The Cabinet of Curiosities
Encyclopedia
The Cabinet of Curiosities is a 2002 novel
by Douglas Preston
and Lincoln Child
.
's American Museum of Natural History
becomes complicated when Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, a secretive and highly resourceful FBI Special Agent, convinces her to help him uncover the truth behind a string of brutal murders
that appears to stretch back 130 years.
The adventure starts out with the discovery of a long-buried tunnel at a construction site in Manhattan
containing the bodies of 36 young people all with parts of their spine removed, buried in the basement. Kelly's assistance as archeologist is needed by Pendergast. But they are soon frustrated by countervailing forces who oppose their involvement:
Anthony Fairhaven, the owner of the site, wishes to build his glass tower of apartments before bad publicity and archeologists looking for a new dig site can stop him. He had the bodies quickly taken away and buried, but not before Dr. Nora Kelly and FBI Special Agent Pendegrast take a cursory look. Nora discovers a note written by Mary Greene sewn into the bodice of a discarded dress. Nora has her reservations about continuing the investigation, despite the personal connection she feels to Mary Greene through her painstakingly created note. She has recently been hired by the museum, and she is afraid of losing her job, especially since now budget cuts and politics have made it harder for her to continue her research.
In spite of efforts to thwart them, Pendergast and Kelly make some important discoveries at the construction site, especially the gruesome manner in which the victims were killed. Agent Pendergast, determined to discover the name of the murderer for his own reasons. Later Nora's boyfriend, William Smithback trying to help Kelly in his way, writes a newspaper article about the investigation especially since Nora's employers are trying to bury all information. This does not help her as he hopes, and she refuses to have anything further to do with him. After the article published against Nora's wishes a new a copy cat killer has started to kill people of the same way as the bodies discovered under the cabinet. Smithback's actions simply cause more trouble for Kelly at the museum
The Police Department, in spite of its intention to curtail Pendergast, has to appear helpful to the investigation, and supplies a liaison officer, Patrick Murphy O'Shaughnessy. To the department's chagrin, O'Shaughnessy is much too helpful and becomes a boon to Pendergast and Kelly.
The murders continue, and they move closer in to the museum resulting in a horrific murder in the museum's basement archives, and a frightening chase after Kelly and every time when Pendergast finds a clue he feels as someone as already been on same track they investigate.The evidence points towards the same person who committed the gruesome crimes over a century ago still operating today
The investigation reveals a startling secret in the Pendergast family, a successful means of prolonging life, and a murderous obsession to achieve the eradication of the mankind 'disease'.
Pendergast's great-grand uncle Antoine Leng Pendergast (a.k.a. Enoch Leng) is the serial killer who killed many people used the missing spinal parts in an attempt to produce an elixir enabling him to prolong his life. He succeeded and survived well into the late 20th century But he was killed by the copy-cat killer who is revealed to be Anthony Fairhaven. Anthony Fairhaven, tracked Enoch Leng to his mansion on Riverside Drive. Leng, now physically an old man as he stopped using the formula was powerless against Fairhaven’s feverish brutality. Tired of life, Leng died amidst Fairhaven’s interrogations without ever revealing his secret formula. At last when Fairhaven tries to kill Smithback, Pendergast arrives to stop him.
After Fairhaven has died, Pendergast burns the formula that would prolong the life.
The story introduces the cabinet of curiosity
(created by the killer Leng), and hints at something hidden in it, which is featured in the consecutive novels.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Douglas Preston
Douglas Preston
Douglas Preston is an American author who has written seventeen popular techno-thriller and horror novels, four alone and the rest with Lincoln Child...
and Lincoln Child
Lincoln Child
Lincoln Child is an author of seventeen techno-thriller and horror novels. He often writes with Douglas Preston. Many of their novels have become bestsellers, and one, Relic, was adapted into a feature film...
.
Plot summary
Dr. Nora Kelly's life as an archeologist at New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
becomes complicated when Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, a secretive and highly resourceful FBI Special Agent, convinces her to help him uncover the truth behind a string of brutal murders
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
that appears to stretch back 130 years.
The adventure starts out with the discovery of a long-buried tunnel at a construction site in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
containing the bodies of 36 young people all with parts of their spine removed, buried in the basement. Kelly's assistance as archeologist is needed by Pendergast. But they are soon frustrated by countervailing forces who oppose their involvement:
- Roger C. Brisbane III: Museum's first Vice Director
- Anthony Fairhaven: Wealthy entrepreneur, owner of the development property. Fairhaven is a large contributor to the museum, and to the mayor's election campaign.
- The City of New York: The Mayor and the police exert every effort to stop Pendergast and Kelly's investigation.
Anthony Fairhaven, the owner of the site, wishes to build his glass tower of apartments before bad publicity and archeologists looking for a new dig site can stop him. He had the bodies quickly taken away and buried, but not before Dr. Nora Kelly and FBI Special Agent Pendegrast take a cursory look. Nora discovers a note written by Mary Greene sewn into the bodice of a discarded dress. Nora has her reservations about continuing the investigation, despite the personal connection she feels to Mary Greene through her painstakingly created note. She has recently been hired by the museum, and she is afraid of losing her job, especially since now budget cuts and politics have made it harder for her to continue her research.
In spite of efforts to thwart them, Pendergast and Kelly make some important discoveries at the construction site, especially the gruesome manner in which the victims were killed. Agent Pendergast, determined to discover the name of the murderer for his own reasons. Later Nora's boyfriend, William Smithback trying to help Kelly in his way, writes a newspaper article about the investigation especially since Nora's employers are trying to bury all information. This does not help her as he hopes, and she refuses to have anything further to do with him. After the article published against Nora's wishes a new a copy cat killer has started to kill people of the same way as the bodies discovered under the cabinet. Smithback's actions simply cause more trouble for Kelly at the museum
The Police Department, in spite of its intention to curtail Pendergast, has to appear helpful to the investigation, and supplies a liaison officer, Patrick Murphy O'Shaughnessy. To the department's chagrin, O'Shaughnessy is much too helpful and becomes a boon to Pendergast and Kelly.
The murders continue, and they move closer in to the museum resulting in a horrific murder in the museum's basement archives, and a frightening chase after Kelly and every time when Pendergast finds a clue he feels as someone as already been on same track they investigate.The evidence points towards the same person who committed the gruesome crimes over a century ago still operating today
The investigation reveals a startling secret in the Pendergast family, a successful means of prolonging life, and a murderous obsession to achieve the eradication of the mankind 'disease'.
Pendergast's great-grand uncle Antoine Leng Pendergast (a.k.a. Enoch Leng) is the serial killer who killed many people used the missing spinal parts in an attempt to produce an elixir enabling him to prolong his life. He succeeded and survived well into the late 20th century But he was killed by the copy-cat killer who is revealed to be Anthony Fairhaven. Anthony Fairhaven, tracked Enoch Leng to his mansion on Riverside Drive. Leng, now physically an old man as he stopped using the formula was powerless against Fairhaven’s feverish brutality. Tired of life, Leng died amidst Fairhaven’s interrogations without ever revealing his secret formula. At last when Fairhaven tries to kill Smithback, Pendergast arrives to stop him.
After Fairhaven has died, Pendergast burns the formula that would prolong the life.
The story introduces the cabinet of curiosity
Cabinet of curiosities
A cabinet of curiosities was an encyclopedic collection in Renaissance Europe of types of objects whose categorical boundaries were yet to be defined. They were also known by various names such as Cabinet of Wonder, and in German Kunstkammer or Wunderkammer...
(created by the killer Leng), and hints at something hidden in it, which is featured in the consecutive novels.