Commentary by Frank Derfler on "The Wheel of Darkness"

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	• The Wheel of Darkness (Special Agent Pendergast) Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child Grand Central Publishing, 2007 - 400 pages average customer review:based on 165 reviews view larger image
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A breath of fresh air (or smoke as the case may be).

As a big fan of the authors and the Pendergast character, I was excited to see them take their story out of the confines of the museum for a change. The Diogenes trilogy was wearing thin, and "Book of the Dead", the third installment, was just average. Placing Pendergast on board an ocean liner in the company of his now multi-dimensional ward Constance Greene was a masterful shot in the arm. Despite the prerequisite suspension of disbelief necessary to enjoy such a tome, it had a little bit of everything; interwoven storylines, a Tibetan mystery, a great cast of characters (many of whom were given both depth and backstory by the writers despite being minor players)and, of course, a tease for the next novel(s).

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Commentary by Frank Derfler on "The Wheel of Darkness"

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1IS54LFPHO0BT In this video I make recommendations about who would and who might not enjoy this book. There are no "spoilers" in the video and I don't dwell on re-telling the plot. Instead, I let you decide if you'd like to try the book. My review is from www.greatguybooks.com

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Great read

I am totally hooked on the Pendergast series and everyone that I have recommended them to is hooked as well! The Wheel of Darkness continued to the great tradition. Pendergast is a complicated and fascinating character and the anticipation now - for each new book in the series - is learning more and more about the history of the family, and particularly, of his mysterious ward. The Wheel of Darkness is fast-paced and very satisfying. I recommend that they are read in order as this helps you appreciate the building of the characters, but it isn't necessary.

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Not their best

As a huge fan of most books by Preston/Child, this one lacks the same impact. It was contrived, and less fulfilling that the early Relic series, and even Book of the Damned. The character development lacked the usual depth. I found myself caring very little about any of the characters. Pendergast and Greene under whelmed. As a dedicated fan of these two writers, of both their collaborative work, as well as their individual novels, this one was a let down. To give perspective, my favorites have been Ice Limit, the Relic, Cabinet of Curiosities, and the Codex (Preston).

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Aloysius Pendergast Adventures...simply good fun

If you enjoy 'Sherlock Holmes' type stories with a modern and simplified approach, one can't go wrong with the Pendergast adventures.

Pendergast's ward, Constance, has always brought me back to the series, as she continues to be a mystery. Unfortunately, due to circumstances, never had the chance to read the "final" confrontation between the two brothers: Aloysius and his evil brother, Diogenese, who, it is hinted, the evil brother found Constance and did terrible acts. The reason I mention this, is I could not buy this particular book, as, I surmised, it had been rejected by certain publishers. Despite not able to read this book in the series, The Wheel of Darkness appeared and has the familiar and necessary terror and melodrama (and information) to ensure a relaxing and ("fill in the blanks") read.

The Pendergast series is pure and utter escapism.

Pendergast is ultra intelligent, aristocratic, spiritual, and an unusual FBI agent, as he drives around the streets of NYC in a bright yellow Rolls Royce, always at least three steps in front of everyone else. He is wealthy beyond words, and has a family background that leads back to the deep South of New Orleans... he speaks several languages and has powers of persuasion and observation beyond the normal human being, to my mind, he is a "character", for Preston and Child, a work in progress...(Preston and Child have more to give us as readers and fans of this series.)

The Wheel of Darkness includes mystery, detective themes, the supernatural and pure 'suspension of disbellef', particularly on a cold and rainy afternoon.

In the deep recesses of a Tibetian Monastary, an object of extreme power has been stolen, and the monks ask Aloysius to find the thief and bring the object back to its rightful place, before it can possibly spread destruction through out the world.

Their search find them on the largest ocean liner in the world: the Britania. As the voyage across the northern Atlantic proceeds, it is soon discovered that a serial killer is on board spreading havoc amongst the rich, and retired...suddenly it goes from really bad to worse in an uncanny way.

The Pendergast adventures are pure escapism, like an old movie or a battered gum shoe novel ala, Raymond Chandler.

As the formula of this genre developes, like the old melodramas, the reader or viewer is on the edge of their seats, waiting for the mystery and true villian to be revealed.

One has to be in the mood for such a novel, and I havn't read one for at least a year and was one hundred percent ready for the kitsch and cliches.

Melodramatic and cliched, the Pendergast series is simply mind numbing good fun.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

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