Brimstone

Rating:
Summary: A Pretty Clever Blend of Sci-Fi and Sherlock Holmes
Review: "Relic" still ranks as one of my favorite books, and I will pick up a Preston & Child novel as soon as it's released. And though I usually don't care for a "series" of books featuring the same characters because it usually means that no matter what happens in the novel your hero will escape unscathed (i.e. Sue Graftons alphabeticl series). But I do like the FBI Agent Pendergast character, and I enjoy the bizarre and head-scratching crimes Preston & Child present. "Brimstone" is a really fun book, and features a truly bizarre case that Pendergast and his sidekick Vincent D'Agosta are investigating. And like all good mysteries, you the reader, get to experience the twists and turns along with the heroes as they gather clues...in hopes of solving the mystery yourself before the characters in the novel do. I have seen a couple reviewers compare this novel with Sherlock Holmes and X-Files and The DaVinci Code....I guess I see that to some extent, but only if you dump some ingredients of each into a blender and hit mix. If you haven't been introduced to these characters before I highly recommend "Relic" or "Cabinet of Curiosities" before jumping into "Brimstone", you may get confused by some of the references to the past cases by starting with this book.

Rating:
Summary: Through Hellfire and "Brimstone"
Review: "The Da Vinci Code" has created a huge demand for fast-paced, intense psychological thrillers. "Brimstone" does well to avoid reinventing the wheel. Instead, it gives you a differing vantage point in the mystery/thriller genre. Comparisons to Dan Brown's No. 1 Bestseller are inevitable but will be kept to a minimum.

What Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have woven a tale that plays on certain aspects of people's religious beliefs: the coming of the Apocalypse and Lucifer himself in 512 pages of adrenaline injected, "unputdownable" reading. "Brimstone" scares the hell out of you with them.

The novel begins when a cleaning lady discovers the dead body of her employer. His death is not the most shocking detail, it's how he apparently died. Preston and Child give you all the chilling detail you can stomach yet keep you suppliant for more.

"Mr. Jeremy wasn't sleeping, not with his charred eyes burned permanently open... A sleeping man wouldn't be lying with his elbows raised above the bed, fists clenched so hard that blood had leaked between the fingers. A sleeping man wouldn't have his torso scorched and caved in upon itself like a burned log. ...The cloven hoof print burned into the floor told her everything she needed to know. The devil had finally come for Jeremy Grove."
You are literally thrown into the fray as this excerpt takes place within the first five pages of the book.

Ultimately, "Brimstone" is a detective story. A detective tale, with quite possibly one of the wittiest, smartest and overall coolest protagonists to be written into a story since Sherlock Holmes: Agent Aloysius Pendergast. The story follows Agent Pendergast and Sergeant Vincent D'Agosta through a thriller with as many twists and turns as Batman: The Ride at Six Flags. More dead bodies are found, murdered in the same way as Grove. The press has a venerable field day, dubbing the murders as the "devil killings." Just when it seems as if you understand what's happening, Preston and Child see to it that you don't.

"Brimstone" takes the reader from New York City, perfectly detailed and depicted, making the story even more immersive for those who have been there, to a "legend-shrouded castle" in Florence, Italy and back again. Preston and Child know their characters, their scenery and how to make it all work. One word sums it up best: chemistry.

Dan Simmons, author of "A Winter Haunting and Ilium," writes, "... a scary suspense novel worth buying right now, today, in hardcover, at full price if necessary, rather than waiting for paperback or library copy" as a testament to the prowess that has been carefully massaged into every page of "Brimstone."

"Brimstone" is not Preston and Child's first joint effort and it shows. From their previous efforts, "Relic," "Reliquary," "The Cabinet of Curiosities," and "Still Life with Crows," Preston and Child have evolved not only the characters of Pendergast and D'Agosta, but their expertise in writing top-notch thrillers as well. The real life chemistry of Preston and Child shine through in their writing.

The descriptiveness of the settings is truly amazing. The recount of the areas around New York was impressive to say the least. For someone who has just previously visited the Big Apple, the imagery comes to life as vivid as if you were actually there. Even for those who haven't been to Manhattan, Preston and Child do such a tremendous job in creating the scenes that you will at least feel like you have.

Very few books in recent memory have had such a pronounced voice and confidence in itself. The writing is clear and concise. The pacing is nearly perfect and the characters never get boring. The authors have found a niche and are now simply honing their skills. Again, Preston and Child know how to write a thriller.

Here comes the inevitable: How does "Brimstone" stack up to "The Da Vinci Code?" Well, there is no simple answer. Yes, both novels are thrillers that deal in religious undertones, but their approaches are vastly different. "The Da Vinci Code" is probably faster-paced than "Brimstone," which has unnecessary lulls but not overly distracting. "Brimstone's" star shines in its ability to portray chemistry between its two protagonists, Pendergast and D'Agosta while keeping you frightened along the way. "The Da Vinci Code's" strength was its focus on the cleverness of Robert Langdon and its challenge of popular religious beliefs.

In all, the same audience that enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code," "Cabinet of Curiosities," "Angels and Demons," and "Still Life with Crows," will ultimately enjoy "Brimstone" as well. It is worth noting, however, that "Brimstone" is the latest in the series of Pendergast-D'Agosta novels and perhaps should be visited following Preston and Child's other works. Should you choose to pick "Brimstone" up immediately, no one can fault you for it. It's a tremendous ride that you won't want to put down.


Rating:
Summary: great fun, a page turning bit of fluff
Review: Brimstone is a roiling good read. I have read all of Preston and Childs books. They for the most part had some potential but failed in the end to deliver. Their books are basically what you'd find in your usual page turning thriller. But these two throw in three locked door mysteries (ala Agatha Christy), several harrowing chase scenes (ala James Bond), three well-developed protagonists, several good villains, and to pull everything over the top, a salting of the dark arts. All together these ingredients set the stage for what is one of the best contemporary pulp reads I have come across. This is not Jim Thompson or Elmore Leonard who straddle literature while working in this genre. But it is akin to Grisham or Steven King and Dean Koontz, only better.

Hey its great to see these two authors finally live up to their potential. My only criticism is that the protagonists are too precious to the authors, and it is starting to become inevitable that nothing bad will happen to them. I would rather see them write a stand-alone book again outside of this series where they could take some liberties with the main characters and not be afraid to rough them up. The entire time I read this book I felt like they were in no danger because they were needed for a sequel. Also, these two work much better together than separately. I hope for even better things on the horizon.

Rating:
Summary: Definitely Holds Your Attention!
Review: Brimstone is a very fast-paced, suspenseful, enjoyable read, but not as good as Relic, Reliquary and The Cabinet Of Curiousities. Nonetheless, Brimstone which reunites FBI Agent Prendergast and former NYPD cop Vincent D'Agosta will grab your attention within the first few pages and not let go until the very last page. Preston and Childs have developed a unique plot in which Prendergast and D'Agosta are involved in trying to solve some murders that are devilsh in nature, or so it seems. In typical Preston/Child fashion, the authors blend science, technology, the supernatural and history in such a way that the result is a highly readble, suspenseful story. My only criticisms, albeit minor, are that the ending is too open-ended paving the way for the authors' next book), and that Prendergast, while an entertaining, memorable character is (for this reader) stretching the limits of credibility. He makes James Bond seem like an amateur. If you have a long flight or vacation coming up, Brimstone is a book that will provide pure escapism and leave you satisfied.

Rating:
Summary: Brimstone: Pick it up
Review: Brimstone: good book

Though the book was EXTREMELY boring in the beginning, it picks up fast, and then makes up for the boringness. It is amazing to see Pendergast's mind at work, and for all the crazy people who say he's invincible, the authors purposely did that so the image of Pendergast would still be a hero to everyone. Pendergast is definitely why anyone should read this book. Pendergast has humor, witts, knowedge, and is a combination of every single hero ever known. If you want a book with code and suspense, pick this up and read it!

Rating:
Summary: Don't wait for the paperback
Review: Fire features prominently in this "who done it?" that features police officers Laura Hayward and Vincent D'Agosta and FBI Special Agent Pendergast. At times that suspense carries the plot and at other times it is the detail. Preston Child fans are accustomed to thoroughly researched storylines and this book does not disappoint.

I enjoyed this book immensely and if you occasionally buy books in hardback rather than wait for the paperback edition, this is one that is worth the expense.

In the "how I would improve this book" category is the elimination of the annoying habit of the authors to incorporate a unique or particularly effective visual word on multiple occasions in close proximity. In this book the word is "cadaverousness" on page 32 and "cadaverous" on page 40. Editors, please do your job!

I noticed at least one reviewer was critical of some of the chases in the book opining their inclusion was merely a pretext for the movie. I would enjoy a movie with the chases and they certainly did not lessen my enjoying the book. The story does end with a loose end or two. They will undoubtedly be tied in a subsequent tale, which is one of the inherent problems of reoccurring characters - their immorality. It is too painful to kill the franchise.



Rating:
Summary: BRIMSTONE
Review: Glad I finished it in one day. It's tough holding ones breath that long.
Although Pendergast is becoming an almost 'Bond' like superhero with Houdini escapes he is still barely believable.
Can't wait for the appearance of the brother.

Rating:
Summary: Reads like a movie pitch
Review: I'm a big fan of Preston & Child. I very much enjoyed _Still Life With Crows_, which I thought was a wonderful, fun page-turner in spite of several negative reader reviews. _Brimstone_ was disappointing though. The story is superficial, frequently interrupted with long, tedious chase scenes that feel as if they were planned for a movie. Also there's a pointless subplot-- the lay preacher gathering his potentially violent flock in Central Park. This doesn't have any connection to the central crime. Partly it allows the authors to write in Laura Hayward, who appeared in an earlier book but has no reason to be here except to deal with the preacher. Several pages are devoted to his sermons (bringing the story to a standstill) and his comeuppance is obviously supposed to be deeply, deeply satisfying: omigosh! A policewoman can _quote Scripture!!!!_ She knows there's more than one translation of the Bible!! Take that, you crazy Christian nut, you. None of this was staggering or earthshattering or impressive; it's just childish. It's a bit ignorant and assumes the reader is also.

It was also hard to suspend my disbelief here for Pendergast's amazing abilities. Usually I don't have any problem with Pendergast's vast and detailed knowledge of every topic known to man, or his ability to pretty much leap tall buildings or catch bullets in his teeth, or whatever, if need be. In this one it's all just too much.

And what is Police Sergeant Vinnie D'Agosta (another recurring character) doing here? Much of the story is told from D'Agosta's one-dimensional, emotionally base point of view. After his coincidental meeting with Pendergast, P. keeps talking about what a crack shot D'Agosta is, and how he values D'Agosta's judgement, but one doesn't see those qualities actually coming into play in the investigation-- Pendergast has no real need of D'Agosta's skills.

As I said, I'm a big fan of Preston and Child but this one is just annoying. I've seen reviews of their solo efforts suggesting that half the team can write but the other can't, which would explain _Brimstone_ if it was mostly written by the one who can't write. It reads like a description of an action movie.

Rating:
Summary: If you are a fan of the series, I highly recommend it
Review: If you know who Special Agent Pendergast is, I would highly recommend this book. It is another book in the series starring the peculiar FBI agent and some bizarre murders.

If you have not read any of the books with Pendergast, you can still enjoy this book. However, I would recommend starting from the beginning (which I believe is the Relic) to get the most enjoyment out of it.

As in all Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child books, it is very well written and very well researched. This book again presents a very X-File-ish scenario based on scientific facts. You will not be able to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: A Comic Book
Review: This is a terrible book. Pendergast knows everything, charms everyone, has done everything, and is invincible. That sounds more like a comic book character than a human being. The weapon of concern is obvious almost from the start of the book . . only one kind of appliance will damage a body like that. What was all the mystery in the Riverside Mansion in New York City. That was never explained, nor were the people associated with it, namely his ward and the old man. Saving themselves from assassination was too ridiculous to be credible. Not only was Pendergast a comic book figure, the entire novel was of comic book quality. I kept on turning the pages hoping to find a reason why I was reading this book, but I never found it. Don't waste your time with this unless you like comic-books, and stories that have no real ending.