About the author:
Born: Westport, Connecticut
Education: B.A.-English, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Website: http://lincolnchild.com/
Thriller Sub-genre: Techno-thriller
Publisher: Doubleday publishing
Future of the Series: The latest book in the series is entitled Chrysalis which was released on 7-12-22.
Review of the latest in the series-Full Wolf Moon
The Simon Review
The Jeremy Logan series by Lincoln Child is where science and the supernatural meet. Now science and the supernatural go together like Queen Elizabeth at a monster truck rally, but in the Jeremy Logan series that is exactly what happens. Logan is the Regina Professor of Medieval History at Yale University for his day job and ‘enigmalogist’, one who studies the unexplainable, in his free time. Logan freelances as an enigmalogist, which means he is usually called in by outside sources to investigate unusual occurrences, often at some type of research facility with scientist and other academics. So the bottom line is that Logan is the Ghostbuster of the academic world.
Since I review series with a certain element of science in it, I am usually a little wary when supernatural elements are introduced, so I was a little dubious that I was going to like this series. It turned out that I had nothing to worry about as the science is interesting and the woo-woo factor was at least complimentary enough with the science that it didn’t make me gag. It will be interesting to see how this series develops and whether or not Child can handle this tenuous balance between scientific fact and the paranormal.
The series begins with Deep Storm which is about a secret research facility that is investigating an interesting phenomenon located at the bottom of the ocean. Logan’s presence in this novel is brief whose purpose is to uncover documentation of a possible extraterrestrial source for this unknown phenomenon. Now I don’t consider aliens necessarily as being paranormal or supernatural but more on the lines of science fiction. Though the likelihood of sentient beings visiting us anytime soon is pretty remote, the statistical possibility of intelligent life forms existing somewhere else in the universe is reasonably good.
In Terminal Freeze, Logan still only plays a minor role but is more significant than in Deep Storm. In Terminal Freeze, the scientists, in this case, are dealing with a creature that seems to exist through mystical means. Some would argue that Terminal Freeze is a poor copy of Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston’s Relic. I would agree that Relic was considerably scarier but I also enjoyed reading Terminal Freeze mainly because it occurred in a totally different setting than Relic, the Arctic versus a museum in New York City. The isolation is what gives it an edge.
The woo-woo factor really comes into play in The Third Gate and was the first novel that Logan played a prominent role. Logan was dragged onto an archaeological expedition in the search for a lost burial tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh. The one that dragged him on this expedition was an old college classmate that was a medical doctor turned research investigator exploring life after death experiences and was hired to be part of the expedition. As you can surmise ghosts are involved. Now I do enjoy a good ghost story if it is scary enough, but this novel just didn’t really cut it for scariness and I would say this is my least favorite in the series.
The latest novel The Forgotten Room was just released a few weeks ago and I have reviewed this in more detail.
Lincoln Child co-writes with Douglas Preston on the Pendergast (which I adore) and the Gideon Crew Series. I think that the Child/Preston duo is a lot like the Beatles, together they create great music but when they go solo they create good music but not great music, this is how I kind of feel about this series, good but not great.
At this point, any book within the series can be read in any order. It is not until the Forgotten Room, does Jeremy Logan really begin to show much of a personality, but I am sure that Child will continue towards developing this character more and I think he will be a really good character as the series develops.
Simon’s pick:
Most Favorite Novel in the Series- The Forgotten Room-This is where we really get to see the real Jeremy Logan which I am beginning to really like
Least Favorite Novel in the Series- The Third Gate-because too much woo-woo factor for my taste
What about the science? As I mentioned in my Pendergast series review, Lincoln Child’s portrayal of science is a bit on the quasi-realistic side.
The Jeremy Logan Technical Word in Review: Ice-fifteen– We all learned in elementary school that water exist in three phases; ice, liquid, and steam (gaseous water) and for most all of us the ice we know is of one kind, the one that our cars slide on and the one that will make a total fool of ourselves in front of a crowd of people. But what most of us don’t know is that ice can come in a number of different forms. The ice that we know and love is technically called Ice Ih which is the predominant form here on planet earth. With the exception of one other ice form known as Ice Ic, which occurs in our Earth’s atmosphere; all other forms of ice have been created in a laboratory setting. The reason being is that these other forms can only develop under extreme conditions, extremely high pressure and very low temperatures. So why bother study other forms of water? Because it is very possible that these other forms of ice may exist on other planets or moons. Also water is the most important molecule for life and by fully understanding the properties of water; we begin to understand how water behaves in living systems.
Ice-fifteen or Ice XV, was created in the laboratory in 2009 by Christoph G. Salzmann (University College London), Paola Radaelli (University of Oxford), John Finney (London Centre for Nanotechnology) and the late Erwin Mayer (formally from the University of Innsbruck). It was created by cooling water to 130o Kelvin (-143oC or -226oF) under 9820 atmospheres of pressure which means this form of ice is very compact in comparison to our earthly form of ice.
“But here’s the thing,” Faraday went on. “I read an article in Nature last month describing another type of ice that could theoretically exist: ice-fifteen. Ice that has just the opposite qualities.”
“You mean …” Marshall paused. “You mean, ice that would melt below thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit?”-Terminal Freeze
At the time of publication of Terminal Freeze, Ice XV had not been discovered, so Child used a bit of poetic license to describe it. Salzmann and company did not publish their work on Ice XV in the elite scientific journal Nature as is suggested in Terminal Freeze but instead in Physical Review Letters which may not be as prestigious as Nature but is considered one of the most prestigious in the field of physics. Additionally Ice XV does not have the property of melting at temperatures below 32oF.
Child is not the only one that refers to the different forms of ice in fictional literature; Kurt Vonnegut refers to Ice-nine in his novel Cat’s Cradle.
Books in the Series by Order:
Most Favorite in the series: Deep Storm with a score of 3.89
Least Favorite in the series: The Third Gate with a score of 3.71
Based on overall ratings from Goodreads, Library Thing, Rakuten Kobo, and Amazon
#1 Deep Storm – 2007
Listed #36 out of 553 on Goodreads Best Technothrillers Ever Book List
Listed #152 out of 168 on Goodreads Best Science Thrillers Book List
First Line:
It took a certain kind of man, Kevin Lindengood decided, to work an oil rig.
Characters
Jeremy Logan: Regina Professor of Medieval History at Yale University and enigmalogist
Dr. Peter Crane: Former naval doctor recruited to Deep Storm because of his specialty in medical disorders related to deep water dives
Howard Asher: Chief scientist for the National Oceanographic Division
Hui Ping: Scientist assigned to assist Dr. Crane
Commander Terrence W. Korolis: Head of security on Deep Storm
Admiral Richard Ulysses Spartan: In charge of Deep Storm
Dr. Michelle Bishop: Main physician in charge of the medical unit on Deep Storm
The Setting
The middle of the Atlantic
Twelve-thousand feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean . . .
scientists are excavating the most extraordinary undersea discovery ever made. But is it the greatest archaeological find in history—or the most terrifying?
Former naval doctor Peter Crane is urgently summoned to a remote oil platform in the North Atlantic to help diagnose a bizarre medical condition spreading through the rig. But when he arrives, Crane learns that the real trouble lies far below—on “Deep Storm,” a stunningly advanced science research facility built two miles beneath the surface on the ocean floor. The top secret structure has been designed for one purpose: to excavate a recently discovered undersea site that may hold the answers to a mystery steeped in centuries of myth and speculation.
Sworn to secrecy, Dr. Crane descends to Deep Storm. A year earlier, he is told, routine drilling uncovered the remains of mankind’s most sophisticated ancient civilization: the legendary Atlantis. But now that the site is being excavated, a series of disturbing illnesses has begun to affect the operation. Scientists and technicians are experiencing a bizarre array of symptoms—from simple fatigue to violent psychotic episodes. As Crane is indoctrinated into the strange world of Deep Storm and commences his investigation, he begins to suspect that the covert facility conceals something more complicated than a medical mystery. The discovery of Atlantis might, in fact, be a cover for something far more sinister . . . and deadly.
“Imagine a huge research station, twelve levels high, full of equipment and technology beyond cutting edge, placed on the bottom of the ocean floor. That’s the ERF-the heart and soul of the most extraordinary archaeological effort of all time.”
“The ERF?”
“Exploratory and Recovery Facility. But we refer to it simply as the Facility. The military-you know how fond they are of buzzwords-have labeled it Deep Storm.”
Looking for a review of Deep Storm? Check out:
Warren’s Wide World of Randomness
Amazon Rating: 4.43 out of 5 stars based on 787 ratings
Rakuten Kobo: 4.19 out of 5 stars based on 97 ratings
GoodReads Rating: 3.88 out of 5 stars based on 26,916 ratings
Library Thing Rating: 3.64 out of 5 stars based on 410 ratings
Total Score 3.89 (updated 11/3/20)
#2-Terminal Freeze- 2008
Listed #5 out of 42 on Goodreads Best Eco-Thriller Book List
First Line:
At dusk, when the stars rose one by one into a frozen sky, Usuguk approached the snowhouse as silently as a fox.
Characters
Jeremy Logan
Evan Marshall: Mount Fear Station’s visiting paleoecologist
Wright Faraday: Mount Fear Station’s visiting evolutionary biologist
Gerard Sully: Lead scientist of the global warming research team of scientist
Ang Chen: Graduate student with the global warming research team
Penny Barbour: Computer scientist for the research team
Emilio Conti: Executive producer for the docudrama
Kari Ekberg: Field producer for Terra Prime
Ashleigh Davis: The celebrity host for the docudrama
Paul Gonzalez: Lead military official overseeing Fear Base
The Setting
Arctic circle, Alaska
Two hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle lies Alaska’s Federal Wildlife Zone, one of the most remote and inhospitable places on Earth. But for paleoecologist Evan Marshall and a small group of fellow scientists, an expedition to the Zone represents an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study the effects of global warming.
Everything about the expedition changes, however, with an astonishing find. On a routine exploration of a glacial ice cave, the group discovers an enormous ancient animal, encased in solid ice. The media conglomerate sponsoring their research immediately intervenes and arranges the ultimate spectacle—the creature will be cut from the ice, thawed, and revealed live on television. Despite dire warnings from the local Native American village, and the scientific concerns of Marshall and his team, the “docudrama” plows ahead . . . until the scientists make one more horrifying discovery. The beast is no regular specimen—it may be an ancient killing machine. And they may be premature in believing it dead.
“Well, the question is-how could the mammoth freeze so quickly in a spot warm enough for buttercups to bloom?”
Suddenly Marshall understood. “A downdraft of cold air. Caused by an inversion layer.”
Faraday nodded. “Super-cold arctic air.”
“I see where you’re going. Because when your mammoth froze, it must have been summer, based on the buttercup. But here-in the dead of winter-“ Marshall stopped.
For a moment there was silence. Then Chen continued. “Flash-freezing.”
“Terminal Freeze,” added Faraday.
Looking for a review of Terminal Freeze? Check out:
Amazon Rating: 4.20 out of 5 stars based on 525 ratings
Rakuten Kobo: 4.04 out of 5 stars based on 56 ratings
GoodReads Rating: 3.83 out of 5 stars based on 16,035 ratings
Library Thing Rating: 3.28 out of 5 stars based on 274 ratings
Total Score 3.83 (updated 11/3/20)
#3-The Third Gate- 2012
First Line:
The doctor helped himself to a cup of coffee in the break room, reached for the cylinder of powdered creamer on a nearby counter, thought better of it, then poured in some soy milk from the battered refrigerator instead.
Characters
Jeremy Logan
Ethan Rush: Anesthesiologist /emergency room doctor who starts a center known for studying near death experiences
Jennifer Rush: Wife to Ethan Rush who experience a near death experience
Porter Stone: Treasure hunter and head of the Sudd/Narmer expedition
Christina ‘Tina’ Romero: Lead archeologist
Fenwick March: Head archeologist for the dig
Flinders Petrie: Archeologist and Egyptologist
The Setting
A swamp region known as the Sudd located in South Sudan
Under the direction of famed explorer Porter Stone, an archaeological team is secretly attempting to locate the tomb of an ancient pharaoh who was unlike any other in history. Stone believes he has found the burial chamber of King Narmer, the near mythical god- king who united upper and lower Egypt in 3200 B.C., and the archaeologist has reason to believe that the greatest prize of all—Narmer’s crown—might be buried with him. No crown of an Egyptian king has ever been discovered, and Narmer’s is the elusive “double” crown of the two Egypts, supposedly possessed of awesome powers.
The dig itself is located in one of the most forbidding places on earth—the Sudd, a nearly impassable swamp in northern Sudan. Amid the nightmarish, disorienting tangle of mud and dead vegetation, a series of harrowing and inexplicable occurrences are causing people on the expedition to fear a centuries- old curse. With a monumental discovery in reach, Professor Jeremy Logan is brought onto the project to investigate. What he finds will raise new questions . . . and alarm.
Romero took back the photo of the inscription, glanced at it. “ ‘Any man who dares enter my tomb,’ “ she translated, “ ‘or do wickedness to the resting place of my earthly form will meet an end certain and swift. Should he pass the first gate, the foundation of his house will be broken, and his seed will fall upon dry land. His blood and his limbs will turn to ash and his tongue cleave to his throat. Should he pass the second gate, darkness will follow him, and he will be chased by the serpent and the jackal. The hand that touches my immortal form will burn with unquenchable fire. But any in their temerity pass the third gate, then the black god of the deepest pit will seize him, and his limbs will be scattered to the uttermost corners of the earth. And I, Narmer the Everliving, will torment him and his, by day and by night, waking and sleeping, until madness and death become his eternal temple’ “.
Looking for a review of The Third Gate? Check out:
The Lighthearted Librarian’s Weblog
Amazon Rating: 4.13 out of 5 stars based on 1,139 ratings
Rakuten Kobo: 4.09 out of 5 stars based on 117 ratings
GoodReads Rating: 3.68 out of 5 stars based on 13,883 ratings
Library Thing Rating: 3.37 out of 5 stars based on 246 ratings
Total Score 3.71 (updated 11/3/20)
#4-The Forgotten Room- 2015
My review of the Forgotten Room
First Line:
It was perhaps the most unusual sight ever beheld on the august and stately grounds of the Glasgow Institute of Science, founded in 1761 by grant charter from George III.
Characters
Jeremy Logan
Willard Strachey: A computer scientist that committed suicide and is the focus of Logan’s visit to the Lux
Gregory Olafson: Director of the Lux
Roger Carbon: Evolutionary psychologist that was Logan’s nemesis during his tenure at the Lux
Perry Maynard: Vice director of the Lux
Kim Mykolos: Strachey’s research assistant
Pamela Flood: Architect involved in renovation of the West Wing
Laura Benedict: Quantum computer expert
The Setting
Near Newport, Rhode Island
Jeremy Logan is an “enigmalogist”—an investigator who specializes in analyzing phenomena that have no obvious explanation. In this newest novel Logan finds himself on the storied coastline of Newport, Rhode Island, where he has been retained by Lux, one of the oldest and most respected think tanks in America. Just days earlier, a series of frightening events took place in the sprawling seaside mansion that houses the organization. One of its most distinguished doctors began acting erratically—violently attacking an assistant in the mansion’s opulent library and, moments later, killing himself in a truly shocking fashion. Terrified by the incident and the bizarre evidence left behind, the group hires Logan to investigate—discreetly—what drove this erudite man to madness.
His work leads him to an unexpected find. In a long-dormant wing of the estate, Logan uncovers an ingeniously hidden secret room, concealed and apparently untouched for decades. The room is a time capsule, filled with eerie and obscure scientific equipment that points to a top secret project long thought destroyed, known only as “Project S.” Ultimately, the truth of what Project S was . . . and what has happened in that room . . . will put Logan in the path of a completely unexpected danger.
The discovery of the forgotten room, along with its overpowering foreignness and mystery, had affected him more than he’d initially realized. He had awoken that morning with an uncharacteristic sense of listlessness, as if he did not know what to do next or where to turn.
Looking for a review of The Forgotten Room? Check out:
Amazon Rating: 4.19 out of 5 stars based on 1,087 ratings
Rakuten Kobo: 3.95 out of 5 stars based on 210 ratings
GoodReads Rating: 3.70 out of 5 stars based on 10,784 ratings
Library Thing Rating: 3.55 out of 5 stars based on 132 ratings
Total Score 3.75 (updated 11/3/20)
#5-Full Wolf Moon- 2017
My review of the Full Wolf Moon
First Line:
At seven thirty in the evening Palmer stopped for another snack-handmade gorp and an energy bar from the lid pocket of his backpack.
Characters
Jeremy Logan
Randall Jessup: Park ranger and Logan’s former college classmate
The Setting
Adirondacks in Upstate New York
Legends, no matter how outlandish, are often grounded in reality. This has been the guiding principle behind the exhilarating career of Jeremy Logan, the “enigmologist”–an investigator who specializes in analyzing phenomena that have no obvious explanation–previously seen in The Forgotten Room, The Third Gate, and Deep Storm. Logan has often found himself in situations where keeping an open mind could mean the difference between life and death, and that has never been more true than now.
Logan travels to an isolated writers’ retreat deep in the Adirondacks to finally work on his book when the remote community is rocked by the grisly discovery of a dead hiker on Desolation Mountain. The body has been severely mauled, but the unusual savagery of the bite and claw marks call into question the initial suspicions of a wild bear attack. When Logan is asked to help investigate, he discovers no shortage of suspects capable of such an attack–and no shortage of locals willing to point the finger and spread incredible rumors. One rumor, too impossible to believe, has even the forest ranger believing in werewolves. As Logan gets to know the remote deep-woods landscape, including a respected woman scientist still struggling with the violent loss of her father in these very woods, Logan realizes he’s up against something he has never seen before.
Looking for a review of Full Wolf Moon? Check out:
Amazon Rating: 4.32 out of 5 stars based on 728 ratings
Rakuten Kobo: 4.21 out of 5 stars based on 85 ratings
GoodReads Rating: 3.69 out of 5 stars based on 7,030 ratings
Library Thing Rating: 3.43 out of 5 stars based on 75 ratings
Total Score 3.75 (updated 11/3/20)
#6-Chrysalis- 2022
Like millions of people around the world, Jeremy Logan (famed enigmalogist, or investigator of unexplained things) has grown to rely on his incredible new tech device. Made by Chrysalis, the global multibillion dollar tech company, the small optical device connects people in a stunning new way, tapping into virtual reality for the first time on a wide scale.
And yet, when Logan is summoned by Chrysalis to investigate a disturbing anomaly in the massive new product rollout, Logan is shocked to see the true scope of the massive company. He also quickly realizes that something in Chrysalis’s technology is very wrong, and could be potentially devastating. The question is what, and where, is the danger coming from? In Lincoln Child’s wildly inventive new novel, high tech comes to life alongside the myriad dangers it poses, making for one of Child’s most infectious, entertaining thrillers to date.
A-Thrill-A-Week 