Relic

by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Relic is a well-plotted novel that straddles the thriller and horror genres. I enjoyed the book and was eager to turn its pages, although it took a long time for the action to kick in after the prologue. In addition, I struggled to keep focused while reading some of the slow-moving details of Margo's thesis efforts, overloaded with botany details, many unnecessary. Overall, however, the medical information throughout the book is convincing and engaging.

 The pace quickened once Lieutenant D'Agosta sent an officer with tracking dogs to look for the beast. The book pulls no punches--both children and dogs fall victim to the Mbwun, with plenty of gore. Unfortunately, the museum seems to be lacking in mid-level administrators--it is less-than-credible that Margo is allowed to wander at will, for the most part, once the museum has become a murder scene.

 I enjoyed the quaint descriptions of outdated technology. D'Agosta and Smithback use Walkie-talkies and clunky flashlights instead of cell phones. Green characters scroll across black screens, and e-Mail is called "electronic mail." I got my bachelor's degree and my first job in digital design in the mid-nineties, so I remember the era well.

 Also fascinating are the details about the museum. The American Museum of Natural History has always been one of my favorite places to visit in New York City. I have worshiped the dioramas, with their beautifully painted backgrounds by Fred F. Scherer, since I was a kid, so I appreciate the first-hand knowledge of Preston and Child.

Fred F. Scherer, left, and James Perry Wilson, center, paint the background for the American Bison/Pronghorn antelope diorama in 1942.

D. Finnin/Courtesy AMNH

It is fascinating to read about the off-limit and sometimes hidden areas of the museum, like the long hallway called Broadway. I get the impression those areas are vast, perhaps even more so than the exhibit halls. And I never knew that the museum was full of scientists and graduate students conducting research! This high level of detail and insider knowledge distinguishes the novel.

 Some of the descriptions are clichéd--how often did the authors describe bones in storage as being "stacked like cordwood"? Overall, the plot structure of Relic is better than its writing technique. Preston and Child insert "now" perhaps twenty times--as in, "Now he checked his watch." My mentor has worked hard to break me of that habit. There were a lot of word echos and filters--"x, thought Margo." Another practice Professor Johnson has helped me stop. The authors use sensory input to great advantage, though, taking advantage of musty, moldy smells and rushing water in addition to just describing the way things look. I am a visual artist, and this term's mentor tells me that I overuse the sense of sight, focusing too much on color and how things look. Maybe that's why I noticed that touch and smell play a large part in the immersive quality of Relic.

Relic surprised me with its very original twist ending. I did not see it coming. Yes, Mbwun had "sad eyes" for a reason!