Will I love Relic?

What? Something inhuman is stalking through the New York Museum of Natural History? Yes, please! This book started a phenomenal run for Preston and Child, and they continue to hatch more gems to this day. You really can’t go wrong with anything these guys write, whether as a pair or individually.

Its gripping narrative made me quickly rip through it and want much more. Fortunately, there’s a treasure trove of subsequent novels from these guys. This is just the kind of story I love—an intellectual mystery mixed with some good old archaeology/anthropology and a pinch of supernatural monster horror. It… show more.

It may surprise you that I’m a devout Christian man but absolutely love the horror genre.

The Relic is more of a modern fantasy/mystery combined with horror, but it is truly one of the most chilling books I’ve ever read. Something murderous is on the loose at the New York Museum of Natural History, and this thing is anything but natural.

I believe this is the first book in the series to feature FBI Special Agent Pendergast. He is the coolest reiteration of Sherlock Holmes since Conan-Doyle. Not derivative by any means. Pendergast, however, has an affinity for cases with… show more.

Relic was the story that compelled and inspired me to write my mysteries and thrillers because I wanted to write like this—books with intricate intelligent plots, smart memorable characters, and suspense that pulls nerves to the breaking point. I loved that real science twisted to science fiction drives the story.

The premise is simple. The DNA humans consume in food doesn’t change our genomes—we just digest it. But what if the DNA of something we ate integrated into our chromosomes and changed our genotype?

What if it turned humans into monsters who kill to survive? And what if that… show more.

This mystery takes place mostly in the New York Museum of Natural History. I loved that the museum itself was so well-defined and so detailed, to me, it became another character in this dark thriller.

Be warned: Enjoying this book may get you hooked on the entire Pendergast Series, starring what I’d describe as a present-day supernatural Sherlock Holmes. This book started it all, and while the majority of the series’ books are excellent, this one is the best, and my personal favorite.