The Wheel of Darkness

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Aloysius Pendergast and his ward, Constance Greene, spend some time in a Tibetan monastery. This is a chance for them to recover from a horrific attack that ended with Constance killing a man. As they're ready to leave, the monks require his service. A dangerous relic, the Agozyen, has been stolen from them. It is rumored to bring devastation to all the world if it ever leaves the monastery. Constance stays a while longer while Pendergast starts after the Agozyen.

He follows the trail to London. The man who originally left the monastery with the relic has been brutally murdered and it is gone. Constance joins him in London in time for them to follow the Agozyen on the maiden voyage of the largest ocean liner built, the Britannia. They are able to obtain a berth on the voyage that has been sold out for a year.

Who is on the Britannia.? The average passenger is rich and feels entitled. Any of them have the wherewithal to transport the relic. But Pendergast is quickly able to pare the list down to less than ten people. He and Constance start investigating the men remaining. Pendergast quickly makes himself disliked by the Britannia.'s crew as he starts asking "favors". He is able to help them with a card counting ring in the casinos, so they reluctantly give him some of the access he needs.

A passenger disappears. Her husband demands an all out search of the ship but she isn't found. Another woman disappears the next day. The following day a woman is found dead hanging in the movie theater. The security staff is small on the liner. Passengers are starting to get upset and demanding. The crew believes the captain should divert to St. John's Newfoundland rather than continuing to New York. The captain, though, is determined to power through.

The Wheel of Darkness is eerie paranormal suspense, the type of writing that is Preston's and Child's trademark writing. Unfortunately, many parts of this novel are predictable to their readers. The violence escalates in gory ways. I was able to figure out who is the serial killer long before the revelation, as well as the twist at the very end. But there are still parts that kept me in the dark. I enjoy their writing and enjoyed the casino scene with Pendergast. It is so Pendergast.

This book stands on its own, but is more appreciated if the reader has read earlier novels featuring Pendergast, especially the last three to know where Pendergast and Constance are at the moment. This is a good suspense although not as good as some of the earlier novels. It still is good and keeps the reader on edge.

Notice:  Graphic violence, Strong indecent language, Suggestive dialogue or situations

Relic
Reliquary
Cabinet of Curiousities
Still Life with Crows
Brimstone
Dance of Death
The Book of the Dead
The Wheel of Darkness
Cemetary Dance