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Fever Dream is the tenth book in the Agent Pendergast series and Book One of the Helen Trilogy. It was published by Grand Central Publishing, and released on May 11, 2010. It is the thirteenth collaborative Preston-Child novel, and reached #3 on the New York Times Best Seller list.

Plot Summary[]

Yesterday, Special Agent Pendergast still mourned the loss of his beloved wife, Helen, who died in a tragic accident in Africa twelve years ago. Today, he discovers she was murdered.Tomorrow, he will learn her most guarded secrets, leaving him to wonder: Who was the woman I married? Why was she murdered? And, above all... Who murdered her? Revenge is not sweet: It is essential.

-Publisher's synopsis

Plot[]

While visiting his family plantation in New Orleans, Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast inadvertently uncovers evidence that his wife Helen's death whilst on safari in Africa was no accident. He enlists the help of his friend, police lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta, in his search for Helen's killer. Their investigation quickly betrays just how little Pendergast knew about his wife, as they uncover her fascination with John James Audubon, a local painter whose work in chronicling the wildlife of America became very influential. Helen was searching for the Black Frame, a near-mythical painting made by Audubon when he was committed to a sanatorium. Pendergast and D'Agosta soon discover that Audubon's early work was particularly poor, and come to the conclusion that his sickness somehow triggered his artistic genius. However, their investigations have attracted the attentions of the same conspiracy responsible for Helen's murder, and when D'Agosta is put in mortal danger, Pendergast must turn to Captain Laura Hayward to venture deep into the Louisiana bayou and uncover the extent of the conspiracy. Helen was a researcher on Project Aves, an attempt to create a drug that could enhance a person's latent genius by modifying a rare strain of avian influenza. The project ended in disaster when an infected bird escaped quarantine and infected a local family. Upon learning that no attempt to recover the bird was made so that Project Aves could have human test subjects, Helen planned to reveal the conspiracy to the world and was murdered for it.

Once in the bayou, Pendergast finds the man responsible for Helen's death: Charles J. Slade, her former employer and the director of Project Aves. Slade has isolated himself from the world after contracting the same strain of influenza that Audubon had. After using his newfound genius to find a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, he soon fell victim to the disease's side effects. The influenza destroyed his brain's ability to filter out sensations, leaving him trapped in a state of hyper-awareness. Every sensation is now as agonizing as it is overwhelming, pushing Slade further and further towards madness despite his efforts to manage the disease. Rather than killing him, Pendergast convinces Slade that killing himself is the only way he can escape the madness that will soon destroy the part of his brain that controls his sense of self. However, Slade refuses to reveal to Pendergast the name of the person who shot D'Agosta—Judson Esterhazy, Helen's brother.

Returning Characters[]

First Appearances[]

Timeline[]

  • Book stars 12 years ago, detailing the lion attack that Killed Helen Esterhazy Pendergast, Both Helen and Pendergast are in their late 20's, and have been married for 2 years. Mike Decker has offered Pendergast a job at the FBI
  • In present day, Pendergast and Helen met 15 years ago.
  • Pendergast receives a letter from Constance that is 3 weeks old, she is at the Tibetan monastery with her son. When she crosses on the boat and throws the child overboard, the child is said to be about 2 to 3 months.
  • When D'agosta is thought to be dying, Hayward said he is "Not even 45"

Locations[]

  • Zambia, Africa (Musalangu)
  • Louisiana (Penumbra Plantation) (Port Allen)
  • Savannah, Georgia
  • New Orleans
  • Rockland, Maine
  • Mississippi
  • New York
  • Sarasota, Florida

Antagonists[]

Deaths and Injuries[]

  • Body Count: 6
  • Animals: Kudu, Lion, Hawk, Frog, Water Moccasin

Notable Deaths: Cornelia Delamere Pendergast, Morris Blackletter, John Blast, Mike Ventura, Charles Slade, Frank Hudson

Judson's kills: Blackletter, Blast, Ventura, and Hudson

*Slade Commits Suicide after being pressured into it by Pendergast

Injuries:[]

Dagosta Shot, hitting close to the heart, in coma, and poisoned. Has Pig Vale put in heart

Laura Hayward shot in Leg, leg bit by Alligator.

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