Reviews

Cold Vengeance by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

mugwumpun's review against another edition

3.0

After having read almost all of Preston and Child's books, including all of the Penderghast series so far, you begin to see some predictability in the plot and tone of writing.
Not that it doesn't make this an enjoyable, though annoyingly cliffhanger addition to the series.

emertbyrne's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

kyle120888's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

jpbaldassari's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

3.5

mlaimo's review against another edition

3.0

I’ve read every Preston and child novel from Relic through this, and I have enjoyed this one the least. It just never held my interest, and I struggled to get to the end. It’s a good story, and it’s well written, but it just didn’t grab me like their previous works.

fuzzkins's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

becki_c's review against another edition

3.0

I’ve been a hardcore fan of this series since book 1. However, these last two books fall so very short of a decent read. Plot line dragged out & unfocused. The mtg between H/h was sterile and overly obtuse on revealing anything of note. Instead of the gaining better insight into our characters, we are given one-dimensional performance. Massively disappointed. I’ll try the next book but, so far, this series has two strikes.

casanii's review against another edition

5.0

Very good read! It took me a while to read the whole book, but can't wait to read the next one to find out what happens. To see if our hero can reclaim his lost love.

ithilwen22's review against another edition

3.0

This wasn't quite as good as either the first or the last book of the Helen trilogy. It seemed to drag at times. It was certainly good as a set up for the last book, and Preston and Child still maintain their excellent characterization; but otherwise it seemed a touch dull. It's mainly Pendergast going from place to place, following the clues to his wife's disappearance. We also have a subplot, both with Constance and her psychiatrist (who is beginning to suspect more and more that Constance's odd story fits together frighteningly well) and Corrie, who is doing some rash investigating of her own. Not bad, and the somewhat necessary; but not as good as the others either.

posies23's review against another edition

4.0

This is the 11th in a series of novels centered around Pendergast, an FBI agent who is part James Bond, part Fox Mulder, and part Macgyver. It's a direct sequel to FEVER DREAM, and, since it ends on multiple cliffhangers, is apparently the second book in a trilogy.

The Pendergast books are great fun. They are a unique combination of the gothic, the technological, and the action thrillers. This entry is no different. Long-suffering Agent Pendergast continues to plumb the mysteries surrounding his wife's mysterious death, and several key characters from earlier novels show up to move along the subplots.

If high-action thrills are what you're looking for, this is a great read. I wouldn't recommend it as your first book in the series, however, because there are so many links to previous novels.

Well worth your time, and, in my opinion, one of the better in the series.