What I'm Reading: Preston & Child Dark Mysteries

 ** Updated. 

If you like your mysteries dark with a touch of horror, then the FBI Special Agent Pendergast series written by Preston & Child is for you. What took me so long to discover this 22-book series?

Wow! Amazing thrillers written a touch above other mysteries with bits of horror and the supernatural that find me even making a list of words to look up and I have a good vocabulary. Intrigue, weird situations, and some monsters, both human and other-worldly.

** Book series in Order.

** ADDED: Interesting additional stories I've just spotted: **

 * FaceOff - Edited by David Baldacci - (2014) Famous characters face-off against each other in various short stories - * An interesting pairing: R.L Stine's evil ventriloquist, Slappy, vs. Agent Aloysius Pendergast. (Ordered this one.)

* Aloysius X.L. Pendergast: A Mysterious Profile (2022, 37 pages, Mysterious Press) - History of the Preston & Child partnership, how Pendergast came to be, background, etc. 

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 I'm reading out of order (of course!), but it doesn't seem to matter too much. Some of the books are in sets so I'll be reading those together.

The series starts with Relic where murders at a natural history museum exhibit of South American objects and weird religious fetishes can't be done by a human. And aren't. (Interesting settings though I wasn't as crazy about this one.) Book 2 Reliquary continues the hunt for the monster so read these two together.  (*Goodreads links: books 1-9)

The first book I read in the series was The Cabinet of Dr. Leng (#21), a creepy serial killer, time-travel novel. Fascinating! I love finding a long series to read and this is a good one!

**UPDATE: Yes, still reading, and one book gets stranger than the next! haaa! Oh! I only have books 5-9 left to read! Luckily, they have a couple other series I can look into, one with the curator from the museum.

Just finished: #4, Still Life With Crows. Talk about weeeeirddddd!! (But good!)

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The 22 book series list in order (plus a new prequel): (I'll link these as I read them and mark with * for myself.) I'm going to add a short description to remind myself of what they're about. It's hard to tell the number order in the books.

   

* 1 Relic  - a creepy museum exhibit and a mysterious (not of this world) murderer (Books 1 and 2 are a set.)

* 2 Reliquary - The hunt for the murdering Museum Beast deepens and continues as Pendergast and team search Manhattan's labyrinth of sewer tunnels.

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 * 3 The Cabinet of Curiosities - (2002) Listed as one of NPR's best books ever. A charnel house with 36 mutilated corpses is discoverd underneath New York City - and identical killings have begun. - Wow! An early look at Pendergast's odd family history, links to Leng's fantastical experiments, and some super creepy results. This one explains a lot (and it's probably best to read these early ones in order.) This one was exceptional.  It really is amazing that Pendergast not only has strength of will but almost super-human abilities at times to survive the worst possible things. But as a reader, you easily suspend belief and root for him as he's really a gripping character! 

* 4 Still Life With Crows - (2003) Freaky, freaky, so weird, but good! A monster is loose in a small Kansas town leaving strange patterns - and mutilated bodies - in the corn. Unfortunately, a dog is killed and another is injured, luckily mostly off-screen. And you'll skip - as I did - the explanations of the processes at the small town's turkey processing plant.  Pendergast is there "unofficially," of course, to investigate these most bizarre, and frankly, gross killings, and is then temporarily barred by FBI higher-ups. In the meantime, his temporary "assistant," a lonely, misfit girl, Corrie Swanson, (in later books she shows up again), is lured to the mines by a misguided idea of finding the monster or clues behind the killings. The killer is a super-strange one - and the reasons why that are explained later uncovered later make perfect sense in a truly twisted way. But the best explanation for the why's of the murders are given in a couple amazing paragraphs at the end that tie it all together. This is one imaginative, strange, twisted read that gives a look into the horrors (albeit exaggerated) of how the human psyche can become deranged. An excellent book!

5 Brimstone (Books 5-7 make up the Diogenes Trilogy about a twisted criminal - Pendergast's brother, Diogenes.)

6 Dance of Death  (Books 6-7 should be read in sequence per authors' note.)

7 The Book of the Dead 

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8 Wheel of Darkness

9 Cemetery Dance

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* 10  Fever Dream (2010)  (Books 10-12 make up the Helen Triology concerning Pendergast's late wife Helen) - Twelve years later, Agent Pendergast discovers his beloved wife's death wasn't an accident. It was murder. And it's a murder somehow linked to the famous painter Audobon, conspiracies, age-old deceptions, birds and avian flu, and family secrets.

* 11  Cold Vengeance (2011) - I can't get enough of this series! Just when you think he's gone... but no, Agent Pendergast is like a cat with more than nine lives. There're some fights in the moors as he chases his evil brother-in-law, he faces death - again! - and then there's the question of Helen, his dear wife whom he thinks is still alive. An unexpected twist on that one and then Constance is again in danger... But there's more! This is a cliffhanger book so continue the story in Book 12. Glad I read that ahead so I didn't read this trio out of order (with Fever Dream first). On to Two Graves next. Enjoying this series so much!!

* 12  Next: Two Graves (2012) - Plenty of secrets, past and present revealed in this one as Pendergast learns more about his wife's unexpected past, his formerly secret son, Alban, and a link to the twisted hotel killings. Add in Nazis and a trip to Brazil to top if off, though there was too much military fighting in this one for me. But seeing Constance's story explained and her back at home made the read somewhat worth it.

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 * 13 White Fire (2013) - Sherlock Holmes &  A. Conan Doyle, historic silver rush mines, killings of miners by a mysterious grizzly... We'll see what the killings are really about! (I'm sure there will be monsters! * WARNING: A dog is killed, which almost put me off this one.)

* 14 Blue Labyrinth - (2014) A mystery and the death of an enemy close to him leads Pendergast on the hunt for answers as he's stalked by dark secrets in his own family history. Strange science, deep secrets and a thrill a minute with some almost too much to believe. But suspend belief on this one. Definitely one of the best in what I've read so far in the series! 

* 15 Crimson Shore  (2015) - Did all the witches escape the Salem Witch Trials, and did some relocate secretly to the seaside village of Exmouth, Mass.? Witches, horrible demons, and terrible secrets threaten the lives of Pendergast and his mentee Constance Greene. Then as you think it done, it breaks off to another horror leading to... sigh... a cliffhanger. * Continues in Book 16.

* 16 The Obsidian Chamber (2016) - Continues from Book 15. (Getting back to this one since I had to finish Blue Labyrinth first.) Creepy one! Despite the crazy trip Proctor is sent on as a diversion, which is almost unbelievable, this is a good one. Pendergast's evil brother tries to become more "human"; is it real?- with odd Constance the center of his seeming new life. Interesting twists in this one.

* 17 City of Endless Night - A string of gruesome murders has Agent Pendergast and Lt. D'Agosta investigating what may be a serial killer. But the headless bodies are piling up with no answer. Pendergast almost loses his own head in this one and faces a great personal tragedy. Then there is that truly weird, memorable ending! Gripping!

 

 * 18 Verses for the Dead - Pendergast and partner Coldmoon investigate Miami Beach murders where the victim's heart is cut out. Not real gory as you might think but it has an interesting conclusion and reasons for the gruesome murders.

* 19 Crooked River (2020) - Special Agent Pendergast is asked to investigate when dozens of shoes wash up on Sanibel beach--with a severed foot inside each. Intrigued by what this means... * Intriguing - and aggravating. The story is good but Pendergast's blunders in this one have a woman suffering what is almost his fate as to what caused people to lose their feet. (Don't want to give the 'secret' away!) And he kind of thinks his $ will ease his guilt. And another dog is killed - right at the beginning. So, I liked the story but mixed feelings on this one.

 

* 20 Bloodless (2021) - Is a vampire stalking Savannah? (Good one! Might be my favorite so far despite mutated insects that make your skin crawl. ha!) Strange goings-on with links to alternate universes, AI, computers, and monsters, plus a link to DB Cooper's 1970s unsolved bank robbery and skyjacking.

* 21 The Cabinet of Dr. Leng - I read this one first and wow!  Pendergast's protege Constance Greene goes back to the 1800s to prevent the deaths of her siblings and find a creepy serial killer. Great time travel! (Beware it ends on a cliffhanger and continues in book 22.)

 

* 22 Angel of Vengeance - Constance Greene returns to the past to face the serial killer while Pendergast's brother re-appears with his own agenda. Some interesting twists in this one.

 * 23 New Prequel: Pendergast: The Beginning (Jan. 2026) Pendergast's first case reveals his unorthodox style as he and his partner investigate ritual murders by a serial killer. (Finished this one in a couple days. Yikes. He's an odd bird. And this is a dark one, dealing with medical experiments, ESP, and the brain, among other things.)

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It's March! Day of Dead Book Nook Progress

 

Additions on part of the side wall.

March, already???

 I've been gradually working on the Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Book Nook I shared earlier. (See book nooks here. I got the Cutefun model on Amazon. Image: website pic.) *Click pictures for full size. 

Really liking this kit despite a few pieces that are hard to fit together. (Oh, those little pegs in back to hold things in can be torture!) I updated some things also like adding actual miniatures, real flowers, and repainting some edges.

It may not seem like I got a lot done, but I'm upgrading as I go and that takes some time.

Top image: The side wall. I added lots of "real" items like flowers, skulls, air-dry clay bread, and painted the candle flames to give them some dimension. I'm using Mod Podge Dimensional Varnish which gives some dimension as on all the skull faces on the flags.

Other side wall: I added actual flowers and vines, and added a fence piece I had. I just can't see having only pictures of flowers.

Side view:

I touched up some of the fencing also. I may yet paint the edges of that tile flooring above.

This part look the longest, getting all the pieces together. I like painting the edges of the windows and stones so they blend in. I also added "real" flowers and greenery. I don't like the brown edging on colored pieces so I paint those as well to match the main color. I added a touch of color on the brown strip in the center of the awning, but still not sure what to do about it. I might just paint the inside edge one color. (Yeah, I broke the two strings of flags that hung on the right wall so I might delete them or fix them somehow  I may just print out flags from paper which would work easier. Not sure yet.)

 I also added dimension to the pictures and other items inside the shelf, and wherever else it makes sense like the skeleton faces and the "stained glass" door. The dress form (not visible here) inside the gray window, was covered with fabric to make a "real" dress. Not sure if that area is lit up later. I think it is? (Otherwise why is it there?)

Only a short update as I go along, but it is a fun project and I really like all the details in it.

Update: I painted the pair of bookcases that go on the side wall of the Miniature Gothic Library, which really made a difference. Sometimes you hate to paint furnishings, but it's often an improvement. I'll get back to that and will show the progress soon.

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* Thanks again for visiting! More details and projects to come. *

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Let there be Light! Miniature Gothic Library

Love this view! Why am I picturing wall shackles and a skeleton here? ha! Halloween idea!

 It's lit! But that doesn't mean it was easy getting there. (*Click photos for full size. See furnishings and planning in last post.)

With three windows, two candle sconces, and a fireplace, I had to do some figuring. Since I wanted a battery pack in the back, I had to figure where to drill holes, should've fed some light wires through first as they were hard to reach and get through the holes, and I had to attach an extension wire to the two candles on the sides so it would reach to the back.

The sconces are made from pieces cut from an ink pen refill and LED lights glued into small vase-shaped beads. They look like sconces!

Added some branches, red cellophane, and a light in the fireplace.

Overhead view so far.

The back... oh a mess. ha! 

It could've been neater but at this point, I didn't want to refigure any wires since it all worked. Had a problem with one wire coming loose, but after re-soldering, it's all set. The back doesn't matter. I can always tack on a pretty background cover and cut around the battery box if needed. The main thing is it works so it's best not to mess with it. ha! Wiring can be a challege, but it's an accomplishment when it's done.

I have to add a ceiling yet, and possibly cover some corners but it turned out pretty good. I'm not too crazy about dividing the two front windows, but it'll have to be for now.

That's it for the moment! 

* Thanks again for visiting. Come back soon for more updates and projects! * 

I'll show more once I decorate and get furniture in, but I like the look, like a castle room.

Back to the Miniature Gothic Library

Library in progress in a photo box.

 Getting whiplash yet? haa!

Yeah, I switch around a lot. The floor is in (a painted wood placemat) and I had to wait to get back to the Gothic Library in progress in the photo box until I got the windows (ShedtoShelfBySean/Etsy). (*Click photos for full size, better view.)

Love the windows!

Really nice (and cheap!) I might add. Perfect for this project.

Here's the full box:

The new Gothic windows are painted and I'm adding some slight ageing yet, so now figuring out the walls. That's the part I hate, all the measuring and figuring, but I do like seeing an idea work out how I envisioned it. I decided to use foam board inside as it's easily cut and once it's wallpapered you won't know what is underneath.

Oops! Realized after I glued in the wall support posts that they'll show through the windows. Moving them over so I can glue in landscape pictures from a magazine on the back wall. So far, so good.

I wanted to add a pair of bookcases on the left side wall. Had these so I think they'll work. Only ones I have two of the same. My friend Gigi gave me a good idea to add a window and a window seat there, like a reading nook. I always like building in window seats. I did that in my larger Victorian half-scale dollhouse. I really liked this den as it has a cool world-themed scrapbook paper I used and a great bookcase with items the traveler collected from around the world. That was a fun theme to do.

The wall on the right side will be closed since I'll put the tall Gothic bookcase there. (See furnishings.)

Have to figure out where to drill holes for the backlights in the windows, one in the fireplace, and I think a couple sconces or something on a wall; maybe something next to the single bookcase. Not sure yet. I decided to use the 3-volt lights and a battery box since I really don't turn these small projects on that much. Getting there!

Update: The Day of the Dead book nook is going along well, too. I really like this one, maybe even more than any others I've done so far. I'm adding a bunch of stuff to it for dimension. I'll share that next time. Right now I'm working on all the little building fronts that you have to put together. Dare I say it? Very cute!

So, that's the news for the moment! What are you working on? Feel free to comment and share. I love seeing what everyone is doing! (Not sure if you can post a photo but email me and I'll be glad to include one with your name, any links, and what you're working on.)

* Thanks again for visiting! Come back soon for more progress and projects! *

Working on Minis! Garage & New Nook Items

 Lots of cans to make!

Yes, I'm working away, flitting like a bumblebee from project to project. haa!

I don't have it in mind to build the mini garage just yet, but I decided to work on a few accessories. (*Click photos for full size.)

The spray paint cans worked out well. Simple - cut dowel rods, add upholstery thread to outline the lid, paint, and glue on a label. Regular paint cans: glued on handles made from cloth-covered wire on slightly larger dowel rods.

The table (CastleCrafts) is for the proposed Gothic library project. All painted.

I punched out three layers of 1/8" circles for the top spout on the oil cans. Have to paint the edges silver yet. Will add these to a wall shelf.

And... I gave in. ha! Got the Cutefun/Plaza de Los Muertos Book Nook/Amazon. It's a bit smaller than I thought but it is "cute." I like this one. (website photo)

I hate to admit it took me most of a day to gather the extra accessories to decorate and expand on it. I pulled a box full of possible stuff out to use. Not all will be used of course.

But at least I got one shelf done. haa! On to more today, I hope.

Here's the before and after on the shelf:

I cut the picture off this piece to re-use with a new frame over it. The candle is another dowel rod painted over with Puff Paint for drips. The "vase" is a wood piece cut off something else. I won't re-do all the parts, but I prefer "real" miniatures vs. just punch-out pieces. I'll add more flowers here and there. Just fake flowers I repainted the marigold color. I addded another flower on the end to fill the gap below.

Now that I had so much stuff out already, getting a second shelf done was much easier. ha!

I like this one. Maybe why I really like this kit is not just the colors, but that it's so "busy."  Perfect for somebody like me who likes lots of stuff in houses and projects.

I replaced the flat picture on the top row with similar "real" items. It didn't seem right having bread there that was only a picture, so made that of Model Magic Clay. The only difference is I left the last flowerpot off as it didn't fit and it would be an even number - decorating rule I picked up somewhere - always group things based in an uneven number. 

The bottom shelf, I liked the images so I decided to use them with some enhancements. I used Mod Podge Dimensional Magic on the candle flames and mixed some Puff paint with acrylic for drips on the candles. I painted some plastic carnation-type flowers and glued them over the drawings. I think it looks better with the dimensional items. You can't really tell, but I also made the tiny faces in the frames dimensional.

This shelf may look a bit strange alone but this is a super busy-looking project. My kind of project and a challenge thinking of "real" things to add in. haa!

That's it for the moment! More to come as I progress.

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Happy Miniature Valentine's Day!

 Happy Valentine's Day!

I was working on a new tiny holder with Valentine cards, but thought I'd share a favorite project I made  last year: the miniature Candy Hearts and box. Yes, those hearts are that tiny. They'll fit in one of those small nail polish decoration jars.

More Book Nooks I liked

If I had to pick a favorite... I love the colors and Skellies!

 I admit, these are addicting. I see three that I'd love to get... eventually. (*Click photos for full size.)

I have to add my gripe here - boy these are getting pricey. Yes, they're fun, attractive, neat themes, but when they are getting to the point of only being punch-out wood puzzle pieces, $50 and up is getting to be too much. I saw some listed as $80-$100. Way overpriced. They found a niche and are starting to exploit it.

I get annoyed by flat pieces. If there's a dog or a figure or food, etc, then I want a "real" miniature, a 3D item, not a flat punch-out piece, especially at the higher pricies. But that's me. I do like these three but, there again, I'd have to be adding all kind of regular miniatures to improve them. But I get a kick out of miniature skeletons so that would be fun on the one below. 

(These are all at $40 and $50 now. but if you wait and put the item in watch or hold, they often offer a coupon or discount.)

My top two favorites: 

I really like the colors and the skeletons in the Day of the Dead theme. But, I'd have to add some regular skellies, skulls, food, etc. in there for realism. This just might be my favorite. (Cutebee Plaza de Los Muertos/Amazon). Same model - Cutefun/Amazon.

This one's been around a while, but it still catches my eye. I like the buildings and mystery theme in the Rose Detective Agency, Fsolis/Amazon.

Interesting. This Viking theme caught my eye because of the buildings: Fifijoy/Voyage Through the Storm/Amazon.

I love Egyptian figures so this one caught my eye, too. But, again, it looks like all flat stuff though this is an intriguing model: (Fifijoy/Egyptian Pharoah's Tomb/Amazon) It's an interesting theme and could work better with the Egyptian miniature figures I've saved for an eventual roombox.

Well, that's the latest I found. 

* Thanks again for visiting. Come back soon for more miniatures.* 

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Creating and Writing

I share what some writers do besides write... Me? Well, you know what I like to do - mini!

Link to story, "The Many Sides of Creating."  (with my favorite view of the bedroom in the Fairfield House.)

Miniature Gothic Furnishings

Ready for the Olympics? Going to be some great watching! I love the ice dancing and can't wait for that and other skating events, among other things. 

(*Click photos for full size, better view.)

In the meantime, I made some progress in building the half-scale furniture for the planned Gothic library. (If you don't know, half (1/24) scale is 6 inches = 1 foot. Half of 1/12th scale so a 6-foot tall person in real life is 6" in 1/12th and about 3 inches in half-scale.) Things scale down proportionally, but usually cutting a pattern in half; 50% works for funiture and about 60% for printies that aren't "too" tiny. ha!)

Pretty happy with how these turned out. I have some touching up to do and some accessories to add yet, but it's getting there. Actually got all these pieces finished except the fireplace and bookcase at my weekly miniatues day.

For fun, I added the gold fringe to the bottom of the chairs from the goldish-green fabric. It's very pretty with a bright gold sheen. Oh, and a ghostly visitor! The Tim Holtz vintage photo figure fit perfectly! Looks like she belongs there! She even seems to have a "glow" about her.

I decided to get out the light box, which does allow for much clearer, brighter photos. I still can't get the color tones to show as well, but they're hard to differentiate in the light - copper, brown/black, and black, so far. I'll play around with the light box in future photos as it's pretty easy to set up.

I have to paint the table yet (CastleCrafts) but I think it'll go well with lots of books and items piled on it with one of the chairs behind it. (Other furniture: SDK Miniatures.)

I used the greenish-gold fabric and a rose-purple fabric on the seat of the Victorian sofa. Also finished the Gothic clock kit, also SDK Miniatures.

I'll have to start planning the photo box room next and figure the wallcoverings and paint the flooring. (See post link above.)

Filled the bookcase with assorted books, and of course! Something a little spooky...

The fireplace came out well, too, and maybe I'll use these accessories on the mantel.

So far, so good! I like how this is going, that's half the battle when planning a project.

* Thanks again for visiting! Come back soon for more minis! *