Crimson Shore

By Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Crimson Shore - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
  • Release Date: 2015-11-10
  • Genre: Police Procedural
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 729 Ratings

Description

When a straightforward murder case spirals out of control, Pendergast and his ward investigate an ancient witches' colony in a sleepy New England town where a terrible evil awaits . . .
A secret chamber.
A mysterious shipwreck.
A murder in the desolate salt marshes.


A seemingly straightforward private case turns out to be much more complicated-and sinister-than Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast ever could have anticipated.
Pendergast, together with his ward Constance Greene, travels to the quaint seaside village of Exmouth, Massachusetts, to investigate the theft of a priceless wine collection. But inside the wine cellar, they find something considerably more disturbing: a bricked-up niche that once held a crumbling skeleton.

Pendergast and Constance soon learn that Exmouth is a town with a very dark and troubled history, and this skeleton may be only the first hint of an ancient transgression, kept secret all these years. But they will discover that the sins of the past are still very much alive. Local legend holds that during the 1692 witch trials in Salem, the real witches escaped, fleeing north to Exmouth and settling deep in the surrounding salt marshes, where they continued to practice their wicked arts. Then, a murdered corpse turns up in the marshes. The only clue is a series of mysterious carvings. Could these demonic symbols bear some relation to the ancient witches' colony, long believed to be abandoned?

A terrible evil lurks beneath the surface of this sleepy seaside town-one with deep roots in Exmouth's grim history. And it may be that Constance, with her own troubled past, is the only one who truly comprehends the awful danger that she, Pendergast, and the residents of Exmouth must face . . .

Reviews

  • Agent Pendergast Novel, Crimson Shore

    5
    By DWELCH55
    Just when I believe the this series cannot get any better, the authors come up with a new and exciting adventure for Agent Pendergast. I finished Crimson Shore and the ending left me impatiently waiting for the next novel. I actually read "Cabinet of Curiosities" when it was first published. It was then I realized that there were two prior novels involving my favorite protagonist, A.X.L. Pendergast. After that I was truly hooked. I have read every novel since then and am still fascinated. Mr. Child and Mr. Preston, please keep them coming!
  • Crimson Shore

    2
    By hhf3*
    I love Agent Pendergast novels...I have read them all, as well as most of Preston and Childs other novels. This one lacked the depth of character intrinsic to the others and the cliffhanger ending was distinctly unappealing.
  • Enjoyable

    5
    By 50lac
    Fast-paced enjoyable read. I highly recommend.
  • This is my last try

    1
    By Glenview reader
    I have always looked forward to Preston and Childs books but for the last two, they have had bizarre plots, and were not at all enjoyable. Far more sensationalist than reasonable - I won't be tempted again
  • Crimson shore

    4
    By Shade32
    I have read all your books and have loved them all. This one was strange as it seemed to be two books in one, the last half was very exciting and the ending, well you can imagine. I'm hoping there will be another following quickly to resolve my anxiety
  • Evil Lurks In A Sleepy Seaside Town In Preston and Child’s ‘Crimson Shore’ [REVIEW]

    4
    By jazzkat25
    Dark lore and sinister secrets become much more than mere legend in Preston and Child's latest novel, Crimson Shore. The story opens as Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast and his companion Constance Greene travel to Exmouth, Mass. to unravel the mystery behind the theft of a priceless wine collection. But is there more to this case than an empty wine cellar? Readers returning to the long-running series may wonder if this case is beneath Pendergast's superior intellect. At first, this may seem like a safe assumption to make. However, to quote Pendergast himself, "New York City has been depressingly free of serial killers these last few months. My plate as they say, is empty." (6) As the novel unfolds, Preston and Child weave an intricate, sophisticated and fast-moving thriller replete with violent murders and distinctively marked corpses found in New England salt marshes. Pendergast and Constance get caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a sociopathic killer, and find themselves racing against time right up until the twisted, breathtaking climax. After reading Crimson Shore, readers who holiday near the coast may think twice before visiting another quaint seaside town. Don’t miss reading this exquisitely written novel that will keep you up late into the night! ___________________ Get more great reviews at jathanandheather.com.
  • Another Great Pendergast Novel; get ready 4 thrill ride

    5
    By Birdlady1950
    FBI Agent A.X.L. Pendergast is back in action; his classic ultra expensive black suit, austere expression, white skin and lighter than light hair, expensive taste, and genteel manners; do not mistake him for a sissy, to do so would be a mistake of enormous portions. If you have never read the Pendergast series you have missed an extreme treat. This book can be read as a stand-alone, however you will receive more enjoyment by starting at the beginning of the series. I have never been disappointed in Child and Preston’s Pendergast series and this book is no exception. Preston and Child crafted a seasoned agent with instincts and brain that are superior to the normal human and place him in situations to use his skills. I would compare him to Colombo, of the 1970’s television show, times 10 without the awkwardness and un-sophistication. Pendergast like Colombo’s brain operates differently than the rest of the world. Pendergast takes a wine theft case in the small Massachusetts town of Exmouth when he discovers the owner Percival Lake also a semi-famous sculptor, has a case of a wine thought to be extinct. All is not what it seems as Pendergast, along with his protege Constance Green, begins his investigation in his own unique style. A hidden room, chains, an old human bone, ah murder is afoot. A historian is murdered in the marshes and he is not the last murdered there, what was the historian hoping to find, a ship is lost in 1884 off Exmouth, what is Percival Lake’s part in all this, and witches reportedly left Salem for Exmouth during the Salem Witch Trials; lots of twists and turns for Lincoln and Child to bring together. We have come to expect the unexpected from Childs and Preston as Pendergast investigates monsters, monsters of the worst kind and you can be assured that monsters are residing in the small town of Exmouth, Massachusetts. Get ready for a thrill ride, as Preston and Child never fail to meet expectations. The action never lets up as the twists and turns of the investigation are meshed to create a cohesive tale of evil, extreme evil. As usual the ending is explosive, and leaves us knowing another tale will be in works. I highly recommend this book. I received this book from the Publisher and Netgalley in return for an honest review.