Hey gang, if any of you have been following the discussion about whether there is a reference to Julio's in Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's latest book Brimstone , well, here's the reply I recieved to my email from Douglas Preston himself:

Dear Jerry,

You certainly are an alert reader, but I'm sorry to say that our bar with dead and dying plants wasn't inspired by the Repairman Jack bar, Julio's. There are, in fact, more than a few bedraggled bars in NYC with dead and dying plants in the window, and it is perhaps these real places that inspired both of us.

I'm a big fan of the Repairman Jack novels myself.

Thanks for the kind words and all best,
Doug


----- Original Message -----
From: JLB2
To: prestonchild@prestonchild.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2004 6:49 PM
Subject: Reference to Repairman Jack in Brimestone??


Greetings,

Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I hope the subject line caught your attention. I enjoy all your books (both writing together and separately) and have since I read Relic when it was originally published.

I was re-reading Brimstone recently and paused at a very small scene in it. When D'Agosta takes a friend out for a drink, he remembers this little, out of the way place that has dead or dying plants hanging in the window. I am also a huge fan of F. Paul Wilson's and was wondering if your are paying a tribute to him. In his Repairman Jack books, Jack meets potential clients at a bar called Julio's in NYC. It, too, has dead and dying plants hanging in the windows.

I don't suppose you could let me in on this, eh?

Thanks for the time,

Jerry

Ah, that's funny. I was going to post a thread about BRIMSTONE meself, but the gang has beaten me to it. In any case, my cousin Carly asked me to get him a copy for Christmas. Naturally, I did. I noticed Paul's endorsement on the jacket and wondered, "Does Paul owe these guys money, or is this legit? Let's find out." I read the book straight through, not counting one brief pizza-and-beer break. Just bought THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES today for myself. But there were 2 other "references" to Paul's fiction that I noticed: 2 mentions of Petrus wine and "the subway murders." Is this coincidence? Or are there Dark Forces at work? :p

Ah, that's funny. I was going to post a thread about BRIMSTONE meself, but the gang has beaten me to it. In any case, my cousin Carly asked me to get him a copy for Christmas. Naturally, I did. I noticed Paul's endorsement on the jacket and wondered, "Does Paul owe these guys money, or is this legit? Let's find out." I read the book straight through, not counting one brief pizza-and-beer break. Just bought THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES today for myself. But there were 2 other "references" to Paul's fiction that I noticed: 2 mentions of Petrus wine and "the subway murders." Is this coincidence? Or are there Dark Forces at work? :p

Actually, they are referencing their own work when they talk about "the subway murders". I WON'T say which book(s), so as not to spoil it for you (or anyone else) who might want to read the book(s). I will say this, it's worth the read...............

After just reading Still Life With the crows, I have changed my opinion, the pendergast books beat all others.

Actually, they are referencing their own work when they talk about "the subway murders". I WON'T say which book(s), so as not to spoil it for you (or anyone else) who might want to read the book(s). I will say this, it's worth the read...............

Yeah, that seemed clear from internal evidence, but it gave me a twisted kick anyway.

Well, that is very neat! I should have thought to e-mail them myself, I guess.

I highly recommend reading the Pendergast books in order, personally. There are some things that are sort of ongoing story lines and you'll be confused and/or have things spoiled from the other books if you don't read them in order. Relic is actually my least favorite, but it's still a very good book. My favorite is Cabinet of Curiosities. I'm not quite finished with Brimstone, but I suspect that will be the runner up.

I agree they are all great. I read Thunderhead first and then went back and read them all in order. I'm in the middle of Still Life With Crows and bought Brimstone for myself for Christmas. Thunderhead was my favorite until I read The Cabinet of Curiosities.

I agree they are all great. I read Thunderhead first and then went back and read them all in order. I'm in the middle of Still Life With Crows and bought Brimstone for myself for Christmas. Thunderhead was my favorite until I read The Cabinet of Curiosities.

For me "Thunderhead" was in my top 3 favorites (partly because I was flying out of Kirtland AFB, NM when I read it....but The Cabinet of Curiosities is my favorite with Brimstone a very close second. Sorry, Maggers.....

For me "Thunderhead" was in my top 3 favorites (partly because I was flying out of Kirtland AFB, NM when I read it....but The Cabinet of Curiosities is my favorite with Brimstone a very close second. Sorry, Maggers.....

Aww shucks, no need to be sorry. I must admit, and it seems I'm in the minority on this, "Cabinet of Curiosities" is not one of my favs, not by a long shot. But I loved "Still Life with Crows." I think Pendergast had to grow on me, but I just was not taken with the story of "Cabinet."

Digging up an old post, but haven't been on the boards for a while.

I thought of Julio's right away when I also read Brimstone.

Still Life With Crows is probably the best story they have, although I also really enjoyed Thunderhead. The ending of SLWC when you find out why the murders were done as they were just shocked me. Nothing like having a jolt to the story on the very last two pages of the book.

There are very few authors that I buy in hardcover. FPW (signed numbered editions of course), Preston and Child, and John Sandford are the only three that I religously buy in hardcover.