Review: Crooked River

Crooked River by Douglas Preston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Yeah, I hate to say it, but this is for sure...not one of the more memorable adventures of Agent Pendergast. That's not to say it's a bad book, but in a series with such world-class thrills as Relic and Reliquary, The Cabinet of Curiosities, the Diogenes and Helen Trilogies, and of course White Fire...yeah, Crooked River, I'm sorry to say, doesn't measure up all that well. I mean, it starts off strong with a morbid beginning - hundreds of identical shoes washing up on the shores of south Florida, with feet still inside each one - but then the book takes way too many detours and pauses, and ends up turning into a surprisingly pat cops vs. cartels thriller - though granted, they take the book to Guatemala for this part, which is unusual because it's usually Mexico or El Salvador that get all the spotlight in this particular genre. But for all its faults, Pendergast is as compelling and charismatic as ever in the lead role, and while it takes quite a while for Agent Coldmoon to make his return, make it he does, and thank God too - he was my favorite part of Verses for the Dead for sure. I just hope that next year's Pendergast thriller reaches back up to the level that Preston and Child have been able to make the platinum standard for me and many other readers...

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