Blue Monday, how I hate Blue Monday

I'm sure I won't be the only one who compliments this book on the intricacies of the plot and cleverness of the characters.

Special Agent Pendergast  is one of the most original characters in mystery today.

In this story, his estranged son Auban has been murdered and his body left on Pendergrast's door.

When police officials arrive, it is clear that Pendergrast wants to look into this investigation himself.

The story is in two parts, one being a death at the Museum of Natural History in New York. In an autopsy, a blue stone is found and Pendergrast follows leads that show it came from a disused mine in Colorado.
Something happens as he finds an old mine and begins exploring it, even though he knows it's a trap.
Pendergrast and another man are gassed and Pendergrast barely survives but is weakened by the gas he was exposed to.

Cleverly, the story moves to South America and the trail of Auban Pendergrast. Even though Auban had done some terrible things, there is a secret that Pendergrast learns.

Not only does the reader have a plot that Alfred Hitchcock would dream of putting to film but the dialogue is wonderful. Characters are rich and well described. The sarcastic manner that some of the officious characters have and the manner in which Pendergrast takes them down a step or two are just as amusing as the story.

The reader has to read this slowly to appreciate everything that is going on, it's like a fine meal that shouldn't be hurried.

Pendergrast and Constance Green appear in the concluding scenes at the New York Museum of Natural History and I could only imagine how much fun it would be to see this action live.

I listened to the story with Audible and found it a delight to savor.