A Book Review: Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Do you like reading thrillers but finding books in this genre repetitive? I love coming home from work then curl up on my couch, and loose myself in a page-turning, paperback thriller novel. This is my favorite way to relax. The problem is, today's thriller novels are formulaic. I don't know about my fellow readers, but I can only dose so many “Dan-Brownish”, conspiracy thrillers before feeling “burnt-out”. Indeed, “burnt-out” is how I would describe myself after reading about 20 thrillers which were all similar to Mr. Dan Brown's books. I reached a stage where thrillers no longer thrilled me, and I took a break from reading books in this genre. In the past six months, I have not read a single paperback thriller.

Then Goodreads illuminated my reading world with the light of hope. It recommend a thriller written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. This book is a techno-thriller called Relic. I read the synopsis for this book, and it grabbed my interest. I hunted for this book in the dark recesses of a second-hand bookstore, and unearthed a used copy of Relic from the bargain bin. I bore this book home and read this 480 pages novel in 2 sittings.

Yes, 2 sittings! This book is a blast to read and I recommend it to you. Allow me to begin my book review with a synopsis.

Synopsis:

New York Museum of Natural History is about to host its biggest exhibition. However, a few days before the exhibition the museum became a haunted slaughterhouse, bloodied by a series of mysterious and grotesque murders. FBI special agent, Aloysius Pendergast, was called in to investigate the case. Meanwhile, autopsies and forensic analysis showed the killer cannot be human.

Despite the murders, the museum director ignored the alarming signs and plans to open the exhibition with a grand celebration.

With the murder case unresolved and the savage killer roaming free, comes night fall, a creeping death plagues the museum as a terrifying menace lurks in its dark halls and forgotten basement. Who knows what tragedy may strike upon the opening hour of the exhibition? It is up to the young curator Margo Green, and special agent Pendergast, to identify the murderer and put a stop to the killing spree before it is too late...

My thoughts about this book:

The cultural phenomenon of paperback thrillers fascinates me. Literary critics often look upon paperback thrillers and blast these books as “cheap, dumb entertainment” or “graveyards of the English literature”. I am not an expert in literature but I have a different opinion to critics. You see, while I do think paperback thrillers' only purpose is to entertain, but I also adore the amount of writing skills and book designing works required to produce a good, entertaining thriller.

Next time when you read a good paperback thriller pay attention to its structure. You will probably notice the storytelling works in harmony with the book's page/print layout to intentionally produce a page-turning novel. I think it takes exceptional skills to write a fast-paced, suspenseful story. Furthermore, it must be an intricate art itself to design how the texts should be presented and laid out on the pages to ensure a captivating, fast-paced reading experience for the readers.

Relic is a fine example of a paperback thriller done right. It is is a fast-paced, techno-thriller novel. What is techno-thriller? I believe it is a genre mixing elements from sci-fi and thrillers, then pumped to life with plenty of actions. The best comparison that surfaced on my mind is James Rollins' Sigma Force novels (a superb thriller series, check it out if you haven't read them yet). I think Relic distinguishes itself from other techno-thrillers with a flavor of horror. Indeed, not only is Relic's story drenched in mystery and layered upon webs of suspense, but it also submerges readers in an atmosphere of creeping horror.

Relic tells an engrossing story full of surprising twists and turns. This atmospheric story mostly took place in New York Museum of Natural History. The descriptive, vivid writings captured a real sense of danger surrounding each character as the plot unfold. I could not put this book down when I was reading it. The end of each chapter didn't prompt me to take a break. Instead, the end of each chapter only fueled my desire to read the next one, all the way until the end.

In terms of characterization, Relic is supported by a cast of memorable characters. Sure, in this thriller novel you will not find three dimensional characters like the ones you will find in epic fantasy novels. Nevertheless, the characters in Relic are distinctive and interesting enough that will make you like and care for them. I especially like special agent Pendergast, who is portrayed as an intelligent man possessing an unique personality. I believe Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child wrote an entire series of books casting Pendergast as the protagonist, and I look forward to reading them.

In the past 2 years I read more than a dozen Dan-Brownish thriller novels. They all feel the same to me and the thriller genre became stale. Relic is a refresher and it reawakened my desire to read thriller novels again. This book has a ripping, fast-paced story that will entertain you for a few hours while keeping you at the edge of your seat. If you like reading thrillers but wearied of the conspiracy trope in the thriller genre, then I recommend Relic to you.