Reviews for Cemetery Dance (Special Agent Pendergast Series #9)

The average rating for Cemetery Dance (Special Agent Pendergast Series #9) based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-04-03 00:00:00 Bart Panek It's time for another food metaphor, my friends. That's right'the unfortunate tradition that began waaaay back with my review of Relic continues, because how else would you describe books in a series that highlights the gory activities of serial killers and psychopaths other than by comparing them to delicious comestibles? After a somewhat lackluster outing last time around with The Wheel of Darkness, Preston and Child (and Pendergast) return to form with this delicious Slurpee of an outing. Why a Slurpee? I'm glad you asked. (You didn't ask? Well, too bad'you made the terrible decision to click on this review, and now you're stuck, unless your browser has one of those fancy back buttons on it.) (Wait, what? ALL browsers have fancy back buttons on them? Crap. I had no idea. I've been assuming that I usually have a captive audience. Guess I need to go back to duct tape and toothpicks for the eyes…) Cemetery of the Dead is a Slurpee because it goes down easy and you just want to keep slurping it down, even though you know it's kind of terrible for you. Look, I don't really subscribe to the notion of "guilty pleasures" when it comes to reading because, in my book (pun intended), all reading is worthwhile. (Well, with the possible exception of Water for Alien Were-Dinos; that's just a blight on humanity.) So, I won't call this book that, but there's definitely an element of a mystery/thriller that features zombies (or "zombiis" as Lincoln/Child choose to style them)'or ARE they actually zombies??'that feels a little bit indulgent, and like you're having something that isn't good for you even if it's delightful. A shocking death early on'and not one of those annoying fake deaths wherein the character inexplicably returns to life later in the book'sets the tone and signposts that the authors are ready to shake things up in the Penderverse. (Side note: the old bait-and-switch on character deaths is a little bit like when you get a Coke Slurpee that the idiotic proprietor of that particular 7-Eleven has chosen to place into the same dispensary that previously held banana-flavored Slurpees; no matter how much you clean it, and I'm not convinced that 7-Eleven operators are paragons of immaculate and thorough scrubbery, the taste of banana lingers for weeks, and there's nothing worse than sucking up a huge mouthful of something that you think is going to be sweet, refreshing, and Cokey, but turns out to taste like monkey urine. First off, banana-flavored Slurpees should really be outlawed; it's a terrible flavor consumed only by terrible people who then go on to do terrible things, such as commit murder, embezzle money, and clip their nails on public transportation. Barring that extreme (albeit extremely correct) legislation, however, it should be a rule that nothing other than complementary fruit flavors can ever be used in that Slurpee dispenser ever again. Frankly, I find it inconceivable that the Slurpee governing body has never consulted me on this subject. Please write to your local representatives and encourage them to retain me to make everyone's lives better. But, I don't come cheap.) The overlay of supernatural chicanery is in the grand tradition of the granddaddy of all detective stories featuring the suggestion of a fantastical element, The Hound of the Baskervilles. If the story doesn't quite rise to those lofty heights, it certainly does an impressive job of tearing through a juicy plot like zombie claws rending vulnerable (and delicious) human flesh. This is Pendergast and partner-in-(solving)-crime Vinnie D'Agosta operating without the emotional baggage or absurdity of the past few books, and it's liberating to see them in action focused on solving a crime to which their only emotional connection is that people they know are getting hurt (and KILLED). Having slurped down every delicious drop of this one, I'm looking forward to the next. Though I might need to get in a workout first; empty calories, you know'a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips…

Review # 2 was written on 2018-04-06 00:00:00 Allen Martinez 5 STARS!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What a great book and the plot was fantastic! I was on the edge of my seat with this whole book. The shocks and plot twists just kept coming at me. I ended up binge reading the last 150 pages of this book because I could not put it down! The Pendergast books are a perfect combination of suspense, action and thrills. Cemetery Dance is set in NYC and involves all of our favorite characters. Pendergast, D'Agosta, Hayward, Smithback and Nora Kelly. I've enjoyed reading about all of their adventures and cases over the years. I love how Preston & Child have made me care about and cheer for all of these characters! This book involves a murderous religious group practicing the voodoo religion of Obeah. Yeah, it's awesome! I love plots with dark, scary and shock worthy topics! The whole plot of this book is just flippin' fantastic. I really can't say much in this review due to spoilers. There is so many plot twists and action, even from the beginning! I don't want to ruin the shock factor for the reader. Like I've said before in other Pendergast books, start from the beginning of the series. You won't be disappointed!! This is one of my favorite series out there!