Fever Dream

By:  Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

From Goodreads:  At the old family manse in Louisiana, Special Agent Pendergast is putting to rest long-ignored possessions reminiscent of his wife Helen's tragic death, only to make a stunning-and dreadful-discovery. Helen had been mauled by an unusually large and vicious lion while they were big game hunting in Africa. But now, Pendergast learns that her rifle-her only protection from the beast-had been deliberately loaded with blanks. Who could have wanted Helen dead...and why?

I read this because I read pretty much everything written by Preston and Child together and individually.   I was particularly interested in this book because it featured Aloysius Pendergast.  I love that guy! 

Fever Dream had appearances by what's left of the old cast of characters.  Vincent D'Agosta and his girlfriend Laura Hayward were prominent in this book.  Constance Green featured in a little sideline story that I thought was a little strange and didn't make much sense, but I couldn't remember too much of the details of her past before her time in the monastery.  I think a quick reread of the books that feature her might be in order.

This story was a little different than the others, there were no monsters or anything of a supernatural nature.  There weren't any grand archeological explorations or anything like that.  There was an  investigation of John James Audubon, hence the birds on the cover.  That was the only historical aspect of this book and it was sort of secondary, not the really interesting anthropological history we usually get.  It didn't detract from the story, but it was just a little different that the past books.

I really enjoyed reading this book because much of it was set in Baton Rouge and Port Allen, Louisiana.  That was kind of fun to read.  I live and work in the Baton Rouge area.  The only local inaccuracy that bothered me was the basement.  I don't know anyone around here that has a basement.  They flood. 

Overall, I was very happy with this book.  It started off a little slow, I was getting a little nervous thinking I wasn't going to like it, but around 200 pages into it I realized that I wasn't going to be able to put the book down!