A spiritual successor to The Cabinet of Curiosities, Preston and Child’s third entry in the Pendergast series, The Cabinet of Dr. Leng makes up the third installment of what will undoubtedly become a quartet within the larger series, much like the Diogenes and Helen trilogies. As such, it is not the book to start your foray into Special Agent Pendergast, but for those of us who have been reading from the beginning, it takes the series to a whole new level.
After the events of Bloodless, which ended on an unexpected cliffhanger (not related to the main story arc, which was wrapped up), it is gratifying to continue the journey with Pendergast, Constance, and Coldmoon.
Overall, the story moves along at a clip, and I found myself turning the (digital) pages with eager anticipation. I won’t mention any story elements here to avoid spoilers for those who have not read the previous book, but The Cabinet of Dr. Leng will keep you up at night, I promise. Preston and Child masterfully draw the reader in and keep them wanting more as a fascinating and often harrowing story unfolds that adds depth to the series as a whole, while filling out the backstory of at least one major character.
Now all I have to do is wait until the next book comes out for the conclusion of this story arc, which I am sure will be all the more gratifying for its anticipation. Five stars.
