If you have ever worked in or just loved a natural history museum, I recommend that you read both books. Of course you may never feel comfortable alone in a room full of shelving and specimens or even in a quiet exhibition hall, but you will also appreciate the specialness of that place.
Reading Preston and Child's descriptions of museum spaces and inner workings, I kept thinking to myself, "Do these guys work in a museum?". Sure enough, according to his bio on www.prestonchild.com Preston was editor, writer and manager of publications at AMNH. Which explains why the portrayals of the maze-like shadowy quietness of a large natural history collection is so perfect. As are the depictions of the tensions between museum staff and public perceptions of the museum from admiration to despising it as a welfare program.
The path of the story from 100 year old murders to present day crimes in some ways mirrors the museum. Secrets stored in locked underground facilities seem to be safe, but one never knows when just the right person will arrive and release them. Just as one never knows if those secrets will be for the betterment or the detriment of mankind once they are revealed. There are important ideas and information locked up in natural history collections and this story hints at how they can be lost if the collections are not studied.
Some of the descriptions of the crimes in this book are quite graphic, but if you can get over that and Agent Pendergast's 007-like skills, the story is compelling and it is hard to put down once you have started. I want more mystery in the museum, but for now I may have to settle for Agent Pendergast's Files. Hint, hint Ms
srs. Preston & Child.
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