Bloodless by Douglas Preston; Lincoln Child

Pendergast is at his cryptic finest with a reluctant partner in Coldmoon. The two FBI agents along with Constance, Pendergast’s ward, are sent to Savanah to solve a murder. As is normal with Pendergast, there is much more than murder to discover.
This author team always presents the inexplicable in a believable manner. In this book, they tie in a real unsolved FBI case and solve it, fictionally of course.
The crassness of the politician is sadly accurate in today’s political world.
The plot was intricate and fast moving.
I enjoyed it and recommend it.

I always love any book in this series or by these writers and this one did not disappoint. That said this one is more set in Pendergast's roll as an FBI agent that investigates quirky cases.
Coldmoon, Pendergast and Constance Green are waylaid from their return home to go to Savannah, Georgia to investigate a murder where all the blood has been drained from the victim's body, giving rise to an old Savannah Vampire legend. Upon arrival they encounter not only a bizarre murder scene but also a film crew doing a documentary on the ghost of Savannah. They are thrilled with the idea of a vampire to add to their storyline. Things become more and more strange as they research the cause of these murders. There is an adjacent storyline about the legend of D.B. Cooper that works into the solution of both cases. This is a very imaginative plot that gets a bit fantastic and unbelievable. The ending is a bit bittersweet and leaves you wondering where they will go in the next book.
It is a fun read and as always I look forward to more from these writers!!!! (

I'm feeling old when I admit that I have now been reading Pendergast novels for decades. A new Preston/Child offering is always a literary treat for me during the year. Bloodless, book 20, was quite a ride.

The start of the book recreates D.B. Cooper's infamous air hijacking... a great start to an atmospheric Pendergast story. We find our beloved Pendergast, Constance, and Coldmoon fresh of the finish of their recent mystery in the Gulf of Mexico. They are quickly swept up into a new mystery in Savannah, and the setting is absolutely gothic South. Bodies are being found completely drained of blood... there are rumors of a Savannah vampire. How the two connect could only be solved by Special Agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast (with some help from Constance and Coldmoon of course). My only complaint... I miss Lieutenant D'Agosta! He does get a brief mention... but I need him and Laura back in the thick of things, please?

The ending still has me floored. Preston/Child still have it after all these books! Will work as a standalone, but don't deprive yourself of the other 19 Pendergast novels. And while you're there, dive into the other series found within the Preston/Child world. You won't be disappointed.

He’s back……………..

First of all, I can’t believe this is book 20. I’ve read all 20 and I’ll happily read 20 more!

All of the past 20 books have been good, most have been great. But I’ll admit that I had a nitpick or two in the last couple. Nitpicks no more. This is Pendergast in all his glory!

You have a historical mystery, a more modern, gruesome mystery, secrets, lies and so much darkness.

Pendergast, Constance and Coldmoon all shine here and make quite the interesting trio. They play off each other so wonderfully.

And our tall pale dude is in his element – elegant snark, imperiousness when called for, and hints of heart that come through – though sometimes a hair too late.

I read this so quickly, loved every last minute of it, and wanted more!

Five stars!

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

At last we get more details on Pendergast's ward, Constance. another winner from the 2 authors who keep us turning pages until late into the night. You don't want to miss this one. Very spooky!

This 20th Pendergast novel was, of course, completely enjoyable. But, it was not quite top shelf quality. There were times when Pendergast didn’t appear to be really doing all that much and things just fell into his lap. It seemed the flow of the book was a bit off at times. Of course, the ending almost made up for everything. Can’t wait for book 21!

I was,however, happy Constance played a larger role in the story. And please keep Coldmoon around for a long time.

My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Wow - this one sure took a turn for the bizarre! And the ending? Well, I'm still in shock. The ending, of course, I can't reveal. As for the bizarre, with this series - this is the 20th book - it's pretty much to be expected, although maybe not quite this much.

The story begins with the 1971 disappearance of D.B. Cooper, who, threatening the flight crew with what turned out to be a fake bomb, collected a ransom of $200,000 and parachuted from Flight 305 that started in Portland headed for Seattle (which is, for the record, a true story). Readers may (should) suspect that this has some bearing on the tale that follows, when FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast and his partner, Agent Armstrong Coldmoon, are ordered to Savannah, Georgia. There, a couple of bodies have been found totally drained of blood - either a blessing or a bane, depending on who's looking to get rich or famous - in a city that's known for its ghosts and vampires.

Special interests also are at work here, in the form of a group looking to capture paranormal activity on film and a man looking to do an expose on the paranormal-filming group. While a couple of blood-let bodies may boost or hinder their causes one way or another, the same can be said of how their activities impact Pendergast's investigation. Throw in a couple more bloodless bodies, a sinister cemetery and some futuristic technology, and Pendergast and company definitely have their hands and thinking caps full.

As usual, Pendergast gets a lot of assistance from his ward with the mysterious background, Constance Greene; this time, her help not only is crucial to solving the case, but ultimately brings into question the direction future books in this series will take. For sure I'm one who will be waiting on pins and needles for the next one. As for this, well, nothing left to say but bravo (and please, please, don't waste any time getting the next installment ready).

I love Pendergast and I always await eagerly a new addition to the series. Although the books are known for their quirky, dark murders I was not prepared for this one. From the seemingly irrelevant beginning with the highjacking of an airliner by the infamous D.B. Cooper, to the bizarre vampire like killings in the lovely city of Savannah, Pendergast faces a foe that defies the imagination. Think outside the box on this one. It will leave you shaking your head and wondering; what next?

Highly recommended!

400 pages

5 stars

The book starts out with a “replay” of Dan “DB” Cooper's 1971 hijacking of an airliner only to parachute into legend. What does this have to do with modern-day murders in Savannah? Read on...

Pendergast's partner, Coldmoon, has been assigned to the Denver office and he wants to get on his way – now! But their boss sends them to Savannah, Georgia instead. A strange murder has occurred there. A body found completely drained of blood. Rumors about a vampire start up.

A subplot emerges about a reality-type television crew in the area. They are “investigating” the haunted premises and other supernatural happenings around the venerable old city. The leader of the crew is a loudmouth, brassy man who knows it all. But he is a top producer. His nemesis is also in town and is determined to uncover him as a fraud.

Also in town is a bombastic senator who is running for reelection. He is a truly yukky character.

When another body turns up in the same condition, the rumors intensify and the pressure to solve the case gets worse.

The writing and plotting are, of course, brilliant as always. The tension is high as Pendergast, Coldmoon and the local police are attempting to solve the case. I really liked the way the story line got out there. A creature feature – what could be better? The science was a bit dry and I could not follow all of it, but it did not detract from the story. The end saddened me somewhat.

I want to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this remarkably good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I honestly haven't found the last couple of Pendergast novels to be as enjoyable as the earlier books. They've, too me, jumped more out of reality than believable even for Pendergast. That coming from a reader who has little to no problem suspending belief; usually. What I have always loved is the atmospheric tone of this series. I don't think the graphic blood images are necessary and instead come off as gimmicky and trying too hard. Savannah, the scene of Bloodless, if a perfect location for a novel by this writing duo and I enjoyed this entry better than the last couple. Still a fan.

Love the Pendergast series. Thought this was one of the better ones of the last few entries in the series.