Still Life with Crows

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois

Medicine Creek, Kansas. In a town where nothing changes, where Main Street is a two-block stretch of old and dusty businesses, a ghastly murder has taken place. The unknown victim has been placed in a small clearing in a sea of corn, mutilated and arranged in an elaborate tableau. Within twenty-four hours the sheriff is assuring a flood of reporters and tense residents that this is an isolated death - until Special Agent Pendergast arrives in the stifling August heat to declare it the work of a serial killer.

Soon neighbors begin to disappear - only to reappear as the lifeless centerpieces of unspeakable displays. Convulsed with terror, the townsfolk whisper of the legendary Curse of the Forty-fives. No one is safe from a killer who stalks his prey in the blackness of night...and whose grotesque crimes are revealed by circling buzzards under the cruel summer sun.

With the help of Corrie Swanson, an eighteen-year-old misfit, Pendergast unearths the secrets of this isolated town - from the dark histories of its inhabitants to the darker mysteries hidden in the endless cornfields. And ultimately, as he unravels the local curse and the truth of Medicine Creek's greatest enigma, the Ghost Warrior Massacre of 1865, Pendergast comes face-to-face with the unimaginable evil that lies at the heart of this small town.

©2003 Splendide Mendax, Inc. and Lincoln Child (P)2003 Time Warner AudioBooks. A division of AOL Time Warner Book Group.

Critic reviews

"The Preston-Child team scores another big winner, perfect for the summer; highly recommended¿" (Library Journal)
"Yummy beach reading." (Kirkus Reviews)

Preston and Child have done better

I am a big fan of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and have read or listed to all of their books. This book doesn't keep the reader as engaged as their other books and the plot is just a showcase for the central character. Special Agent Pendergast never makes a false move or mistake and has mystical powers that allow him to transport to other times. This is stretching it a little too far. I hope Preston and Child start focusing on the plot again and stop trying to create a new superhero - we have enough of those already.

Melodrama

Would you try another book from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and/or Rene Auberjonois?

I've read other books by Preston, but this was a overly formulaic.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The character of Corrie Swanson held the most interest for me. Believable and resourceful, I found myself wanting to hear more about her.

Which character – as performed by Rene Auberjonois – was your favorite?

Corries Swanson

Rene Aberjonois, is one of the best narrators

I thought this story was a pretty good listen and I really like Rene Aberjonois's narrating I think he is one of the best, just as good as Scott Brick

Wow

This novel was excellent. Spooky and original, not something that I have read before.

Still Life an excellent work from Lincoln & Child

I have read/listened to every book that has been published by the dynamic duo of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Only one has yet to even slightly disapoint me. This is not that book! The authors have created some very interesting characters in their books, one of my favorites being FBI Special Agent Pendergast. He is one of the most enigmatic characters I'm met so far. In this story, agent Pendergast travels to rural Kansas to investigate a grizzly murder. Turns out, the murderer is a possible serial killer. With the style used in their previous books, Preston and Child weave one heck of a story laden with the supernatural and possibly some natural history. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, edge of your seat thriller.

Still Life with Crows

"Cabinet of Curiosities" was my first encounter with these 2 authors and found it very gripping thru the whole story. I found "Still Life with Crows" to be very engaging from the onset but the ending slowed a bit and was somewhat disappointed by the ending. All in all, a fairly good story and I will definitely come back for more from these 2 spellbinding authors.

Pretty good but predictable at times

I never got bored with the book but is was a little predictable at times but not really enough to be annoying. As others had said, they had music in parts of it that had nothing to do with the story and I had to strain to hear the reader. And the voices of one of the characters WAS annoying but I understood why. Pretty good overall.

Still Life with Crows

MORE ! More Pendergast - an abosolutely wonderful character, growing with each book. I was not disappointed in the ongoing tales of FBI special agent Pendergast. I found Rene Auberjonois (who has narrated both books) to be a great story teller. Again a story that makes the reader think and not overlook any of even the slightest comments as being an integral part of the story. I CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE

Great book. Background music was distracting

the background music was either too loud, or not in line with the mood sometimes.

Shouldn't have purchased the abridged version

What did you like best about Still Life with Crows? What did you like least?

Still Life with Crows was my first Pendergast book. I read it paperback years and years ago and it's just a book I can read over and over. However, the abridged version leaves out some important parts. I wish I paid attention to the version I was purchasing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Still Life with Crows?

The introduction of Corrie Swanson as a character was my favorite development in the Pendergast series. I love everything about her character, so this entire book was just great.

What didn’t you like about Rene Auberjonois’s performance?

Rene Auberjonois is just not a good narrator. The only reason I put up with him is because he's basically the only Pendergast audiobook narrator. He sounds like he's reciting a story, rather than performing. He's bad at accents and just has such a distinct voice, it's hard to imagine characters speaking.