Reviewed by Anne Boiling for Readers' Favorite

Fans will be thrilled to know Aloysius Pendergast is back in his eleventh thriller. If you’ve never read a Pendergast novel you’ve missed out on one of my favorite heroes. Pendergast is an amazing FBI agent. He’s more than a bit wealthy. He is eccentric, refined, and brilliant. In this latest installment, we learn about his wife’s death twelve years previously. Pendergast has mourned her loss all these years. She was mauled by a lion with a red mane. He has now, years later, deduced it was not an accident, but murder.

Determined to bring the murderer to justice and maybe seek a little revenge, he calls on his best friend and ally, Lt. Vincent D'Agosta, for assistance. Vincent is engaged to be married and his soon to be wife is not happy that once again he is going off with Pendergast. She just happens to be a Captain in the NYPD. Before the hunt is over she finds herself united with Pendergast in his search. The search takes them from Africa to South America and back to N’Orleans.

I’ve long been a fan of Preston and Douglas. They combine their talents to produce an edge of the seat thriller. They have a talent for characterization that surpasses most authors. I have always enjoyed Pendergast’s personality. He is over the top and yet subdued at the same time. It was great to see the deep love he had for Helen. I enjoyed the way Hayward repeatedly thought she could get used to Pendergast’s methods. Hayward and Pendergast play well together. I hope we see more of their combined efforts. As usual there are many restrained bits of humor. I enjoyed "Fever Dream". I Eagerly await the next Pendergast episode!