Reviews

Blue Labyrinth by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

wdecora's review against another edition

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4.0

It is always enjoyable to spend time with Pendergast.

pachypedia's review against another edition

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5.0

Desde el chocante inicio hasta el trepidante final, este libro es adrenalina pura. El fantástico agente del FBI vuelve a ser el protagonista de la historia, lo que siempre es una ventaja, recuperamos a D'Agota y Constance demuestra sus verdaderas habilidades por fin. Desde la trilogía de Diógenes que no disfrutaba tanto con un libro de Pendergast!

tiffml's review against another edition

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4.0

A solid Pendergast book, although the ending was a bit too clean.

mxsallybend's review against another edition

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5.0

With their 14th entry in the Special Agent Pendergast saga, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child not only get their hero back to his prime, but they get the story back to basics. Blue Labyrinth is an extraordinarily strong entry in the series, and exactly what fans have been asking for, especially after last year's White Fire, in which Pendergast was just a supporting character.

It's impossible to write a typical review of this without getting into serious spoiler territory, so I thought I'd do something different and offer up the top 5 reasons that fans need to read Blue Labyrinth:

1. Pendergast is back - back at the forefront, back to his old ways, and back on top of his game. There's no question our hero has fallen on some hard times in recent books, but having spent much of the last book recuperating, he's once again the cunning man of thought and action that we've come to admire.

2. Vincent, Margot, and the New York Museum of Natural History are back - in an awesome wink to the fans, Preston & Child not only bring back the heroes of Relic and Reliquary, but they take us back to where it all began. It's not just a cheap cameo or token appearance either. Both have a role to play, and they follow up on how Margot has coped with the memories and the fears.

3. Pendergast is forced to be human - and he's as arrogant, irritable, and selfish as you'd expect. The cover blurb already tells you he's 'stricken in mind and body' so it's no spoiler to say he suffers a great deal in this book, but that means we get to see him lash out, express his emotions, and be honest with Constance about his feelings. The vulgar encounter over a Swiss parking ticket is worth the price of admission alone.

4. We get more of the Pendergast family history - and it's a history that's just as dark and unsavory as contemporary experiences with Diogenes and Alban would lead us to expect. While it's been hinted at before, we finally learn the truth of precisely where Pendergast's wealth and artifacts originated. It's a dark family secret, with a legacy of pain and death that, almost a century later, has come back to haunt him.

5. Constance gets to play the heroine - working alongside Margot in a frantic, desperate effort to save Pendergast's life. Constance has been something of a polarizing character since her first appearance, especially given how her eternal youth forces us so far beyond the willing suspension of disbelief, but she really gets a chance to shine here. I liked the way she was used in the story, and her scenes with an ailing Pendergast probably revealed more about him than we've ever seen before.

Blue Labyrinth isn't the best Pendergast tale, but it is the best in a long time. The story is strong, there's some real danger/suspense, and the characters all get a chance to shine. Personally, the way it brought things full circle, especially in dealing with the fallout of the original museum adventures, put it way over the top. It's a fun, frantic, can't-put-down-read that will undoubtedly go over well with fans both casual and dedicated.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins

carlylottsofbookz's review against another edition

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4.0

A good, solid Pendergast mystery which brings back Alban Pendergast with a surprise twist.

mrsfluffy50s's review against another edition

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4.0

Benditos parientes lejanos de Pendergast xD

blackrose2366's review against another edition

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5.0

Another wonderful Pendergast novel. I must say that it took me quite some time to start enjoying Constance as a character, especially after The Wheel of Darkness; however I loved watching her be Pendergast's bad ass yet highly feminine avenger!

morcades's review against another edition

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1.0

Jamás hubiera pensado que me gustara TAN poco y me resultara TAN aburrido un libro de la serie de Pendergast y mucho menos saliendo Pendergast mismo. Me ha costado horrores juntar ganas para seguir leyendo página a página.
Terriblemente decepcionada.

holly_117's review against another edition

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5.0

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another really entertaining book in the Pendergast series.

As usual, the plot is tightly woven and the characters are engaging and fun to read. I also liked that there were a couple of cameos and reference to the events that started the series in The Relic. I wish I could say more about this book, but any detailed description would have to contain major spoilers, so I'm just going to have to urge you to read it yourself! Seriously, if you like mysteries and you're not reading this series, you are missing out. I'm definitely looking forward to the next entry in the series.

lisasaurusreads's review against another edition

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5.0

The way this book devolves into absolute chaos by the final chapters…it’s fabulous!

The AXLP books are at their best when D’Agosta and Margo join forces. The OGs of the series. We’re treated to Constance being an absolute menace while racing the clock to save Pendy’s life. I love the plot involving the bad guy having an understandable motive, also.

I considered removing a smidgen of a star for a hospital scene at the end where flashing an NYPD badge seems to command the docs and nurses (that wouldn’t happen…no way, no how), but it was so brief and inconsequential to the story that I let it slide.

ON TO THE NEXT!