By Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Published by Grand Central Publishing 2013.
I always enjoy the page burning stories that Preston & Child write. They hooked me on their gripping novels when I read The Relic for the first time. In The Relic, Pendergast, the F.B.I. agent is introduced. Pendergast is a great series character that will hook me into buying every time. He’s delivered in the past and does this time too.
The story opens with a prologue in 1889 with a meeting between Oscar Wilde and Conan Doyle. The meeting takes place in London with Wilde telling a gruesome story about a grizzly bear killing and eating local miners in a place called Roaring Fork in America.
Present day Corrie Swanson, Pendergast’s protégé, is brought to Roaring Fork to study the remains of local miners from the 1800’s who were dug up and removed for the installation of a new ultra-rich real estate development. Things start heating up when Corrie arrives to study the remains and finds herself low on money and spending time in jail. Needing help she contacts Pendergast, which she wasn’t wanting to, but had to or face actual prison time for her trumped up deeds.
Pendergast arrives from Europe in the nick of time and helps Corrie out of the situation. An arsonist is in Roaring Fork killing families and destroying multi-million dollar homes. Pendergast is asked by the local police de
partment for help investigating which he is obliged to do.
White Fire also has a bonus Sherlock Holmes story inside that will please the Holmes fans I’m sure. Even if you have not read a Pendergast novel before don’t be afraid to pick this one up. Most if not all of the novels are stand alone and easy to follow. This book starts out good and revs up in a hurry and will satisfy any Pendergast enthusiast.
