Fever Dream

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
Grand Central Publishing (2010)
ISBN 9780446554961
Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (08/10)

 

The opening scene takes place twelve years earlier than present day with Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his wife Helen in Zambia, Africa.  After a German tourist is killed by a lion, the Pendergasts, who have excellent hunting skills, are sent with a guide to track and kill the beast.  However, things do not go as planned and Helen is attacked and killed.  After mourning her death all these years, Aloysius makes a shocking discovery – Helen’s rifle had been tampered with, rendering it completely useless.  Wondering why anyone would want to harm his wife, Aloysius enlists the aid of an old friend, Lt. Vincent D’Agosta, and Vincent’s girlfriend NYPD Captain Laura Hayward to help him investigate.  As they dig deeper, Aloysius discovers how little he really knew about his wife and questions whether their entire relationship was a farce.

The story takes the reader from Africa to many locations in the southeastern United States and as far north as Maine.  The authors do a fine job of describing the settings, especially when discussing the Louisiana swamps and bayous.  They also provide great detail about the characters - both physical descriptions and their thought processes.  I liked the historical aspects regarding John James Audubon - the naturalist and artist who specialized in different species of birds.  (Helen had been researching Audubon in hopes of finding one of his missing paintings.)

Many of the characters seem a bit odd to me.  Aloysius is quite sullen and mysterious.  Laura Hayward is angry all the time.  Maurice, the butler at Aloysius’ plantation home, is always lurking about and is somewhat spooky.  There is also a character named Constance Greene who is a ward of Aloysius.  Information about her background is nonexistent, but when investigators do find something, it is beyond belief.

The premise of “Fever Dream” is good but I would have preferred the pace to move faster.  Although Helen’s killer was revealed to the audience too soon, at least his or her motives remained hidden for most of the story.  The way the book ends most definitely suggests a sequel will be forthcoming. This book is intended for an adult audience.

 

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