A TRAGIC DISAPPEARANCE
After a harrowing, otherworldly confrontation on the shores of Exmouth, Massachussetts, Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast is missing, presumed dead.
A SHOCKING RETURN
Sick with grief, Pendergast’s ward, Constance, retreats to her chambers beneath the family mansion at 891 Riverside Drive–only to be taken captive by a shadowy figure from the past.
AN INTERNATIONAL MANHUNT
Proctor, Pendergast’s longtime bodyguard, springs to action, chasing Constance’s kidnapper through cities, across oceans, and into wastelands unknown.
BUT IN A WORLD OF BLACK AND WHITE, NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS
And by the time Proctor discovers the truth, a terrifying engine has stirred-and it may already be too late . . .

Agent Pendergast, Book #16
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
My Rating: **** (4 of 5 stars)

While some of the Pendergast books can be read as standalone thrillers, whether or not you’ve read the rest of the series, you really do need to have read a lot (if not all) of the previous books to appreciate this one. While it’s very hard to say much about it without using spoilers, I can say that this story is very much character driven, and you need to understand the relationships and motivations of the characters in question for the story to make sense. While there is more action than usual for Proctor in this installment, overall the style of the story makes it move along a little more slowly than most books in the series. While I did like the book, I can’t say that I was completely happy with the way things were wrapped up, or with the amount of page-time Pendergast actually gets in this novel. It left me wanting more, but I guess that in itself is a good thing!

Longtime fans of the Pendergast series should enjoy this one,  but I’d recommend starting back with Relic if Pendergast is new to you!