Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Cabinet of Curiosities
    Unavailable
    The Cabinet of Curiosities
    Unavailable
    The Cabinet of Curiosities
    Ebook683 pages10 hours

    The Cabinet of Curiosities

    By Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    In downtown Manhattan, workers on a construction site breach a long-forgotten basement, unearthing a charnel house: thirty-six bodies, systematically dismembered and carefully immured at least 130 years ago.

    It's just the kind of case to intrigue the unorthodox and enigmatic FBI agent Aloysius X.L. Pendergast. But he's not the only interested party. Soon after the bodies are discovered a killer strikes. Their victim's corpse bears the same precise mutilations as the bodies in the basement.

    The nightmare has begun. Again.

    'Fast-moving, sophisticated and bursting with surprises... There's nothing else like them' WASHINGTON POST.

    'Sit back, crack open the book and get ready for the ride of your life' DAVID BALDACCI.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHead of Zeus
    Release dateDec 18, 2014
    ISBN9781784970505
    Unavailable
    The Cabinet of Curiosities
    Author

    Douglas Preston

    Douglas Preston writes about archaeology for the New Yorker and National Geographic magazines, as well as novels and nonfiction works (such as The Lost City of the Monkey God). With Lincoln Child, he writes international #1 bestselling thrillers, including the Agent Pendergast adventures.

    Read more from Douglas Preston

    Related to The Cabinet of Curiosities

    Related ebooks

    Thrillers For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Falling Down

      Sep 8, 2021

      Falling Down
      3 min read

    • Article

      79 The Terrible Grinning Men

      Sep 10, 2020

      79 The Terrible Grinning Men
      8 min read

    • Article

      Off The Scale

      Apr 29, 2022

      Off The Scale
      7 min read

    • Article

      Worship On High

      Oct 18, 2021

      Worship On High
      5 min read

    • Article

      Three Poems

      Sep 1, 2022

      1. Here there’s no rainy season.Sun scalds my forehead,yet the pool is empty. Beside it,a toppled table, its glass surface shattered.The asphalt is too hot for bare feet. 2. Far away: white hillocksand white dunes under a deepblue sky. Swirling winds

      5 min read

    • Article

      It Happened to Me…

      Feb 24, 2022

      It Happened to Me…
      7 min read

    • Article

      It Happened to Me…

      Feb 24, 2022

      It Happened to Me…
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Direct Source of Truth

      Aug 10, 2023

      The Direct Source of Truth
      5 min read

    • Article

      Intarsia

      Feb 6, 2020

      Intarsia
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Certain Fuzziness

      Nov 2, 2021

      A Certain Fuzziness
      5 min read

    • Article

      Stop Hating on Adjectives!

      Jun 12, 2019

      A common admonition in creative writing pedagogy is, “Cut as many adjectives as possible.” I propose that this rule springs from mere prejudice. The post Stop Hating on Adjectives! appeared first on The Millions.

      7 min read

    • Article

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS

      Nov 17, 2022

      Roger’s PROFANISAURUS
      7 min read

    • Article

      Quantum Radio

      Feb 22, 2023

      Quantum Radio
      5 min read

    • Article

      Apocrypha

      Feb 6, 2020

      Apocrypha
      2 min read

    • Article

      Rescue Remedies

      Nov 1, 2023

      Rescue Remedies
      8 min read

    • Article

      Chairman Of The Hoard

      May 13, 2022

      Chairman Of The Hoard
      8 min read

    • Article

      A Canceled Comedy Gem

      Jul 16, 2023

      A Canceled Comedy Gem
      5 min read

    • Article

      Marco

      Mar 1, 2022

      THE ALLEY STANK . Marco could feel the damp soaking into his tunic as he pressed his back against the wall, trying to seem like part of the shadows. He cursed himself. How could he have been so stupid? He knew if he stayed out after dark they might f

      6 min read

    • Article

      Good Dog!

      Sep 1, 2019

      Good Dog!
      8 min read

    • Article

      From The Foreword To Debths

      Jun 27, 2017

      From The Foreword To Debths
      6 min read

    • Article

      Grey Pride

      Jun 21, 2017

      Grey Pride
      16 min read

    Reviews for The Cabinet of Curiosities

    4/5

    1,148 ratings60 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 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
      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.
    • 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.
    • 2/5
      There are so many continuity holes in this. I was very disappointed.
    • 4/5
      The third Pendergast suspense novel, and one of the best. Special Agent Pendergast is investigating a 130-year old serial killing when the remains of 36 victims are found in lower Manhattan. The victims had had surgical procedures performed upon them, while alive. Now a copycat killer is reproducing the murders, which were apparently committed with the intent to confer near-immortality upon the so-called "Surgeon". To their horror, Pendergast and assistants Bill Smithback and Nora Kelly from previous books discover that these may not be copycat killings after all, and the original killer may have been successful in his quest for everlasting life.
    • 4/5
      This was a very good read. Pendergast needs to track the murderer of a group of factory workers over 100 years before. The story answers some of the questions regarding this remarkable man but also doesn't answer the question - where does Constance come from? I had to look it up on the author's website.
    • 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.
    • 4/5
      Yet another wonderful Preston/Child mystery. A story that involves the quest for eternal life on earth and where science has gone wrong. Beginning in the 19th century Five Points area of Manhattan, a doctor must kill people in order to extract a protein from the human spine while alive. In order to do this he must kidnap innocent people and tie them down inside his hidden lab to perform the extraction, afterwards succumbing to death. But, does this doctor actually achieve success, and years later is he still alive acting out these bizarre murders? Pendergrast and his cohorts team up to find this doctor and his mysterious lab and attempt to bring an end to this injustice.Never a dull moment, nor is it predictable. Full of mystery, intrigue, suspense, and action. I highly recommend this book to Preston/Child fans especially to those who always enjoy Agent Pendergrast and his witty nuances.
    • 3/5
      By abridging this audio cassette version, the publishers probably cut out a lot of extraneous (and gruesome) description. That's fine.

      Riveting mystery; I was surprised at the who and why of "the vicious killer". The journalist was an ass or an idiot. I don't understand why someone can be thoroughly unpleasant throughout an entire book, but if they are suddenly in mortal peril authors seem to think that is somehow redeeming.

      As with another book I've recently read, the political machinations are a bore. Thank goodness this one was abridged.

      Now that I've thrown mud, let me back up and say that I actually enjoyed the book! I've already collected two more of Agent Pendergast's stories and I'm looking forward to reading them.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book. For the most part interesting and fast-paced. Bogged down in a couple of places, but nothing too annoying. Similarly a couple of plot holes, but nothing so gross as to affect the overall story line.

      Agent Pendergast is an interesting character, but more a collection of affectations than a fleshed out person. I'd have enjoyed it more if the authors had spent a bit more time developing his character and letting us know what makes him tick. Maybe they do in the other books in the series.

      The story's good - part "Silence of the Lambs", part "X-Files". Some nice plot twists and atmospheric settings. It would make a good movie.
    • 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.
    • 5/5
      This book was so much fun. I really liked Relic, and have read most the two authors' books. This one is hands down my favorite. Yes, you really have to suspend your disbelief, but they do really try to make the impossible science that pops up believable. That's not the point. The history of museums, like the American Museum of Natural History, as cabinets of curiosity is fantastic. For a science/history geek like myself, this view of museums as the evolution of what was basically freak shows is really interesting. It's a dark and twisted view of what has come to be simply educational. Granted the two headed calves didn't make the transition, but the knowledge that so much of this stuff comes from the same crazy old guy who collected things like two headed calves and elephant man skulls in fascinating. The plot revolves around just such a man and just such a cabinet. It helps that the lead investigator is just as kooky. The ambiance alone is reason enough to grab this book. It could just as easily be a horror story as a thriller, mystery or scifi novel.
    • 3/5
      slow at first but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down, especially at the end. The Bill Smithback character got on my nerves.
    • 4/5
      This was a great thriller. It kept me glued to the book for a day and a half. They mystery of Pendergast was intense. The man knew a lot about seemingly everything and seemed to have otherworldly powers (like the whole memory crossing thing – was he reconstructing things he read about in his mind or was he going back in time??). Was he really with the FBI or just a rich eccentric used to getting his way? I still don’t know.The set up reminded me of The Alienist in many ways. We have Pendergast, a genius who seems to operate above and outside of the law. Assisting him is a woman, a newspaper reporter and a cop. Much of the crimes are set in the 1870s where gaslight pervades. He makes fools of the cops. All very similar to the Carr novels.In a couple of ways, the book was unsatisfying. I didn’t think that Nora and Smithback were a very good couple. They seemed to always be at odds with each other and their personalities are mismatched. When Smithback was captured by the killer, I didn’t feel very sorry for him. Nora’s anguish over his plight seemed perfunctory. The other way was the fact that there was a big production made of Chief Custer’s capture of the killer. Several chapters were devoted to his bungling and he was painted as being a complete idiot way out of his depth. His pride and his arrogance got in the way of all sense and he arrested the wrong man. His down fall is relegated to a single sentence though and I wanted more. What was satisfying was the overall plot.
    • 4/5
      Oh I loved this book. I didn't really know anything about real cabinets of curiousities so it was interesting to learn about them. I think this is my second favorite in the Pendergast series (after Relic) for it's well played out mystery and suspense as well as giving a bit more history into Pendergast and his family.
    • 5/5
      This book scared the hell out of me. I can't wait to read the others in the Pendergast series.
    • 4/5
      FBI agent Pendergast, journalist Bill Smithback, and archaeologist Nora Kelly join forces to stop a vicious murderer when the discovery of an underground charnel house in downtown Manhattan reveals information about a serial killer who stalked the neighborhood in the 1880s and has apparently set off a new series of terrifyingly similar killings.
    • 5/5
      In downtown Manhattan, a gruesome discovery has just been made - an underground charnel house containing the bones of dozens of murder victims. Research reveals that a serial killer was at work in New York's Five Points neighbourhood in the 1880s, bent on prolonging his life span by any means. When a newspaper story on the old murders appears to ignite a new series of horrifyingly similar killings, panic overtakes the city.On the case are FBI Special Agent Pendergast - Southern, pale, refined, unorthodox, and possessed of a Holmes-like brain - and Dr Nora Kelly, an astute archaeologist at the New York Museum of Natural History. Together they embark on an investigation that will take them from the gleaming skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan to the crumbling archives of the Museum, from a mass grave under a Chinatown brownstone to a house of abominations on Riverside Drive. And as the death toll rises and the city descends into bedlam, the pair must use every resource available to track down the killer … before the killer gets to them. Not a very likely scenario, but enough twists and turns to keep you guessing almost until the end. Lincoln Preston is a pseudonym for Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
    • 4/5
      Cabinet of Curiosities is my fourth book by these authors (Relic, Reliquary, and Brimstone) and while it wasn't without a few annoying faults I found it to be extremely interesting and entertaining at the same time. In this book, we find that a new construction project is delayed when the excavation crew unexpectedly discovers a 19th century coal tunnel holding skeletal remains of 36 brutally murdered people. Almost immediately after the discovery is made, Dr. Nora Kelly (an archeologist and curator at the Museum of Natural History, Thunderhead) is visited by the mysterious, refined and independently wealthy FBI agent Pendergast (Relic & Reliquary) who takes an unusual interest in the remains. Dr. Kelly reluctantly joins Special Agent Pendergast for an unofficial examination of the site, and together they make a startling discovery...a clue has been left behind by one of the victims that proves to be an important piece of information in the search for the perpetrator of this hideous crime. All of this is connected with a Cabinet of Curiosities (collections of items of historical and/or archeological interest, these predated museums like the New York Museum of Natural History...some of the items were genuine -- others contrived to bring in the public and their money) that was once located on the site. Pendegast and Kelly are almost immediately ejected from the site as the wealthy builders money buys his way to having the site cleared and back on track with their building schedule in a matter of hours, but not successfully covering up the discovery of the remains of what could be the work of the most prolific serial killer in American history. With a taste for this mystery and a piece of clothing (with a note inside) that Kelley and Smithback (Relic & Reliquary, her boyfriend in this book) manage to sneak in and retrieve the trio is well on their into a mystery that threatens to consume them all. While I enjoyed much of Cabinet of Curiosities, it has a number of "sore" points for me and I find that much of what I don't like about this particular work can be laid squarely on the shoulders of one Agent Pendergast. As in his previous appearances, he is superior in every way to every one around him (richer, more refined, better dressed, more knowledgeable, and just slightly ahead of everyone else in piecing together the pieces of the puzzle). The authors certainly tried to make him more appealing this time out, personalizing and going into detail with his life and his past...but overall it falls flat and one is left with the feeling that none of the other characters is as marvelous or important as Pendergast...he's just too perfect. As a result of the attention given to Pendergast, interesting characters like Kelly and Smithback can only function on the periphery, as sidekicks or buffoons; I just felt that they weren't as well developed as they might have been if the authors didn't place so much importance on Pendergast. My other major complaint with the book is that it drug on for 100-150 pages too long, well beyond the "reveal" and where (I felt) the authors has the opportunity to take the ending to a truly horrific and unique levels of mad scientist genius they didn't...they took a sharp right turn and ended in a way that really felt like a let down after all the effort that went into the build up. I would have liked to have seen something a bit more exciting (and unique), but that's just me. Despite its flaws, Cabinet of Curiosities is quite a good read, It kept me up two nights in a row...just one more page, with eyes burning and me feeling desperately tired...I just had to read ONE more page! For me this was ALMOST as good as Relic (which was my favorite so far by Lincoln & Child), I love the descriptions of the museum and of New York (both the historical and contemporary descriptions) and the history of the Cabinets of Curiosities was quite delightful! I'll definitely be picking up more of their work in the future. I give this one a B+, I love Pendergast...but I feel that this character might be becoming a pet character for these authors and as such is bordering on becoming unreal (and annoyingly so)...he hasn't quite reached that point, but I could see it happening. So...overall, great late night reading with just the right mix of horror, thriller and a dash of science that's hard to put down! I'd recommend it in a heartbeat, especially if you liked their previous work.
    • 4/5
      Good supernatural mystery starring Agent Pendergast. A 19th century charnel house is discovered while excavating a building site. When modern murders start showing up with the same MO, Agent Pendergast must find the killer.
    • 5/5
      The best in the series. Creepiness that slowly builds to horror.
    • 5/5
      If you love a mystery, this is the book for you. Based on some of the characters from earlier books, this story mixes history and crime.
    • 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.
    • 4/5
      A novel I loved to hate. Or was it hated to love? A creepy and graphic thriller about a serial killer who eviserated his victims while they were still alive in order to harvest the necessary ingredients for eternal life. Fast paced, with plenty of gore that I had to skip over in order to hurry to the conlusion.
    • 4/5
      The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child is the 3rd book in the Pendergast series. I had not read the earlier two books before this one, so I may have missed out on some back story, though it was perfectly easy to jump right in and follow along on the story. The story revolved around Pendergast, an unconventional, sophisticated, somewhat mysterious FBI agent who shows up at a NY construction scene just as bones are discovered in a building which is being torn down. Realizing that the bones date back centuries, he asks an archaeologist from the New York Museum, Nora Kelly, to help him. Nora and Pendergast quickly realize that the bones indicate a serial killer from the past; almost as quickly, the copycat murders being occurring in the present. They investigate both murders, past & present, with help from 5th generation Irish-American cop Patrick O'Shaughnessy and New York Times investigative reporter William Smithback.
    • 4/5
      Now this is a good time! Recommended by a woman at the local Borders, I was hesitant to start reading someone I was sure to fall in love with; I have enough books to read as it is. Sure enough, I devoured The Cabinet of Curiosities (the 3rd in the Pendergast series) and have all the others in the stacks waiting to be read.Pendergast is not your typical FBI agent. He is suave, sophisticated, brilliant and eccentric. His mysteries are what make him so interesting. In this book, he searches both for the serial killer from 100 years ago and the serial killer from today who uses the same MO. The answers come from an archaeologist at the New York Museum of Natural History, a reporter and a beat cop, who against his better judgement, works with Pendergast to solve the crime.At times over the top, leaving me to exclaim, “Really?” I enjoyed this book and am anxious to dive into the rest of them if only to discover more about Pendergast and his mysteries.
    • 4/5
      I currently have skipped the second book in the series my friend told me its not necessary to read it. So here I read the third one. It was really good, at first I found it a little slower paced than I did "Relic" which is the first in the Pendergast series, but in the end I really enjoyed it it picked up speed and I didn't want to put it down, and in the end I was very happy. I cannot wait to read the next one in the series.