Part of Pendergast, book 15
First published 2015
Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast arrives in the coastal village of Exmouth, Massachusetts with his ward Constance Greene to solve what appears to be a simple theft. A valuable wine collection has vanished, and the case seems routine enough. But when Pendergast examines the wine cellar, he discovers a walled-up alcove containing ancient human remains. The investigation spirals beyond missing bottles into darker territory involving a hidden chamber, a shipwreck with mysterious origins, and a fresh corpse found among the salt marshes surrounding the town. What began as a private matter for a wealthy collector becomes something far more dangerous. Pendergast must untangle connections between past and present as the body count rises and Exmouth's secrets emerge from the shadows.
Genres: adventure, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-detective, hidden-past, investigation
Setting: Exmouth, Massachusetts
Period: Contemporary
339 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing