph but this novel brings it back with a vengeance. show less

Blue Labyrinth is an interesting and exciting ride, but I found it a bit of a departure from what I've come to expect from the Pendergast series. A familiar character returns for this one, which was nice. In general, normally secondary characters take centerstage for this story, so if you're looking for a story centered on the Agent, this would not be your first choice.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Pendergast starts out in true form -- picking up on obscure clues and disappearing on the hunt, but not explaining his actions to anyone. The book begins in a Sherlockian fashion, opening with the dead body of Alban, and Pendergast pursued the clues with more determination than ever. But in a novel twist, Pendergast is hit with the poison that killed show more Alban, becoming the next victim of his son's killer.

From here, we saw a different Pendergast. At one point, I thought we were glimpsing a sign of human frailty in him, which was unusual enough, when the day after a physical fight in which he was equally matched, he was stiff and sore. But we soon found that he'd been poisoned.

The symptoms continued to produce behavior out of the ordinary for Agent Pendergast, such as the sudden listlessness when he saw the picture of his attacker as the suspect in the Museum murder. He soon became more erratic and unhinged. During his whole trip to Brazil, he was weak, frail. The fact that he was looking for his son added another dimension of vulnerability. It was tough watching Pendergast in such a state.

Towards the end, he'd given up on surviving. On one hand, it was logical, as no one had survived before. On the other hand, he's never been one to give up. But the elixir was working on his mind, and he wasn't as sharp as he might have been.

What was more unusual -- and more disturbing -- was that he was in need of help in this story. In fact, he needed saving in the end. This is a different turn than any previous book.

His relationship to Constance was different as well. He was more open with her, more honest, revealing. And yes, there was the kiss, but Constance seemed to place more importance on the fact that he called her his oracle. Which he then threw back in her face in a way only Pendergast could pull off -- and live, apparently. Constance showed her claws in this one -- and they are sharp.

I'm disappointed the authors decided to get rid of Alban so quickly. I'm sure they had good reasons, but he seemed to have potential to be a formidable and worthy adversary for Pendergast. Now, we'll never know.

Overall a fun ride, full a suspense, mystery, and tension. Just not what I was expecting. show less

Title – Blue Labyrinth

Author – Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Summary -

Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast has had many adversaries over the years. Both human and not completely human. But the one who has cost him the most is his own son, Alban. Gifted with the charm and good looks of his father, but with a mind of hate and revenge, Alban has been a threat to Pendergast and all he holds dear. So as he sets to have dinner with his ward and guests, there is a knock on his door…

“…For a moment, the figure remained standing, swaying ever so slightly, fitfully illuminated by flashes of lightning-and then it began to fall, like a tree toppling, slowly at first and then faster, before crashing facedown across the threshold.
Constance show more backed up with a cry, Pendergast arrived at a run, followed by Proctor. Pendergast grasped her, pulled her aside, and quickly knelt over the young man. He gripped the figure by the shoulder and turned him over, brushing the hair from his eyes, and feeling for the pulse that was so obviously absent beneath the cold flesh of the neck.
“Dead,” he said, his voice low and unnaturally composed.
“My God,’ Constance said, her own voice breaking. “Its your son Tristram.”
“No,” Pendergast said. “It’s Alban…”

Delivered to his doorstep was Pendergast’s son, enemy, adversary. Dead. Murdered. So begins the 14th installment of the Agent Pendergast series.
Pendergast will need to search into his own past and his own family’s transgressions to find the murderer of his estranged son. He will also need to help solve a murder in the New York Museum of Natural History where many of the horrors of Pendergast’s career began. From New York to Arizona to Brazil to Switzerland, and back to New York, Pendergast will follow the trail of the killer. Only learning perhaps too late that the killer has taken vengeance on Pendergast himself. Can he solve this murder before his own life is gone?

Review -

What is so awesome about a Preston/Child novel is that they don’t insult the intelligence of the reader. In fact they challenge it. With obscure science and forensics, the have created in Agent Pendergast a hybrid of James Bond and Sherlock Holmes. Immensely intelligent and not shy with a gun when required. The supporting cast has also grown over the novels. Detective D’Agosta, Constance Green and others fill the world of these novels and carry their own quite well.
In Blue Labyrinth they have to carry more then their normal share as Pendergast is infected with a poison of his own ancestor’s making and is slowly dying. It is left to Constance and the team to catch the murderer and find an antidote to save Pendergast.
Constance has always been something of an anomaly in the novels. A character from another time that is part damsel in distress and part ninja. In this novel she steps up recklessly and boldly, her affections for Pendergast a protective nature that unleashes abilities once before hidden. One can only wonder if a solo novel of Constance Green is somewhere in the works.
The team of Pendergast and Green is formidable and with any hope will be together for many novels to come.
That is what Preston/Child have accomplished with these novels. They have developed the characters and not accepted any limitations to how they may evolve.
Well done.
Another fun and exciting read. show less

More of Constance. Still having to read beyond my annoyance with the unlikable characters. Kinda neat to have Margo and D'Agosta back in the story. The plot is twisty; but not totally obfuscated...though it is far fetched. Kinda like The X-Files.