BookBingeAloysius Pendergast Books in Order
The short answer
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child · 23 books
- How many books?
- There are 23 books in the Aloysius Pendergast series, published 1995–2026.
- Is it finished?
- No — it's ongoing, but the next book doesn't have a release date yet.
- Where to start
- Start with Relic (1995).
About 10,900 pages — roughly 180 hours of reading
An eccentric, aristocratic FBI agent with encyclopedic knowledge investigates cases that blend forensic science with the truly macabre.
Here is the complete Aloysius Pendergast reading order — all 23 books by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, in the order you should read them:
Reading order
- RelicFBI agent Pendergast investigates a series of savage murders at a New York museum tied to a monstrous creature hidden within its halls.1995471 pages
- ReliquaryPendergast returns to New York to investigate a colony of feral creatures living beneath the city and the killings linked to them.1997480 pages
- The Cabinet of CuriositiesPendergast investigates a modern murder connected to a 19th-century collection of gruesome specimens hidden beneath the city.2002522 pages
- Still Life with CrowsPendergast travels to a small Kansas town plagued by a string of ritualistic murders tied to its cornfields.2003584 pages
- BrimstonePendergast investigates a series of deaths that appear supernatural in origin, connected to a stolen violin with a sinister history.2004660 pages
- Dance of DeathPendergast's brother Diogenes orchestrates an elaborate crime that forces Pendergast into a deadly game of cat and mouse.2005580 pages
- The Book of the DeadPendergast races to stop Diogenes' final, catastrophic scheme while trapped and presumed dead himself.2006582 pages
- The Wheel of DarknessPendergast pursues a stolen relic aboard a luxury ocean liner where passengers begin dying under mysterious circumstances.2007458 pages
- Cemetery DancePendergast investigates a murder victim who appears to have returned from the dead as a zombie in New York City.2009577 pages
- Fever DreamPendergast uncovers evidence that his wife's death, long believed a hunting accident, was actually murder.2010548 pages
- Cold VengeancePendergast's search for the truth about his wife's death leads him into a dangerous confrontation with a hidden cabal.2011368 pages
- Two GravesPendergast races to save his son and stop a horrifying conspiracy rooted in Nazi-era genetic experiments.2012552 pages
- White FirePendergast investigates a string of deaths in a Colorado ski town linked to a lost Arthur Conan Doyle story and a historical horror.2013384 pages
- Blue LabyrinthThe discovery of his son's body draws Pendergast into a mystery involving a mineral with lethal properties.2014384 pages
- Crimson ShorePendergast investigates a wine cellar robbery in a small coastal town that uncovers a gruesome hidden secret.2015368 pages
- The Obsidian ChamberPendergast's ward Constance Greene vanishes, sending him on a desperate chase to save her from a dangerous foe.2016407 pages
- City of Endless NightPendergast investigates the gruesome decapitation of a young heiress tied to a vigilante group in New York.2018400 pages
- Verses for the DeadPendergast is paired with a new partner to investigate a killer leaving cryptic, poetic messages at his crime scenes.2018384 pages
- Crooked RiverPendergast investigates a wave of severed feet washing ashore on a Florida beach, uncovering a scheme tied to a wrecked plane.2020416 pages
- BloodlessPendergast investigates a series of bizarre murders in Savannah where victims are found completely drained of blood.2021384 pages
- The Cabinet of Dr. LengConstance Greene travels back in time to Victorian New York to hunt down the man who transformed her life.2023592 pages
- Angel of VengeancePendergast and Constance make a final stand against Dr.2024352 pages
- Pendergast: The BeginningA prequel revealing Pendergast's shocking first case as a young agent, long before the events of Relic.2026
Good news: for this series, reading order and publication order are the same — just read straight down the list.
On our lists: Long-running mystery series
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Get BookBingeFrequently asked questions
How many Aloysius Pendergast books are there?
There are 23 books in the Aloysius Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, from Relic (1995) to Pendergast: The Beginning (2026). Together they run to about 10,900 pages.
Is the Aloysius Pendergast series finished?
No, it's ongoing. The most recent book is Pendergast: The Beginning (2026), and Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child hasn't dated the next one yet.
What is the first Aloysius Pendergast book?
Relic (1995) is book one, at 471 pages. FBI agent Pendergast investigates a series of savage murders at a New York museum tied to a monstrous creature hidden within its halls.
Should I read the Aloysius Pendergast series in publication order?
Yes. For the Aloysius Pendergast series, reading order and publication order are the same — Relic (1995) through Pendergast: The Beginning (2026).
How long does it take to read all Aloysius Pendergast books?
About 10,900 pages across 23 books — roughly 180 hours at a page a minute. The longest is Brimstone (660 pages); the shortest is Angel of Vengeance (352 pages).