Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have graced the New York Times Best Sellers List multiple times, with their books featuring Special Agent Aloysius X. Pendergast being their most popular. The most common question of avid readers is: "What order should I read the Pendergast novels in?" They have designed each book to be a stand-alone novel, though there is a definite order to the series. The full list of novels-in order- is as follows: Relic, Reliquary, Cabinet of Curiosities, Still Life With Crows, Brimstone, Dance of Death, Book of the Dead, The Wheel of Darkness, Cemetery Dance, and Fever Dream.
Relic
Relic is the debut collaboration novel of authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. In this book, readers first meet Special Agent Pendergast, one of the most interesting and popular detectives since Sherlock Holmes. Pendergast, Detective Vincent D'Agosta, and museum worker Margo Green work together to solve a series of horrific murders taking place in the New York Museum of Natural History. Evidence points to a killer of non-human origins, but Pendergast is racing the clock as the museum brass ignore the evidence and plan to continue with a large celebration to announce a new exhibit.
Reliquary
Reliquary, while also a stand-alone novel, builds heavily on material from Relic, and should be read after it for maximum enjoyment. In Reliquary, Pendergast, D'Agosta, and Margo Green are joined by the genius Dr. Frock. The four of them attempt to decipher clues from a series of brutal murders. Evidence points that the "Museum Beast" from the previous novel is somehow still active. Precarious descents into the maze of tunnels, sewers, and abandoned train lines bring together Pendergast and various underground inhabitants, who help solve the final puzzle.
Cabinet of Curiosities
Cabinet of Curiosities, the third novel in the series, is completely stand-alone. The cabinets referred to are collections by 19th century natural historians, and were frequented by interested New Yorkers. A new development uncovers the remains left by a serial killer active 130 years ago. What is assumed to be a copycat killer starts to plague New York, and Pendergast, along with archeologist Nora Kelly, try to unravel the 130 year old mystery in an attempt to understand the current killings.
Still Life With Crows
The fourth novel in the series is Still Life with Crows. Set in Kansas, this stand-alone novel is the one least like the rest in the series. Special Agent Pendergast deals with a new type of serial killer- who defies all FBI classification. Evidence indicates that a citizen of Medicine Creek, a dying Kansas town with a two-block main street, is the killer.
The Diogenes Trilogy: Brimstone, Dance of Death, & Book of the Dead
The Diogenes Trilogy introduces us to Pendergast's twisted and sociopathical brother, Diogenes. Brimstone, the first of the trilogy, only features Diogenes in a very small way, and is not required reading before the other two. In Brimstone, three murders capture national attention. Leaving behind unnaturally heated bodies, the smell of brimstone, and a cloven hoof burned into the ground convince the public that the devil is on the loose. Pendergast and D'Agosta finally travel to Italy in their quest for the truth.
Dance of Death brings together Diogenes and Pendergast in a twisted ballet that leaves Pendergast's closest friends and co-workers brutally murdered and Pendergast himself framed for the crimes. With Diogenes' genius IQ and intricate plan, Pendergast finds himself constantly one step behind.
Book of the Dead, the final novel in the Diogenes trilogy, is the most thrilling. Pendergast, trapped in prison for crimes he didn't commit, is helpless to stop Diogenes from perpetrating a wide-reaching and horrific crime. The New York Museum of Natural History, always concerned about their image, plan to re-open the Tomb of Senef in an attempt to recover from the destruction of their famous diamond collection. Killings and rumor of a curse fail to stop the planned opening.
Wheel of Darkness
Wheel of Darkness, the eighth book in the Pendergast series, starts out with Pendergast and Constance Green traveling to Tibet. A remote monastery loses an ancient and dangerous artifact in a mysterious robbery. Pendergast and Constance Green agree to find the artifact, which seems to leaves horror and death in its' wake.
Cemetery Dance
A mysterious cult, zombies, and murder all figure into Cemetery Dance. Pendergast has returned to New York city to solve the mystery. A secretive cult that practices voodoo seem to be the source of the problem, but a deeper motive seems to be underlying the mystery.
Fever Dream
Fever Dream, the final novel of the series- at least to this point- brings in a mystery involving Helen, Pendergast's long dead wife. Between the stunning realization she was murdered and the secrets she had buried in her past, Pendergast begins to wonder if he ever even knew the woman he had married.
Best Enjoyed and Understood in Order
While authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child make every effort to make each book a stand-alone book, capable of being understood and enjoyed without other required reading, the Pendergast series is much better when read in order. Loose threads from various books, continuing characters who gain depth and history throughout the many novels, and complicated plot lines tie the entire series together in an unforgettable and thrilling reading experience.
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