Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 8/8/2015 + 1187 more book reviews

Another gripping and exciting read from Preston/Child. This is the 3rd in the Pendergast series and, so far, the best! This one also includes appearances by Nora Kelly and Bill Smithback. Kelly made her first appearance in the non-Pendergast novel, Thunderhead, which I also thought was a great read. And of course Smithback, the newspaper reporter, played key roles in Relic, Reliquary, and Thunderhead. Curiosities is a great thriller reminiscent of Poe (in fact Poe is mentioned late in the novel). It begins when over 30 skeletal remains are found in the subbasement of a building that is being demolished. Pendergast is on the case from the beginning and enlists Kelly as an archaeologist to work on unearthing the secrets of the hidden bodies. It turns out the bodies were the work of a 19th century serial killer who was looking for a means to extend his life. Then, apparently a copycat killer emerges based on a newspaper story Smithback wrote about the serial killer. But is it really a copycat killer or someone tied to the old murders? Perdergast and his crew work their way through the morass of clues which leads to danger for all of them. There is a surprising twist to the story near the end and overall a great read from Preston/Child. High recommendation!

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