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    The Cabinet of Curiosities: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Cabinet of Curiosities: A Novel
    Unavailable
    The Cabinet of Curiosities: A Novel
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    The Cabinet of Curiosities: A Novel

    Written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

    Narrated by Rene Auberjonois

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In an ancient tunnel underneath New York City a charnel house is discovered.

    Inside are thirty-six bodies – all murdered and mutilated more than a century ago. While FBI agent Pendergast investigates the old crimes, identical killings start to terrorize the city.

    The nightmare has begun.
    Again.

    A Hachette Audio production.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateNov 1, 2005
    ISBN9781594833670
    Unavailable
    The Cabinet of Curiosities: A Novel
    Author

    Douglas Preston

    DOUGLAS PRESTON has published forty books of both nonfiction and fiction, of which over thirty have been New York Times bestsellers, a half-dozen reaching the #1 position. He is the co-author, with Lincoln Child, of the Pendergast series of thrillers. He also writes nonfiction pieces for the New Yorker Magazine. He worked as an editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University. He is president emeritus of the Authors Guild and serves on the Advisory Board of the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe.

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    Reviews for The Cabinet of Curiosities

    4/5

    1,239 ratings74 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Have read other novels by these authors but this one was a keep you up one. An archeologist, a reporter, an eccentric FBI agent all come together when bones are found in a sight being readied for a new skyscraper in NYC. The bones are all of young people murdered In the late 1800's early 1900s. All murdered in a very gruesome way. From there we are searching the Museum of Natural History. Old records and finally an abandoned house on the FDR. Or is it abandoned. Great build up to the end.
    • 4/5
      When century old numerous skeletons are discovered in a tunnel under NYC, FBI Agent Pendergast seeks the assistance of Dr. Nora Kelly, New York Museum of Natural History archeologist to investigate. Once the investigation has begun, recent murders with remains similar to those found in the tunnel. Can Pendergast and Kelly identify the murderer known as the Surgeon before others are killed, especially them.As I listened to the third book in the Pendergast series, aspects of it seemed familiar. At least, most of it was unfamiliar to make a possible reread okay. The primary characters of this book was well-developed, especially Pendergast, who comes across as a contemporary Sherlock Holmes. Since there are a number of books in this series, I should be reading and enjoying it for some time.
    • 5/5
      Another great read in the Pendergast series. While some of these books aren't always a 5-star read, they're still incredibly enjoyable and I always find myself looking to grab the next one of the series at Barnes & Noble when it gets released each year. Hats off to Pendergast and all of his investigations.
    • 2/5
      Great story, only much longer than it needed to be. The story of Agent Pendergast's search for an ancient serial killer who has discovered the secret to everlasting life gets bogged down in the minutiae causing it to drag on quite often. While I enjoyed the first two installments in this series I seem to recall the moved at a quicker pace. After this one I'm not sure I will continue on to the next. I found myself not caring who or what and just wanting it to end.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant book, thrilling and spell binding
    • 2/5
      Complete crap. This book was way too long and Pendergast is a boring Mary Sue. By the end when he was cauterizing wounds while translating Greek I was ready to throw the book across the room.
    • 5/5
      Bones are discovered on a construction site. In total 36 bodies are found, the were mutilated more than a 100 years ago.

      After the discovery of the bones, similar murders are happening in the streets of New York. Is there a copycat on the loose or the murderer from a 130 years ago still alive?

      Agent Pendagast is back for a third time. D'Agosta and Margo Green are gone so he gets the help of Nora Kelly, a archeologist working for the Museum. The story still takes place in New York and also back is Bill Smithback, the journalist looking for his Pulitzer prize and is also Nora's boyfriend. A new character is also in the mix, Patrick O'Shaunessy, a cop who a couple of years ago was accused of taking a bribe and now his boss is making him work with Pendagast as a punishment.


      This suspense, horror, fantasy book is great. Pendagast is such a great character, intriguing, weird and who has a few tricks on his sleeve. Smithback is your typical journalist but tends to put his ffot in his mouth a little too often and gets to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. For me they are both the main reasons the books works. They both bring the serious, emotional and funny side that makes the book a joy to read.

      They are some parts that are far-fetched more on the fantasy side so be prepared that it's part of the charm the authors bring to this novel.

      This book can be read as a stand alone since the references from the two previous book are so minimal that you don't really miss anything that makes you wonder what they are talking about.

      Great thrilling, suspense book. 4.5 stars.
    • 4/5
      A horror/mystery about a serial killer who may have discovered the secret of immortality.... A very Dr. Jekyll/Frankenstein aesthetic, brought into a modern-day milieu - but I *really* enjoyed this book for its over-the-top, tongue in cheek portrayal of the Scary Dangerous city that is New York, and especially the portrayal of the Oh-So-Spooky! Natural History Museum (where I worked for a 9-month internship).
      The book is dedicated to "librarians," which gives a clue that the totally ridiculous portrayal of the archivist and library in the museum is very intentionally so... and it is FUNNY! In that watching a bad 70's exploitation film kinda way....
      However, reading the reviews on amazon.com, I dunno how many people picked up on that... they don't seem to get it. But I'm 95% sure it was supposed to be funny...
      I did disagree with the ending moral, but it was very classic...
    • 4/5
      Another enjoyable book in the Agent Pendergast series, although I might say I think it was a little too long in building the story line.
    • 4/5
      Agent Pendergast and company spend more time above ground and transition from Monster of the Week stories to psychological monsters of the human variety in an excellent outing. It was really hard to decide whether to put this one in the "mystery" or "thriller" or "horror" category, or all of the above. Regardless, if you were put off by the monster-ish story aspects of either of the earlier Pendergast outings, consider giving this one a look, as it's a shift in focus and very well done.
    • 5/5
      One of the best of the numerous Pendergast series novels as the FBI agent traces the connection between a series of heinous serial murders of more than a century ago and a round of current copycat slayings. A fast read...I banged out the last 150 pages of a breathless climactic sequence in one reading.
    • 5/5
      I've read the first three of the Pendergast series, and this one is the best so far. Can't wait to get to the next one.
    • 4/5
      An otherwise excellent novel ended up plagued by a horrendous repetition of words within the last hundred pages. Everything the characters did was described by the authors as either "slowly" or "abruptly." I actually wanted to stop reading, the overused adverbs became so bad. Either the editor became tired toward the end, or the authors were allowed to edit their own book. This saddened me a great deal, as I really loved the twisty, turn-y plot Lincoln and Child developed.

      If you follow my reviews, you know I don't regurgitate plots. That's what the synopsis on the book is for. So we'll move along.

      Before starting The Cabinet of Curiosities, I read Relic, and it's sequel, Reliquary. You can find my reviews posted here on Goodreads. This book far surpasses those two novels in pace and character development. Never bored, I plowed through this book in only five days. I really didn't want to put it down, but real life does tend to interfere, and me needs my beauty sleep, fool! Special Agent Pendergast's character is finally delved into. He's no longer the obtuse, mysterious FBI agent. His past comes into play all throughout this compelling novel. I can't wait to read the next in the series, Still Life with Crows. It will be nice to finally get out of New York City, where Relic, Reliquary and this book took place. Needing a little variety in my schedule, I won't be starting Still Life with Crows right away. I have an ARC from a friend of mine I need to read ASAP, then I want to tackle Lawrence Block's When the Sacred Gin Mill Closes and Fluke, by Christopher Moore.

      Until next time,

      E.
    • 4/5
      "Old bones...New people"A pile of bones is found and Pendergast shows to look into the find. This is the 3 book in the Pendergast saga and even though the storyline is a little out there the whole book was an enjoyable and delightful listen. I have enjoyed getting to know Pendergast even though these books are a little on the old side I am new to the series. They are not your standard, run of the mill mystery/murder novels which is a good thing. So if you can get beyond the out bounds type of storyline you should enjoy this book and if your already a fan of Pendergast you really wound be disappointed
    • 4/5
      This has been the longest, and the best, book of the Pedergast series so far. An interesting story that kept me riveted and engaged, I didn't want to put this book down. So many times with longer books I have the thought that it could be shorter, I don't have that thought or desire for this book--I can't wait to read the next in the series!

    • 4/5
      Six-word review: Wow, more creepy subterranean nasty business.Extended review: I think I'm catching onto a pattern here. This is the third mystery-thriller starring Special Agent Pendergast, and three out of three have involved (a) the Museum of Natural History in New York, (b) a mad scientist, (c) some kind of magic potion, and (d) underground tunnels with horrid things in them. There are also, as before, some stalwarts and some dopes in the NYPD, a personable, vulnerable and yet strong young woman, and a likable, annoying reporter.I guess if you have a formula that works, it's smart not to mess with it.The LT series lists showing titles in sequence are a great resource. What I didn't realize, though, when I selected this book as the third in the series, is that apparently there were other titles between the second and third Pendergast books that carried on sequentially but involved other characters. So Nora Kelly had been introduced and her relationship with Bill Smithback developed in a non-Pendergast book that preceded this one.That wasn't really a problem; the authors supplied enough backstory to fill the gaps. But this was a caution that I didn't think of in following a series--the idea that the series might branch and I might be missing story development if I mistakenly followed a single main character.At any rate, as before, this one presented a fast-moving and suspenseful yarn with pluses and minuses that balance out in its favor, as long as you're in the mood for the gruesome parts.
    • 3/5
      After a horrible discovery of a XIX century churnel house made by construction workers, people start dying. The manner of these recent deaths is the same as the old murders, so the press gave the killer a name - The Surgeon. Considering how weird all this is, it is no wonder Pendergast gets involved. There is a lot of him in this book.

      I have a feeling this book tried to cram as much as incompetent and corrupt people as it it possible. It certainly wins the prize so far. The first two had their own bureaucrats and jerks, but here it is a whole new level of ass-kissing, ruining other people or harassing normal ones. I am not satisfied how that played out. I cannot write more about it or I'll ruin the part of the story.

      I don't have to write about how I love Pendergast either. If he was a bit of omniscient before, here he gets another, more human layer to his personality. We are allowed to see just how much human he is. His part in all this was great, albeit still insufficient for me to be satisfied. Still, the manner we get more, but still not enough, information about him is a good way to keep readers interested.

      Of the three people involved in previous cases, only the journalist remained. I wish he too left somewhere. Authors usually reserve TSTL moments for their female characters. Here, I am happy (or unhappy as the case may be) to report Smithback could give those heroines run for their money. God, he was so stupid he almost ruined the story. There wasn't a single thing he did here to make me even like, let alone love him. He acted childish and selfish and even if he had those 'qualities' before, here they are more pronounced.
      The second person Pendergast enlists to help him is an archaeologist Nora Kelly, Smithback's girlfriend. The authors can't show the chemistry between the characters, so we get quite a few sentences telling us how he loves her. I don't mind romantic angle to a story. I like it even, but here it was out of place. She could have been just an archaeologist who just met them and it would still be the same story. And she wasn't really likeable either. The first part of the story she is wining about her job, then she gets angry for whatever reason. Margo Green and D'Acosta, they are not. Anyway, it isn't that pronounced to mess up the story.

      The too long meditation that looks like time travel or a vivid dream would work in a film, but here they threw me in something that seemed like a different story. That, and one time it was even unbelievable considering the place the characters doing it were in.

      Parts of this story were too hard to read. The suffering and the waiting were dragged a bit. I still enjoyed it though and would recommend this series to anyone who likes a thriller seasoned with weirdness.
    • 4/5
      Nora is an archaeologist with the Natural History Museum in New York City. When FBI Special Agent Pendergast requests her immediate help with some skeletons found under a construction site, she goes to take a look, but the developer gets rid of the two of them fairly quickly, after she's only had a short time to investigate. It seems that at least 36 bodies were found at the site and they think this was the work of a serial killer from over 100 years earlier. Despite the protestations of the developer and Nora's employer, they (along with the help of Nora's reporter boyfriend and a police officer assigned to keep an eye on Pendergast) work to find out what happened there. There now also seems to be a series of copycat murders. I really liked this. I enjoyed learning about historical cabinets of curiosities. I also quite like Pendergast's character and there were some tense moments in the book that kept me reading. Despite being about 500 pages, it was a quick read.
    • 3/5
      Nothing great - story is quite ok probably a bit long and boring.
    • 5/5
      Truly remarkable listening! It had me fully attentive for hours. I look forward to meeting Agent Pendergast again.
    • 5/5
      Child and Preston are two very very talented story tellers. Their books are always good, and the stories are always original. The Cabinet of Curiousities is another original story that will keep you guessing until the end when Pendergast makes the connections clear! Great story and an amazing audible version to go with it!
    • 5/5
      The characters are rich and engaging an edge of your seat story
    • 2/5
      I was very dissatisfied that parts of the book were cut from the audio version.
    • 5/5
      Different. Finally found new authors and series to like. Interesting, fast paced, likable protagonists, suspenseful. Great narrator. Something very fresh in a mystery story. Recommend.
    • 5/5
      I would've totally been down for that pop quiz..... As for the Cabinet of Curiosities?

      Well worth everything. I love it!
    • 4/5
      Didn't realise this is the third to the series but I adored it nonetheless. Great mystery, Pendergast is hella cool and the story/perp is extremely interesting.
    • 3/5
      Warning: This is an abridged edition. I don’t see that noted anywhere.
    • 4/5
      Pendergast has officially taken over this series! We finally get some back story about this man of mystery.

      Spoiler Alert: The Pendergast family is more interesting and dramatic than yours.

      I hope each successive book reveals more skeletons in his closet.
    • 2/5
      Cutting out the interminable detail and replacing it with action or character development. Would help also to reduce the gruesome descriptions.
    • 3/5
      Listened to in audiobook form, a medium I am not sure I will ever get used to, by Rene Auberjonois, the actor. Very entertaining, but for some reason (probably my maintenance medication), I am having issues staying awake throughout.