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Crimson Shore: A Pendergast Novel

Review

Crimson Shore: A Pendergast Novel

It’s hard to believe that CRIMSON SHORE marks the 15th installment in Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast series. It seems like yesterday that this unique and entertaining character leapt off the pages in RELIC.

Throughout the series, the authors have made recommendations on how to attack the reading of these novels. Most need to be read in chronological order, but they also have created subcategories for a handful of them, like The Helen Trilogy and The Diogenes Trilogy. I suggest that the past three installments --- WHITE FIRE, BLUE LABYRINTH and now CRIMSON SHORE --- be called The Color Trilogy.

"The last part of the novel suddenly becomes horrific, with a supernatural turn that will keep readers awake all night. CRIMSON SHORE is a rollicking good read, and fans of the series will be enormously pleased with it."

Hardcore fans of Preston and Child will be aware of their newsletter, “The Pendergast Files.” They recently sent an email that contained a very short story that was to be treated as a prequel to CRIMSON SHORE, featuring a mysterious man and young woman at a hotel in Hartford, CT. It is left up to the reader to determine who they are and what role they play.

CRIMSON SHORE is another outstanding entry in this long-running series. Preston and Child have deftly crafted a novel that is equal parts mystery, thriller and supernatural tale with a bit of Sherlock Holmes thrown in for good measure. It begins with Pendergast and his ward, Constance Greene, heading into the town of Exmouth, Massachusetts. At first glance, this small seaside town on the outskirts of the legendary Salem appears to be a harmless place. But once they dig beneath the surface a bit, Pendergast and Constance will find much more than they ever could have expected.

Initially brought to Exmouth to investigate the theft of an expensive wine collection, it is not long before Pendergast disrupts the local authorities while cutting to the core of the town's dark past. The area where the missing wine had occupied hides an unexpected surprise --- the skeleton of a man who had been buried alive. Much like Poe's THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO, the victim was trapped against his will and became a permanent fixture in the cellar.

This discovery sets a dangerous course of events into action. A murdered corpse is found in the salt marshes, and the body is engraved with the term TYBANE. Figuring out its significance will allow Pendergast to understand what is really going on. It seems that Exmouth was purported to be the home of a coven of witches who fled the Salem Witch Trials in 1692 to settle there and continue their black magic. Another story, with more evidence to deem it factual, depicts a ship that was run aground near the Exmouth lighthouse and contained special cargo that the citizens of Exmouth wanted. To claim the prize, they will commit an act of brutality that still haunts the townspeople today.

The dark history of Exmouth is fully exposed by Pendergast and Constance, who immediately become targets by those who see them as threats. The last part of the novel suddenly becomes horrific, with a supernatural turn that will keep readers awake all night. 

CRIMSON SHORE is a rollicking good read, and fans of the series will be enormously pleased with it. Preston and Child also set the bait for the next book as not all of the business here is settled.

Reviewed by Ray Palen on November 12, 2015

Crimson Shore: A Pendergast Novel
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

  • Publication Date: June 28, 2016
  • Genres: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
  • ISBN-10: 1455525944
  • ISBN-13: 9781455525942