I almost don't have the words to describe how fantastic this book was. One thing I always love about Preston and Child is the intermingling of characters they use from previous books. Pendergast, D'agosta as well as Laura Hayward from reliquary...The way they make the characters leap off the page is almost magical. That and the fact that no matter how off the wall some of their stories seem at first, there's always an explanation to bring it back to the real world...I couldn't put this one down...Lots of action, great characterization and and ending that you won't beleive...

I agree with the reviewer who compared this to a superhero comicbook. I read all of it but couldn't wait to be done with it so I could move on to something else. This the first book I have read by these authors, and needless to say, it will be my last.

Besides being a very boring book that could easily have been done in half the pages, the authors make a really terrible decision to lift a character, Count Fosco, from the Victorian novel "Woman In White" and make him the villain. He could just as easily have been given another name, but this shows the lack of origanity of these two authors. SPOILER - anyone with a knowledge of microwaves can tell from the very first how the "mysterious" deaths occured. I will not go into detail about that but it is far from being a supernatural kind of death that would relate to "brimstone".So much of the book is contrived and silly that is seems the authors only used the situations to stretch the story needlessly.I purchased the "sequal" to this book at the same time I bought "Brimstone" and it is one book that will never be read after having seen what "Brimstone" is

This is a terrible book. Pendergast knows everything, charms everyone, has done everything, and is invincible. That sounds more like a comic book character than a human being. The weapon of concern is obvious almost from the start of the book . . only one kind of appliance will damage a body like that. What was all the mystery in the Riverside Mansion in New York City. That was never explained, nor were the people associated with it, namely his ward and the old man. Saving themselves from assassination was too ridiculous to be credible. Not only was Pendergast a comic book figure, the entire novel was of comic book quality. I kept on turning the pages hoping to find a reason why I was reading this book, but I never found it. Don't waste your time with this unless you like comic-books, and stories that have no real ending.

I'm sure I'm being unfair to the author, but I was spoiled by reading RELIC,STILL LIFE WITH CROWS, THUNDERHEAD and (to a lesser degree) RELIQUARY, which are among my favorite books in this genre. In comparison, I was underwhelmed by BRIMSTONE, DANCE OF DEATH, etc. I have just started Preston's TYRANNOSAUR CANYON, and I'm getting that same dragging feeling...It's not that it's not good, it's that it's not what you'd call a page-turner...

I borrowed the CD audio version of this book from the library and listened to it while I drove. What a wonderful story. I love Pendergast so much, it was a pleasure to hear from him again. The reader (Scott Brick) for this version is just wonderful, and I love hearing him voice Pendergast (and his Italian was also very nice). In the author's note at the end they mention that one of the characters Count Fosco is from another novel,The Woman in White.. I may have to hunt that one down, as Fosco was an intriguing character.