The Book of the Dead

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Museum of Natural History receives their pilfered gem collection back, ground down to dust. Diogenes, the psychotic killer who stole them in Dance of Death, is throwing down the gauntlet to both the city and to his brother, FBI Agent Pendergast, who is currently incarcerated in a maximum security prison.

To quell the PR nightmare of the gem fiasco, the museum decides to reopen the Tomb of Senef. An astounding Egyptian temple, it was a popular museum exhibit until the 1930s, when it was quietly closed. But when the tomb is unsealed in preparation for its gala reopening, the killings, and whispers of an ancient curse, begin again. And the catastrophic opening itself sets the stage for the final battle between the two brothers: an epic clash from which only one will emerge alive.

©2006 Splendide Mendax, Inc. and Lincoln Child (P)2006 Time Warner AudioBooks. All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Fiction, Abridged, 2007

"Another gripping, action-packed page-turner...with a tantalizing, ominous twist at the end." (Publishers Weekly)

Not bad

Would you consider the audio edition of The Book of the Dead to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the book, but I think an unabridged version of the story would fill in a few gaps.

Would you be willing to try another book from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child ? Why or why not?

I am a fan of the Authors and have grown very fond of the Pendergast series

What about Rene Auberjonois’s performance did you like?

Very nice voice, nice to listen in the Car or in Bed, not inclined to great volume jumps, but does characters very well.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I never have the time for that, I wish I did.

music is distracting to the story

I love the series. this story is wonderful, but the background music does not enhance the story, just detracts from it.

Thank goodness for abridged copies.

What did you love best about The Book of the Dead?

Good story. Sometimes Preston and Child benefit from abridgement.

What did you like best about this story?

The continuation of a longer saga.

Which scene was your favorite?

The escape from the prison.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, but not possible

Not The Best

This title was actually a bit hard for me to get through and I had the un-abridged version. It became a "fill in" until the last two hours which were exciting but the beginning I found to be pretty dull. I probably would have thought even less had the reader not done his usual outstanding work. I have listened to all off the books in this series and will continue to do so. I was not unhappy iwth this title, just a bit disappointed.

Up all night...

Once again I have spent the night reading. I just love Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston and the way they allow me to become a part of the adventure. I must say thank you. They are fantastic writers and wonderful storytellers.
I must admit that I did guess the ending...

Love you guys.
Suzanne

Pendergast love!

Narration absolutely perfect. Rene abergenois absolutely IS agent Pendergast. I love the series and the characters. My favorite of all time!!

Another magnificent and spellbinding adventure

once War were captured by the Magnificent duration of a Preston and Child book agent Pendergast and all the others that come along with these books have given me an entirely new world to live in I thoroughly loved it.

Great story, great narrator

You just have to love Agent Pendergast! But I must confess, I will be glad when the story takes place somewhere else. I'm getting a bit sick of the museum as a setting.

A fast-paced thriller that captures your attention

This installment of Agent Pendergast and Co.'s adventures was a bit different from the previous books in the series.

First off, Pendergast was indisposed for a good part of the book, so I got to follow the storylines of several other characters. Although I was initially annoyed at his absence, I soon came to realize what a blessing it was to learn more about the supporting players in this series.

Diogenes, Pendergast's evil brother, was in full form, artfully plotting after Constance. He's such a shady fellow. Boo, Diogenes, boo!

When I finally got to see Pendergast, I was NOT disappointed. In this book, readers gained a lot of insight into his character - what makes him tick - and got to see a more emotional side of the stoic agent. It was interesting to watch his indecision between following Diogenes from the tomb and staying with Viola (yay Viola!).

This was a good read and suspenseful, even if you did have to suspend belief every now and then.

Dying

The final book in the battle of the genius brothers, this book begins to fall into a formulaic pattern that repeats themes form earlier books. I'm a big fan of the authors but this just seems like a touch too much of the same thing.