j_kent_holloway's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book! To be honest, it's my first foray into Preston and Child's Pendergast. Yeah, I know. I mean, I always knew I'd love their books, but I just never had time to read them. Well after The Wheel of Darkness, I'm hooked and intend to read them all ASAP.
The story reads like a classic whodunnit in the Agathy Christie tradition. Yet the hero, Pendergast, seems to be a cross between Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and a southern Dr. Strange. In the story, Pendergast is asked by a group of buddhist monks to track down the their that stole a very dangerous artifact from their monestary. Pendergast easily follows through, only to discover...well, let's just say this is only the beginning. This artifcat is bad news and it's currently in the wrong hands and on board a luxury Ocean Liner leaving England and on a course for New York City. Pendergast and his ward manage to secure passage on the boat and all Hell literarlly breaks loose. A serial killer is stalking the passengers of the boat. A mutiny of the crew seems almost a certainty. And a spectral nightmare is seen wandering the ship by passengers and crew. And all the while, Pendergast is diligently searching for the one who has the artifact...an artifact that could well lead to the end of the world.
Yeah, I highly recommend this book. If you haven't read it, do so as soon possible!
The story reads like a classic whodunnit in the Agathy Christie tradition. Yet the hero, Pendergast, seems to be a cross between Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and a southern Dr. Strange. In the story, Pendergast is asked by a group of buddhist monks to track down the their that stole a very dangerous artifact from their monestary. Pendergast easily follows through, only to discover...well, let's just say this is only the beginning. This artifcat is bad news and it's currently in the wrong hands and on board a luxury Ocean Liner leaving England and on a course for New York City. Pendergast and his ward manage to secure passage on the boat and all Hell literarlly breaks loose. A serial killer is stalking the passengers of the boat. A mutiny of the crew seems almost a certainty. And a spectral nightmare is seen wandering the ship by passengers and crew. And all the while, Pendergast is diligently searching for the one who has the artifact...an artifact that could well lead to the end of the world.
Yeah, I highly recommend this book. If you haven't read it, do so as soon possible!
nailaice's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
rwarner's review against another edition
4.0
An intriguing thriller that pulls you in and makes you read long past bedtime. I was somewhat frustrated by the resolution--I was hoping for a more realistic explanation for the events that transpired--but this still hooks you pretty well.
organchordsandlightning's review against another edition
3.0
A fun romp on a cruise ship that seemed like the authors really wanted to write a murder mystery aboard a boat. I thought the actual nuts and bolts of the story (as well as the lead-up to the climax, switching from collision course to collision course) was really very interesting.
Unfortunately, I think some aspects that I don't like about the Pendergast novels are really really major plot points here. A lot of the finale takes place in the inside of Pendergast's head. While the Pendergast novels require a severe suspension of disbelief (which I'm happy to give), the 'Mind Palace' sections just aren't enjoyable to read for me. It also felt like Pendergast didn't do a whole lot past finding Blackburn, where he fought of the smoke monster on the inside of his head.
Unfortunately, I think some aspects that I don't like about the Pendergast novels are really really major plot points here. A lot of the finale takes place in the inside of Pendergast's head. While the Pendergast novels require a severe suspension of disbelief (which I'm happy to give), the 'Mind Palace' sections just aren't enjoyable to read for me. It also felt like Pendergast didn't do a whole lot past finding Blackburn, where he fought of the smoke monster on the inside of his head.
masn's review against another edition
4.0
Another great Pendergast novel. A little too supernatural, when the shadow ghost started walking the ship, but the setting of the ship itself was brilliant. There should be more murder mysteries that take place on cruise ships!
afisher121's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
monte_cristo's review against another edition
3.0
This is certainly not very healthy, but I am reading through all the Pendegast series back to back. They are seriously good and addictive!
This one though, is perhaps not as good as the previous ones. Our hero here takes a trans-Atlantic cruise in search for a stolen Tibetan artefact. The story is interesting and s with all the books ion this series, the reader really needs to suspend belief to make it work (and I'm ok with that), but I do not think this book is quite as good as the others. Plus, for the first time, I found the main character , Pendergast, a bit irritating .
Still worth a read though and I'm already onto the next book of the series!
This one though, is perhaps not as good as the previous ones. Our hero here takes a trans-Atlantic cruise in search for a stolen Tibetan artefact. The story is interesting and s with all the books ion this series, the reader really needs to suspend belief to make it work (and I'm ok with that), but I do not think this book is quite as good as the others. Plus, for the first time, I found the main character , Pendergast, a bit irritating .
Still worth a read though and I'm already onto the next book of the series!
stormhawk's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Entertaining. I wish there was more mystery to it. Ended up being a typical action thriller rather than an intellectual solving of a mystery.
weaselweader's review against another edition
5.0
The passengers on this cruise certainly got their thrills!
If it is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then it's clear that Preston and Child are none too shy about expressing their unabashed admiration for Conan Doyle's hero, Sherlock Holmes.
Just as Holmes struggled to the death with his arch-enemy Moriarty on the brink of Reichenbach Falls and then retired briefly from the world to a life of contemplative meditation in the Tibetan Himalayas, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his ward Constance Greene have sought the peace and solitude of the isolated Gsalrig Chongg monastery after their titanic struggle with Pendergast's evil sibling, Diogenes. This hard won respite and serenity is but short-lived as the monks seek Pendergast's assistance with the recovery of a thousand year old relic. The Agozyen, one of the monastery's most guarded artifacts, has been stolen by a mountaineer who stayed briefly at the monastery to recover from injuries sustained in a climbing accident. The monks are terrified that the thief may inadvertently release the power of the Agozyen prophesied to have the power to cleanse the world of mankind's evil by eliminating all life!
Pendergast and Greene ingeniously track the Agozyen and follow its gruesome trail of murder onto the maiden voyage of the ultra-modern ocean liner, the Britannia. At that point, Preston and Child jam the thriller throttle to the stops and never let it up until the delicious ending of an amazing epilogue. Their style is eminently recognizable and, if it isn't trademarked, it sure ought to be! The Wheel of Darkness is a superb blend of stoicism, mysticism, philosophy, eastern religion and, indeed, the paranormal with character development of almost astonishing power and depth, exciting dialogue and non-stop high speed standard thriller action and chills. Like all of its predecessors, The Wheel of Darkness is also a wellspring of informative, arcane detail on a fascinating piece of technology that somehow furthers the plot - in this case, the minutiae of the construction and operation of a massive modern ocean-going passenger ship!
Newcomers to Pendergast, be warned! Unless the idea of getting to the end of a book and saying, "What in the world was that all about?" appeals to you, do NOT read this book without reading the rest of the series first. Do yourself a favour and go back - go way back - to the very beginning and start with Relic!
Old-time Pendergast fans may also take warning. Enjoy every delicious page and, whatever you do, don't take that proverbial peek at the last page!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
If it is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then it's clear that Preston and Child are none too shy about expressing their unabashed admiration for Conan Doyle's hero, Sherlock Holmes.
Just as Holmes struggled to the death with his arch-enemy Moriarty on the brink of Reichenbach Falls and then retired briefly from the world to a life of contemplative meditation in the Tibetan Himalayas, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his ward Constance Greene have sought the peace and solitude of the isolated Gsalrig Chongg monastery after their titanic struggle with Pendergast's evil sibling, Diogenes. This hard won respite and serenity is but short-lived as the monks seek Pendergast's assistance with the recovery of a thousand year old relic. The Agozyen, one of the monastery's most guarded artifacts, has been stolen by a mountaineer who stayed briefly at the monastery to recover from injuries sustained in a climbing accident. The monks are terrified that the thief may inadvertently release the power of the Agozyen prophesied to have the power to cleanse the world of mankind's evil by eliminating all life!
Pendergast and Greene ingeniously track the Agozyen and follow its gruesome trail of murder onto the maiden voyage of the ultra-modern ocean liner, the Britannia. At that point, Preston and Child jam the thriller throttle to the stops and never let it up until the delicious ending of an amazing epilogue. Their style is eminently recognizable and, if it isn't trademarked, it sure ought to be! The Wheel of Darkness is a superb blend of stoicism, mysticism, philosophy, eastern religion and, indeed, the paranormal with character development of almost astonishing power and depth, exciting dialogue and non-stop high speed standard thriller action and chills. Like all of its predecessors, The Wheel of Darkness is also a wellspring of informative, arcane detail on a fascinating piece of technology that somehow furthers the plot - in this case, the minutiae of the construction and operation of a massive modern ocean-going passenger ship!
Newcomers to Pendergast, be warned! Unless the idea of getting to the end of a book and saying, "What in the world was that all about?" appeals to you, do NOT read this book without reading the rest of the series first. Do yourself a favour and go back - go way back - to the very beginning and start with Relic!
Old-time Pendergast fans may also take warning. Enjoy every delicious page and, whatever you do, don't take that proverbial peek at the last page!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss