Still Life with Crows
By Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Read by Rene Auberjonois
Time Warner AudioBooks, (2003)
An Abridged Audio Recording on 4 Cassettes
ISBN: 1-58621-504-3
Genre: Mystery
Reviewed by Herbert White - August 18, 2003
Still Life with Crows is a chilling, and horrifying thriller by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The story revolves around a series of murders and FBI Special Agent Pendergast who is trying to track down the killer. In the small Kansas town of Medicine Creek, a serial killer is hunting down his victims and leaving their bodies in ritualistic and gruesome poses.
When the first body is found, everyone hopes that this is just an isolated murder. However, the eccentric Agent Pendergast quickly determines that a serial killer is on the loose. With the aid of young Corrie Swanson, Pendergast tracks down the killer and uncovers a host of ghost lurking in the closets of the residents of Medicine Creek.
For many of the residents, the ensuing spat of murders is due to an ancient curse tied to the Ghost Warrior Massacre that occurred in 1865. In the process of tracking down the killer terrorizing this small Kansas town, Pendergast manages to ferret out the truth surrounding this horrible massacre. This is a diverting story, albeit a bit on the gruesome side. The authors tell a fine story, but they go a bit heavy handed in their hickafying of the residents and the police of Medicine Creek. Just because your from a small town does not mean you're dumb! Otherwise, this was a decent, hair-raising thrill ride.
This review is based upon the abridged version, read by Rene Auberjonois. In addition to playing Odo on Deep Space Nine, Auberjonois has appeared in a number of movies and as a regular in a range of television series. His reading of this story is energetic, enthralling, and suitably eerie!
Please note, I feel that this story is unsuitable for younger readers due to the gruesome nature of the story, and because it contains some offensive language.
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