[.ca] Relic (ISBN 0765354942)

From Amazon.com:
A series of bizarre and brutal murders is taking place in the halls of the New York Museum of Natural History, only days before a massive exhibition is set to open. Margo Green knows that the killer is something not human, something that's not even supposed to exist. Where did it come from, how did it get into the museum, and how can it be stopped?

Debut title for author duo... One of the best books out:
Not much to say other than this was one of the best conceived and written books of its kind I have ever read. Preston and Child do not write with such a "sterile" style as Crichton, and that really gives them the edge. This is a scary damn read. Very much so.

Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston--The Relic (1995):
Although a fairly blatant spoof of the Michael Crichton formula, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's "The Relic" is a superb, fast-paced suspense/horror read that is one of the best of its kind produced in the middle 1990's. The authors use excellent characterization, an in-depth look at museum politics, some soft humor, and stupendously eerie sequences that will have readers' hair standing straight up. Preparing for a special new exhibit at Chicago's Natural History Museum, scientist Margo Green receives some unusual crates with incredible artifacts from the Kothoga indian tribe. Inside many of the crates is a strange plant and nothing more, which seems awfully fishy to the scientist and she researches the relics further. As she gets closer to the truth and the the museum gets closer and closer to the grand opening of their new exhibit, a horrific monster begins to terrorize the building. With the help of her long-time friend Mr. Frock and a rogue FBI agent who investigated similar murders in New Orleans, Margo Green fights for her live against a creature that embodies more secrets than she could imagine. Preston and Child produce a tremendous tale, splicing several genres together that will satisfy fans of Koontz, Crichton, Grisham, King, and Deaver. Stylishly scary, eloquently written, and a fantastic, whoulda-thunk it finale that will astonish. Adapted into a very well-made motion picture a couple years after its release--the book is far better, emphasizing the personalities of the main characters to their entirity and adding numerous extra plot twists. Simply excellent.

Genre Fiction at its finest:
I don't give out 5 star reviews lightly, but in this case I do not hesitate much. Generally, 5 stars is reserved for "imporant" or "artful" fiction, but this book is simply a masteripiece and the crown jewel of monster fiction. We've ALL read books where someone wanders off into the darkness and gets maimed, and most of the time in some pretty vivid, arresting descriptions. But were we ever really frightened. Did we feel not just tension, but a plummeting, primitive fear? RELIC certainly provides that, but never before have I been so frightened for characters that I didn't really care about. I admit that I am not a huge fan of this science-laden gibberish mingled with action, but it is quite clear that Lincoln and Child have a solid understanding of horror. Perhaps there is something about their diction, which despite its sometimes convoluted, scientific nature, is always quick and flab-less. Perhaps it is that they have finally touched upon the haunted museum idea. Perhaps it is because despite the science and complicated passages, they still allow the book to boil to down to basic monster fiction. And it works. Boy does it ever work. I can't remember ever REALLY being uneasy and frightened reading a book, but RELIC is a lean, visceral and frightening book, harrowing and gruesome. Read it.

Brain Candy:
This novel has a definitivly 'Jurassic Park' feel, but stands out in it's own right. Child & Preston do a fantastic job of fusing true scientific techniques in genetic engineering, with strange Amazonian legends. Monsters and Museums, everyone! Anyone wanting a taste of some fun & sureal writing, that might want taste of you, read this book.

A real page turner!:
I flew through this book. Suspensful, fast paced, full of wonderful characters. A must read