Pendergast

The Beginning

From the #1 New York Times bestselling duo Preston and Child comes the Agent Pendergast origin story—a golden opportunity for longtime fans and new readers to learn about Agent Pendergast’s strange and shocking first case.

It only took six months for the life of Special Agent Dwight Chambers to crumble around him. First, he lost his partner, and then, tragically, his wife. Returning to work at the New Orleans Field Office, Chambers is dismayed to find himself saddled with mentoring a brand new FBI agent—a certain A. X. L. Pendergast. As Chambers tries to pull himself together, his enigmatic and exasperating junior partner pulls an outrageous stunt that gets both of them suspended.

Pendergast welcomes the banishment, because it gives him the opportunity to investigate a peculiar murder in Mississippi that has captured his fancy. Chambers grudgingly goes along. What starts off as a whimsical quest swiftly turns into a terrifying pursuit, as Chambers and Pendergast uncover a string of grisly, ritualistic killings that defy any known serial killer profile.

Thanks in large part to Pendergast’s brilliance and unorthodox methods, they solve the case and find the killer… and that is when the true horror begins.

Satisfying addition to the world of Pendergast.

I love hearing Jefferson Mays narrate, and he is the reason I listen rather than read these books. I am sorry to say this, but I was also glad for a book free of Constance. She's had such a huge presence in the story arc lately, I was ready for a break. I enjoyed the nostalgia of references to other characters in his past and future. And the little details always make for more enjoyable reading. Magritte and Chagall, Patek Philippe, and the ever-present dark suit full of hidden pockets.

Pendergast is back!

I adored Rene Auberjonois’ narrations. After his death, the narration wasn’t this same. This narrator is very similar and does the accent perfectly. I sincerely enjoyed the story, the action, and the excellent narration! I’ve been getting a little tired of the modern/weird storylines lately, so this time jump is just what I needed to get back to what I love about the Pendergast stories: Pendergast himself.

I love Pendergast

It was a great story and I like the way it eased into the next book, Relic.

Ingenuity

Absolutely perfect and a wonderful introduction to our favorite character. We love Pendergast and want more.

Great detective story!

The plot, characters, and mystery is superbly written and fantastically adapted to an audio masterpiece.