Lisa (Harmony)

I was predisposed to like this book. It's set in New York City's Museum of Natural History. I'm a New York City native who lives within walking distance of the museum; it has been a favorite place since childhood--so I got a kick out of the descriptions of the museum's rooms and of the neighborhood. This one is also as much science fiction as horror. It doesn't have the mind-blowing or thought-provoking quality of the best of that genre, and I have no idea how plausible is the science in the book, but I did like that the underpinnings of the "museum beast" wasn't supernatural. The book ended with a good twist too. Don't look for depth here--the style and characters aren't anything special--I can't see this as a keeper I'd ever want to read again. But it was very entertaining and if you need to pass some hours on a plane or train this would make a good pick. I particularly liked the Sherlock Holmes-like Agent Pendergast who is a recurring character in other books by this author. There is a direct sequel to this book as well--Reliquary.