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writer_matt's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
vidalia's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
becki_c's review
2.0
What on the earth just happened! I thought I was reading fiction, based if not on true reality, at least using the strange and bizarre forms of evolution that we can sometimes glimpse in the world around us …. Until this novel.
The writers managed to jump out of a 100 storied building & imploded into a mess of fantasy, sci-fi, and and and …. Now, sitting in the shaky ruins of what I thought was going to be an epic adventure with Pendergast, Coldmoon, and begrudgingly Constance (aka… sociopath with a passionate love-affair with her stiletto) I am at a lost as to what Preston & Child were trying to accomplish with this novel.
Well, all good things come to and end and it’s my time to leave this series, unfinished & unread. If, another Pendergast novel is forthcoming I’ll now have to wait for a trusted friend to read it first… I (like Coldwater) am too traumatised.
The writers managed to jump out of a 100 storied building & imploded into a mess of fantasy, sci-fi, and and and …. Now, sitting in the shaky ruins of what I thought was going to be an epic adventure with Pendergast, Coldmoon, and begrudgingly Constance (aka… sociopath with a passionate love-affair with her stiletto) I am at a lost as to what Preston & Child were trying to accomplish with this novel.
Well, all good things come to and end and it’s my time to leave this series, unfinished & unread. If, another Pendergast novel is forthcoming I’ll now have to wait for a trusted friend to read it first… I (like Coldwater) am too traumatised.
kiminindy's review
4.0
So, this one was a little long for me. Seemed like the plot drug out a little more than necessary this time. I'm curious to see where this cliffhanger takes us though.
ithilwen22's review
4.0
This is one of the better Pendergast books to come out in recent years, almost taking me back to my first experience reading Relic which gave me nightmares. I enjoyed the banter between Pendergast and Coldmoon, as well as the continuation of Constance's character arc (although the "will they won't they" plotline is getting stale, and I don't think it's over yet).
I won't get too spoilery, but while in the past the Gents have been rather ambiguous about the more speculative fiction elements, they lean hard into them this time. I was utterly surprised by where they took it, although it works well with elements from past books (the memory walks, as well as the "seeing someone's actions a few seconds ahead" thing that happened in Two Graves). I liked that although I was able to guess the more mundane mystery, the ending was completely unexpected. Some people may not like the introduction of something closer to weird fiction but I'm excited to see where this goes.
I won't get too spoilery, but while in the past the Gents have been rather ambiguous about the more speculative fiction elements, they lean hard into them this time. I was utterly surprised by where they took it, although it works well with elements from past books (the memory walks, as well as the "seeing someone's actions a few seconds ahead" thing that happened in Two Graves). I liked that although I was able to guess the more mundane mystery, the ending was completely unexpected. Some people may not like the introduction of something closer to weird fiction but I'm excited to see where this goes.
posies23's review
4.0
This was a good read, but not one the better ones in the series. It takes a sharp turn towards the fantastic towards the very end that I found very jarring, although it's not the first time the series has done this. I will be interested to see how the author's continue the story in the next books.
aubreysmith9412's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
As with every Prendergast mystery, we start off with intrigue. But what really caught my attention with Bloodless is that we start far before the beginning of the case with an infamous mystery - the tale of D. B. Cooper. By now, we all know my passion for true crime. And I couldn't wait to figure out just how this unsolved mystery would tie into our mysterious murders in Savannah, Georgia.
As usual, we go through twists and turns at a bit of a maddening pace. The pieces of the puzzle take a bit of a roundabout way before fitting together to create a full picture. And, as per usual, at the heart of it all is Pendergast with his riddles, and the, quite frankly, mystifying way his mind works.
I love watching Pendergast work his magic. It's riveting, and, I'm not gonna lie, I get a little bit of petty gleefulness when he runs circles around people who try to thwart him, or otherwise try to throw their weight around. And while his partner, Coldmoon, could probably go with never seeing Pendergast ever again, he's a really fantastic counterpart to Pendergast's rather eccentric methods.
With all that said, I could never have predicted where this story would take us. One revelation after another, I kept repeating to myself: "No, there's not fucking way". And every time, I was mistaken. There was a fucking way, apparently.
I'm used to these books taking the strangest of strange turns. I'm used to having to suspend my understanding what is possible, and what is reality. But this one. This one really, really went above and beyond. And I honestly have no idea how we're going next, or what could possibly happen.
Honestly, as much as I adore this series, and these characters, this might have gone just one step too far for me. And that's saying something, coming from me.
As usual, we go through twists and turns at a bit of a maddening pace. The pieces of the puzzle take a bit of a roundabout way before fitting together to create a full picture. And, as per usual, at the heart of it all is Pendergast with his riddles, and the, quite frankly, mystifying way his mind works.
I love watching Pendergast work his magic. It's riveting, and, I'm not gonna lie, I get a little bit of petty gleefulness when he runs circles around people who try to thwart him, or otherwise try to throw their weight around. And while his partner, Coldmoon, could probably go with never seeing Pendergast ever again, he's a really fantastic counterpart to Pendergast's rather eccentric methods.
With all that said, I could never have predicted where this story would take us. One revelation after another, I kept repeating to myself: "No, there's not fucking way". And every time, I was mistaken. There was a fucking way, apparently.
I'm used to these books taking the strangest of strange turns. I'm used to having to suspend my understanding what is possible, and what is reality. But this one. This one really, really went above and beyond. And I honestly have no idea how we're going next, or what could possibly happen.
Honestly, as much as I adore this series, and these characters, this might have gone just one step too far for me. And that's saying something, coming from me.