She Treads Softly: Crimson Shore

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Crimson Shore

Crimson Shore by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Grand Central Publishing: 11/10/15
eBook review copy, 352 pages
hardcover ISBN-13: 9781455525928
Special Agent Pendergast Series #15
www.prestonchild.com

Crimson Shore by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is a very highly recommended addition to the Pendergast series.

When sculptor Percival Lake asks Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast to investigate the theft of his precious wine collection, Pendergast initially declines, but, after hearing more information, he accepts the challenge. He and his ward, Constance Greene head off to Exmouth, Massachusetts to investigate. Once inside the wine cellar of the lighthouse where Lake lives, Pendergast discovers a clue that leads to more questions about who stole the priceless collection of wine and why. Clearly, the ineffectual police chief is not a reliable source of support. It seems that the small town of Exmouth may be hiding more than one secret. Which raises the question: Could the past transgressions of the town be responsible for the deaths that have occurred, past and present?

Preston and Child always deliver and this fifteenth novel featuring Special Agent Pendergast is no exception. The case this time is a private investigation rather than an official inquiry. The terror found in several of the previous novels is back and the tension is ratcheted up several notches. Even after the case is solved, there is an even larger and more malicious threat looming. This addition to the series only features Pendergast and Constance, so long time fans are going to miss some of the other on-going characters.

I found this novel to be fast-paced, or perhaps that was simply due to the tension created and my desire to keep reading to see what happened next. Crimson Shore is well written, perfectly paced, and there is even a surprise or two thrown into the mix! This is another winner for Preston and Child, a writing team that simply always produces a winning novel for me. I can't wait for the next one!

At this point in the series I think this could be a stand-alone novel, but that is hard for me to say with any certainty because I have read (and own) every Pendergast novel. Yes, the series is that good.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing for review purposes.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.