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Lincoln Child
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Relic (Pendergast, Book 1) Mass Market Paperback – January 15, 1996

by Douglas Preston (Author), Lincoln Child (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 10,342 ratings
See all formats and editions
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Relic: The #1 New York Times bestselling thriller by Douglas Preston's and Lincoln Child, with more than one million copies sold to date

Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum's dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human...

But the museum's directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.

Museum researcher Margo Green must find out who--or what--is doing the killing. But can she do it in time to stop the massacre?

Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 22
    Agent Pendergast
  2. Print length
    480 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Tor Books
  5. Publication date
    January 15, 1996
  6. Dimensions
    4.25 x 1.16 x 6.75 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0812543262
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0812543261
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A series of bizarre and brutal murders is taking place in the halls of the New York Museum of Natural History, only days before a massive exhibition is set to open. Margo Green knows that the killer is something not human, something that's not even supposed to exist. Where did it come from, how did it get into the museum, and how can it be stopped?

Review

“What might happen if a creature from Jurassic Park came to New York City.” ―The Chicago Tribune

“Wildly cool...Thrill hounds couldn't ask for a creepier environment...a thriller staged in the world's scariest building, with no room for the squeamish.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books (January 15, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812543262
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812543261
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 1.16 x 6.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 10,342 ratings

About the authors

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Previous page
  1. Lincoln Child

    Lincoln Child

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    Lincoln Child is the co-author, with Douglas Preston, of such highly-acclaimed thrillers as CROOKED RIVER, OLD BONES, VERSES FOR THE DEAD, CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, and RELIC, the latter two of which were chosen by an NPR poll as among the 100 greatest thrillers ever written. He has also published seven thrillers of his own, most recently the Jeremy Logan books FULL WOLF MOON and THE FORGOTTEN ROOM. 26 of his joint and solo books have become bestsellers, 3 of which debuted at #1 on the New York Times list. He lives in Sarasota, Florida.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Douglas Preston

    Douglas Preston

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    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Douglas Preston is the author of for books, both fiction and nonfiction, thirty-two of which have been New York Times bestsellers, with several reaching the number 1 position. He has worked as an editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University. His first novel, RELIC, co-authored with Lincoln Child, was made into a movie by Paramount Pictures, which launched the famed Pendergast series of novels. His recent nonfiction book, THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE, is also in production as a major television series from Apple. His latest book, THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD, tells the true story of the discovery of a prehistoric city in an unexplored valley deep in the Honduran jungle. In addition to books, Preston writes about archaeology and paleontology for the New Yorker, National Geographic, and Smithsonian magazines. He is the recipient of numerous writing awards in the US and Europe, including a shared Edgar Award and an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Pomona College. From 2019 to 2023 he served as president of the Authors Guild, the nation's oldest and largest association of authors and journalists.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
10,342 global ratings
Great book, terrible quality paperback
4 Stars
Great book, terrible quality paperback
The authors, writing style, story etc. are all excellent. I removed one star because the quality of the paperback is poor. Got just over half way through reading and it started falling apart. Had to hold the loose pages in to finish the book. Also the print is small with very little space between each line, so it makes it a strain on your eyes to read. I will get more books by Preston and Child, but hope the printing quality is better.
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Top reviews from the United States

Sarah B
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Adventure Story
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
I have read this numerous times and it never fails to be a most exciting read, with this the first time I am reading it on my Kindle. Two masters of the written word spinning a fantastic tale of beasts, things that go bump in the night and the brave people who face it. And who doesn't love a museum story? The atmosphere in here is just perfect, dark and creepy. And you never know for certain exactly when the beast will jump out and grab someone. You only know for certain that it will - but who will it take? There are some truly frightening moments in here, with characters running blindly in the dark for their lives. The tension is high. It's like something told around a campfire, those scary ones that make you jump and look behind yourself to make certain its only a story. I think it goes back to our roots, of us being hunted by a smart predator who knows exactly what it's doing and has excellent natural weapons to attack. And this thing is not easy to catch or kill, even for the FBI. The FBI after all is meant to deal with human criminals not a supernatural creature - its a bit out of their experience.

But I also love the characters in here. Once you start reading they seem like old friends. Margo who tries hard to do the right thing and finds herself caught up in this huge mess at her museum, Pendergast who is smart but has others getting in his way, Smithback who is chasing news for his book, Lt D'Agosta the police officer trying to save lives.... Then of course are the other characters, the ones you definitely don't like. And as I was reading I just knew they were going to run into huge issues. And of course they did. Because they were refusing to listen! And then chaos comes and bites them one... Its all quite exciting.. A mix of ancient history, science and big scares; jungles and museums and secret tunnels deep underground. and the worse definitely happens: its the perfect adventure story.

And I must say the story definitely ends with a huge twist! Its been long enough since I read this that I really didn't remember the end. And that certainly made it way more fun. Plus the fun will continue in the next book.

But these two never displeased me with their stories.
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Sally M.
4.0 out of 5 stars Rapid-paced mystery-thriller
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2011
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The first book in the Pendergast series is just what it promises to be: a mystery-thriller with an intriguing sci-fi twist. Unusual, gruesome deaths are piling up at the New York Museum of Natural History, characterised by two disturbing traits: gaping chest wounds, like those inflicted by predatory animals, and missing brains -- which appear to be eaten. Margo Green, a researcher at the Museum, finds herself at the center of the mystery, attempting to piece together scraps of information -- hints from a disastrous mission to the Amazon, forensic clues, genetic oddities. At the museum, she works with her supervisor, Dr. Frock, and prodigy geneticist Greg Kawakita. On the law enforcement side of things, Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta is investigating the homicides, aided by the nigh-preternatural FBI Special Agent Pendergast. Pendergast, though his role is fairly small in this first book, is the focal point of this whole series of loosely-connected thrillers. Part James Bond, part Sherlock Holmes, wrapped up in the package of a Louisiana polymath. He's a Gentleman and a Scholar who also knows several hundred ways to kill you. Margo's also friends with Bill Smithback, a journalist who's been hired by the Museum to write a book about the venerable institution -- and who's been chafing at the censorship imposed by the Museum's head of public relations.

So. These are our protagonists. The first murders in the Museum seem a tragedy. But as the bodies start mounting, the situation becomes ever more dire -yet the Museum is determined to go forward with the opening night of a new exhibit, called Superstition. As it happens, one of the key pieces of this exhibit is a figurine of Mbwun, an Amazonian monstrosity who appears to have been worshiped (or at least venerated) by a remote tribe... and the figurine depicts a creature with traits that fit the profile of the murderer/murder weapons. And so rumours start to build of a Museum Beast, lurking in the bowels of the Museum... While D'Agosta and Pendergast are convinced by the scientists as to the increasing viability of this hypothesis, the Museum heads and the head of the New York FBI office aren't buying it, and insist on going forward with the opening... setting the stage for a whole lot of trouble.

P&C have a talent for description, both atmospheric and characteristic. Though I have no doubt readers with a more intimate familiarity with the Museum of Natural History would get even greater enjoyment out of this book, they draw vivid enough pictures for those of us, like myself, who've only made brief passes through years earlier, or those who've never set foot in that museum at all. From the vast open hallways to the claustrophobic below-ground research labs, the sense of place is incredibly strong, as is the sense of mood -- vitally important to a thriller. When the Beast pursues Margo, I could clearly visualise her dim, shadowy surroundings, I could feel Margo's barely-controlled panic, I could hear the snuffling of the beast. P&C handle both stillness and chaos deftly.

The sense of character is also great. P&C have an ability which I often associate with Law and Order episodes -- to evoke a very specific personality, with a distinct background, in a very short amount of time. Of course, by mid-book, you start strongly suspecting that anyone new introduced is probably going to be the next victim, but that's not too much to overcome. The major characters all have complex backgrounds -- which often aren't even fully explored in this book (Pendergast's less than anyone's) -- and while they certainly all have their flaws, it's that psychological veracity that makes them so compelling. Many of these characters weave through P&C's other novels, both within and outside of the Pendergast series, which makes returning to them, either in re-reads or when each new book comes out, rather like returning to old friends. These books often get compared to Michael Crichton's work, and I think the strong characters are what actually make them better. They do the science, the thrills, and the mystery all very well, too, but the magnetic personalities are what bring me back to these books time and again.

Overall, this book is a fun, quick read and the start to a great series. It's certainly not high literature -- and it doesn't need to be. But it is incredibly high-quality brain candy. I thoroughly recommend Relic, the rest of the Pendergast series, and all of P&C's work, both as a pair and individually (and I'll be reading and reviewing the rest over the coming months). Read them on the beach, on planes, at the park -- read them when you've been working too hard and need to give your brain a treat. They're a wonderful respite, and the most entertaining thrillers I've ever read.
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Cynthia B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2024
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This book was different from my usual reads. I found it had a good story line and I like Pendergast. I am now on my third book and it is so hard to put down.
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Marvin Sowers
5.0 out of 5 stars Thriller
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024
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I really enjoyed the blend of science and horror. Well-written and compelling. I can’t wait to the the next book in the series.
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Top reviews from other countries

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marygabriella
5.0 out of 5 stars giallo
Reviewed in Italy on June 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
Libro molto bello, mi ha invogliato a prendere altri libri di questi autori
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Paty
5.0 out of 5 stars Increíble
Reviewed in Mexico on September 11, 2020
Verified Purchase
Me encantó el libro, te mantiene enganchado y no quieres dejar de leer. Suspenso, acción, terror, tiene de todo.
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Josh MD Nelson
5.0 out of 5 stars An Electrifying and Extremely Thrilling Science Fiction Horror Masterpiece From Start To Finish!!
Reviewed in Canada on February 14, 2017
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The Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln child is a masterpiece!!

The Relic's been compared to Crichton's 2 Jurassic Park novels, and it's hard not to see why. They're all really well written in the same scary & suspenseful style and both use themes of genetics and evolution, not to mention the creature/monster aspect of both.

PLOT:
--------
In the weeks leading up to the massive opening of a new exhibition in New York's Museum of Natural History, museum workers and patrons alike are slowly disappearing within the dark corridors and stairwells of said museum, and turning up dead & horribly mutilated. Someone or something is committing these hideous murders and has managed to evade detection. With the Museum's directors planning to go on ahead with the event anyway, Police Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta enlists the help of museum researcher Dr. Margo Green, her advisor Dr. Whitney Frock and the charismatic, intelligent Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast in his first appearance in the Pendergast series. Together, these characters must race against time to discern who or 'what' is murdering people within the museum's dark hallways and exhibitions before it's too late!!

Get ready for a visit to the scariest place on earth!!

REVIEW:
----------
This story is exceptionally well written!! Let me tell you something, it takes a lot to scare me as I don't scare easy. But reading this book (especially at night) is quite the creepy and unnerving experience in and of itself. But that's not to say it's not enjoyable!! It's just scary enough to want to make you want to unravel the mystery with the books characters, and it never gets stale. It has the science aspect to make the horror feel all the more real, which adds another thick layer of enjoyment.

The characters are all exceptionally well written and fleshed out, although Agent Pendergast is kept somewhat mysterious and in the dark, which works well for his first appearance here. They all feel genuine like real, everyday people who are facing an extraordinary situation.

The 'Museum Monster' itself is a terrifying force of nature and will definitely make any reader lose sleep over it. The creature itself is mostly kept in the dark, figuratively and literally. The most you experience of the creature in the first half of the novel are just noises in the dark, a weird smell like mold or the book's characters 'feeling a presence' around them. However, it's in the later half of the book where things get REAL INTERESTING!! The body count is quite high and the tension never lets up!!

The tribal name for the creature is Mbwun, which means "He Who Walks on All Fours." The picture of his statue or 'Relic' is on most covers of the book.

FINAL VERDICT:
------------------
This book is an amazing techno-thriller that should not be passed up. If you're an avid science fiction, horror and mystery lover like I am and are looking for something that will genuinely creep you out, look no further!! Definitely read this book if you haven't already!! If you haven't heard of it, you're missing out on a GREAT science fiction thriller!!

10/10

Highly Recommended!!
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Sriramachandra
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a relic
Reviewed in India on September 4, 2017
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Wow.. I must say It is truly a Relic.I initially searched for top mystery novels, and found this one. It will have different tracks, like Margo ( a student under Dr.Frock trying to find out rellation between the murders & crates), Agent Pendergast & Lt. Agosta in investigation, Smithback as a journalist, Ian & Wright as Directors etc., At the end, They all will combine to show the clear picture.I must agree the first two chapters & the last two are real potboilers.
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Annette053
5.0 out of 5 stars High expectations
Reviewed in Australia on January 13, 2021
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I had high expectations for this book and I was not disappointed. It keeps the reader on the edge for the whole book, great story, excellent characters. Can’t wait to read more of these books.
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