Anyone who has been enjoying the combined forces of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for the past few decades know what to expect. Their novels are fast-paced, intricately plotted, deeply researched and so much fun. However, they really up the ante with ANGEL OF VENGEANCE, the 22nd installment in their Pendergast series.

All of the recurring characters are at play here, like NYPD Lieutenant Vinny D’Agosta; Constance Greene, Pendergast’s longtime ward; and his wayward and diabolical brother, Diogenes, who has been their archrival for a good part of this series. Now, imagine all of them are somehow in the year 1880 in a Manhattan that bears little resemblance to the present-day one in which they live. It is all explained by a mysterious time-travel portal used for the specific intent of stopping Dr. Enoch Leng, an evil mastermind and serial killer.

"This may be one of Preston & Child’s best novels yet and has something for all readers to relish within these glorious pages."

It all starts on the day after Christmas 1880 when Diogenes somehow gains use of the portal and follows Gaspard Ferenc into the past. Ferenc is one of the individuals responsible for its creation, but this trip is purely for profit. When Ferenc hocks an item he stole from Pendergast’s modern-day mansion, he heads to the nearest bank and attempts to purchase some rare coins that would be worth a fortune in today’s market. Diogenes follows closely behind and watches his efforts shut down by the bank, which doesn’t have the coins he requests. Ferenc loses it and screams that he is from the future, which gets him a police escort to Bellevue. It is there that Diogenes witnesses the nefarious Leng get Ferenc released into his care.

Ferenc is tortured at a slum in Hell’s Kitchen and disposed of, but not before giving up everything he knows about the portal and time travel to the evil doctor. Leng has kidnapped Binky, who is the younger incarnation of Constance. He also has abducted and killed her sister, Mary, and is now after her brother, Joe. Constance goes to 1880 to stop Leng once and for all, which prompts Pendergast and D’Agosta to make their way through the same portal to lend their assistance. Constance has a secret that I will not reveal here for those not familiar with the series. It’s a whopper!

The three of them are unexpectedly visited by Diogenes, who swears he is there to help and shakes his brother’s hand in an effort to temporarily end their long-standing feud. He is eager to see Leng stopped as much as anyone and volunteers to be their “Angel of Vengeance.” Of course, this means that Diogenes will use his typically illegal methods for good and will make the most of his mastery of disguise to take on different personas, all in an effort to thwart Leng’s plans.

Now, as a quartet against evil, our protagonists hatch a plan where they each have specific roles in attacking Leng, who is no fool and is a master of multiple identities in the New York area. This is a cat-and-mouse game of the highest order; at times it appears that Leng stays one step ahead of them and brings nothing but misery to all. It is in the brilliant storytelling and plotting from Preston & Child that we ride out this rollercoaster of a plot to its amazing ending.

ANGEL OF VENGEANCE is like Back to the Future on steroids, with all the fears and paradoxes that come along with what we have learned from time travel. I was left in complete awe by the end of this ride, which includes a finale that provided me with a lot of revisionist history satisfaction. This may be one of Preston & Child’s best novels yet and has something for all readers to relish within these glorious pages.