Rating: 
Summary: New York City Gothic
Review: The discovery of a mass grave at a construction site draws Nora Kelly(Thunderhead), Bill Smithback(The Relic), and Pendergast(The Relic) into a dark mystery about a serial killer who may still be stalking New York after 130 years.Earlier books by Preston and Child fit most strongly into the sci-fi adventure genre, but THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES is pure gothic horror. The pair find fresh clever uses for such creepshow trappings as secret passageways, family madness, and diabolical mutilations. I especially like the way the authors weave in so much research without slowing the pace of the story. One aspect reminded me of Thomas Harris's HANNIBAL, a meditation technique employed by one of the recurring characters. Still, if you are looking for a fast paced, blood-curdling yarn, I don't think you will find a better one this summer.
Rating:
Summary: Scared the heck out of me, and I loved every moment of it!
Review: This is Preston and Child at what they do best. I was more than glad to have Pendergast return. He is such a fascinating and intriguing character from the Relic and Reliquary. Having a whole book with him made for a very engrossing novel. Nora Kelly and Bill Smithback have good chemistry. It is good to read that Smithback is up to his usual tricks. Nora is more mature and a lot more likeable. The plot unfolds at a furious pace after a bone-chilling beginning. I had finished the book less than thirty-six hours after UPS delivered it. The criminal of the story is dark and shadowy. The detail about the criminal's acts are unspeakably graphic. It made my blood boil. All in all, this is far above their other most recent novel, The Ice Limit. Authors sometimes slump for awhile, but Cabinet of Curiousities has pulled Preston and Child way out of it.
Rating:
Summary: thunderous triumph
Review: In lower Manhattan, the construction crew is excavating the site so that a high rise could be built. As the team digs deeper, they uncover something macabre. The location once held a nineteenth century CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, but the "time capsule" legacy left behind for the present to discover is dozens of skeletal remains of obvious victims of a serial killer. The media learns about the 1880s homicides and enflames a public feeding frenzy. However, someone goes further than just shock. Abominable copycat murders occur, sending the locals into panic. FBI Special Agent Pendergast, New York Times reporter William Smithback Jr., and New York Museum of Natural History employee Nora Kelly join forces to search for the modern day culprit. The evidence points towards the same person who committed the gruesome crimes over a century ago still operating today as it appears a nineteenth century scientist may have unleashed Frankenstein's monster while unlocking the puzzle of immortality. Instead of seeming like old relics, the return of characters from previous novels enhances the latest Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child horror thriller. The story line is exciting, as the action never slows down and readers will feel the Son of Sam grip on the city. The good guys are strong and resolute though they face a formidable opponent. However, the key to why THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES is worth reading is the villain who seems so genuine in spite of the aura of immortality surrounding him. This is another thunderous triumph for this awesome author duo. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A great summer read!
Review: New York, the nineteenth-century, people were flocking to see the grotesque works of art called "cabinets of curiosities." Now, present day in lower Manhattan, an apartment building is scheduled to be built over one of these cabinets. But as the excavators begin digging in the basement they make a shocking discovery; the mutilated, disfigured remains of thirty-six people murdered over 130 years ago by an un-known serial killer. Called in to look at the remains, museum archeologist Nora Kelly does not know what she can do with the bodies, but FBI agent Pendergast is hell-bent on making sure she solves the mystery of the bodies. As Nora and Pendergast begin their investigation they uncover secrets about a mysterious doctor who was performing surgeries on people for his own sick purpose. The deeper they get involved with 'the surgeon's' past a new string of murders rock the city and the only clue the pair has is the fact it's a man wearing a long black coat using surgeon's scalpel to cut up his victims. Can this be true, a new series of killings resembling those committed over 100 years ago? Nora and Pendergast must work quickly if they are to catch the madman responsible for these human experiments. 'The Cabinet Of Curiosities" is a well written, fast-paced thriller that will hook you early on, and have you racing through the pages to reach the shocking climax. Creepy, suspenseful, and full of shadowy characters, this novel will keep you glued to your chair on a hot summer afternoon. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have been churning out summer blockbusters for several years, and their latest is destined for the top of the charts. The two authors know how to put together an entertaining novel; start off with an interesting plot, people it with well developed characters, throw in enough plot twists to keep readers guessing, and tie it all together with a shocking ending and you have killed a few hours with a very entertaining novel. A MUST read for all thriller fans. Nick Gonnella
Rating: 
Summary: Eerily they roll along
Review: In this excursion through dusty archives, gleaming old surgical instruments, Gotham real estate and Gothic grand guignol, Preston and Child maintain their gold standard for setting spine and brain tingling at once. Engaging protagonists (not, for once, all at one another's throats) lead us down the low streets of modern and Victorian lower Manhattan, through a tangle of jack-in-the-box surprises. The Preston and Child authorial tag team writes thrillers on the same sorts of themes Michael Crichton would, but they are far better at it. Of their works to date, this one is clothed in the thinnest veneer of scientific credibility (for me forfeiting a fifth star, though most readers probably won't mind.) But their mastery of pacing, gift for a balanced roster of characters, and sheer sense of ghoulish fun, are fully intact, and carry the day again. Among many grace notes, I particularly appreciated their quiet nod to H. P. Lovecraft, in naming their hideously long-lived serial killer after HPL's mysterious Plateau of Leng. These bricked-up basementscapes are reminiscent of several of the Providence master's works, from The Horror at Red Hook to Charles Dexter Ward. On the night you start reading it, don't plan on getting in to work early the next day.
Rating:
Summary: Eerily they roll along
Review: In this excursion through dusty archives, gleaming surgical instruments, Gotham real estate and Gothic grand guignol, Preston and Child maintain their gold standard for setting spine and brain tingling at once. Engaging protagonists (not, for once, all at one another's throats) lead us down the low streets of modern and Victorian lower Manhattan, through a tangle of jack-in-the-box surprises. The Preston and Child authorial tag team writes thrillers on the same sorts of themes Michael Crichton would, but they are far better at it. Of their works to date, this one is clothed in the thinnest veneer of scientific credibility (for me forfeiting a fifth star, though most readers probably won't mind.) But their mastery of pacing, gift for a balanced roster of characters, and sheer sense of ghoulish fun, are fully intact, and carry the day again. Among many grace notes, I particularly appreciated their quiet nod to H. P. Lovecraft, in naming their hideously long-lived serial killer after HPL's mysterious Plateau of Leng. These bricked-up basementscapes are reminiscent of several of the Providence master's works, from The Horror at Red Hook to Charles Dexter Ward. On the night you start reading it, don't plan on getting in to work early the next day.
Rating:
Summary: A BOOK FOR A LONG, RAINY NIGHT
Review: It is difficult to reveal even tidbits about the plot of this book. The story is so intricately created that any advance information might ruin some particular part of the story for a reader. I'll settle for saying this:
The story moves fast. It is spooky without being outright weird. It is written extremely well.
Save this one for a rainy night when you're in the mood for a novel that is one heck of a page-turner. It will grab your interest and not let go.
Rating:
Summary: A Walk on the Dark Side
Review: "Thunderhead"'s Nora Kelly rejoins Bill Smithback and FBI Special Agent Pendergast from "Relic" against the backdrop of New York's Museum of Natural History for a dark tale of a 19th century serial killer whose activities are uncovered by a team of land developers in the name of urban renewal. Once the headlines reflect the gruesome discovery, a copycat murderer stalks victims in the great metropolis and sends the police, the mayor's office and the museum into a frenzy of activity targeted for fast answers. Only the mysterious New Orleanian Pendergast seems to have critical insight into the motives and operations of the killer and it is only through his laborous endeavors does the case come to a satisfactory end.
As in their other colloborations, the authors manage to explore the dark side of human nature, yet in this particular installment, the shroud of darkness falls over Pendergast himself by touching on his family history. Dr. Kelly and journalist Smithback's romance is continued with a delightfully light touch.
The plot is fast-paced and recommended for anyone who enjoys a thriller with a scientific or medical connection.
Rating:
Summary: Their most absorbing novel yet
Review: I ordered this book from Amazon and read it in less than two days. And it's almost six hundred pages long. That's how well it sucks you in. If there weren't a million great reasons already to read this book, such as the chilling plot, the unexpected twists and turns, and the endearing characters, you would simply HAVE to read it for this reason alone: Pendergast. I have yet to meet a person who read the 'Relic' series and did not like this character. Intelligent, charming, and infinitely deep, he's a modern-day Sherlock Holmes with a shrouded past. He's one of the most complex characters ever written. Read it and try to prove me wrong. I've become a big enough fan of Preston and Child's books to know that this one is my all-time favorite. Though the plot is much darker than the others, it is no less terrifying or powerful. The last page is every bit as moving as the rest of the novel. ...But that doesn't mean that gives you the right to spoil it for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: These authors only produce quality material!
Review: I have loved every book I have read by these guys. The quality of their writing is exellent. You never get the feeling that they are thinking, "well this is just another fright book so lets not bother to be too literate about it". They write well and do not write "down". The Cabinet of Curiousities was certainly an unusual topic and a fresh one. While most of their books have a touch of the supernatural or a monster or two, you can still learn a lot about many of the sciences as you enjoy the read. My big problem is slipping to the last page and spoiling the read itself, which is what I did here. However, that said I would highly recommend anythig written by these guys. Just DON'T read the last pages first!
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