Special Agent Pendergast is back, only this time he's not clad in his natty suits and his cloak of imperturbability. Instead, he's in prison, accused of murder, while his psychotic brother, Diogenes, is wreaking havoc.

In a plot begun in the previous Pendergast book, DANCE OF DEATH, Diogenes continues his taunting of the New York Museum of Natural History. Previously stolen items are returned in powder form and mysterious happenings occur around the construction and opening of a new, dramatic exhibit. Nora Kelly is pulled off of her museum work to orchestrate the re-opening of the Tomb of Senef, an Egyptian tomb that was on display originally around the time of the Depression.

But the work is doomed from the beginning and the discovery of a grisly murder there just serves to add to the Museum's recent bad publicity. With Pendergast in prison, how can someone find Diogenes, who is wickedly clever, and stop his plans?

It was a great day when I discovered the work of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I immediately began a buying spree that has eventually made me owner of all their books, as well as some of the works they've done separately. But I really think to get the full enjoyment of Pendergast and the myriad fascinating supporting characters, you should read from the beginning. (RELIC was the first Pendergast book.)

Terrific plotting, intriguing characters and great scenes set in the grandiose atmosphere of the New York museum make for terrific reading. A must-read for summer!!