Rating: 
Summary: A satisfying and pleasurable "read"!
Review: Preston and Child have done it again! "The Cabinet of Curiosities" is a wonderful story with familar characters and rich content. P & C have brought back archeologist/museum researcher Nora Kelly, journalist Bill Smithback, and FBI Special Agent Pendergast to try and solve a series of serial killings that may have started as long ago as 130 years. P&C provide the protagionists (and the reader) with a variety of clues along the way as the threesome try and decide if it is a "copycat" killer who's reponsible for the murders or a century-old scientist who may have discovered the secret to prolonging human life.There's the usual amount of suspense and gore along the way, but not to the point of being gratuitous! Plenty of "medical-speak" that P&C books are noted for is present and the word pictures that P&C use to describe the "cabinets of curiosities" (precursors to the first museums in the 1800's) that our protagonists discover along the way are absolutely riveting! The "on/off again" romance between Nora and Smithback adds some spark to their relationship and Agent Pendergast is his usual mysterious self. His character is given even greater depth in "TCoC" and we find out a great deal more about his past in this book. (By the way, look for Pendergast to star in the next P&C novel tentatively titled, "Still Life With Crows" scheduled for a summer 2003 release.) Plot twists abound, although "TCoC" is a little more straightforward in it's march to it's finale. The ending may leave some readers feeling a little dissatisfied, yet this writer felt it was a appropriate way to finish the novel. (After finishing the book, some readers may wish to check out the alternate ending that P&C have created for the book found at their website, prestonchild.com) If you're a fan of the P&C books, you'll in for a real treat with "TCoC". If you're new to these two terrific writers, I suggest you start with their first (and still probably their best) book, "Relic". Either way you can't go wrong!
Rating:
Summary: F*A*N*T*A*S*T*I*C
Review: Preston & Child put their heads together again and come up with a real winner. Cabinet of Curiosities brings back characters (Prendergast; Kelly, and Smithback)and settings (NYC) from previous books and set them hunting for a serial killer who appears to be still active after over 100 years. After discovering 36 brutally murdered victims, walled up in an old coal tunnel for over 100 years, the search leads them from the dusty Archives of the Museum, to an abandoned mansion on the Hudson River, all brought to life in vivid detail. Even as their search progresses, a rash of "copycat" murders occur, terrorizing the city of New York and lending urgency to solving the case. Those who have read previous books by these authors will especially enjoy getting to know and understand the incredibly intelligent and mysterious Prendergast better. The plot is fast moving and engaging through the first 3/4 of the story. But get ready for the end of the book, where the plot takes an unexpected turn. You won't be able to put it down once you reach this stage! Be prepared to stay up all night with this book!
Rating:
Summary: Chilling130 year old murder mystery
Review: An excavation of a lower Manhattan tenement site to erect a modern skyscraper by the Moegen-Fairhaven real estate corporation unearths a startling discovery. A 130 year old repository of skeletal remains of 36 young adults is shockingly unveiled in an ancient subterranean coal tunnel. Immediately after the discovery, seemingly with inside information, mysterious Special FBI agent Pendergast materializes at the site, to investigate. Pendergast recruits archaeologist Nora Kelly, who is a curator at the New York Museum of Natural History to help analyze the skeletal remains. It is determined that the site of the graveyard was the basement of J.C. Shottums Cabinet of Curiosities. These cabinets were the precursors of natural history museums containing a plethora of natural oddities, somewhat like a circus sideshow. An affordable admission fee was charged and the exhibits were enormously popular. Shottum kept his Cabinet on the ground floor of a three story building and rented out a suite of rooms on the third floor to suppliment his income. Shottum's tenant was an enigmatic taxonomist Dr. Enoch Leng. Pendergast and Kelly with help from Kelly's boyfriend, William Smithback, a newspaper reporter and police sergeant Patrick O' Shaughnessy start unraveling the mystery. It is discovered that the skeletal remains have been subjected to identical surgical procedures. The lumbar regions of the vertebral columns have been pried open to remove the cauda equina part of the spinal cord. This morbid dismemberment was perpetrated by the demented Dr. Leng who lured young destitute visitors to the Cabinet. To cover his tracks he sets fire to Shottums Cabinet killing Shottum in the blaze. Through painstaking investigation it is determined that the reason for the killings is the harvest of spinal material to concoct an elixir which will prolongue human life. Astonishingly, a series of present day murders have exactly the same modus operandi as the killings of 130 years ago. Is Leng still alive and continuing his heinous activities or are these copycat killings? Preston and Childs do a riveting job with this terrific nailbiting tale of suspense as they return to the scene of their superb novel,The Relic, the Museum of Natural History. They also did a wonderful job of research in their recreation of New York City in the 1880's.
Rating: 
Summary: Not their best effort, highly derivitive of "Hannibal"
Review: Preston and Child usually write great thrillers, mixing science and science fiction to fine effect. Their past books have ranged from very good (Thunderhead) to the not so good, but still entertaining (Reliquary, Mount Dragon) and I tend to look forward to their new works with enthusiasm. Unfortunately, why I found The Cabinet of Curiosities to not be up to their usual standard. Preston and Child bring us back to the scenes of the Relic and Reliquary, New York and the Natural History Museum and also throw three familiar characters back at us: Bill Smithback the muckraking journalist (Relic, Reliquary, Thunderhead), Nora Kelly, the archaeologist from Thunderhead, and Pendergast, the Sherlock Holmes-style FBI agent (Relic, Reliquary). The Cabinet of Curiosities throws the three characters together to solve a series of grisly murders that occurred over 100 years ago and seem to be occurring again in the present day. That should be enough to get P&C fans to pick up this book, as we have come to expect intricate plots and subplots woven in with science that borders on science fiction. However, this time only the plots and subplots live up to expectations. The science in this book is a quick rehash of archaeology from Thunderhead along with a whip-fast glossing of cellular metabolics, neither of which satisfies. Apparently floundering without good science to write about and desperately needing to move the book along, P&C decide to turn Pendergast (already a formidable presence in previous appearances) into a hybrid of Sherlock Holmes, Hannibal Lecter, and Superman. He now possesses almost superhuman strength, stamina, and mental acuity; becoming the deus ex machina for much of the story. Overall, the effect is disappointing. Usually, P&C books leave me with the impression that "yeah, it could happen" with only minimal leaps of faith. This book is one huge leap of faith from beginning to end. Three out of five stars for this effort, mainly because P&C do keep things moving. Don't pay full price, consider waiting for the paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Preston & Child Never Disappoint!
Review: Once again, Preston & Child have written a novel that will keep you up at night turning the pages. I could not put this down. I have read all of their books and this ranks as one of the best. It was great to see Pendergast back...the man is always prepared! But the twists and turns in this book keep you hooked. This reminded me of "The Relic" somewhat. I was also fascinated by the plot, and the mystery surrounding the bodies, the current murders and The Surgeon. The ending will blow your mind. It is a wonderful, wonderful book...I can't praise it enough!
Rating: 
Summary: Be curious
Review: In THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, a construction crew working on Lower Manhattan discovers evidence of a rash of a century-old serial killer. FBI Agent Pendergast needs to investigate the site before the building owner destroys it. He enlists the reluctant aid of archaeologist Nora Kelly to survey the site. What she uncovers is a slaughterhouse of human victims used in some mad experiments by 19th century Dr. Enoch Leng. Dr. Leng was studying a way to prolong human life by experimenting on other people regardless of the consequences. Later the characters will be asking themselves, was Dr. Leng successful? A few days after the grisly discovery was done someone is continuing the work the Doctor left behind. Several victims have been attacked and mutilated the same way as the bodies found at the construction site. Pendergast is left with a quandary. Is there someone copycatting Dr. Leng's work or is Dr. Leng doing it himself? Once the truth is revealed it will have terrifying consequences to Pendergast and the rest of the world. The authors of this novel know how to entertain its readers. Preston and Child know how to create action and suspense by having the reader guess with the characters as to what is being unfolded. Several characters from other novels make their return appearance in this book giving it a sense of familiarity to the authors' fans. The plot in this book is a bit predictable and there are several clues provided throughout the novel. The ending is a bit anticlimactic when one expects there to be more to the story. Despite all this, the authors fulfilled their objective which is to entertain.
Rating:
Summary: Another Winner For Preston and Child!
Review: The Cabinet Of Curiosities is the best book by these authors since Relic and Reliquary -- and that's high praise since all of Preston's and Child's books have been very good. If you're looking for a top notch "Summer Read," you'll have a tough time finding a more exciting and entertaining book than this one. Keep in mind, The Cabinet Of Curiousities is not great literature but it is well-written and is a story that will hold your attention from the first to last page. Without going into the plot details, which has been done in many of the previous reviews, this books is very fast-paced, has captivating characters (some of whom you'll recognize if you've read Relic, Reliquary and Thunderhead by these authors), contains lots of interesting historical and science information, and is filled with suspense and surprises. All in all, The Cabinet Of Curiousities is well-worth your time and money. Enjoy! You're in for a fun reading experience.
Rating:
Summary: A bit of plagiarism / but a great read
Review: I think the authors were big fans of "The Night Strangler" with Darren McGavin as Kolchak and a bit of the TV series, "Crossing Jordan." So many similarities with the story lines. With that said, I completely loved the book and read it in a few days. They have the best writing style of any authors I have ever read.....just enough background for each character and total immersion into the story. I thought it was right behind "Riptide." That was still the best book I have ever read. Buy it and read it!!!
Rating:
Summary: Another great novel from a great team
Review: To start, I'd say it would be helpful, but not necessary, to have read The Relic and Reliquary by this team. Both are excellent novels, and they introduce two of the characters from this book. It'd also be good to read Thunderhead as well (Nora Kelly is introduced there). That aside, this book is another page-turner from this duo. Preston and Child are masters of the just one more chapter school of writing. They use multiple storylines that make it hard to stop: just as you get to a critical "I need to know what happens" point, they switch to the other storyline, and it makes it so you can't stop. This one starts out simply enough as the archaeological investigation of a century old serial killer, but as with all of their novels, there is a scientific-fantasical explanation in store for us. We are treated to sub-basements, old houses, museum archives, and old family secrets. For the true Preston-Child fan, we find out about Pendergast's background (finally!), and for the first-timer, you get the joy of discovering one of the best thriller writing teams of all. A special note to fans of Preston-Child, check out Michael Connelly's The Poet! You'll love it.
Rating:
Summary: Can't....Put......Down
Review: I was so thrilled when I'd come across the newest Preston & Child book... I didn't even know it was out.... but WOW what an awesome story it turned out to be! The only negative was that it caught and held onto my attention so well that I finished it within a matter of days.
They brought characters back again, Nora Kelly from Thunderhead and Smithback from Relic, Reliquary, and Thunderhead, amoung other characters. That made it even more of a treat to read, but theres just something about their novels that make them sooooo satisfying to read. Definately worth picking up! =)
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