Almost three years after I read the fantastic novel Relic, and a year and a half after I read its less-stellar sequel Reliquary, I finally moved on to the third book in the Agent Pendergast series, The Cabinet of Curiosities.
In The Cabinet of Curiosities, 36 bodies are discovered beneath New York City, victims of a serial killer who lived over a century ago. Nevertheless, Special Agent Pendergast takes an interest in these old murders… and soon identical killings begin to take place across the city.
Like Relic, this book is tense and gripping. It kept me glued to the pages and thinking about it at night (plus the occasional nightmare, but don’t worry, it’s more a thriller than horror).
It leaves behind most of the previous characters to focus on new ones, although Smithback returns… as does Pendergast.
The focus on science isn’t quite as strong, but Pendergast is in top form. Almost too much so. I have to admit, I struggled to suspend my disbelief the first time he did a “memory crossing” and mentally transported himself to another time through studying and meditation.
(It’s basically the MASON System from Apollo Justice, except using Pendergast’s mind instead of a computer simulation.)
Superhuman Pendergast or not, he’s still up against a dangerous foe and his extraordinary detective skills don’t eliminate the sense of danger.
He’s definitely the star of the show, but the other main character, an archaeologist named Nora Kelly, also takes a good role. As for Smithback, he’s as infuriating-but-well-intentioned as he was in the previous novels. And you have to love how his reaction to seeing Pendergast is to wonder what horrible nightmare is about to happen this time.
But the plot itself takes precedence over the characters to some degree, and it’s an exciting ride. Interestingly, while it lays out enough pieces early on for you to have suspicions about what’s happening, it keeps the mystery strong until the end.
Some parts of the conclusion are slightly underwhelming, but that can be forgiven when the journey to get there is so enjoyable.
If you liked Relic, or just enjoy thrillers in general, I highly recommend less-stellar sequel Reliquary, I finally moved on to the third book in the Agent Pendergast series, The Cabinet of Curiosities, and I can’t wait to try the next in the series.
