The Dance of Death [Import] [Paperback]

Douglas Preston (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Orion (December 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752882899
• ISBN-13: 978-0752882895
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 1.2 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (191 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,911,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Douglas Preston, who worked for several years in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, is the author of the acclaimed nonfiction works Dinosaurs in the Attic and Cities of Gold, and the novel, Jennie. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

166 of 184 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The world of Preston and Child in one book., June 16, 2005

By 

J. N. Mohlman (Barrington, RI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dance of Death (Pendergast, Book 6) (Hardcover)

In "Dance of Death" authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have taken the logical step of something that has been occurring casually in their writing over the last three novels, they have pulled together all of their joint works (save "Riptide" which can be neither included nor excluded) into one cohesive universe. The primary characters, Bill Smithback, Nora Kelly, Margo Green, Laura Hayward, Vincent D'Agosta and of course Aloysius Pendergast, have all been featured prominently in past works, and while I haven't been much of a fan of this inbreeding of plot lines, I have to admit that it is carried of with a great deal of panache.

"Dance of Death" is a sequel to the previous "Brimstone", and likewise represents the latest in an arc concerning Pendergast that began with "The Cabinet of Curiosities" and continued in "Still Life With Crows". As such, this isn't the best book to start with these authors, as some sections will border on the incomprehensible to new readers. Dealing with a deadly grudge match between Pendergast and his brother Diogenes, "Dance of Death" cleverly sets up all of the previous Lincoln and Child novels as a training ground for the penultimate showdown between these two enigmatic geniuses, which will, at least as of this writing, find its denouement in next summer's book. Thus be forewarned, that "Dance of Death" ends in a cliffhanger. However, since it is obvious within the context of the book, and since the authors have been more than forthcoming about that fact, this is hardly a criticism.

It is worth noting that as with other recent Preston and Child novels, "Dance of Death" drifts away from the early science and story driven novels, and derives more of its tension from character development. While this may disappoint some, it actually works quite well as the authors are now drawing on eight previous books, and as such they are capturing the themes and drama found in those prior works. There's a little bit of "Relic", a dash of "Thunderhead", a portion of "The Ice Limit", so on and so forth. As Pendergast and his faithful Lieutenant D'Agosta are pulled ever deeper into Diogenes murderous plan, more than a few pieces snap satisfyingly into place. At the same time the characters are used in unpredictable ways, so each new plot twist feels just a little more puzzling because of that. Literally up to the last page Preston and Child throw one change-up after another at the reader.

In fact, the ending is one of the high points of the book, and speaks to a strong element that pervades the text, namely the fallibility of Pendergast. "In Dance of Death" he is plainly surpassed by his brother, and his need to rely on friends makes him a much more compelling and human character than the polymath superman he has often become; a character which sadly verged on self caricature. How this relates to the conclusion, and without offering any spoilers, is basically this: if you are going to end a book with a cliffhanger, make it a really good, really unexpected one that opens up avenues that were hinted at, but that are only plain in retrospect.

My one complaint is that the same tying together of different novels that makes "Dance of Death" so successful has also made the authors too clever for their own good. It is one thing to use a neat bit of story-telling to link seemingly unrelated events, but quite another to riddle the book with self-referential tidbits and mundane inside jokes. In fact, some of the jokes step on their own toes as they reference the sequel to a book they wrote whose characters appear in this novel. It's unnecessary, really distracting, and I frankly wish they would cut it out.

That complaint aside, "Dance of Death" is a brisk thriller that so nicely ties together what one might call the Preston/Child Mythos, it's almost impossible not to enjoy. While definitely not for a newcomer, fans will be impressed by the quality of the writing (which improves with each book, the authors clearly take their craft seriously) and the numerous twists and turns. I also appreciate the signal that this novel sends: that once the Pendergast arc is completed, the authors will branch back out into new stories; something which is necessitated by the engaging confluence of characters and stories. As such, it feels like both the end and the beginning, which is certainly appropriate for the second book in a trilogy.

Jake Mohlman

53 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pendergast is back!!!, July 15, 2005

By 

Colin P. Lindsey (Manchester, NH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Dance of Death (Pendergast, Book 6) (Hardcover)

First of all, I am a confirmed addict of this series, and warned my girlfriend when this book came out I would be ignoring her for a few days! If you haven't indulged in a Pendergast novel before, then I highly recommend you go back to the beginning ("Relic") and start working your way forward. You will love it! Cabinet of Curiosities and Still Life with Crows are two of my favorite books ever and I would happily recommend them to any and everyone. In fact, I do recommend them all the time, and have received many thanks for it. All the books in the series are entertaining, are some are indeed extraordinary, riveting, compelling, and leave you gnashing your teeth waiting for the next one. They are absolutely worth reading.

Agent Pendergast is titularly an FBI agent but his ties with that organizations seem very loose indeed since he seems to wander the country with no partner, investigate whatever he wants, and doesn't appear to report in to anyone. He is a wonderfully interesting, intelligent, and resourceful character who is independently wealthy from a family inheritance. He is in many ways a modern Sherlock Holmes, and like Mr. Holmes he comes saddled with his own Moriarty, in this case his younger brother, Diogenes. The Cain and Abel parallel is obvious throughout this book, and it works well to create an accelerating tension.

The story line has been leading up to the conflict with his brother Diogenes for some time as Pendergast has agonized about him in previous novels and warned friends that his brother, whom no one has had contact with since his supposed "death" twenty years earlier, has an evil plot afoot to commit the perfect crime, one which will affect the whole world. It is in this novel, Dance of Death, that his brother makes his move. Pendergast and his brother contest back and forth throughout this novel. It is wonderful fun, with some extremely tense scenes and developments that do catch you by surprise.

However.....I did give this book four stars rather than five. I also feel conflicted about it because this is an excellent book and I devoured it in two days, skipping work to do so, and I did not want to put it down until I finished it. Based on my actions I know it really deserves the five stars. My reservation is simply that I did not find it quite as completely riveting as Cabinet and Still Life. Those novels had a sense of foreboding and menace, crimes baffling and incomprehensible to local police, villains so complex no one even knew what or who they were, and they engendered a spooky fear of the dark and of odd places that just aren't present in this book. I wish Amazon had a special sixth star that I could go back and give the other novels so I could in good conscience give this one the 5 stars it probably deserves. I did love this book (which is how Amazon quantifies five stars) I just didn't love it quite as much as some of their earlier ones. But don't let my quibbling spoil your read. It is still a completely fun and gripping book that will make you ignore your friends, family, pets and other loved ones and leave you waiting in quiet desperation for your next fix. Enjoy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dance of Death proves as nimble as the rest of the series, September 14, 2006

By 

Ric Wasley "Ric - Author - Shadow of Innocen... (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dance of Death (Pendergast, Book 6) (Hardcover)

I absolutely enjoyed Dance of Death. As a matter of fact this entire series has been great and Preston and Child have really created a winning combination in both their writing and the characters of Pendergast and D'Agosta. The pairing of two unlikely detective partners, one a tough talking, no nonsense NY PD cop, Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta and the mysterious but urbane FBI Agent Aloysius Pendergast make the perfect 'odd couple'. Together they continue to solve quirky mysteries laced with menace and terror. I particularly liked Dance of Death because for this one the authors have chosen to bring the long lost brother of Pendergast into the picture as the most menacing villain yet. Diogenes is almost like Pendergasts alter ego, brilliant but evil. In the hands of lesser authors, the evil brother villain could become a caricature of 'the evil twin'. But Child and Preston have pulled it off masterfully, giving the fiendishly devious tortures and Catch 22 situations he puts his despised brother in, just the right amount believability. They somehow manage to walk the fine line between a believable psychopath and a comic book villain.
This is a fun novel for anyone who likes suspense, terror and smart classy detective work with characters who jump out of the page at you.

I heartily recommend this book and the entire series.

Ric Wasley