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Agent Pendergast
The Agent Pendergast series by Douglas Preston has 24 known books (24 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Relic (1995). Pendergast: The Beginning is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.
- Books
- 24 known books (23 novels + 1 short story)
- Published
- 24
- First published
- 1995
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Thriller
Start here: Relic (1995)
— then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Relic
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's 1995 debut, "Relic" launches the Agent Pendergast series at the New York Museum of Natural History, introducing the aristocratic, unflappable FBI agent whose methods run well outside Bureau procedure; it was adapted into a 1997 film. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Relic - Book 2:
Reliquary
The second Agent Pendergast novel, "Reliquary" (1997, 464 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's New York museum horror, following the eerie, courtly agent whose forensic deduction blends historical research with the strange and unexplained. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Reliquary - Book 3:
The Cabinet of Curiosities
Following "Reliquary" as the third Agent Pendergast novel, "The Cabinet of Curiosities" (2002, 522 pages) continues Preston and Child's long-running mythology of gothic New York horror filtered through Pendergast's unsettling composure. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Cabinet of Curiosities - Book 4:
Still Life with Crows
The fourth Agent Pendergast novel, "Still Life with Crows" (2003, 584 pages) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child shifts the series' tone toward serial-killer procedural, one of the tonal swings between hard-science thriller and gothic horror that mark the series. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Still Life with Crows - Book 5:
Brimstone
Fifth in the Agent Pendergast series, "Brimstone" (2004, 660 pages) continues Preston and Child's saga of recurring antagonists and long-running conspiracies, filtered through the courtly, lethal perspective that has drawn comparisons to Hannibal Lecter. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Brimstone - Book 6:
Dance of Death
The sixth Agent Pendergast novel, "Dance of Death" (2005, 580 pages) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, is part of the Diogenes trilogy centered on Pendergast's estranged, dangerous twin brother. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dance of Death - Book 7:
The Book of the Dead
Seventh in the series, "The Book of the Dead" (2006, 582 pages) closes out the Diogenes trilogy that Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child built around Pendergast's estranged twin brother and his long-running schemes. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Book of the Dead - Book 8:
The Wheel of Darkness
"The Wheel of Darkness" (2007) takes the eighth spot in the Agent Pendergast series before "Cemetery Dance" continues it, at 458 pages, part of Preston and Child's globe-trotting conspiracy-thriller strand of the saga. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Wheel of Darkness - Book 9:
Cemetery Dance
Ninth in the Agent Pendergast series, "Cemetery Dance" (2009, 577 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's dense continuity, deepening Pendergast's relationship with NYPD detective Vincent D'Agosta. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cemetery Dance - Book 10:
Fever Dream
"Fever Dream" (2010, 548 pages) is the tenth Agent Pendergast novel, opening the Helen trilogy that Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child built around one of the series' long-running mysteries. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fever Dream - Book 11:
Cold Vengeance
The eleventh Agent Pendergast novel, "Cold Vengeance" (2011, 368 pages) continues the Helen trilogy, part of Preston and Child's increasingly dense continuity that rewards reading the series in publication order. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cold Vengeance - Book 12:
Two Graves
Following "Cold Vengeance" as the twelfth Agent Pendergast novel, "Two Graves" (2012, 552 pages) closes out the Helen trilogy that Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child built around one of the series' central long-running mysteries. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Two Graves - Book 13:
Extraction
A short story rather than a full novel, "Extraction" (2012, 25 pages) slots into the Agent Pendergast series after "Two Graves" and ahead of "White Fire," an optional side piece within Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's dense continuity. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Extraction - Book 14:
White Fire
Thirteenth in the series, "White Fire" (2013, 574 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Agent Pendergast saga, blending forensic deduction with the historical research and occult folklore that define the character's methods. Alternative text for cover: Cover of White Fire - Book 15:
Blue Labyrinth
"Blue Labyrinth" (2014, 202 pages) is the fourteenth Agent Pendergast novel, deepening the mystery of Pendergast's ward Constance Greene, whose own backstory runs stranger than it first appears across the series. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blue Labyrinth - Book 16:
Crimson Shore
Following "Blue Labyrinth" as the fifteenth Agent Pendergast novel, "Crimson Shore" (2015, 378 pages) shifts the series toward its New Orleans-and-New England gothic register, filtered through Pendergast's unflappable perspective. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crimson Shore - Book 17:
The Obsidian Chamber
Following "Crimson Shore" as the sixteenth Agent Pendergast novel, "The Obsidian Chamber" (2016, 407 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's long-running arc involving Pendergast's ward Constance Greene. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Obsidian Chamber - Book 18:
City of Endless Night
Published in 2018, "City of Endless Night" holds the seventeenth slot in the Agent Pendergast series from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, part of the saga's recurring shift into hard-science, serial-killer procedural territory. Alternative text for cover: Cover of City of Endless Night - Book 19:
Verses for the Dead
"Verses for the Dead" (2018) takes the eighteenth spot in the Agent Pendergast series before "Crooked River" continues it, a serial-killer procedural entry in Preston and Child's long-running saga. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Verses for the Dead - Book 20:
Crooked River
Following "Verses for the Dead" as the nineteenth Agent Pendergast novel, "Crooked River" (2020, 416 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's saga of recurring antagonists and Pendergast's partnership with NYPD detective Vincent D'Agosta. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crooked River - Book 21:
Bloodless
"Bloodless" (2021, 384 pages) is the twentieth Agent Pendergast novel, continuing Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's long-running series of forensic deduction crossed with occult folklore and derring-do. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bloodless - Book 22:
The Cabinet of Dr. Leng
Published in 2023, "The Cabinet of Dr. Leng" holds the twenty-first slot in the Agent Pendergast series from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, part of the Alexandra Riches arc within the saga's dense continuity. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Cabinet of Dr. Leng - Book 23:
Angel of Vengeance
The twenty-second Agent Pendergast novel, "Angel of Vengeance" (2024, 352 pages) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child continues the Alexandra Riches arc, one of several multi-book threads that reward reading the series in order. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Angel of Vengeance - Book 24:
Pendergast: The Beginning
Published last, as book twenty-three in January 2026, "Pendergast: The Beginning" is a prequel set in story chronology before "Relic" — Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's 1995 series debut — and can be read either first for chronological backstory or last, as intended, once the character is already familiar. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Pendergast: The Beginning
The order the story's events happen in, novellas slotted where they belong.
- Book 1:
Pendergast: The Beginning
Published last, as book twenty-three in January 2026, "Pendergast: The Beginning" is a prequel set in story chronology before "Relic" — Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's 1995 series debut — and can be read either first for chronological backstory or last, as intended, once the character is already familiar. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Pendergast: The Beginning - Book 2:
Relic
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's 1995 debut, "Relic" launches the Agent Pendergast series at the New York Museum of Natural History, introducing the aristocratic, unflappable FBI agent whose methods run well outside Bureau procedure; it was adapted into a 1997 film. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Relic - Book 3:
Reliquary
The second Agent Pendergast novel, "Reliquary" (1997, 464 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's New York museum horror, following the eerie, courtly agent whose forensic deduction blends historical research with the strange and unexplained. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Reliquary - Book 4:
The Cabinet of Curiosities
Following "Reliquary" as the third Agent Pendergast novel, "The Cabinet of Curiosities" (2002, 522 pages) continues Preston and Child's long-running mythology of gothic New York horror filtered through Pendergast's unsettling composure. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Cabinet of Curiosities - Book 5:
Still Life with Crows
The fourth Agent Pendergast novel, "Still Life with Crows" (2003, 584 pages) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child shifts the series' tone toward serial-killer procedural, one of the tonal swings between hard-science thriller and gothic horror that mark the series. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Still Life with Crows - Book 6:
Brimstone
Fifth in the Agent Pendergast series, "Brimstone" (2004, 660 pages) continues Preston and Child's saga of recurring antagonists and long-running conspiracies, filtered through the courtly, lethal perspective that has drawn comparisons to Hannibal Lecter. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Brimstone - Book 7:
Dance of Death
The sixth Agent Pendergast novel, "Dance of Death" (2005, 580 pages) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, is part of the Diogenes trilogy centered on Pendergast's estranged, dangerous twin brother. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dance of Death - Book 8:
The Book of the Dead
Seventh in the series, "The Book of the Dead" (2006, 582 pages) closes out the Diogenes trilogy that Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child built around Pendergast's estranged twin brother and his long-running schemes. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Book of the Dead - Book 9:
The Wheel of Darkness
"The Wheel of Darkness" (2007) takes the eighth spot in the Agent Pendergast series before "Cemetery Dance" continues it, at 458 pages, part of Preston and Child's globe-trotting conspiracy-thriller strand of the saga. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Wheel of Darkness - Book 10:
Cemetery Dance
Ninth in the Agent Pendergast series, "Cemetery Dance" (2009, 577 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's dense continuity, deepening Pendergast's relationship with NYPD detective Vincent D'Agosta. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cemetery Dance - Book 11:
Fever Dream
"Fever Dream" (2010, 548 pages) is the tenth Agent Pendergast novel, opening the Helen trilogy that Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child built around one of the series' long-running mysteries. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Fever Dream - Book 12:
Cold Vengeance
The eleventh Agent Pendergast novel, "Cold Vengeance" (2011, 368 pages) continues the Helen trilogy, part of Preston and Child's increasingly dense continuity that rewards reading the series in publication order. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cold Vengeance - Book 13:
Two Graves
Following "Cold Vengeance" as the twelfth Agent Pendergast novel, "Two Graves" (2012, 552 pages) closes out the Helen trilogy that Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child built around one of the series' central long-running mysteries. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Two Graves - Book 14:
Extraction
A short story rather than a full novel, "Extraction" (2012, 25 pages) slots into the Agent Pendergast series after "Two Graves" and ahead of "White Fire," an optional side piece within Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's dense continuity. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Extraction - Book 15:
White Fire
Thirteenth in the series, "White Fire" (2013, 574 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Agent Pendergast saga, blending forensic deduction with the historical research and occult folklore that define the character's methods. Alternative text for cover: Cover of White Fire - Book 16:
Blue Labyrinth
"Blue Labyrinth" (2014, 202 pages) is the fourteenth Agent Pendergast novel, deepening the mystery of Pendergast's ward Constance Greene, whose own backstory runs stranger than it first appears across the series. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Blue Labyrinth - Book 17:
Crimson Shore
Following "Blue Labyrinth" as the fifteenth Agent Pendergast novel, "Crimson Shore" (2015, 378 pages) shifts the series toward its New Orleans-and-New England gothic register, filtered through Pendergast's unflappable perspective. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crimson Shore - Book 18:
The Obsidian Chamber
Following "Crimson Shore" as the sixteenth Agent Pendergast novel, "The Obsidian Chamber" (2016, 407 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's long-running arc involving Pendergast's ward Constance Greene. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Obsidian Chamber - Book 19:
City of Endless Night
Published in 2018, "City of Endless Night" holds the seventeenth slot in the Agent Pendergast series from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, part of the saga's recurring shift into hard-science, serial-killer procedural territory. Alternative text for cover: Cover of City of Endless Night - Book 20:
Verses for the Dead
"Verses for the Dead" (2018) takes the eighteenth spot in the Agent Pendergast series before "Crooked River" continues it, a serial-killer procedural entry in Preston and Child's long-running saga. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Verses for the Dead - Book 21:
Crooked River
Following "Verses for the Dead" as the nineteenth Agent Pendergast novel, "Crooked River" (2020, 416 pages) continues Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's saga of recurring antagonists and Pendergast's partnership with NYPD detective Vincent D'Agosta. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Crooked River - Book 22:
Bloodless
"Bloodless" (2021, 384 pages) is the twentieth Agent Pendergast novel, continuing Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's long-running series of forensic deduction crossed with occult folklore and derring-do. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bloodless - Book 23:
The Cabinet of Dr. Leng
Published in 2023, "The Cabinet of Dr. Leng" holds the twenty-first slot in the Agent Pendergast series from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, part of the Alexandra Riches arc within the saga's dense continuity. Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Cabinet of Dr. Leng - Book 24:
Angel of Vengeance
The twenty-second Agent Pendergast novel, "Angel of Vengeance" (2024, 352 pages) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child continues the Alexandra Riches arc, one of several multi-book threads that reward reading the series in order. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Angel of Vengeance
Key facts about the Agent Pendergast series
The Agent Pendergast series has 24 books on our list. Since all 24 are out now, you can read the whole list today. 23 are novels, while the rest is a short story.
Start with Relic, since it opens the publication order in 1995. Reliquary is book 2, from 1997. The Cabinet of Curiosities is book 3, from 2002.
Still Life with Crows is book 4, from 2003. Brimstone is book 5, from 2004. Dance of Death is book 6, from 2005.
The Book of the Dead is book 7, from 2006, while The Wheel of Darkness is book 8, from 2007. Cemetery Dance is book 9, from 2009.
Fever Dream is book 10, from 2010, while Cold Vengeance is book 11, from 2011. Two Graves is book 12, from 2012. Since the list above shows all 24, you can find the rest there.
However, the story's own timeline begins with Pendergast: The Beginning. Use the order switch above to see that timeline.
Pendergast: The Beginning is the latest book with a full release date, out on 27 January 2026. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.
The books came out between 1995 and 2026, while their length runs from 25 to 660 pages. That is a run of 31 years.
Douglas Preston has 46 books on our list. Additionally, they write Wyman Ford, Gideon Crew and Nora Kelly, plus 1 more series. We shelve the books under thriller.
About the Agent Pendergast series
Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast is an FBI investigator like no other: a wealthy, aristocratic New Orleans blue-blood with encyclopedic knowledge, unsettling composure, and a habit of solving cases through methods well outside FBI procedure — forensic deduction crossed with historical research, occult folklore and outright derring-do. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child built the series out of their 1995 debut Relic (adapted into the 1997 film), and it has grown into a sprawling saga that ranges from New York Museum of Natural History horror to New Orleans gothic to globe-trotting conspiracy thriller, always filtered through Pendergast's eerie, unflappable perspective.
What keeps readers hooked across two dozen novels is less any single mystery than the long-running mythology: Pendergast's estranged twin brother Diogenes, his ward Constance Greene (whose own backstory is stranger than it first appears), his relationship with NYPD detective Vincent D'Agosta, and recurring antagonists whose schemes span multiple books. The tone shifts between hard-science thriller, serial-killer procedural, and full-blown gothic horror from book to book, but Pendergast's voice — courtly, lethal, quietly amused — holds it together. Fans of Thomas Harris's Hannibal Lecter novels or Caleb Carr's The Alienist, who want a detective as strange as the crimes he solves, are the natural audience.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Agent Pendergast series?
There are 23 novels as of Pendergast: The Beginning (January 2026), plus the short story Extraction.
What order should I read the Pendergast books in?
Publication order, starting with Relic. Several multi-book story arcs (the Diogenes trilogy, the Helen trilogy) depend on earlier books, so sequence matters.
Is Pendergast: The Beginning a prequel?
Yes. Published in January 2026 as the 23rd book, it's set before the events of Relic and shows an early Pendergast case in Louisiana, but it was written and released last, after readers already know the character.
Is the Agent Pendergast series finished?
No new Pendergast novel is currently scheduled after Pendergast: The Beginning (January 2026), but Preston and Child have continued the series for three decades and given no indication it's ending.
Do I need to read the Relic and Reliquary movies or other Preston/Child series first?
No. The 1997 Relic film is a loose adaptation, not required viewing, and Preston and Child's other collaborations (Gideon Crew, the Nora Kelly novels) are separate series that occasionally cross over but aren't prerequisites.
If you like the Agent Pendergast series
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