The Wheel of Darkness was my least favorite of the Pendergast series.

"But Ginger, you still gave it 3 stars?!"
"Well, have you read any Pendergast books yet my fellow Goodreads friend?"
"No."
"Well, let me explain. So far, every book has been fun, suspenseful and entertaining. At times the books can creep you the f@€k out!
I mean, they can't all be 5 star books. Right?!"

Why did I give this a lower rating?

I think the unbelievability with this plot was a bit much for me along with how Pendergast and Constance always got their way while on the Britannia.

And to be honest, I think my mind is too damn dumb to understand the complexities of the Agozyen.
It was an interesting, powerful and fascinating Tibetan artifact. I d the idea of it and wish I was smarter so I can figure out how to take over the world.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, the premise of the plot and all the action. This was definitely a fun and enjoyable read!

Recommended to fellow Pendergast fans, fans of thrillers and action genres, and anyone looking for a high seas and dramamine induced nautical read!2018 buddy-read thriller110 s2 comments Sean GibsonAuthor 6 books5,944

This book is calamari.

Before I explain WHY this book is calamari, itÂ’s important to note two things: 1) in a pretty spot-on demonstration of my poor taste, going back to Relic, IÂ’ve elected to use food metaphors to describe each book in a series that usually features serial killers; and 2) I hate seafood, with one exception.

Wheel of Darkness sees the Pendergast series careening wildly through thriller tropes and treading dangerously close to parody territory. If Sherlock Holmes, Bruce Lee, and Macgyver cranked up the Kenny G, passed around a bottle of Jergens, and created a homogenous mixture of their, ah, genetic material, which was then used to fertilize an egg from Barbara Gordon, youÂ’d get Pendergast. Toss him onto the surging high seas along with his mysterious ward Constance Green, a bunch of rich assholes, and a mystical and potentially world-ending object and youÂ’ve got the makings of one very weird locked-room mystery.

Hence, calamari. I said, I hate seafood—my rule of thumb is that for me to eat something that used to be sentient, it needs to have been cute and cuddly at one point, not look whatever alien species ultimately conquers earth and turns us into either food or sex toys. But, for reasons inexplicable, I don’t mind calamari (okay, it’s actually probably pretty explicable—deep fry anything and it’s generally edible). But, it’s gotta be done right—if it’s breaded and fright and crunchy and not too squiddy, it’s a delight. If it’s seared and lemony and not breaded at some fancy pants eating venue, it’s , “Hey, awesome—thanks for giving me the opportunity to pay $20 for the privilege of chewing on some lemon-flavored rubber for a little while before I swallow and it feels cold baby bird feet sliding down my throat.” And, whether it’s breaded and fried or not, if it’s in tiny octosquid form rather than shaped into little rings…? Forget about it and fire your head chef.

Wheel of Darkness represents the entire continuum of calamari. At times, itÂ’s crunchy and delicious and you just want to scoop it up and go to town. At other times, youÂ’re looking side-eyed at it itÂ’s going to regain locomotive abilities, crawl across the table, and force its way down your throat whether you want it or not. (It could also really use some editing, because there are multiple instances where basic information is repeated with the same or similar phrasing in rapid succession for no particular reason.)

But, IÂ’ve said it before, and it bears repeating here: Preston and Child are absolute masters of their craft, and even when theyÂ’re writing something set in an environment where at any given moment the characters might literally be jumping a shark, itÂ’s compulsively readable and has in no way diminished my desire to continue on with Pendergast and company in subsequent adventures.

Not the best example of what Messrs. Preston and Child are capable of, but sufficiently entertaining, and if youÂ’re in on Pendergast, probably worth a read. But, you may need to drown it in cocktail sauce here and there to choke it down.74 s Matthew1,221 9,555

Well, if you thought Pendergast went odd adventures before . . . you haven't seen anything yet! 

This is a book that as I try to review I fear that anything I say will be a spoiler.  When that is the case, I find a bullet point review lets me share my thoughts without giving too much away.

- The book has a slightly different feel than any of the previous ones
- You can read this one as a stand alone. However there are a few points that tie it back into the rest of the books that will be spoilers if you want to read them to.

Pros:
- Lots of suspense
- Mystery and surprises at every turn
- Characters you root for and characters you root against
- Interesting setting

Cons:
- Key plot points kind of confusing. After finishing, I am still not sure I understand some of it.
- Some plot development was a little too convenient.  I am not always a fan of the Deus Ex Machina - and it happened quite often here.

Even with those couple of cons, still another strong Pendergast entry and I will continue to read this series!2017 audio library ...more45 s JamesAuthor 20 books4,027

Ever since I began reading the Pendergast series written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, I find myself more and more intrigued with each one. The Wheel of Darkness is the 8th book in the thriller and suspense collection, and while not my favorite to date, it had a page-turning plot that unfolded on an ocean liner crossing the Atlantic. But that's not where it all began... a stolen Tibetan artifact that has the potential to destroy the world kicks off this treasure hunt. You're probably thinking... is this science-fiction or reality? Perhaps a little of both, with a dash of fantasy thrown in? Who knows... but when a good friend and I reached the same book in the series at the same time, we decided to read it together as a buddy read.

Four days... check-ins via text message... so much fun. Especially when one of us a frequent ship passenger. That person's world might never be the same again! As always, Pendergast, the main character, is amazing. His personality is just on the border of obnoxious yet he's so intelligent and generous, it's easily overlooked. Except, for a few scenes, he went completely rogue and scared me a bit. Luckily, there are explanations for everything. Alternating between different stories on the ship, the chapters slowly bring readers together to find the thief and murderer, only to realize there's a lot more going on than we'd originally knew. More murder. Mutiny. Psychotic behavior. And a cool gambling trick revealed.

These are the kinds of books that take you away into another world that is very unly to happen but probably does have a touch of reality for about a hundred people throughout history. Someone knows the secret to life, and Pendergast is desperate to protect it, or at least what he thinks it is. Truthfully, I didn't care much for what the actual hidden message in the Tibetan artifact would reveal; I mostly was so enamored with the journey to hide and find it, and the insanity that happened upon this ocean liner, that I smiled the entire time I was reading the story.

All that said, a few things weren't tied together as perfectly as I'd . Some of the reasons behind the murders and the alliances on the ship weren't clear enough. I also missed several of the core characters. Mostly, only Pendergast and Constance were present in this novel. In the end, totally recommended but shy of the 5-star mark. I'm sure the next one will be right back up there.1-fiction 3-multi-book-series40 s Paul Weiss1,333 371

The passengers on this cruise certainly got their thrills!

If it is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then it's clear that Preston and Child are none too shy about expressing their unabashed admiration for Conan Doyle's hero, Sherlock Holmes.

Just as Holmes struggled to the death with his arch-enemy Moriarty on the brink of Reichenbach Falls and then retired briefly from the world to a life of contemplative meditation in the Tibetan Himalayas, FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his ward Constance Greene have sought the peace and solitude of the isolated Gsalrig Chongg monastery after their titanic struggle with Pendergast's evil sibling, Diogenes. This hard won respite and serenity is but short-lived as the monks seek Pendergast's assistance with the recovery of a thousand year old relic. The Agozyen, one of the monastery's most guarded artifacts, has been stolen by a mountaineer who stayed briefly at the monastery to recover from injuries sustained in a climbing accident. The monks are terrified that the thief may inadvertently release the power of the Agozyen prophesied to have the power to cleanse the world of mankind's evil by eliminating all life!

Pendergast and Greene ingeniously track the Agozyen and follow its gruesome trail of murder onto the maiden voyage of the ultra-modern ocean liner, the Britannia. At that point, Preston and Child jam the thriller throttle to the stops and never let it up until the delicious ending of an amazing epilogue. Their style is eminently recognizable and, if it isn't trademarked, it sure ought to be! THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS is a superb blend of stoicism, mysticism, philosophy, eastern religion and, indeed, the paranormal with character development of almost astonishing power and depth, exciting dialogue and non-stop high speed standard thriller action and chills. all of its predecessors, THE WHEEL OF DARKNESS is also a wellspring of informative, arcane detail on a fascinating piece of technology that somehow furthers the plot - in this case, the minutiae of the construction and operation of a massive modern ocean-going passenger ship!

Newcomers to Pendergast, be warned! Unless the idea of getting to the end of a book and saying, "What in the world was that all about?" appeals to you, do NOT read this book without reading the rest of the series first. Do yourself a favour and go back - go way back - to the very beginning and start with RELIC!

Old-time Pendergast fans may also take warning. Enjoy every delicious page and, whatever you do, don't take that proverbial peek at the last page!

Highly recommended.

Paul Weissparanormal psychological-thriller suspense-thriller28 s Julie1,901 565

Following the horrors of their last adventure, Special Agent Pendergast knows his ward, Constance Greene, needs a breather, a trip to renew her physically and psychologically. What better place to renew and become mentally stronger than a Tibetan monastery? Although the monks don't normally admit women, Constance is special. She learns much from them during her time there. Then the monks discover that a dangerous artifact that has been in their keeping for centuries has been stolen. They ask Pendergast and Charlotte to get it back for them because in the wrong hands the artifact could destroy humanity. The duo find themselves on board a cruise liner, The Brittania, searching for the artifact. Unfortunately, the passenger who possesses the cursed item is already attempting to use its power. Will Pendergast be able to retrieve the artifact before its evil is released on all of humanity?

Wheel of Darkness is the 8th novel in the Agent Pendergast series. I found this book to be a bit weaker than the others I've read so far. Still enjoyable.....but the story felt a "mop up'' of the prior Diogenes-centered storylines. But, I do have to mention that I listened to an abridged audiobook version of this story. I am not sure how much was gleaned out to shorten this book to just over six hours, but my guess is about half of the story was removed. So it could very probably be that I felt this was a weaker story because I didn't get to hear the entires story the way Preston & Child wrote it. I don't abridged audiobooks, but in this case, it was the only option I had at my local library. I enjoyed Rene Auberjonois as narrator. He reads at a nice even pace, and I the accent he uses for Pendergast. But I don't the fact that so much of the story was removed. In a few places it was quite obvious that portions of the storyline were absent.

Plotwise, I found the story interesting, and it was a bit of a departure from Pendergast's usual behavior. Although some of the differences were due to the effects of the artifact. The action being on a ship at sea made for some exciting suspense. I for one would not want to be in the middle of the ocean on a ship with a powerful and evil artifact causing mayhem onboard. That's a basic fear for a lot of people, I think. Being faced with danger and a possible excruciating, torturous death while stuck somewhere that prevents escape. You can't exactly jump off a cruise ship and swim for it. The setting really made this story a lot more creepy. For the most part, I enjoyed the book.....I just wish I had been able to get an unabridged version.

I would rate this book 4 stars based solely on the story itself, but lowering to 3 stars for this particular audiobook version. Just too much was removed from the book....leaving some obvious holes in the action. Bleck.

There are 15 books in the Pendergast series, with a new one scheduled for 2018. I already have the next audiobook on hold at the library (unabridged!!!!! yay!!!). I'm hoping to be caught up by the time the new book comes out!

For more information on the authors and their books, check out their website: https://www.prestonchild.com/read-local-library-201724 s Terry395 89

This book is a little different from the other Pendergast books in this series, but not to its detriment for me. It was an interesting mystery, and the resolution was certainly exciting to the end! The Preston/Child writing style certainly holds to form here as well as this was a very easy feeling book to read. I recommend as a continuation of the overall Pendergast series. 4.0/5.0 stars for me.2018-book-challenge horror thriller20 s Gary 209 195

It was good to read one of the Pendergast series again. These books have been consistently good, and this one was no exception . These authors know how to develop characters, which is the most vital part of a book for me. I will return to the series to see what happens to the characters- the rest of the plot is a bonus.action horror16 s Merry 733 176

I continue reading the Pendergast books in order written. As with others in the series the writing is great but.....I didn't care for the plot. Constance was just wallpaper in the story. She did not seem to have much storyline and was a bit player. Pendergast's insight and calculations were fantastical. I never resonated with the main characters on the ship. It was just and ok book. I did guess the end.horror monster-thriller mystery18 s Tom Kouhsari1 review

There are two types of people who rate this book highly. Those that have never read the rest of the Pendergast series and those whose understanding of the rest of the Pendergast series is skin deep.

This book is an insult to the rest of the series. I wonder if Preston and Child just got to the point where they said "I bet we can write any piece of garbage and put our names on it and put the name Pendergast in it and people will still love it"

Anyway, you could easily have written this book and replaced all of the character names with other new characters and the book would be better off. It would still be pretty bad, but at least it wouldn't soil the rest of the series. Pendergast and Constance bear little resemblance to the characters in previous books anyway.16 s Gary K Bibliophile272 71

It's been a while since I have ventured into the Pendergast universe – about six months. I had left off with the conclusion of the Diogenes series – which was very well done. I can't say I went into this totally open minded as I had noticed that ratings overall were a bit lower than the rest. If you follow my – you probably figured out I am a pretty lenient grader so that usually doesn't scare me off. Nevertheless, this may have factored into my delay.

So now that I read it... what do I think? Well... easy grader or not – this was my least favorite of the series so far. Why? It had fewer arc characters for one. Aloysius and Constance. No Margo Green's, Vincent D'Agosta's, Nora Kelly's, and certainly no one as interesting as Diogenes. Constance – for me anyway – is not the most interesting character anyway. She started to show more sides to herself in the last book – and I'm sure she will improve – but so far she's not very interesting to me. No Bill Smithback wisecracking humor from her for sure.
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