The Cabinet of Curiosities

What a wonderful book! I'm fairly new to Peston & Child and this is my first Pendergast novel, and I was delighted to experience something a little different.

Cabinet of Curiosities is named after the old freakish collections people used to have before the days of big, fancy museums. They were places where people stored both real scientific objects of note, as well as a great many fakes and sensationalist items, like two-headed babies and alleged historical artifacts. The book itself is written very much in the vein of its subject matter with extensive description of such morbid and fassinating curiosities. Great fun!

The story is a mystery. When a long-buried charnal house is uncovered in NYC with 36 bodies, Agent Pendergast show more mysteriously arrives to investigate, in a manner rather unofficial. An archeologist, a reporter and a policeman are recruited to help and they combine forces to discover everything they can about the man behind these grissly murders and - his quest to prolong human life. That quest becomes vital when a series of brand new murders with the same MO begin happening around the city.

There are some neat twists and turns and the the authors do a marvelous job of teasing the suspense out of some of the tense moments, when killers are lurking in the shadows or chasing victims. There are also a couple of laugh-out-loud moments that give the book a good change of pace from thrills to laughs to horror.

The characters were not at all as I expected. Too many novels today sport characters which are disgustingly perfect, ace-shots, brilliant, handsome, perfect at everything they do, the best investigators and the best fighters. Everyone wants to be Bond. They're completely unrealistic and rather tiresome after a while. While Pendergast himself is a brilliant mind, he is definitely quirky. Nora, the archeologist was quite realistic, a strong female type. The reporter is both great at his job and a total flop in other ways; quite amusing. But not as funny as the captain of the police, who's a hilariously bumbling idiot and it was a riot to watch him work.

It's a great book, something with depth and intricasy, well written and fun. Especially if you're a fan of the 19th century and Halloween-type grusesome fare. Those Cabinets of Curiosities are halfway museum, halfway witch's house full of eye of newt and other weird things. I'd love to visit and I'm glad this book gave me a glimpse into that bizarre world. I'm excited to read the other Pendergast novels and more from Preston & Child. show less

I really liked this installment of the Pendergast series and I think it's my favorite so far. I made the mistake of reaching the final act when I was planning on going to bed and found I couldn't put it down. This is also the first book where I feel Pendergast starts taking center stage. There were a couple shaky aspects to the plot, but I read books for enjoyment and try not to overanalyze them too much. It was very suspenseful, with plenty of plot twists and angst. I'm definitely going to continue the series.

“One can reach the gates of hell just as easily by short steps as by large.”

Staying in New York, this third novel deals with the museum and archaeological finds again. This time it's closer to home when tearing down structures for new business reveals hidden bones and horrors beneath cement walls, telling a tragic story of the past. A modern killer is up to no good, however, bringing out Special Agent Pendergast, returning character journalist Bill Smithback, and struggling archaeologist Nora Kelly.

While the mystery angle is different, this book has a lot in common with the previous two, Relic and Reliquary, because of so much time spent in the museum, using similar research to unearth mystery, and trailing New York City to show more unmask a killer. Unlike the other two, Pendergast is more front and center focus. There's something about the detective that's addictive - he's unique and in some cases downright odd. He has an almost unrealistic, uncanny ability to determine the truth of the matter and smooth his way past conventional legal channels. Still, even if he's not wholly realistic, he's just awesome and steals every page scene he graces. Kudos to the author for making him more of a focus and regular. He stood out in the other books but he just wasn't there enough before. As inhuman and otherly than he could appear in previous books, he gets a fuller fleshing out this time, even with glimpses of his personal life and family.

The new addition of a down-on-his-luck cop was a gift. O'Shaughnessy was my favorite when you remove Pendergast from the story. At first he seemed like he would be another one layered addition to the corrupt, laziness of the system, but it's a pleasant surprise to find instead that he was pretty epic in his own, slower manner.

The killer is a demented being and the big reveal of what's at stake is intriguing. It certainly raises the implications of this being another mass murderer killing for mere psychosis out of the bag. There's a horrible death at the end that soured the taste of the of the book for me, though - I was just sitting there with a 'no, they didn't go' there face. Cleverly twisted with suspenseful spots, I can't fault the mystery story itself other than the pacing of the book lagging, waxing and waning at random times.

I started getting weighed down with Nora and Bill especially. I think if a lot of the scenes with Bill were removed, the book would have improved its pacing and interest because he went from annoying to boring. Nora wasn't really that interesting either - I dug some of her inner political struggles and liked how the ending of the book worked out for her, but she didn't hold a high degree of chemistry with me. show less

A construction crew in New York City uncovers a buried charnel house containing 36 skeletons. Agent Pendergast, a pale and strange man, appears at the New York Museum of Natural History, and pulls Archaeologist Dr. Nora Kelly into the 100-year old murder case. From the clothing and personal effects, Kelly ascertains all the remains are of poor people -- street, kids, factory workers, prostitutes -- and all were killed in the same way. Their spinal cords were severed and some portions extracted. Their investigation soon causes an avalanche of anger within the NYC political powers-that-be. A wealthy developer, city hall, the mayor's office, the police commissioner and even the museum director want the investigation stopped. Dr. Kelly is show more up to her neck in hot water and the case, when new corpses begin showing up, killed in the same gruesome manner. Agent Pendergast gathers a team consisting of a NYC cop, a NY Times reporter and Dr. Kelly to help him solve the case before more people are killed. It turns out that much, much more is at stake than just murder victims. If they fail, the future of the entire human race might be threatened.

This book is the 3rd in the Agent Pendergast series by Preston & Child. I read the first two books years ago -- Relic and Reliquary -- and loved them. Now years later while perusing my local library's digital offerings, I checked out Brimstone, only realizing then that it was the 5th book in the series. I am seriously OCD about reading a series in order, so I backed up to read The Cabinet of Curiousities and Still Life With Crows first. I'm so glad I found this series again! I love a good creepy mystery -- and The Cabinet of Curiousity was exactly what I adore!

Agent Pendergast is a strange, almost supernatural character at times, and very human at others. The character is portrayed as almost unknowable -- like The Shadow from old radio and televison serials. I am a total OTR addict, so I was sucked right into the story immediately. The plot moved at a good pace, and the supporting characters were believable enough to keep a sense of reality. The strange, supernatural, or magical qualities of Pendergast did not overwhelm the story, but enhanced it.

The end result was a creepy thrill-ride that I couldn't put down. I was totally engrossed in the story.

There are 16 books in the Agent Pendergast series. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child also co-author the Gideon Crew series. There was a movie version of the first Pendergast novel released in 1997. The movie had good box-office reception and reviews, but on their website the authors state it wasn't a good representation of their main character, Agent Pendergast. I don't remember much about the movie other than it was thrilling and enjoyable. I do remember feeling at the time that the book was better. But -- isn't that always the case?? :)

If you like creepy, supernatural-feel, thrillers -- read this series!! There are some important plot points and character introductions in the earlier books....so read them in order to get the full effect. They aren't quick reads, but mindful, engrossing stories so be prepared to set aside uninterrupted brain-time!

I don't normally give books a 5....for me, a 5 is like an A and not something to award without extreme perfection. This book came close....solid 4.5. show less

Even if this book was terrible, the subject matter was so interesting to me, that it still would have gotten an okay rating. Thing is, the book wasn't terrible, it was a pretty good book also. Agent Pendergast was an interesting character, a little too secretive to join my pantheon of favorite literary characters (John Corey, et al), but enough that I bought more of the Pendergast series to read more about him. My caveat here is that this book is the third in the series, so maybe we learned more about Pendergast in the first two books, or maybe not, I'll let you know after I read the first two. Anyway, in regards to this book, great plot, interesting subject matter, like I said, keeps you guessing about the identity of the "bad guy" til show more the end. A thoroughly well done book, if you ask me. show less

This was my first of their Pendergast series of books, but I confess that I didn't select it because of Agent Pendergast, even though he is the most popular series the authors' offerings. I got hooked on the Nora Kelly book series. Kelly is an interesting and complex character and I first met her in the book "Thunderhead" which intrigued me because of its subject matter. I was hooked and proceeded to devout additional books in the Nora Kelly series not realizing that she was in this one. But now I've met Pendergast and I understand why he is so popular! He is intriguing and remote in mamy ways as well as both analytical and emotional. The plot in this book was amazingly complex, the characters very well developed and the adventure was show more compelling. The Surgeon, a serial killer recently operating in New York City, is on everyone's mind, but is he a copycat, or is he somehow a serial killer from 100 years ago who managed to extend his life through diabolical human experiments. Kelly, Smithback, and Pendergast race against time and put their lives on the line to find answers and discover the identity of the Surgeon. I confess that I didn't know whodunit until 2 pages before the authors revealed it. Bravo! Excellent read if you are into mystery, actio, adventure, and scientific based thrillers. show less

The Cabinet of Curiosities is the third book in Preston & Child's Agent Pendergast series. It includes Dr. Nora Kelly, the archaeologist from their book, Thunderhead, which was published between Pendergast book 2, Reliquary, and this book. I had checked out an audio copy, but it was abridged. At least I could spare my chronic eyestrain by reading only the parts that were left out of the audio copy.

It takes a very long time for us to find out why Agent Pendergast is so interested when some bones are discovered under a construction site, but he gets Dr. Nora Kelly of the New York Museum of Natural History to look at them. They're balked from doing as much as Pendergast would like. Nora and her gentleman friend, reporter Bill Smithback, show more Jr., a reporter for 'The New York Times" manage to retrieve a green dress that has a note inside. That note is an important clue.

Those 36 bodies were the victims of a 19th Century serial killer, Dr. Enoch Lang. Smithback writes about the bodies when Dr. Kelly is given grief by an arrogant jerk named Roger C. Brisbane III, the museum's First Vice President & General Counsel. Then a tourist is murdered in the same way as those 19th century victims, followed by a young model. The public is more than a little upset.

A Sergeant Patrick Murphy O'Shaughnessy of the 7th precinct is assigned to be Pendergast's New York Police liaison (read, hinder the special agent), but O'Shaughnessy is an honorable man. He doesn't respect Captain Custer, but he comes to respect Pendergast.

The research is very interesting, as are the difficulties with the killer, who is dubbed 'the Surgeon'. There are plenty of dangerous situations for our four main characters that lead to really bad situations at the climax.

NOTES:

Section One: Boneyard

Chapter 5: See Thunderhead for how Kelly and Smithback met.

Chapter 8: A cyclorama can be a picture in the round viewed from inside. It can also be a curved scene as part of a set.

Section Two: Men of Science

Chapter 4: Reinhart Puck hasn't seen Agent Pendergast since 'the Troubles of '95'.

Chapter 5 has the text of an important 12-13 July 1881 letter from Shottum to McFadden.

Chapter 8 has the text of William Smithback, Jr.'s article about the discovery of the bones.

Chapter 12: We're told how Margo Green and Lieutenant D'Agosta are doing when Pendergast talks to Smithback.

Section Three: The Appointed Time

Chapter 2: The first present-day victim is autopsied.

Chapter 4: The second victim sees a man in a derby hat.

Chapter 6: Pendergast is attacked.

Chapter 10: Clara McFadden describes Enoch Leng.

Chapter 11: Pendergast uses his '...powerful mind game he had developed, an adaptation of Chongg Ran an ancient Bhutanese Buddhist meditation practice...' to visit J. C. Shottum's Cabinet of Natural Productions and Curiosities in 1881. He calls the technique a 'memory crossing'.

Chapter 12: The 'New York Post has dubbed the current serial killer 'the Surgeon'.

Chapter 13: Pendergast learns how Constance Greene, Mary Greene's little sister, made a living after Mary was murdered.

Section Four: Many Worm

Chapter 2: Nora Kelley rents an apartment Enoch Leng rented. She uses the alias 'Betsy Winchell'.

Chapter 3: Nora always carries the penknife her brother, Skip, gave to her for her 16th birthday. It helps her make a discovery in chapter 4.

Chapter 6: We learn what happened to Tinsbury McFadden after he disappeared.

Chapter 9 has some descriptions of Pendergast's apartment in the Dakota building.

Section Five: Horse's Tail

Chapter 1: America's first serial killer? Well, Dr. Leng's murders did take place earlier than H. H. Holmes' killings. There's some dispute about whether or not H. H. Holmes should be considered a serial killer, even though he did murder several people at different times.

Chapter 6: Pendergast consults Wren in the New York Public Library.

Chapter 8: Smithback, using the alias 'Maurice Fannin' and pretending to be from Human Resources, accesses old records at the Museum of Natural History.

Section Six: The Old Dark House

Chapter 1: Smithback looks at the old records he swiped.

Chapters 2, 4, and 6 are about a subplot of Captain Custer looking for the Surgeon.

Chapters 3 & 5: Part of the inside of 891 Riverside Drive is described.

Section Seven: All Those Dreadful Little Cuts

Chapter 1: Pendergast visits his Great-Aunt Cordelia.

Chapters 2, 4, & 6 are devoted to Captain Custer's case.

Chapter 7: Agent Pendergast's second name is 'Xingú. His third name is his great-great grandmother Constance's maiden name.

Section Eight: The Search

Chapters 2, 4, 6, & 8 are devoted to Captain Custer's case.

Chapter 5:

a. The crest over the door of 891 Riverside Drive has three apothecary balls over a sprig of hemlock.

b. Agent Pendergast and Dr. Kelly find a mummified corpse.

Chapter 7: We meet O'Shaughnessy again.

Section Nine: In the Dark

Chapter 1:

a. Pendergast has a memory crossing to his childhood home (since burned down), a former monastery, Maison de la Rochenoire mansion on Dauphine Street in New Orleans.

b. The subway massacre is probably a reference to book two, Reliquary.

c. The Pendergast family crest is a '... shield containing a lidless eye over two moons: one crescent, the other full, Below was a lion, couchant.'

d. Pendergast visits his family's necropolis during the memory crossing, Some ancestors are named and their livelihoods described. I am wondering how a mansion in New Orleans has a subterranean chamber. Is it in a part of the city that isn't below sea level? Shame on his great-great grandfather for having built a smaller and simpler tomb for his wife than for himself.

Chapter 3: Pendergast explains a few things to the Surgeon.

Chapters 5, 7, and 9 - 11 not only involve a life-or-death chase, they describe rooms underneath 891 Riverside Drive.

Chapter 13 takes us back to Custer, who has gotten no smarter since the last time he appeared.

Chapter 14 tells us what the Greek inscription carved into the escutcheon outside Leng's house means. We also learn what Leng's end plan was.

Epilogue Arcanum:

a. We learn why Anthony Fairhaven created the Little Arthur hospital for children with rare diseases.

b. Pendergast makes a reference to Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado'.

b. There's a visit to Mary Greene and fellow victims' new grave #12 at Gates of Heaven Cemetery, where a little ceremony is held.

I enjoyed learning about Agent Pendergast's family background. The little hint that will lead to a revelation in a future volume (and a new supporting character) was also enjoyable. I think I need to read books one and two. show less