Title: Cold Vengeance
Author: Douglas Preston
First published August 2, 2011
457 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 4.1
Overview
In Cold Vengeance, Special Agent Pendergast is on a mission for justice after discovering that his wife, Helen, was murdered. He sets out to track down those responsible, but the road to revenge is far from straightforward.
Pendergast’s pursuit takes him from the rugged terrain of the Scottish moors to the bustling streets of New York and the murky bayous of Louisiana. Along the way, he delves deeper into Helen’s past and is shocked to uncover evidence that suggests she may have played a role in her own demise.
As Pendergast peels back the layers of deception, he realizes that the conspiracy runs deeper than he ever imagined, spanning generations and shrouded in unspeakable horror. For Pendergast, everything he’s known, trusted, and believed is called into question, and he must face the possibility that nothing is what it seems.
About the Author
Douglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1956 and grew up in the dull suburb of Wellesley. He attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston after being expelled from a private nursery school.
In his youth, he lost a fingertip to a bicycle, his front teeth to his brother Richard and had various broken bones from fights with his brother. Along with their younger brother David, the Preston brothers created trouble in the suburbs with rockets and firecrackers they made from comic books or chemistry sets.
They once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square, almost killing a man mowing his lawn. The brothers were often featured in the “Police Notes” section of The Wellesley Townsman.
After being rejected by Stanford University, Preston studied multiple subjects at Pomona College, California before finally majoring in English literature. He began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer and eventually manager of publications.
During his eight-year stint at the museum, he wrote Dinosaurs in the Attic, which was edited by Lincoln Child. Child visited the museum at night and was inspired to write a thriller, which became Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston moved from New York City to Santa Fe to pursue writing full-time. He achieved success with Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado’s search for the Seven Cities of Cibola.
He also wrote Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, both non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, and a novel called Jennie. In the early 1990s, Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels, including Relic, Riptide, and Thunderhead.
Relic was made into a movie by Paramount in 1997 and other films are in development. Preston and Child write their books together via telephone, fax, and the internet.
Preston continues to write for various publications, including The New Yorker, National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonian, Harper’s, and Travel & Leisure. He and his brother Richard are producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, scheduled to air in spring 2000.
Editoral Review
In Cold Vengeance, Douglas Preston continues his thriller series featuring the dynamic team of Pendergast and his protégé, Corrie Swanson. First published in 2011, the book is the eleventh installment of a franchise that spans over twenty years.
Preston, along with his collaborator Lincoln Child, has made a name for himself within the genre of techno-thrillers, crime fiction, and horror, establishing himself as one of the most prominent writers of suspenseful, high-concept thrillers in the last few decades.
The story takes place in several locations, from New York City to Scotland, featuring a mix of urban and rural settings.
After discovering new evidence that suggests his wife Helen’s death might not have been an accident, Pendergast is pulled into a dangerous web of murder and conspiracy that leads him across several continents. Along the way, he teams up with his protégé Corrie, and they uncover a sinister plot that threatens to destroy the world as they know it.
The book benefits from Preston’s knack for creating vivid and engrossing characters, both heroes and villains. Pendergast, in particular, continues to be a compelling protagonist.
As a character, Pendergast is enigmatic and austere, yet relatable in his relentless pursuit of justice. Corrie Swanson, on the other hand, acts as a foil to Pendergast’s stoicism, and her vibrant personality adds an extra layer of depth and nuance to the story.
The villains are just as well written, with their motivations and personality quirks fleshed-out, creating a believable and intense conflict. Preston’s writing fits the genre perfectly, with precise descriptions of the settings, and an unerring sense of timing and pacing in the action scenes.
Additionally, he adds a touch of science fiction to the mix, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in terms of technology, yet never straying too far from reality. The theme of vengeance, as the title suggests, is at the heart of the book, explored through the lens of the characters’ personal histories.
While Preston’s strength lies in creating characters and action, the plot can at times feel a bit convoluted, with too many twists and turns that detract from the overall narrative. Additionally, the book relies heavily on the reader’s familiarity with the previous installments, and those unfamiliar with the earlier books may struggle to keep up with the characters’ relationships and backstories.
Overall, Cold Vengeance is a thrill ride of a book, with a well-crafted mystery and memorable characters. Fans of the series will undoubtedly enjoy this latest installment, and newcomers are advised to start at the beginning.
The book keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end, fueling its momentum with the character drama and cliffhanger reveals.
In conclusion, I recommend Cold Vengeance to fans of techno-thrillers and crime fiction.
Its themes of vengeance, justice, and personal loss make it a worthy addition to the genre, and its engaging storytelling will keep readers on the edge of their seats. As such, I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
