As with generally all 2nd/"bridge" entries of a trilogy, Dance of Death is weak as a stand-alone but key to the trilogy. It begins answering the questions initiated in Brimstone - and raises a lot more - at a fast pace to set up the action in the subsequent Book of the Dead. Agent Pendergast's estranged and presumed-dead brother and nemesis Diogenes is a mesmerizing super-intelligent, brutal mastermind of a villian with a twisted hatred and vendetta against his brother. As disclosed in Brimstone, Diogenes has recently been sending cryptic reminders to his brother that he plans to commit the perfect crime and the date is quickly approaching. To reveal more beyond that would spoil many of the surprises the authors have in store for the reader. As expected with Preston and Child, there are quite a few twists and turns and, since this is a bridge book, a number of issues and situations are left unresolved at the end, setting up the final book of the trilogy. Some favorite characters from previous Pendergast books - Vincent D'Agosta, Constance, Laura Haywood, Margo Green, Nora Kelley, Bill Smithback - again play important roles in this entry, and likely the subsequent one. You may want to have Book of the Dead on hand before you finish this one because you'll be anxious to find out what happens next.
