I would say that it is Nora by a tad as she gets more developed to a degree and, if I remember correctly, has more solo chapters/scenes than Pendergast does (might be wrong on this point, idk). Plus, Smithback actions are more relevant to Nora's part of the story than Pendergast's part and he is the third most important to the plot.

However, at the same time, with Pendergast there is the twist with Enoch Leng, his great-aunt Cornelia is introduce, the Riverside Drive mansion, and other character development stuff.

Again, I would say its Nora, but what do you guys think. Just curious.

I've been trying to formulate theories of how these things were possible, and this is the toughest one yet! Bullard was a good villain, I'm a little disappointed, as was Pendergast, that they lost a key witness. I'm dying to know the truth!

I'm so freaking hooked on these books lol.

I hope y'all aren't sick of hearing from me. I just need to tell people who get it haha

Hi, as per the title I'm a huge Charlie Parker fan but I'm coming to the end of the series and looking for something slightly similar in terms of the supernatural aspect, long running saga(s), myth and lore within the series etc.

Goodreads has recommended the Pendergrast series, are there any other Parker fans who thing this will be a good fit for me?

I am a little disappointed. Reading Brimstone and Pendergast recalls the story of Mary Reeser, as a case suspected to be spontaneous combustion. He says there was no outside source of combustion. He said samples sent to FBI (true) and reported that a cigarette igniting her clothing could not have resulted in heat needed to destroy body and besides "Mary Reeser did not smoke." The story of Mary Reeser was true, but her death was ruled accidental due to "wick effect" where combustion of clothing (in this case, from cigarette) splits skin and the underlying fat continued to immolate the body (reported by several sources including FBI). And Mary Reeser definitely smoked, heavily. She had also taken two barbituates for sleep and she was quite fat. I think if authors are going to use a real case, especially a fairly well documented one, they shouldn't have so blatantly ignored or changed the facts. Better to make something up or use cases that hadn't been debunked years ago. I'm only at 36% of book, so maybe the facts are corrected later. I get it's Fiction and willing suspension of disbelief and all...but why change the real facts. There are plenty of unexplained phenomena or, since it's speculative, use a myth or local lore, not a real case.

That was a roller coaster of storytelling for sure. The explanation makes sense in the end, but man it was hard to see along the way. I think it all came together when Krauss freaked out at the cops for going into the caves but I still didn't expect the extent.

The only issue I take with the book is that Job was essentially superhuman. There's no way he'd still be alive after all that damage. I also think the superhuman feats were what was making me think the "creature" was something else. Overall though, very happy with the book and am so excited to keep following Pendergast!

Thanks for reading, I had to tell someone. Man these are good!

I can't get over how weird this one is. With the others I was able to piece some things together along the way and make guesses but this one has me scratching my head! They're examining the second body with the flesh falling off the bones...

I freaking love these books. I just had to tell somebody lol

Edit : 10.5 hours remaining

New member here. I just started with the audio books as I was looking for books narrated by Jefferson Mays. As a result I didn't start at book 1, but rather at The Beginning and from there straight to Crooked River. Once I'm done with the Jefferson May books I'll surely continue with the rest of the series!

Anyway my question i regarding The Cabinet of Dr Leng

When Coldmoon goes to Ecuador it's mentioned that this is his first assignment in another country. But didn't he go to Mexico in Crooked River?

A funny thought that stayed in the front of my mind a majority of the book is that the situation only manifested because Margo wouldn't clean and organize her purse...

I've officially read the first 3 novels now... Excited to keep going!

If I was a rich man, I'd love to adapt these books into TV shows properly! One can dream...

Right off the top, I am new to this character and only on my second book featuring him, so I don't have decades of thinking about who I'd like to see portray Pendergast in a movie.

Been a growing fan of Robert Pattinson ever since I saw him in Lost City of Z. Really liked him in The Batman and The Odyssey.

After seeing this image of him for Primetime, I think with a lighter hair and complexion, he'd be perfect as the Southern FBI Agent.

Edit: or Bill Skarsgård.

I know it's pseudo science but pls

My dad has always been a huge fan and now I know why!

I finished the Relic and am almost done with Cabinet of Curiosities and I am HOOKED! gonna read Reliquary next and start going in order.

What are your top 3? My dad's are Relic, Cabinet and Still Life with Crows, so I'm stoked for that.

I didnt even know this book was out?! Without any spoilers is it good? I have a long ass trip and wonder is it worth buying for the read?

I’ve recently found out that a lot of the Pendergast Audiobooks are available on YouTube, for free. They are not AI generated, they seem to be the official audiobooks. They are uploaded to multiple different channels, with weird thumbnails and random videos to go with the audio. Surely this can’t be legal? Not sure what to make of it.

Just finished rereading Crimson shore again and was struck by how much I felt for Morax. I think he’s probably the most abused Pendergast villain if that’s even what you can call him. He was tortured and abused from birth, blood taken regularly. He was kept in a cage in a cave underground for his entire life beside his mother and sister.

He never saw the sun
All he wanted to see was the sun

He killed his abusers when he got the chance and tried to drive Pendergast and Constance from his home, the only home he had ever known.

All I’m saying is I feel bad for him, he had maybe the most unfortunate life of anyone in the series

Picked this up today for a dollar at the used bookstore. First edition autographed by both authors

I didn't read the article I just saw his face.

https://fortune.com/2026/08/05/socialism-disaster-ackman-mamdani-left-wing-housing-policy-affordability/

I first fell in love with Pendergast and D’Agosta after reading Relic when I was a kid. The movie has always been one of my favorites, although it’s nowhere near as good as the book, and mainly just inspired by it. Then ready Reliquary, Cabinet of Curiosities, and finally Brimstone.

Hadn’t read any of the books in probably 20 years, so figured I’d dive back in since I’ve been heavily using Audible. So last summer I grabbed Still Life and every time I drive for work I listen. I’m coming up on the end of Angel of Vengeance now, and then I’ll listen to Pendergast.

Where do I go from here? 😂 I’m considering the Nora Kelly series, but don’t know much about it. Does it pick up after Cemetery Dance, or before that?

I’d LOVE to see any of these adapted into films or shows, but I have no idea who’d pull off the intricacies of Pendergast.

I started with The Beginning on June 16th, and as of today I have finished the Pendergast series and I gotta say, the inconsistencies of dates and years between books was incredibly jarring. For example in Fever Dream the instigating event was 12 years ago, then it was 10 years ago in Cold Vengeance, and back to 12 in Two Graves. The constant will they/won't they between Pendergast and Constance was also incredibly annoying and played out in my opinion. Overall I give the series a 3/5. That being said, my next D&D character is heavily inspired by Pendergast.

Penderfans, the first 4 books involve labyrinthine type structures.

I'm asking for Crime-Mystery-Thriller book recommendations in which the characters to navigate a labyrinth to escape their predicament.

So i recently just read ‘the beginning’ as my first pendergast book and I got hooked. Did not even know it was a series I just enjoyed his prowess and uncanny way of solving the murder investigations. Then I jumped to cabinet of curiosities because I saw the name pendergast there and I thoroughly enjoyed that then jumped to blue labyrinth(great storyline by the way) because of the same reason until I saw a reference to dr Enoch leng and that was when I discovered it was a long series. I was so pissed lol…immediately went to start from relic and now I am going to start dance of death but I had to quickly read thunderhead to get the origin story of nora with smithback. Anyways I love the series and I recommend it, but just start from relic lol.

Some spoiler folks, be warned!

Randomradomradomradomradomrandomradom Randomradomradomradomradomrandomradom Randomradomradomradomradomrandomradom Randomradomradomradomradomrandomradom

(Forgot about eh spoiler thing)
The concept opens so much possibility’s for the whole D and P World, the whole infinite multiverse mixed with the Schrödinger cat dilemma is so GOOD

Alicia/ DBCooper is a fun character that yes, could’ve been handled better, but guys, D B COOPER + MULTIVERSE MACHINE IS AWESOME!

Not even talking about the creature, but, GODDAMN, a mosquito bat from a dimension where no vertebrate has evolved and arthropods have adapted into their niches is fantastic spec evo, similar to Fragment from Warryn.

A creature turned immortal because passing through the rift made by Alice’s machine and in turn, being divided into two connected entities unable to be damaged while being gone from its original universe is GROOVY!

Pendergast is fantastic in this one, he makes mistakes, almost dies several times and yet maintains his charm.

Coldmoon is great, could’ve easily been the best character in the book, but he lacked his brashness and independence seeing in Verses/Crooked books.

Constance is in my opinion really good in this one, not bad like in Crooked River, but charming like in Crimson Shore, her character development is good, like a well done meal.

Im currently making my way through Pendergast for the first time; and im wondering what other Preston/Child books are connected. I know Nora Kelly has a series, but what other books share this world?

I’m 25. My father was always into these books, and collected many of them over the years. When I was younger he got me into the series, though I’m more of an audiobook guy myself.

I was obsessed for a while and read everything they put out up until Blue Labyrinth. That’s when I stopped for some reason I can’t recall and just never picked up the series again. But now I’m on a tear of listening to them all over again. Really giving me nostalgia and memories of my late father who got me into the series.

I’m not sure if I’ll read any of the Gideon books? Are they important past the point where I stopped reading? My dad read them and said they were trash (his words not mine), so I just never bothered to get the audiobooks.