Reliquary
	Author(s):	Child, Lincoln Preston, Douglas
	Publisher:	TOR Books
	Date:	1997
	ISBN:	0-812-54283-5
	Cause:	Genetic Mutation/Experimentation
	Creatures:	Mutant Life Forms
	Submitted by:	Mike Riley (02/26/04)
Exerpt: "Trumbull opened his mouth then, closed it again, swaying weakly in disbelief. There was something horribly wrong, something unutterably foreign, about the way the figures moved. He watched as Kolb was surrounded. One of the figures grabbed Kolb's hair, jerking his head back, while a second pinioned his arms. Kolb struggled soundlessly in jerky pantomime. A third stepped forward from the dim shadows, and, with a strangely delicate movement, flicked his hand across Kolb's throat. Immediately, a hose of blood jetted in the direction of the train."
Reviews: "Preston and Child carry off this sequel with great energy and penache. In particular, their portrait of the underground dwellers lifts this thriller into a category all its own." (Chicago Tribune) "The sequal to the popular Relic hits all the right buttons for those looking for thrills and chills from things that go bump in the night … Another page-turner that cries out for translation to the silver screen." (The Orlando Sentinel) "A crackling good thriller … Reliquary takes you on a bone-chilling tour of the city's Gothic underground. Reliquary would be a great book to take to the beach. Just don't read it on the subway." (The Lexington Herald) "Reliquary is a fast-paced horror-thriller with an army of mutant mole people." (Fort Worth Morning Star-Telegram) "This should do for the New York subway system what Jaws did for Long Island beaches." (Booklist) "High on suspense and tremendous fun." (Publishers Weekly)

4 Scars

My Opinion: This is the sequel to the highly acclaimed novel "Relic" by the same authors and is highly recommended. In general, sequels tend to loose the "edge" of the original books but this one has enough plot twists and divergence from the original storyline to hold your attention. I liked it almost as much as Relic. The depiction of New York City's underground (literally) societies, the inhabitants thereof, physical conditions, and social structure is mesmerizing to a suburbanite like myself and worth the read in and of itself. And of course, do not forget the "museum beast" which is back with in force and the ostentatious FBI agent Pendergast who returns to help out the local authorities.

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