Agent Pendergast is back to his roots. It starts with a reimagining of DB Cooper and ends in Savannah with a bloodless body.

Only Preston and Child can combine these two things into a story that will have reader rapt waiting to find out what happens next.

And the “epilogue”? I can’t wait to see where the story with Constance goes!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this excellent book!

Published by Grand Central Publishing on August 17, 2021

Bloodless gets off to a promising start by reimagining the D.B. Cooper airplane hijacking. Decades later (roughly in our present), a bloodless body is found in Savannah. Is a vampire roaming the streets of Savannah? It seems more likely to be the work of a particularly gruesome murderer, although sucking all the blood from a body is not an easy task. Aloysius Pendergast and his current partner, Armstrong Coldmoon, are diverted to Savannah to investigate. Pendergast’s ward, the mysterious Constance Greene, goes along for the ride. More bloodless corpses soon appear on the southern landscape, sometimes in a genuinely chilling scene.

Bloodless develops an interesting cast of characters, the kind of people who make satisfying suspects in a murder mystery, including an evil senator who is running for reelection, a documentarian who is filming a series about supernatural events, a scam artist who purports to capture digital images of spirits and demons, and an elderly lady with a collection of antique weapons who lives as a hermit in a hotel’s upper floors. Bloodless also delivers the spooky atmosphere that is almost a necessity in a story set in Savannah.

Some Pendergast novels have flirted with supernatural themes. I haven’t been taken with those stories. I prefer the stories that portray Pendergast as a modern version of Sherlock Holmes, complete with eccentricities that complement his deductive skills. For much of the novel, Bloodless seems like it could go in either direction — a supernatural force might be afoot, perhaps a vampire, or a murderer might be using superstition to mask his killings.

Unfortunately, Preston and Child take the story in a third direction, one that is more science fiction than horror. I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say [stop reading here if you don’t want to risk knowledge of a surprising plot point] that it involves a monster from another dimension. Now, the multiverse is a popular theme in science fiction novels, one that sf writers explore in interesting ways. As they have demonstrated in other novels, Preston and Child are not adept at science fiction. Their explanation for the sudden appearance of blood sucking monster in Savannah is just silly. (Hint: it involves turning a dial too far on a machine that makes no sense.)

The story crashes at the end. I was left wondering why it would be easier for one guy with a handgun to kill a monster in its own universe when it resists death in our universe after being shot with a bazooka, a Tommy gun (yes, seriously), and any number of bullets fired by Glock-wielding cops.

I was also left wondering about all the plot points that were set up in the novel’s first half. It seems like Preston and Child began to write one novel, couldn’t figure out how to end it, and decided to abandon it while writing an ending to a different novel.

I enjoyed the D.B. Cooper angle. I enjoyed the detailed setup. I admired the atmosphere and the careful construction of secondary characters. The authors add a touching scene at the end that’s almost redemptive. If the novel’s strengths hadn’t been counterbalanced by a preposterous conclusion, I would have been a happy reader. At best, I can recommend the first two-thirds of the novel and a brief chapter at the end. You might want to quit after the first two-thirds and make up your own ending if you want to get the most out of Bloodless.

RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS

<b>The Short of It:</b>

Didn’t disappoint. Loved visiting with Agent Pendergast again.

<b>The Rest of It:</b>

Agent Pendergast faces his most unexpected challenge yet when bloodless bodies begin to appear in Savannah, GA.

This was a fun story to read right before the big trip to Missouri. Bloodless bodies begin to appear. The first body is torn apart. The second is almost entirely intact, the only mark left is the exit wound where the blood was removed from the body. Is it the work of a vampire? Someone thinking he’s a vampire? Agent Pendergast is called and when he arrives to investigate the evidence left behind, he is reunited with some people from his past. Some, have their own secrets to hide.

The setting for this one made the book for me. Savannah, GA with all its old school charm, marred by these horrible killings. I have to tell you though, it has a little bit of “woo woo” in the story if you know what I mean and a tiny bit of time traveling. Kind of. But Pendergast is Pendergast with all the mannerisms that we readers have grown to love. This the perfect book to entertain you as we head into Fall. Would be good for the R.I.P Challenge too. I have not read every book in the Pendergast series and yet, they all read like stand alones to me so I think you can still enjoy this one without reading the others.

Recommend.

For more reviews, visit my blog: <a href="http://bookchatter.net">Book Chatter</a>.

This is the twentieth installment in the Preston and Child's Pendergast series and it is thrilling. Harkening back to the first two in the series--The Relic and The Reliquary in terms of horror, the story also manages to include a creative take on the D.B. Cooper legend and a vivid setting in Savannah. The character of Constance remains enigmatic and infinitely fascinating, and Pendergast's latest partner, Agent Coldmoon is growing in character, even though I miss Vinnie. There are a lot of plot twists and a great ending. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Fantastical romp

Well...I think my brother said it best "When I want to read fantasy, I read fantasy. That's not what I expect in a Pendergast novel." And this book was NOT what I was expecting either. But, nonetheless, I enjoyed it, especially after finding out it is the first in a planned trilogy.

It is definitely different than other Pendergast books. The story starts in Florida with Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast, Special Agent Armstrong Coldmoon and Pendergast's ward, Constance Ward, just having finished their case from book #19.

Coldmoon expects to be able to go to his new assignment in Denver but the three of them are abruptly reassigned to a new case in Savannah, Georgia where bodies are being found totally drained of blood.

Different definitely and to me it brought back faint echoes of the first book RELIC. I highly recommend it but don't be expecting the same old-same old.

I received this book from Grand Central Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Wow! Preston and Child are one of my favorite writing teams. Their books are unique adventures filled with twists, turns, and a bit of the bizarre. They also do a wonderful job of researching the content in their books. The backdrop of Savannah was wonderful. Of course readers are once again taken on a journey with Agent Pendergast. Along for the ride is Agent Coldmoon and Constance Green as they investigate a series of murders. Fans of the Pendergast series will be delighted to find the book reads very much like the earlier books. Preston and Child really push the bizarre in this title. The last fourth of the book takes readers on a crazy ride and left this reader wanting more. This is the first in a trilogy contained in the larger series. For me, this book is one of my top favorites in the series.

Agent Pendergast is back in action or still in action depending on how you look at it. Barely a moment has passed , not enough to process all that happened on his last case Agent Pendergast, Constance and Agent Cold Moon are off to Savanah to unravel the latest mystery. It would appear that a vampire is on the loose !!! Yes I said Vampire, Pendergast doesn't believe it for a minute. During the investigation some highly unusual things come to light. The way this case is solved is unique even for Pendergast. This novel is a must read for those who love Pendergast . Its not just another novel in the series its truly unique and should not be missed!

Preston and Child truly hit one out of the ballpark with "Bloodless"!!! I absolutely loved that they returned to their scientific basis and found this thriller to be up there with original, 'Relic'! The story is truly riveting and some of the twists and turns will rock the reader. I love that Pendergast isn't a big know it all in this story. All of his thoughts and conjectures are not carefully spelled out to the reader. Which, is kind of nice actually! So, one can just sit back and totally enjoy the fabulous ride and not feel like a total ding dong for not putting two and two together!

The plot is well developed and thought out! No fillers at all. It's extremely tight and well written! Preston and Child have always delivered. And, this time... they really went out of their comfort zone and bring the readers into a plot that is just so crazy... that it would be a riot if some of it were true! The part I enjoyed the most was their theory about DB Cooper! The famous hijacker that the FBI never caught. For real! It would be amazing if they didn't touch upon a bit of the truth! For any FBI agents that may read Preston and Child... they may find themselves looking over old case files to see the case in a whole different light! I'd love to see fiction turned into reality!

Now, vampires in Savannah, Georgia! lmao. Well, that's a fun story all by itself! One that will leave many readers truly stumped as to who is sucking folks dry. Literally down to the last drop! And, just like that... Bloodless is a must-read for all who are suckers for a fantastic, crazy thriller that will have you up all night, turning pages to get to the last word!

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

4.25 Hearts Pendergast, D.B. Cooper and Vampires…. What more could a girl want? Whenever I am able to get a Pendergast book I rush through whatever I am reading so I can get to these books by Preston & Child. And I really couldn’t wait to get to this one.

I have read all of the Pendergast books. I have always loved vampires. I have always been interested in D.B. Cooper. I really couldn’t wait to get to this one. If you do not know who D.B. Cooper is….he is an interesting real life hijacker who parachuted out of an airplane on a stormy night with what today would be a bit over $1M dollars. And it is to this day the only unsolved aviation hijacking in American history.

Anyway…. This story was back to the way I fell in love with Pendergast. I felt like I was reading one of the original stories. This is the best one in the series in a number of years. And that is saying something because all of the books in the series are good.

It can be read as a stand alone but I don’t know why anyone would not want to read the entire Pendergast series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Disappointing. I’ve been a fan of the Pendergast novels for a long time, but the quality of the last several has really dropped off. They feel, on the whole, thinner than the early installments. The characters are recycled, predictable NPCs. The setting is a sketch, a pastiche of stereotypes, rather than a luxuriously rendered landscape. The details are less vivid, the main characters’ interiority less explored (save Pendergast and Constance, who have generally been enigmas even when POV characters; in them, I don’t mind it, because that’s par for the course. Coldmoon, sadly, remains a poor substitute for D’Agosta, and no reporter is ever as charming as poor Bill). The writing still has admirable turns if phrase, but its density is so much flimsier that it just sort of feels like the authors’ hearts weren’t in it — and that’s been true for several books now, including the Nora & Corrie spinoffs.

This book also jumps not just the shark but the megalodon where the technothriller aspects of the series are concerned. Part of what I loved about the early Pendergast books was the balance between the mystery and speculative elements. Nothing was ever *too* outre — even if it involved genetic manipulation or teratogenic drugs, there were still human actors behind everything, and nothing was wildly outside the realm of plausibility. The tech was generally just another step or two down the line of conjecture from what we can actually do in current reality. P&C used to not strain credulity *too* far. Constance might have unnaturally long life, but she isn’t Wolverine, y’know? And it’s so much more fun if the answer isn’t “the devil did it” or “ancient Egyptian curse”, but a diabolical human. Then the delight for the reader (this reader, anyway) is in the unfolding revelation of how that human made something *look* paranormal or supernatural — with radioactive material or panic-inducing tech or what have you. That was what made the closer-to-reality explanation *more* interesting than the paranormal/supernatural option.

In Bloodless… Well, to be frank, aliens might as well have landed. That’s how far into straight-up scifi P&C stray, but without even a bare attempt at explaining *how* the key plot mechanism works. Just “oh yeah a guy did a thing and it functions, somehow”. Deeply dissatisfying on multiple levels, for me.

Bloodless is Preston and Child’s twentieth installment of the Pendergast series. Although it is possible that the novel can be read as a standalone, this reader would say otherwise due in part to the character builds.

Aloyisius X. L. Pendergast is back with his new partner, Armstrong Coldmoon. Together, they must solve the mysterious murders of several townsfolk in Savannah, Georgia. Those murders were vampire-like in that the blood of the victims were peculiarly drained or extracted from their bodies via a trocar-like instrument. Could it be a sinister person acting like a vampire to suck out the life blood of the living for their own personal gain? Or could it be a creature from the past or future that requires the blood of its victims to stay alive?

Without giving away too much of the story, Bloodless was a bit too surreal for me. The plot flowed nicely like the authors’ other novels, and the characters maintained their quirkiness and eccentricities. However, the entire premise of the possibility of a parallel universe was a little too bizarre.

Bloodless is not Preston and Child’s best novel and unlike their other novels, this one dipped its toes into unknown territory. Three stars. Still a positive review in that I liked it, but I wasn’t head over heels with it.

I received a digital ARC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Bloodless by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is a very highly recommended investigative thriller and the 20th book in the Pendergast series.

Bloodless opens with one of the FBI's most famous unsolved cases occurred on November 24, 1971, when D. B. Cooper hijacked Flight 305 from Portland to Seattle. Cooper, who said he had a bomb, collected a ransom of $200,000, and parachuted off the plane. He was never found.

Fifty years later FBI agents Aloysius X.L. Pendergast and Armstrong Coldmoon are sent to Savannah, Georgia, to investigate two bodies that have been found completely drained of blood. Accompanying them is Constance Greene. Behind their case assignment is a U.S. Senator who wants the case quickly taken care of before the bad press jeopardizes his reelection. At the same time, a crew arrives in town to film a documentary on haunted Savannah for Netflix and want to tie the bloodless bodies to rumors of the Savannah Vampire. Pendergast always has a way to find the responsible perpetrator and is always unconventional in how he accomplishes this task.

This entertaining installment in the series can be easily read as a stand-alone since it doesn't tie into any previous cases. And it is a wild weird ride to investigate and solve the case. The great thing is that you can't guess what the final denouement is going to be as Preston and Child always have a shocking twisty solution in their novels and this time it is even more unpredictable. Solving the D.B. Cooper case along side the case of the bloodless bodies is a surprising connection and the ties to the current case is wonderfully unexpected. When you reach the conclusion it is going to be a breathless, action-packed, shocking surprise. You'll never anticipate the directions and places this one will go.

At this point fans know the characters and won't really need much information beyond that which is provided. Those new to the series just need to now that Pendergast and Constance are both enigmas as a characters anyway. Their inscrutability is a constant in most of the novels so any time any unexpected insight is revealed, it is a major development. Sit back and enjoy the investigation, including Coldmoon's preferred coffee.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Grand Central Publishing.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and submitted to Amazon.

*4-4.5 stars.

A very bizarre plot, reminiscent of the first book in the series, Relic, that I loved. The story starts out even more strangely with a rehash of D.B. Cooper's hijacking of a Boeing 727 aircraft in United States airspace between Portland and Seattle on the afternoon of November 24, 1971. How, you might wonder, does this fit in with a horror story set in Savannah, Georgia in the current day? The answer to that is quite extraordinary.

The plot: Special FBI agents Pendergast and Coldmoon, along with Pendergast's ward, Constance Greene, are supposedly heading home after solving their latest case in Florida when they are unexpectedly rerouted to Savannah where there have been two grisly murders by exsanguination. The Savannah Vampire at work? Or something even more incredibly evil?

The agents and Constance are staying at The Chandler House, an historic hotel on Chatham Square, where the hotel manager was the first victim of the killer. He and Miss Felicity Winthrop Frost, the elderly and reclusive owner of the hotel who resides on the uppermost floor, had a close relationship but were heard arguing shortly before his demise. Perhaps Constance can gain the old woman's confidence to learn the reasons why?

Also on scene is a team filming a documentary about the haunted places of historic Savannah. And an author on a mission to debunk all that. And Satanists dabbling in rites. And a narcissistic Senator running for reelection, demanding quick answers about the murders as the body count mounts.

The novel is a great addition to this long-running series. The setting is equally quaint and atmospheric, just dripping with Spanish moss and eerie, foggy mists. Certain characters are inscrutable, clever and terribly brave; others are amusing and ridiculous. The ending is quite exciting and movie worthy. At least one of the last chapters leaves the reader wanting to know more--hopefully answers will be forthcoming in future editions. Can't wait!

I received an arc of this new horror thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Preston and Child are always entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for a review.

WOW!! Pendergast delivers another weird crime!

Fresh off the case told in Crooked River, Pendergast, his ward, Constance Greene, and his partner Agent Armstrong Coldmoon have their flight home diverted and sent to Savannah Georgia. Known as the most haunted town in America, Savannah now has two new murders that can't be easily explained. The victims are not only murdered, they have had all their blood drained - every drop. Is this a return of the Savannah Vampire? Pendergast thinks not, but it IS puzzling. When another similar murder occurs and the timeline is impossible, he and Agent Coldmoon have to start looking elsewhere for answers.

The explanation for the first two chapters, which chronicle the hijacking and escape by DB Cooper, back in 1971 soon becomes apparent, and figures into the case.

This one goes in so many directions - the Cooper mystery, documentaries about Savannah's hauntings, reclusive old ladies, a feud between two authors - it is sometimes hard to keep up with who is who, but the payoff, as always, is worth it.

NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing graciously allowed me to read this book in pre-publication in exchange for an honest review.

For readers who like the para-normal or vampire stories or haunted mysteries with lots of gore, this is your book! Lots and lots of blood-letting, satanic worship and related topics in this haunted mystery set in Savannah.

Personally, that's not my genre so I didn't enjoy it as much as I think others will. Best wishes to Preston and Child on their newest publication.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Agent Pendergast, Special Agent Coldmoon and Constance are dispatched to Savannah, Georgia, to find the source of several dead bodies completely drained of blood.

I enjoyed how the book started with the D.B. Cooper hijacking of a plane in 1971 and how they solved that old mystery. I was wondering if Preston/Child jumped the shark with the answer to the "Savannah Vampire" mystery but I have to say I am intrigued with how the book ended and hope that their next novel follows that story line. I wish they gave Coldmoon more to do.

It sometimes feels like the authors try to use obscure words (judder, chitinous, coruscating to name a few). With such a large and varied vocabulary, I hope they make the effort to change one unnecessary homophobic slur before Bloodless goes to print.

Bloodless
NML rating: Library rental
Star rating: 3
eARC review

I've read a few other Pendergast novels, no where near all of them, but I enjoyed the ones I have read. Bloodless is not my favorite among them, but it was still an enjoyable story that I read through rather quickly.

This story starts off in the late 70s with a depiction of a plane hijacking. Then fast forward to modern day Savannah (I loooove stories set in Savannah) where Pendergast and crew are tasked with a string of unusual homicides -- the bodies are completely drained of blood. It's up to the FBI team to solve the case and keep the remainder of Savannah safe.

The main thing I didn't like about this story was the amount of characters and subplots. It all made sense in the end and it tied together very well, but it was very confusing in the beginning when I was trying to keep these characters and stories straight. The other thing I didn't care for, which really knocked this down a star, was (SPOILERS) the fight scene with the giant mosquito monster at the end. Time-travel and other dimensions... super cool. Giant insect monsters... also super cool. But the amount of time spent describing the destruction and carnage... not cool. That went on way too long for me.

Diverted on their way home after their last case, Agents Pendergast and Coldmoon, are sent to Savannah, Georgia to examine two very bizarre murders. Both bodies are completely drained of blood and the locals fear the legendary Savannah Vampire is roaming their streets. This was a riveting thriller which weaves into it a possible answer to a famous FBI case that has been unsolved for decades. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Savannah, a charming Southern town filled with ghosts. Once again, Preston & Child had me captivated into the early morning hours reluctant to put down this book!

3.5 This 20th installment of this mystery series was an interesting Pendergast story AND THEN it went to a really surprising place! I loved Agent Coldmoon in his first book, but have not been a fan of him partnered with Pendergast. However, the first 3/4ths of this was more of a throwback Pendergast mystery, so I was digging it. But once they figure out the "Savannah Vampire" in the last quarter, it seemed like such a weird turn it almost felt like a jumping the shark moment. Despite it, I really liked Constance being in the thick of solving this and I SO hope that we see her starring in the next book!

Excellent, 5 Stars
Best Pendergast story in the series so far, can not wait for the next chapter.
Gripping, held my attention from the fist page