Dance of Death (a review)

  Synopsis: Agent Pendergast has become one of crime fiction's most endearing characters. His greatest enemy is one who has stalked him all of his life, his cunning and diabolical brother Diogenes. And Diogenes has thrown down the gauntlet. Now, several of the people closest to Pendergast are viciously murdered, and Pendergast is framed for the deeds. On the run from federal authorities, with only the help of his old friend NYPD Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta, Pendergast must stop his brother. But how can he stop a man that is his intellectual equal — one who has had 20 years to plan the world's most horrendous crime? (courtesy of www.powells.com)

Review: I have always been a fan of true crime. Ever since I saw Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie acting out the characters of Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs in The Bone Collector, I was hooked! But I'll save that story for another time.

This is Pendergast Book# 6 written by dynamic duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. It's an adventure within the mind and psyche of a serial killer and a brother who would do anything to stop him. The book was written in such a way that it leaves the reader asking for more in the end. Literally. Meself wanted to know if they'll be able to bust Pendergast out of prison. Plus, the myriad of characters and the interaction of those characters AND the development of the story makes me want to read the next book more!  (Hmm, wasn't that a bit redundant of me? Oh well.. Que sara.. )

Which reminds me of why it was titled Dance of Death. From Wikepedia, Dance of Death or Danse Macabre is a late-medieval allegory on the universality of death: no matter one's station in life, the dance of death unites all. La Danse Macabre consists of the personified death leading a row of dancing figures from all walks of life to the grave typically with an emperor, king, pope, monk, youngster, beautiful girl, all skeletal. They were produced to remind people of how fragile their lives were and how vain the glories of earthly life were.