Fever Dream Book Review

Fever Dream
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Grand Central Publishing
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I'm always on the waiting list for any new books by coauthors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and this book didn't disappoint. It was surprising, a little different than their usual style, but definitely an excellent read.
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It's nothing short of magic when an author can animate a character for the length of a novel when said character dies in the first chapter.
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It's nothing short of magic when an author can successfully include all of the following clichéd story grabbers and leave you loving it rather than mocking or doubting it. Fever Dream includes all of the following:

• a (dead) spouse with a mysterious "other life"
• an eccentric family all suddenly gone criminally mad
• a stoic butler that sees all and reveals little
• 2 personable detectives, 1 with the proverbial love of donuts
• beautiful, exotic scenery
• famous historical figures
• ferocious, man-eating beasts
• a secret room with the door screwed shut
• a dark, haunted island in a legendary swamp

The book was enjoyable. I loved reading it and never felt that any of it was ridiculous, except possibly..... maybe..... the alligator scene. That was the only time I felt like a reader instead of a participant and I wondered if they were pandering to the movie creators. But every other scene.... I was in it. I was there. Totally involved.
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If I gave this book an 8 on a scale of 1-10 (Kathryn Stockett's The Help being a 10), I'd have to give the ending a 4. The book itself was much better than the ending.