New York Times bestseller A TRAGIC DISAPPEARANCEAfter a harrowing, otherworldly confrontation on the shores of Exmouth, Massachussetts, Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast is missing, presumed dead. A SHOCKING RETURNSick 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 … 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 . . .
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This is the latest in Preston and Child’s Pendergast series and does not disappoint! Can’t wait for the next one.
This book followed the timeline quickly after the last one. This “series” has always gotten 5 stars from me so it is a big deal to for me to give only 4. Quite honestly, it’s getting 4 based more on the past books and the way the authors turned this “Riverside” world upside down. My all time favorite thing about reading this series (for over 15 years) is how I always learn something wonderful and new. Often like I’ve been able to audit a college course on an interesting and different topic. #fail this time around. So without spoilers is hard to explain all the reasons I was both disappointed and surprised. I will “update” this review in a 2 months after more people have gotten a chance to read the book for themselves. I did like some of the newer character development.
I’ll be honest it felt much more like an in depth psychoanalytic look at family, friends, lovers and the close ties of love and hate, betrayal and revenge. I was left much more frustrated. (There is a list!) Thats saying a lot since the last book had our favorite hero possibly dead.
Here be spoilers, beware!
I will start by stating that I love this series. Agent Pendergast is one of my favorite characters and I think I will always want to read about him. That being said, I am really tired of the non-mystery turn Preston and Child have taken with this story. I started reading this series because of the mysteries, and gradually fell in love with the characters. The last few books have all been more about the characters than the mysteries. If there is a central plot line, it seems to only exist to further the character development. I would much prefer the reverse.
I have tried so hard to like Constance and think of her as a main character central to the series. The first few books she appeared in, she was more the mystery than the character. Honestly, I hope she really does move to India and stay there with her son and the monks. I have tired of her moods and unrelenting pining for Pendergast. There is no future for this romance in these books. Harsh? Maybe. But enough is enough.
This book was entertaining, I’ll give it that. Pendergast (actually, more than one Pendergast) arising from the dead, a psychopathic serial killing female, a globe trotting Proctor… they all add up to an exciting read. You learn more about the history of a few key characters, that is always fun! Here’s hoping for a weird stand alone mystery next time around.
I loved the book and devoured it in two days. Pendergast has drowned in the sea. While Constance is grieving herself to death, a mysterious voice from the past kidnaps her, leads Proctor on a round the world chase and … read the book for the rest of the story!
Addendum: can we get back to solving crimes now?
A continuing story involving Agent Pendergast. He is a very interesting character and with the right casting, would make a terrific movie hero.
It’s a follow up on Pendergasts supposed death, Constance Green’s aging, and Diogenes foul play.
The exposition of the development of the main character Ms. Green, ws somewhat alarming but not a total surprise. Great read. A bit tragic for the stacrrossed brother.
I absolutely love the Pendergast series and anything these two authors write.
Pendergast is my favorite fictional character.
** spoiler alert ** Once again Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have delivered another fabulous book. The Obsidian Chamber takes place after the events of Crimson Shore. Believing that Special Agent A. X. L. Pendergast was killed by being swept out to sea in Exmouth, MA, Constance Green decides that she must remove herself from daily life so that she can get over Pendergast’s death. She decides to go below to the vast array of rooms and hidden chambers under the Riverside Drive mansion. Proctor, Pendergast’s trustful butler and chauffeur is suddenly attacked in the mansion and then witnesses Constance’s abduction by a man who should be dead. Proctor quickly gives chase and is lead on a long journey to the Kalahari where he learns that Constance had died on the trip. But all is not as it seems, and an elaborate ploy to remove Proctor from the scene leads to new revelations about Constance and a man seemingly returned from the dead. And what of the implacable Agent Pendergast? Has he truly died, or has he managed to use his keen skills and knowledge to escape death again?
I am a huge fan of Preston & Child and the Pendergast novels. (I also like their stand-alone novels too.) I enjoyed that Preston & Child took advantage of Pendergast’s seeming demise at the end of Crimson Shore to touch on a character we know little about – Proctor. Following along on Proctor’s chase after the kidnapped Constance was nice as we got to see more of his character and why Pendergast trusts the man so implicitly. The Obsidian Chamber also allows us to see more into the thoughts and feelings of Constance Greene, one of my favorite characters in the novels. As usual there is more than is initially presented and being able to get into the motives of some of the main characters – especially the ones thought dead – added a lot of depth to their characters.
Now, while I loved the book, there were a few things I would have liked to have happened differently. Proctor is essentially dumped in the middle of the Kalahari after his ill-fated chase after Constance. And then he’s pretty much ignored for the rest of the book. (He pops up again in the Epilogue.) After spending so much time with him at the beginning of the story, to ignore him completely after that felt like a wasted opportunity. Also, we are introduced to Flavia Greyling, a young, psychopathic killer who has her own twisted reasons for wanting to kill Constance. Her death at the end feels like a lost opportunity to have a recurring threat for Constance to have to face. (Though the way the story ends with Constance, maybe that’s not a bad thing.)
I highly recommend The Obsidian Chamber. Certainly if you are a fan of Preston & Child’s other Pendergast novels, or their other works, then you will want to continue to learn about character’s you have grown to know and love. If you’ve never read a Pendergast novel before, then I actually recommend you start earlier, ideally with The Cabinet of Curiosity, or at the least with Brimstone, and work your way from there. There is a lot of backstory that happens that is hinted at in The Obsidian Chamber that drives this story, and not all of it is presented in the book.
3.5 Stars
Going to start off by saying this is NOT a stand alone book. There are too many references from past novels to start reading the Pendergast series at #16. Also, I am completely in luv with Agent Pendergast! I stop everything to read this series everytime a new book comes out! That being said, I’m kinda disappointed in this one. It starts out like you are on a speeding locamotive, then it just stops. I’m still trying to figure out what the rush was with the ending, and the epilogue just didn’t make sense to me. For as good as the beginning of the story was, I was left wanting at the end….and this makes me sad.
I will continue to read this series, highly recommend it as well. I just hope the next installment is more mystery/thriller and less family drama.
The best Pendergast novel yet. I couldn’t put it down.
I have been an avid fan of Agent Pre deGrasse, the protagonist in a series of books by Lincoln and Child. These are among the few that I preorder. You will get hooked I promise.
Best book of the last several that they have written. A must read for fans of Preston Child!
Not my favorite in the series because it gets away from the vaguely supernatural feel of its predecessors, but The Obsidian Chamber keeps up with Constance and her “suitor” from previous books who is all too familiar to fans of the series.