Helpful Score: 5
Really scary. An ancient relic goes to the dark halls of the NY Museum of Natural History from South America. Creepy, scary, NO PLACE FOR THE SQUEAMISH READER. This has it all.
Helpful Score: 5
I loved this creepy tale of the underbelly of a museum. Maybe too much; I haven't been to the Carnegie since I read it 'cause I'm afraid of what's lurking in there!
Helpful Score: 5
This was a great book. It's been years since I've seen the movie, so I only remembered bits and pieces and a lot was as it happened in the book. (I'll have to watch the movie again now just for old times' sake.) I didn't find it too scary, since it takes a lot to freak me out, but the suspense was really good and the storyline wonderful. I liked the character Pendergast, but noticed he wasn't in the cast for the movie when I IMDBed it to get a "visual" of the main characters. I was hooked into the book early and am looking forward to reading the sequel.
Helpful Score: 4
EXCELLENT - great start for Lincoln Child & Douglas Preston. You get to meet Pendergast, who is the protagonist in several following books. After you read this, you have to read RELIQUARY. Sometimes you may see the two listed together as RELIC/RELIQUARY, but they are 2 separate books.
Helpful Score: 3
This was my first Preston/Child book, and I loved it. Deep, dark, spooky... somehow implausible, yet I found that the next time I was in the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History, I was eyeballing dark corridors and elevators a little more closely than before...
Pendergast is a very real character, as are almost all of the folk who populate this novel. Yeah, there are a few whose deaths inspire cheers, but overall, you're pulling for the good guys to win.
Make sure you check out Reliquary, the sequel, once you've read this one.
Pendergast is a very real character, as are almost all of the folk who populate this novel. Yeah, there are a few whose deaths inspire cheers, but overall, you're pulling for the good guys to win.
Make sure you check out Reliquary, the sequel, once you've read this one.
Helpful Score: 2
This a great mystery. I really loved it. Great book.
I had seen the movie and wasn't impressed. Hence, I was "kinda" reluctant to read the book. I am so glad I did. The book was so much better than the movie. It was a "nail biter" all the way to the very end. Preston & Child are such great story tellers. I can't wait to get started on the sequel....Reliquary. You "gotta" love Pendergast.
Helpful Score: 2
Exciting story with some twists. Much, much better than the movie.
Helpful Score: 2
Great page turner for all those science and museum geeks among us. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the mystery of terrifying slayings...perhaps caused by an inhuman creature?
Helpful Score: 2
Monster in the museum. It takes a researcher, a professor, a cop and an FBI agent to figure it all out. I saw the movie and hated it. Very Sci-Fi channel with a scooby doo ending. The book is better and interesting enough to read the sequel.
Helpful Score: 1
A real page turner. It will keep you up at night.
Helpful Score: 1
Don't read this one by yourself in a dark house!
Helpful Score: 1
Great book.
Helpful Score: 1
First book in the Pendergast series. Great character development throughout the series. Great detail. I recommend you read the series in order so you don't miss the nuances in these books. Interesting, creepy. Love it!
Helpful Score: 1
"Jurassic Park" at the Museum of Natural History......gets creepy.
Helpful Score: 1
the movie was okay but the book is a real page turner
Helpful Score: 1
What a great thriller! A VERY scary monster is loose in the Museum of Natural History - what fun. If you like scientific thrillers and are interested in the behind the scenes workings of giant institutions, as well as being totally engrossed in a book, then you will love this. I literally couldn't stop reading it and finished it in a day.
Helpful Score: 1
I came upon this book a few years ago while I was home-bround after surgery....I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!! ABSOLUTELY GREAT STORY!!!! from page beginning to end....as I read this story I could actually see myself as being part of the story.....I read this book twice...as soon as I finished it I was hoping for an ending to the story....and I was glad when I saw the sequel....again soooo above my expectations.....I loved the sequel as much as the first.....then to my surprise....here came the movie....yaayy!!!! off course I had to go see it....it was a really good movie...the only thing that threw me off was the actual man/monster in the story...I was hoping that they let him stay the was he was sown/described in the book...but for the most part it was a great movie as well.
Helpful Score: 1
First time I read this novel, I was so scared I stopped reading it when it got dark outside and then slept with the lights on. Same thing the second time around. By the third reading, I was able to read at night, but kept a light on in every room. The fourth reading was my last - no more fright, but still a page-turner. Never a dull moment. As you can tell, this one didn't get old very quickly for me. I'm a sucker for museums, archaeology, and a good suspenseful thriller, and "Relic" combines all 3 flawlessly. I truly don't think I've read any other book so many times and had the same intense reaction each and every time (well, except for the 4th reading). This is, by far, my favorite Preston/Child book.
Even though I have seen the movie, book was quite different and I found it a great read. Different characters & I also loved FBI agent Pendergast (he is not in the movie version at all).
Helpful Score: 1
Good book!! Scary & suspenseful.
Helpful Score: 1
This was the book that got me into the entire Pendergast series. I love all the books in the series and this is definately one of the best!
Helpful Score: 1
I was looking forward to reading this book because the story sounded like something I would like. And it got a lot of good reviews.
But I could not even finish it! I felt like it was very "B" movie monster movie. Many compare it to Jurassic Park. I read JP a long time ago but I remember loving that book.
About 1/2 way through Relic I realized the story was not holding me and the characters were not strong enough to keep me reading. I have about 40 books in my TBR pile so I'm putting this one down.
But I could not even finish it! I felt like it was very "B" movie monster movie. Many compare it to Jurassic Park. I read JP a long time ago but I remember loving that book.
About 1/2 way through Relic I realized the story was not holding me and the characters were not strong enough to keep me reading. I have about 40 books in my TBR pile so I'm putting this one down.
Very exciting
Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Jurassic Park!! Written in the early 90's, its strangely mindless for a book that is so scientific. A bit far fetched, but I found that to be part of the charm for this book. It was quite fun.
Not nearly as funny as their later Cabinet of Curiosities.
Also set in the Natural History Museum. An evil idol brought back by anthropologists from the Brazilian rainforest seems to have spawned a dinosaur-man serial killer who's loose in the unmapped subbasements...
A pretty standard, entertaining horror/thriller.
Also set in the Natural History Museum. An evil idol brought back by anthropologists from the Brazilian rainforest seems to have spawned a dinosaur-man serial killer who's loose in the unmapped subbasements...
A pretty standard, entertaining horror/thriller.
I enjoyed this book. It was an entertaining thriller adventure.
The first Preston-Child I read. Extremely scary. Scarier than "Salem's Lot".
this book is so much better then the movie...!!! I was enthralled with it....
Even though the scientific and anthropologic discussions in the book were believable, there was just too much of that and not enough action for this reader.
Sucked me in from the beginning. Enough of a thriller to keep the pages turning, yet I wasn't completely frightened. The scientific explanation at the end was a bit like-what?? But, I enjoyed meeting the characters, Margo, D'Agosta, Pendergast. The Creature gave me enough bad dreams that I had to finish the book during the day! A worthy read of someone wanting a quick thriller.
Well crafted, excellent characterizations, extremely suspenseful; if you've seen the AWFUL MOVIE, don't judge the book by its "cover".
Interesting book, the heirchy and politics of New York museums and police add to the tension
This was my first experience with Preston and Childs and I was quite pleased. The book was a great read...quite suspenseful with great characters and enough twists to make it hard to put down each night. I highly recommend and will certainly pick up more of their books.
A bit too graphic for me...
I enjoyed this book very much. Exciting, and, in a way, educational. It was good to get back to the beginning and meet the characters.
Infinitely better than the movie, this was an engrossing read. Special Agent Pendergast has the intelligence and logic of Sherlock Holmes, with the élan of Nick Charles.
I would like to see even more character development, but since I already know that at least Pendergast, D'Agosta and Smithback appear in more novels by Preston & Child, I am hoping my wish will be fulfilled in later works.
From Publishers Weekly
A monster on the loose in New York City's American Museum of Natural History provides the hook for this high-concept, high-energy thriller. A statue of the mad god Mbwun, a monstrous mix of man and reptile, was discovered by a Museum expedition to South America in 1987. Now, it is about to become part of the new Superstition Exhibition at the museum (here renamed the "New York Museum of Natural History"). But as the exhibition's opening night approaches, the museum may have to be shut down due to a series of savage murders that seem to be the work of a maniac-or a living version of Mbwun. When the museum's director pulls strings to ensure that the gala affair takes place, it's up to a small band of believers, led by graduate student Margo Green, her controversial adviser and an FBI agent who investigated similar killings in New Orleans, to stop the monster-if the culprit is indeed a monster-from going on a rampage. Less horror then action-adventure, the narrative builds to a superbly exciting climax, and then offers a final twist to boot. With its close-up view of museum life and politics, plausible scientific background, sharply drawn characters and a plot line that's blissfully free of gratuitous romance, this well-crafted novel offers first-rate thrills and chills.
I would like to see even more character development, but since I already know that at least Pendergast, D'Agosta and Smithback appear in more novels by Preston & Child, I am hoping my wish will be fulfilled in later works.
From Publishers Weekly
A monster on the loose in New York City's American Museum of Natural History provides the hook for this high-concept, high-energy thriller. A statue of the mad god Mbwun, a monstrous mix of man and reptile, was discovered by a Museum expedition to South America in 1987. Now, it is about to become part of the new Superstition Exhibition at the museum (here renamed the "New York Museum of Natural History"). But as the exhibition's opening night approaches, the museum may have to be shut down due to a series of savage murders that seem to be the work of a maniac-or a living version of Mbwun. When the museum's director pulls strings to ensure that the gala affair takes place, it's up to a small band of believers, led by graduate student Margo Green, her controversial adviser and an FBI agent who investigated similar killings in New Orleans, to stop the monster-if the culprit is indeed a monster-from going on a rampage. Less horror then action-adventure, the narrative builds to a superbly exciting climax, and then offers a final twist to boot. With its close-up view of museum life and politics, plausible scientific background, sharply drawn characters and a plot line that's blissfully free of gratuitous romance, this well-crafted novel offers first-rate thrills and chills.
Super read. Suspenseful page turner.
This is a great thriller with action and adventure. It starts out in the Amazon Basin - the New York Museum where,visitors are savagely murdered.
Great read with twists and terror and well, not a book I would recommend to read before bed. Unless you like nightmares!
Great suspense/horror book! This was a book club choice, so I didn't know what I was in for, but it was definitely a page turner. Wonderfully shocking ending, interesting characters, great plot development.
The only downside was getting character names confused - there are a lot of them!
The only downside was getting character names confused - there are a lot of them!
What a great book with a shocking ending! I loved the museum setting and the characters were great.
The first book by the duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, and it was a great start to their series of incredible books!
It itroduces you to Agent Pendergast who is a recurring figure through their works, and an incredible character. He's intelligent, quick-thinking, SOUTHERN with an accent, and has the oddest and most varied tastes!
The setting in a large natural history museum in New York is amazing. It is described wonderfully so you really can imagine the long hallways packed with oversized dino bones and drawers upon drawers of maps and records.
I totally reccomend starting with this book, and then reading through all the works created by Preston and Child!
It itroduces you to Agent Pendergast who is a recurring figure through their works, and an incredible character. He's intelligent, quick-thinking, SOUTHERN with an accent, and has the oddest and most varied tastes!
The setting in a large natural history museum in New York is amazing. It is described wonderfully so you really can imagine the long hallways packed with oversized dino bones and drawers upon drawers of maps and records.
I totally reccomend starting with this book, and then reading through all the works created by Preston and Child!
great, unexpected, scary, gripping -- i love preston & child.
Great book. Not what I expected. I guess I expected to get to know Pendergast a bit. Maybe in the next books? Guess I'll have to read to find out. It was fascinating to read about this huge museum. I'd love to try to map it out and explore the non public parts.
Imaginative, fast-paced thriller that will have you gasping for breath.
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human... But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with the big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders. Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who or what is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre? Good book which I read after seeing the movie.
Smart rollercoaster ride captured in a book. Some of it is definitely over-the-top sensational, but mad fun none the less.
Love this Agent Pendergast 'series'!
GOOD HORROR THRILLER
Great, ACTION, ACTION,ACTION and suspense
Wow! What an exciting book! What a thrilling mystery! I really enjoyed this book and I am just so excited that this is a whole new series to be read! It is always just so exciting to find a new mystery series! I am not at all surprised that this was made into a movie. I am very curious to see this movie and see how they translated this book onto the silver screen. I am looking forward to seeing it, as well as to reading the sequel!
This was my least favorite in this series of books, but still a good read.
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
A fast-paced techno thriller, a very fun read.
A fast-paced techno thriller, a very fun read.
Murder in the Museum of Natural History by an unknown creature hiding in a shipment from the Amazon.
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museaum of Natural Histoyr, visitors are being savagely6 murdered in the museaum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who - or what is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who - or what is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
A veil of mystery surrounds the New York Museum of Natural History after murders that were savagly conducted by something that autopsies proved couldn't be human. A great mix of Anthropology and Lore.
For all of you who have seen the, movie forget about it. The book, as in most cases, is the real winner here. The character we know and love, Agent Pendergast, is introduced to us. Honestly, I don't even remember if he was in the movie. What a great book! Start here and you will definetly want to continue the series.
Excellent book from Child & Preston ....
Another one of those instances where the movie does NOT do the book Justice. You'll fall in love with the mysterious Agent Pendergast and be hooked... This is only the beginning.
Great read. Much better than the movie.
Never disappointing, the only fault with this book was that it ended. Pendergast leads us down a suspensful trail of bones.
Great story to start the Pendergast series. Couldn't put the book down!
Very enjoyable book! I didn't want to put it down!
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museums dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human....
I loved this book and laughed my way through it, because I am a retired museum professional and can think of several patrons I wish had been prey!
New York Times Bestseller. Excellent thriller. Creature runs wild and murders in the New York Museum of Natural History
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who - or what - is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who - or what - is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
This was a great book. I read it after the movie came out and was pleasantly surprised that the movie followed the book well.
A bit over the top!
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in tne museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human. But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murdres. Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing but can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
just days before an exhibition opens in the NY museum of natural history people are being killed in the museum by something in human
Relic, a Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child thriller that introduces FBI Special Agent Pendergast
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who--or what--is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who--or what--is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
The team's first book. What an auspicious beginning. Hope they keep them coming.
couldn't put it down
What a beginning to the Pendergast saga. Characters that are strange at first become old friends as the saga continues. Enough excitement to keep you reading and reading and reading.
Was not impressed at all with story line. Will not recommend this book. I gave it 1 1/2 stars for writing. The authors are talented and certainly can tell a story but i did not like the subject matter. I will read reviews on some of their later books and possibly check them out.
GREAT read ... fast paced both in content and in time reading ... Stayed up way too late several nights to read ... Really good concepts ... This is 1st in a series of 2 (as of this writing anyway) ... the 2nd is Reliquery ... plan for time to read both ...
Listened to this on CD during a trip to and from San Francisco. Enjoyable performance by David Colacci. The story was quite intense about an unknown entity on the loose in New York's natural history museum. The creature is a cross between a human and some kind of reptile or gecko (based on DNA samples). Overall another enjoyable thriller from Preston/Child.
fantistic series
A New York Museum of Natural History is going to open even amist savage massacres that some believe are not committed by a human.
This book was recommended to me by my niece - she is a big Pendergast series fan. I enjoyed as well - very well written - great character development.
This takes place in the New York Museum of Natural History. A murder happens there and it talks about the lower basements that are never used and how people are being murdered while being in the building. Good suspenseful reading. Big words. This is a book you can take to work and read instead of working. I mean REVIEW the book while at work.
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human... But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders. Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
JUst days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark ahllways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the New York Museum of National History, Visitors are being savagely murdered dark hall ways and secrets rooms. Autopsies indicate the killer can't be human...
But the museume directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition inspite of the murders.
Museume researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing.
But can shs do this in time to stop the massacre.
But the museume directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition inspite of the murders.
Museume researcher Margo Green must find out who-or what-is doing the killing.
But can shs do this in time to stop the massacre.
Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museums's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who--or what--is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.
Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who--or what--is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?
Thouroughly enjoyed the premise and writing of this book. There is no Dust Jacket available for this copy.
