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Pendergast Series In Order: A Detailed Guide For You

pendergast series in order

If you are a fan of suspense, thrillers, and mystery novels with a side of the supernatural and history sprinkled in, then the Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is for you. Since the first book, published in 1995, this series has garnered a significant fan following.

Interested in immersing yourself in a whole new world? This handy guide to reading the Pendergast series in order will help get you started.

Pendergast Series: An Introduction

Pendergast

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Co-authored by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, the Pendergast series follows the story of an FBI special agent named Aloysius Pendergast. Pendergast is incredibly smart and equally eccentric, but he is most dedicated to solving cases, particularly dealing with serial killers.

He’s aloof, doesn’t play much by the rules, and goes out of his way to catch the bad guy. Pendergast is also a master manipulator and is known for his clever disguises.

The books in this series follow gripping stories of crime and explore Pendergast’s unique methods in trying to put a stop to them.

How Many Pendergast Novels Are There?

As of 2022, there are 21 books in the Pendergast Series. The latest novel titled Bloodless was released in 2021.

Is There A Pendergast TV series?

Fans of the Pendergast series were thrilled to learn in 2016 that the bestselling book series would finally be adapted to the screen as a TV series.

However, unfortunately, in 2017, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child both made a Facebook post announcing that it was canceled.

Well-Known Characters Of The Series

Characters

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The characters in the Pendergast series are what made fans fall in love with its world and all the thrills and suspense it carries. Here are some of the most popular characters you will get to meet throughout the series.

#1. Special Agent Aloysius Xingu L. Pendergast

The main protagonist of the series, Pendergast, is an FBI special agent who is first at a crime scene and is always immersed in investigating serial killings or crimes with supernatural elements.

#2. Lieutenant Vincent D’Agosta

D’Agosta is what one would consider Pendergast’s sidekick, but he is also Pendergast’s closest associate and most trusted friend.

#3. William “Bill” Smithback

A close associate of Agent Pendergast, Smithback is a journalist and an author based in New York City who has made an appearance in several books in the series.

#4. Diogenes Pendergast

Diogenes Pendergast is Aloysius Pendergast’s little brother who is equally as brilliant as his older brother but more vicious, very cunning, and also criminally insane.

#5. Dr. Margo Green

Making her first appearance in Relic, Margo Green is a geneticist and an ethnopharmacologist and played a crucial role in solving the Museum Beast Murders.

#6. Constance Green

Shrouded in mystery, Constance is taken in by Pendergast when he finds her living in his mansion’s secret passages. She becomes his ward, secretary, seer, research assistant, and amanuensis.

#7. Captain Laura Hayward

Hayward is Vincent D’Agosta’s wife and a close collaborator of Pendergast and a detective in the homicidal unit of the New York Police Department.

#8. Helen Esterhazy Pendergast

Aloysius Pendergast’s former deceased wife, Helen was an epidemiologist and pharmaceutical biologist who worked with Doctors With Wings to work in third-world disaster areas. Featured in three Pendergast novels, Helen was believed to have been killed in the African safari.

#9. Corrie Swanson

A student of criminal justice at John Jay College before applying to the FBI, Corrie Swanson assisted Pendergast on a case in the country and was featured in White Fire.

#10. Proctor

Proctor is Pendergast’s chauffeur and butler, although he is more than what he appears to be. He was with the Special Forces Ghost Company with Pendergast before becoming his butler.

#11. Wren

Wren is a fixture in Pendergast’s life throughout all his investigations because of his excellent work as an archivist, a translator, and a researcher.

#12. Mime

A researcher and hacker extraordinaire living in Cleveland, Mime is skilled in hacking into software and electronic systems to locate people or find sensitive information, helping with Pendergast’s investigations.

#13. Eli Glinn

Eli Glinn is a psychological profiler and the designer of a computer program that can read or predict human behavior and helps Pendergast talk about his brother and his childhood.

#14. Kyoko Ishimura

Working as a housekeeper in Pendergast’s Dakota apartment, Kyoko was hired by Pendergast because of his need for privacy that is protected since Kyoko is deaf and mute.

#15. Mrs. Trask

Mrs. Trask is a loveable, pleasant woman who keeps Pendergast’s 891 Riverside Drive mansion for him.

Pendergast Series In Order

Order

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Order Of Release

#1. The Relic (1995)
#2. Reliquary (1997)
#3. The Cabinet of Curiosities (2002)
#4. Still Life with Crows (2003)
#5. Brimstone (2004)
#6. The Dance of Death (2005)
#7. The Book of the Dead (2006)
#8. The Wheel of Darkness (2007)
#9. Cemetery Dance (2009)
#10. Fever Dream (2010)
#11. Cold Vengeance (2011)
#12. Two Graves (2012)
#13. Extraction (2012)
#14. White Fire (2013)
#15. Blue Labyrinth (2014)
#16. Crimson Shore (2015)
#17. The Obsidian Chamber (2016)
#18. City of Endless Night (2018)
#19. Verses for the Dead (2018)
#20. Crooked River (2020)
#21. Bloodless (2021)

Recommended Reading Order

The best way to read through Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s extensive series is to read the books as intended, chronologically from the first book — The Relic.

It will allow you to piece together crucial information presented cohesively and thrillingly by both the writers throughout the stories. Reading the books out of order may cause you to miss some backstories and nuances of certain characters.


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