The Cabinet of Curiosities by Preston and Child is part of the Agent Pendergast series. This book focuses on his investigation into a place known as a Cabinet of Curiosities. When a group of bodies is found at a construction site from a series of murders that took place over a hundred years ago Agent Pendergast is curious enough to investigate. Though unsure about why they are investigating he is joined by Dr. Nora Kelly, an anthropologist with the Museum of Natural History. As they work through what little evidence they have the police decide to not investigate due to the time that has elapsed since the murders took place. The reporter, Smithback, covers the murders and highlights how they were pushed aside for the construction to continue. When new murders, having the same MO, start appearing Agent Pendergast becomes concerned. As things start getting murky with some pretty wild theories being thrown around it also starts getting dangerous for Agent Pendergast and his associates like Dr. Kelly. Becoming determined to solve the case and find justice for whoever committed both sets of murders they finally start making headway, even if what they discover seems to make no sense.
Though this book does contain some of the same characters it is also a stand-alone in terms of plot from the rest of the series. Much like the previous books though the plot is complex and highly convoluted with some pretty weird and unusual things happening. It does however make for a highly engrossing and entertaining read that really just draws you right in. I sometimes had a hard time following the twists and turns that occurred throughout the book but I also thought that made for a better read as I tend to prefer books that have the unexpected. In this case the whole series seems to be predicated upon the idea of the unexpected and the weird. One thing I really liked about this book though is how it provides more history on Agent Pendergast than the previous books so I feel like we get a lot more insight into him as a character than we did before. Just saying but he is definitely a pretty interesting and unique character. The one thing I don’t necessarily like about that character is just how secretive he tends to be and how even when it is his point of view he doesn’t reveal things. We learn things at the same time the other characters learn them and not when Agent Pendergast has pieced them together. I understand that waiting helps to heighten the tension present in the book but it can still be mildly frustrating. In terms of the tension though, this book actually does a really great job of building that up gradually over the story. Sometimes it was so gradual that I didn’t even notice it right away and the pacing was great as well. It spaces the reveals and clues at just the right distance to keep you hooked. This book was really enjoyable to read and I am definitely going to keep reading this series. I am happy to give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This is a pretty good example of a thriller that also has a decent blend of mystery woven throughout so if you tend to enjoy either of those then I suggest you consider this book. Keep in mind that it is a little macabre at times and does deal with some slightly unusual themes such as the search for immortality or long life. While this book is technically part of the Agent Pendergast series it is also pretty much a stand-alone in terms of plot so you could pretty easily read it without having read any of the other books in the series. I would not recommend this book to younger readers as it does contain some pretty graphic descriptions at times and some violence. It is, however, a really good read so I hope you will consider it anyway. If you do feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.