I was unaware that there were novels in this series prior to this one. I still enjoyed this novel.
Pendergast is a reclusive agent with an unending supply of money and intellect. He also has a broken Time Machine. It got broken after an associate of his used it to go back to 1880 to correct a horrifying wrong.
Now, he must go back in time to retrieve her and save the day.
To say more would really give too much away…just say there is an atrocious villain who really needs to be taken care of.
Highly recommend this one.. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC.

This book resulted in me doing a binge reread of the entire Pendergast series. The ending was one of my favorite endings in recent memory and I loved all the references to other Pendergast books especially with the jewels which I think were the same jewels mentioned in Dance of Death and Book of the Dead. I haven't air punched the sky as much I have with that final scene in a long time. I highly recommend this book.

I love this series and this is another great story. I recommend reading the first two books in this set or at least have read some of the other books with Pendergast and Constance. I love all the twists and turns. I love the suspense. I love that there are cases in the past and the present that connect with each other. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

The Cabinet of Dr. Leng (Aloysius Pendergast, #21) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child was published on January 17, 2023 by Grand Central Publishing. It tells the story of how Constance has found a way back to 1880 and is on a quest to save her sister and brother from a certain fate. In the present day, Pendergast is searching for a way to reunite with Constance.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for free in exchange for my honest review. I was thrilled to be given this chance as I've heard such great things about the writings of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. However, I wasn't aware that it was the twenty-first book in a series until after I started reading it.

Well written, engaging, and entertaining are a few words that describe The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Preston and Child. I really enjoyed reading this story and was glad that I was finally able to read something by these authors. I will definitely go back to the beginning of the series and work my way through the twenty other books that preceded this edition at some point in time.

However, this is not a book that can be read as a stand alone. I was a bit confused when I started reading it because I felt like I was plopped right in the middle of a book, and I had no idea what was going on at first. It took a few chapters to be given a synopsis of what had happened in previous books in the series. Then, as the book was coming to a conclusion, I was expecting it to be wrapped up in a bow, but it wasn't . . . at least not entirely because there is a cliffhanger, and I really hate cliffhangers.

There was an authors' note at the end of the story that basically said that The Cabinet of Dr. Leng was just one book of a four book arc that basically picks up where the last one ended and ends in a cliffhanger. Preston and Child apologized for this and stated that they were working as fast as they could on the next book.

Because The Cabinet of Dr. Leng (Aloysius Pendergast, #21) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child picked up where the last book ended without giving a reader any context of the previous book and ended in a cliffhanger, I could only give the story three out of five stars. Had this not been the case, it would have been five stars. Fans of this series will likely be in love with this story regardless. With that being said, if you haven't read any of the other books in the series, you should at least start a few books back to have some context for this one. I look forward to reading other books by these authors.

Thanks to NetGalley and Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child for this digital ARC.

As a long-time fan of Pendergast, I was excited to pick up the story where we left off. Constance finds herself in a truly impossible situation, and Pendergast is desperate to help make things right for her. A return of my favorite character from this world - D'Agosta! - made this so hard to put down. That twist at the end... you are killing me guys! Can't wait for the next installment.

I've been reading the Pendergast books for years and this one does not disappoint!

After leaving us on a major cliffhanger in the last book (they do this quite a bit, which is a beautiful type of torture), we get to travel back in time with Pendergast's ward, Constance Green, to see if evil can be undone.

The villain, Dr Leng, is truly a Villain with a capital V. I was riveted the entire time and can't wait for the next book!

Every time I think that the Pendergast series can’t get any better, it does. Preston and Child never disappoint with Pendergast. Overflowing with gripping suspense, utterly intriguing twists, and a cast of characters you can’t help but love, The Cabinet of Dr. Leng is a Pendergast novel you have to read.

I really enjoyed some of the little things, like getting to know more about one of my favorite characters: the elusive and inimitable Proctor. I’ve had a book crush on him for years, and this story just made me adore him all the more. 😉

One note: you really must read Bloodless before you read The Cabinet of Dr. Leng. Not only is Bloodless crazy good, but it will certainly help The Cabinet of Dr. Leng to make more sense.

I don’t know where Preston and Child find their ideas, but they never cease to amaze with all of the unusual antagonists and situations they manage to pit their characters against. If you still haven’t read a Pendergast novel (and The Cabinet of Dr. Leng is the 21st book in the series), why not? They are always more than fascinating, a teeny bit creepy (one friend has vowed not to read them alone at night again!), and unquestionably fabulous reads. Pick this book up as soon as it hits the shelves (or pre-order and wait by the mailbox for it to arrive) on January 17, 2023. You will be so glad you did!

I had to give it 5 out of 5 stars, because that’s the most they would let me give. I’d give it 500 stars, if I could. I will read it again, just as soon as I get my hard copy for my collection! 🙂

So many thanks to the Hachette Book Group and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this novel for review purposes. I was n ot required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

A continuation of the Pendergast series. Constance Green goes back in time to change her future and the future of her two siblings who were murdered. Pendergast and DAgosta must work to help save her without getting stuck in 1880. Meanwhile agent Coldmoon is on the tail of an antique collector who may have murdered a museum curator and stolen famous Native American relics.

Yes. Yes. Yes. I have been reading this series for 15 years. This is a continuation from the last book in the series Bloodless. The last few books haven't kept my interest as the core characters were in and out of the various books, but I feel like the gang is back together. If you are a long time Pendergast fan do not miss this!!

After the last Pendergast novel, I was really interested in seeing what happened to Pendergast and friends in nineteenth century Manhattan. I just wish I liked Constance Greene as a character as much as Preston & Child do. I am still really interested in seeing where this goes, even if some parts of the plot were a little frustrating.

Wow! This was some ride…even for a Pendergast novel. A mix of science fiction, historical fiction, thriller, and contemporary mystery/crime, The Cabinet of Dr. Leng recalls some classic moments of Pendergast’s past while changing it in subtle ways.

Beginning where Bloodless ended, with Constance Greene’s disappearance through a time machine into New York of 1880, Pendergast is now a changed man. Weakened by his own exploits, he also is despondent over the loss of Constance, now lost to him in another century in a parallel timeline. Constance, meanwhile, wants to prevent the murderous Dr. Leng from carrying out the plan he completed in the past.

Meanwhile Coldmoon has a new assignment from the FBI to look into a murder in South Dakota, a Lakota Indian man killed for no apparent reason. D’Agosta also has a new murder case, that of a museum curator found dead in a museum vault, frozen.

These stories will converge and pull apart on the way to a startling climax that left me anxious for the next book, apparently a fourth to complete the saga involving Dr. Leng.

While reading the books sequentially is probably the best way to understand all the details and characters, the authors do provide backstory in The Cabinet of Dr. Leng to assist newcomers to the series. Watch out! Pendergast can become an addiction.

4 to 4.5*


Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and the authors, Preston and Child, for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I will read literally anything Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child write. The Pendergast series has been one of my favorites for years, and while I haven't LOVED the last several books, they're all super well-written and engaging. The new direction the author's are taking the series is interesting. I loved the return of certain characters in this installment, and that final page reveal was...shocking. I haven't decided if it was shocking in a good way yet. Yet again another great read!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this Pendergast novel by two authors I have long held in high esteem.

4.25 stars out of 5 rounded down for a dastardly cliffhanger.

I've loved Preston's & Child's Agent Pendergast for a long time. I can't even remember when I first read Cabinet of Curiosities, but I was so captivated by the supernatural thriller aspect of the story that I was hooked.

For those of you following along, Pendergast's...uh...protégé, Constance Greene, has used a "time machine" of sorts to go back in time (and this is where I stop using quotation marks because it's starting to make me feel silly) to an alternate universe to change the trajectory of that world's young Constance Greene. In her own reality, our Constance was a homeless orphan in the 1800's, where her sister was thrown into a psychiatric facility run by the one-day-to-be-famous serial killer, Dr. Leng, who just happens to be Agent Pendergast's ancestor. Constance's sister Mary was subjected to experiments to try to find the formula to stop aging, then discarded behind a wall. Constance's brother, Joe, had been in jail and, upon release, immediately attempted to pick someone's pocked who then killed Joe.

But Constance is certain that she can, in this alternate world, save both Mary and Joe, and live as their caretaker, and maybe definitely murder Dr. Leng along the way.

Back in her own world, Pendergast has brought the pieces of one exploded time machine back to his mansion where he sends Proctor to entice Gaspard Ferenc who used to work on spacecraft but got shunned out of that world because of his attitude. Attitude or no, Pendergast is certain that, if there was anyone capable of fixing the time machine, Ferenc is going to be it.

After a minute of considering the craziness of such a request from a big, scary looking man who found him off-grid, Ferenc accepts the challenge, convinced by quite a lot of money.

Meanwhile, two of Pendergast's former partners, Coldmoon and D'Agosta, have found that their separate investigations circle back to each other, and partner up to bring an international Lakota history thief to the US for justice.

It's been a minute since I've read any of the Pendergast novels, although I have been collecting them, pre-ordering Bloodless for the art cards and picking up whatever signed copies I can find at libraries and HPB. I was certainly not disappointed and rather inclined to drop the rest of this year's TBR and start back at the very beginning.

I thoroughly enjoyed the back and forth between current time, current world and alternate world past, and Dr. Leng is a nefarious character if there ever was one. I despised Ferenc's narcissism. I was irked at Constance's wild and reckless behavior. Not to mention, I have always adored their writing.

I rated this at 4 stars because never before have I read a Pendergast novel where, on the last page, I was certain I had been cheated in the e-book ARC because certainly there were more pages, but no. Instead, there was an apology from the authors for leaving us hanging in such a way, promising that they were writing the next installment as quickly as possible.

While I may not drop my whole 2023 TBR in exchange for all the Pendergast novels, I will certain force room into my schedule should they somehow release #22 this year.

An unexpected journey into the past while trying to save a couple of lives could possibly have dire consequences for so many who exist in the present time frame since any changes that mysterious Constance makes could alter the future that Pendergast has carefully maintained for Constance who is quite an enigma for any who have had the pleasure or displeasure to have had an encounter with her. Professor Pendergast has been devastated since Constance left him and adamantly told him not to follow her but he fears her life is in serious danger from the most evil of men (Dr. Leng). So Pendergast takes Detective D'Agosta into his confidence and tells him they will be taking a trip like no other because they are going to travel back in time to the year 1880 and there is is very good chance that none of them will make it back to their present lives.

What an incredibly good book this was. The storytelling and characters are so intelligent and believable that I felt as if I was walking inside their reality. This book would make a fabulous movie due to all the wonderful, descriptive telling of the scenes taking place in the 1800's from their style of clothing to the way they spoke in New York city during that time including all the sights, sounds and smells of things we could never imagine having to deal with today. Some events sound fun and interesting but there are so many other things that we take for granted today. I could never imagine having to deal with so many indignities, never mind that women are second class citizens with men still ruling the world . (Ugh!). I love the research that Preston & Child utilizes in writing their books since a novel that could seem silly and outlandish becomes a masterpiece with world building and detailed, descriptive nuances to each character's form of speech and also their physical mannerisms. This book was entertaining, thrilling, mysterious, intriguing and non-stop serious fun while still being very dark and dangerous. The only problem I had with this terrific book was the ending, a CLIFFHANGER! I just wish I knew that before reading the book. Yes, I would still have read it but I wouldn't have been left with anger and frustration. The next book is still being written so I can't wait to find out when it will be published because I will be impatiently waiting just like so many other fans who are also waiting. I read this as a stand-alone and it was wonderful but I would suggest reading the previous book first to give more background on the characters.

I want to thank the publisher "Grand Central Publishing" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this terrific book a rating of 4 1/2 INTRIGUING AND MYSTIFYING 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠STARS!!

I was a bit lost here because when I requested the book I failed to notice that this was #21 in an ongoing series that I had not been reading. However, I plowed ahead anyway to see if I could make heads or tails of what was going on. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it quite a bit! In fact, it's probably one of my favorites this year so far. Action-packed, fun, and a stunning cliffhanger ending. Now I have a bigger TBR pile because I want to go back and read the first 20 books in the series!

My fault, I was unaware that this was the 21st in a series when I requested and I thought I had withdrawn my request, until I got the approval email right now. I'm so sorry

I don't know why I ever started reading the Pendergast series. I don't read any of these authors other books, and I've tried. They just don't make me behave like this series does. You know, pretending to be sick so that I can stay home and read. Buying the kids fast food so that I don't have to waste time cooking. Clearing my calendar so that I can spend time with Pendergast.

This is #21 in the series, and like all the others, it does not disappoint! The usual characters are back, and so are some who have been in the previous books. It sucks you in and holds you there until the last page, and oh, the surprises! I was reading this book on a train and gasped out loud at one point. I never saw *that* coming! I had to wave my Kindle around and show people it was my book, not some impending disaster.

Read the series! It's action-packed, not too out there, fun, strange and wild! They're working really hard on the next book, while all us fans are already clamoring for it, even though this one was just released in January.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. I LOVED it!! All opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

As our story begins Agent Pendergast is a ghost of his former self. Pendergast even half himself is still quite a lot. Constance has disappeared into the past on a mission of no return. She intends to save her siblings and her younger self from the evil clutches of Dr. Leng. Even someone as experienced and talented as Constance may not be a match for the cunning of such a man.

How can Pendergast help her from his place in time? First he will recruit a few friends and some other talented people to help him. We all know better than to give up on Agent Pendergast! This is a mysterious tale that doesn't quite end.

Strange occurrences and dangerous situations always seem to shadow Aloysius Pendergast. As a special agent in the FBI he has solved many a case that if not for his extraordinary powers of observation and mental calculations, would have remained unsolved. The current dilemma he now finds himself in may be his Waterloo. Plus, he has taken D'costa with him, putting them both in extreme danger.

Loved having all Pendergasts men reappear in this outing. Cold Moon is also back working on a different but interesting case. These books cover so many different genres, mystery, history, fantasy and SF, and surprisingly at least for me, who reads little of two of those, works. Of course, any rational belief needs to be suspended, as what happens is often not at all rational. I am, however, addicted to this series as I find them interesting as well as wildly entertaining. This one ends on a cliff hanger so now await the fate of these men. Can Pendergast pull off another amazing escape? We will see.

Listened to the audio and Jefferson Mays is a wonderful narrator.

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of this book! I've followed detective Pendergast for years and devour any of the books published by the authors. I'm not a big fan of period dramas but this was vastly more enjoyable than I expected. The mystery, the thrill, the adventure of time travel - everything made for a fantastic plot that I thoroughly enjoyed! I would happily recommend the pendergast series to anyone who likes detective novels and would like to elevate their standards because the pendergast series is the epitome of the detective genre and this book is just another one to add to the list. 10/10 definitely recommend!
<i>*Thank you so much to the publishers; Grand Central Publishing, the authors; Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, and Netgalley for my free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!</i>

This book was fantastic as always! Constance goes back in time to save her sister Mary, and herself, from being experimented on by Dr. Leng, and Pendergast goes back in time to stop Constance from doing something she'll regret. And, as always when you play with time, things go haywire. I absolutely loved this book and cannot WAIT for the third book in this specific trilogy/the 22nd book in the series. 5 stars!