Arcade, Or How To Write a Novel Book

"Aloysius Xingu Leng Pendergast is generally described as being stoically aloof and eccentric, though his ineffable politeness and unerring intellect imbue him with an irresistible charm or enigmatic sense of danger if the occasion should call for it. Well-learned in many subjects, he converses easily with doctors, scientists, intellectuals, vagabonds, highly specialized masters of specific disciplines, and people of a wide variety of language and culture alike. He is a master of psychological manipulation, disguise, and improvisation.

Pendergast appreciates the finer things in life, including expensive cuisine and wines. Food and drink he enjoys include Château Pétrus wine, antipasto, green tea of only the purest and most spiritual kind, gelato, and steak tartare. He has a great distaste for opera." Wikipedia

The survivors from the first book in the series, Relic, have returned in another monster mash adventure that will take them deep into the underground, beneath the streets of New York City. Pendergast is back, still in his supporting role, but for me he is always the star of the show. He is a man I could see myself spending some time with at his fabulous apartment, sipping a fine wine and discussing books and the theater. I might even convince him to give opera another chance. I'd probably also try to get him to spend some time outdoors. His pale, corpse-like appearance could use a healthy dose of natural vitamin D.

The monster from Relic may have perished, but due to the mad workings of a desperate scientist, there are these human hybrid creatures called Wrinklers who are growing in numbers deep in the bowels of the underground.

"'No! No!' Waxie yelled in desperation, trying to kick away the grasping hands of the closest figure and knocking back its hood in the process. Smithback jerked his head back instinctively at the sight, but not before his brain had registered something out of his worst nightmare, worse for being vague in the dim light: narrow lizard's pupils, thick wet lips, great creases and folds of extra skin. It suddenly dawned on him that these must be the Wrinklers…."

The Wrinklers crave the same plant life that was brought back from the Brazilian jungle to the National History Museum. This plant was the catalyst for the horrific events in the first book, Relic. Now, the problems have spread from the tunnels beneath the museum to the rest of New York. Homeless people, called moles, who have "elected" to live beneath the city, are starting to show up dead, but not only dead...the headless variety of dead. When Wrinklers can't get enough of the plant they need, the next best source of food for them is the human hypothalamus.
Unfortunately, they have to go through the skull to get what they crave.

It will take all the powers of their combined intellects to quell this insidious invasion of the truly monstrous creatures concocted by an unexpected supervillain. This was lots of fun, not as tight and cool as the first book. It is just hard to beat a monster in the museum plot, but the writing is top notch, and the suspense keeps ratcheting up as our valiant characters do everything they can to derail the tragedy that is trying to unfold. I'm looking forward to the third book, Cabinet of Curiosities, when Pendergast finally gets his first lead acting role in a novel. The wonderful thing about this series is there are currently seventeen entries and counting so I won't have to worry about running out for a long time.

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