The Cabinet of Dr. Leng

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s The Cabinet of Dr. Leng is the twenty-first novel in the Pendergast series focused on FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast. The story begins following the events of Bloodless, which introduced a time machine in the vein of Michael Crichton’s Timeline that can use quantum tunneling to peer into parallel realities that feature a different time rather than traveling back along the time of one’s own reality. Constance Greene used the device to travel to a New York City of the 1880s in order to save some version of her siblings from their grisly fates and to extract vengeance from Dr. Enoch Leng, Pendergast’s ancestor and the man who experimented on and killed her sister to develop his Arcanum, show more eventually using it to prolong his own and Constance’s life. For his part, Pendergast decides not to follows Constance’s directions and reconstructs the machine she destroyed in order to save her from Leng, a threat in any timeline. In this, the novel returns the series to one of its strongest previous entries while offering the chance for Preston & Child to flex their historical fiction skills.

Meanwhile in the present, Lt. Vincent D’Agosta finds himself returning to the Museum of Natural History, the site of two of Pendergast’s earliest cases, in order to investigate a classic locked-room mystery. Out in Denver, Special Agent Armstrong Coldmoon investigates a murder on a nearby Reservation. His superiors and the local police think the case is open-and-shut, but his doubts reveal the duplication and theft of Native American artwork and items of cultural patrimony with links to D’Agosta’s case. Soon, Pendergast’s two former partners find themselves working together to uncover how many items were stolen and where they ended up.

The story concludes on a cliffhanger, with a teaser promising a final confrontation between Pendergasts past and present. In expanding upon a narrative that began in The Cabinet of Curiosities, Preston & Child find themselves on safe ground so that long-time fans can follow the narrative leaps time travel brings to the story. The B-story focused on D’Agosta and Coldmoon gives each a chance to shine while affording them the opportunity to learn from each other’s insights. A good addition to the Pendergast series that promises an exciting conclusion in the forthcoming twenty-second novel. show less

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've read every Pendergast novel and feel qualified to say that Preston and Child are at their best when they put Pendergast in the forefront of the plot. That's not necessarily the case with "The Cabinet of Dr. Leng" as Pendergast shares the limelight with other familiar characters: Constance, D' Agosta, Coldmoon, and even Proctor in a memorable appearance.

This novel picks up where the last one, "Bloodless", left off when Constance left the present and, via a parallel universe, returned to her past in 1880 New York City. Constance returns to save her siblings (and herself) from the experiments of Dr. Leng. As the book started out, I was somewhat concerned show more that the plot was of a "jump the shark" nature since it involved time travel. However, with some suspension of disbelief, it all seems to work out for an enjoyable reading experience.

The pacing of the book moves rapidly as the scenes change from 188o NYC to the present to even a setting involving Coldmoon and some counterfeit Lakota artifacts. The plot then ratchets up when Pendergast and D'Agosta use the time machine to attempt to save Constance.

Though somewhat rushed, the ending is shocking and could both frustrate and intrigue even the most inveterate P & G followers. At the same time, it will have those same followers counting the days until the next novel is published. show less

Let it be known that I am a true fan of [[Douglas Preston]], but not so much a fan of the Pendergast world. This book was part of a raffle winning package of books, so I thought I'd try Pendergast again at no expense. But I just don't get it. Perhaps the FBI stuff is just too outlandish for me and, for someone who knows better, folks, it is off-the-scale outlandish. The idea that an FBI agent would be composed of these characteristics, or get away with what he gets away with, just breaks my mind, I can suspend disbelief with the best of 'em, but Pendergast is a bridge way too far. The supernatural/time-travel elements were interesting, as was the relationships between the characters. I also didn't care for the way this book ended - as show more an author, if you have to pen an apology for breaking your narrative into two books after the last page of the first book, get an editor or shove the whole thing down the publisher's gullet, please.

I will keep reading Preston but leave Pendergast to his peculiarities.

2 bones!! show less

Time travel books can be tricky, even trickier when they are part of a series with which I am totally unfamiliar. But that is my problem and one that will have to be rectified as I go searching and sourcing the previous installments of this series. Deftly handled by talented authors I was happily bouncing back and forth between the timelines becoming acquainted, through the eyes of the characters, with NYC in 1880 and the present.

This book had just the right amount of everything, history, diabolical mad doctor, impoverished and neglected children, tension, anger, antiquities theft, wow, a lot going on and to be solved. Now about that passage relating to the Former Principality of Transylvania and an ancestral home in the duchy of show more Inowroclaw in Galicia - wow - who thinks and writes these words just to make the point of valuing loyalty over ambition - very talented authors. There were so many great references that stopped me cold and caused me to really think and wonder; “as he maintained his sanity by skipping from one tiny sliver off time to another, between the beat of a hummingbird’s wings.”

The story held my interest, but I admit to being frustrated by not having the previous installments on my “read “ shelf. Totally my problem as this book was excellent. Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a copy. show less

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child is a highly recommended procedural, and science fiction thriller, and the 21st Aloysius Pendergast novel. As a long time fan of both Preston and Child, together and separate, I need to forewarn other fans that this novel is TO BE CONTINUED...a situation that has left me distressed and a tad bit frantic.

The novel follows three different narratives. First, FBI agent Pendergast is devastated that his ward (and love) Constance Greene has left him. Constance has used a time machine to travel back to a parallel universe in New York City in 1880. She is hoping to right several wrongs, save her siblings, and make the scurrilous Dr. Leng pay for his devious deeds. Pendergast plans to go show more back in time to save her.

Then, Special Agent Armstrong Coldmoon who has been working with Pendergast, is sent to investigate a murder on the reservation in South Dakota. And New York City, Lieutenant Commander Vincent D'Agosta is investigating the unusual murder of the curator of Native American artifacts at New York's Museum of Natural History. It is soon discovered that Coldmoon's case is related to D'Agosta's case.

The pace moves briskly in all the narrative threads and the intrigue just keep building with each new chapter. The dual timelines and cases are all correspondingly compelling, challenging, and intricate in all theories/investigations/mysteries, enough so that you will be equally interested in all the plot lines. As the chapters switch between storylines, knowing the other storylines will be updated in subsequent chapters, the new information will be welcomed.

As you reach later points in the novel, you will be wondering how in the world case Preston and Child reach a conclusion and tie up all the loose ends. Then you will find out that the novel is too be continued. sigh. The fact is that the wait will be worth it because the narrative threads are already so strong and the action so engrossing that to expand it into another novel to reach a conclusion will only result in a more riveting story and a consummate summation of all the narratives. Preston and Child are talented enough to pull it all together.

At this point all the characters are well-developed because they have been around for years. They are all complex and fully realized individuals and this novel continues adding depth to the characters. Coldmoon is a new character, as far as the series goes, but he is also well-written and realistic.

Fans of the series are going to jump on this latest novel immediately. Newcomers could start here, but it would make more sense to read the series in order. The procedural part of the novel can stand alone as a separate story, but the whole plot involving Constance and Pendergast benefits from the background information. 4.5

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/01/the-cabinet-of-dr-leng.html show less

One of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's most popular novels is The Cabinet of Curiosities. This introduced us to Dr. Enoch Leng, one of the evilest and most brilliant villains Pendergast has ever encountered. Now he returns in their latest book, The Cabinet of Dr. Leng.
Pendergast's ward, Constance, has found her way back to where she came from, New York in the late 1800s. She is determined to save the lives of her brother and sister. Lurking in the way, however, is Dr. Leng.

Pendergast, not fully recovered from his injuries suffered in the last book, is desperate and determined to find a way to reach Constance. Meanwhile, Agent Coldmoon is finally able to get to the Denver office where he is assigned a case involving the death of show more Lakota on reservation land in South Dakota.

Amazingly, all these events circle back to New York and a crime at the New York Museum of Natural History. Now the real question is will Pendergast find a way back to Constance, and will he be in time. Or will Dr. Leng add another name to his long list of murders?

Every great detective is at his best when matched with a villain whose intellect matches his own. Holmes had Moriarity, Nero Wolfe had Arnold Zeck, and Pendergast has Enoch Leng. For much of the novel, it is Constance matching wits with Leng and hatching schemes to save her siblings.

Preston and Child vividly create an 1880s New York that richly portrays both the desperate state of the poor and the trappings of the very wealthy. The story bounces between this setting and the present day, where a pair of interesting mysteries, involving murder and theft leave you wondering how everything connects. You won't really get an answer here as the book ends on a cliffhanger. A cliffhanger that does include one shocking revelation.

This book is enthralling from beginning to end and the authors promise the story will be wrapped up in the next book. The action is exciting, the mysteries intriguing, and the battle of wits is extremely suspenseful. The Cabinet of Dr. Leng is one of the better entries in the series, although seeing how the story concludes in the next book will give a better idea of where it ranks.

While it is possible to pick up the story beginning with this book, you will have a much better understanding of Dr. Leng if you first read Cabinet of Curiosities. It is also helpful to read Bloodless to gain a better understanding of how and why Constance ends up back in 1880.

This book is thoroughly enjoyable, despite the open ending. I can't wait to see how it all concludes!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. show less

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this review copy!
DR LENG is number 21 in the Aloysius Pendergast series and one of the best ones, in my opinion. Constance has managed to get herself back to New York City in the 1800’s so she can change history. Pendergast is distraught and seems to be giving up on his life. Agent Coldmoon is away from Pendergast (to his relief) and is investigating a murder on the Rez in South Dakota. Commander D’agosta is looking into a mysterious death at the Museum of Natural History. Are all these murders connected? As the characters cross paths, the suspense ratchets up and the book is truly unputdownable.
The biggest source of enjoyment for me was the description of 1800’s NYC. Every show more sight, smell, and sound was described in such a way that I felt as if I were there alongside Constance. Along with the gruesome Dr Leng, there are other baddies that grab your attention and encourage you to “love to hate” them.
Constance is a divisive character in the Pendergast series; either you love her, or find her terribly annoying. She is the main character in DR LENG, so if you are not a fan, you may want to pass this by. However, I will say that the other characters are involved enough to ensure that Constance’s presence isn’t too annoying. That being said, I feel that Constance elevated herself to a new level as an intelligent, driven, strong female character.
I’m a fan of all the characters and I was very happy to see everyone involved in this story. Pendergast seems a lot more human as he struggles his way through each day without his beloved ward. It seemed to me that everyone was quite emotional (except for Proctor, of course!) and it endeared them to me even more.
DR LENG flows smoothly, seamlessly moving from one character/plotline to another. Classic Preston & Child. However: the ending. No spoilers here, only that I did not see it coming. Other reviews are mixed; either the ending is genius or total bull****. My reaction was “WHAT?!? Seriously?!. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the next book in this series. show less