History Literature / BookOfTheDead

[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BookOfTheDead_8713.jpg]] [[caption-width-right:256:]]
''Book of the Dead'' is a novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child first published in 2006. It is part of their informal [[Literature/AgentPendergast Agent Pendergast series]] and the third and final novel in the Diogenes trilogy arc.

Pendergast is locked in a high security prison, awaiting trial for the crimes his brother has committed. D'Agosta's career as an NYPD officer is all but over after his assistance to Pendergast. Margo still fights for her life in intensive care after narrowly escaping Diogenes. Life must go on though, and Nora Kelley is put in charge of putting together a high profile exhibit for the museum, reopening The Tomb of Senef -- a complete Egyptian tomb that was transported to the museum brick by brick -- at the behest of a donor who suddenly gives the museum ten million dollars for this sole purpose. As she and her colleagues work to restore the tomb on schedule, strange rumors of the tomb's curse and bloody past start to circulate, and terrible things begin to happen to the people working the restoration.

All the while, D'Agosta gathers Pendergast's friends to enact a daring rescue from an impenetrable prison.

----
!!This novel provides examples of:

* AssholeVictim: Glinn specifically chose [[spoiler:the prisoner Pendergast has to kill to get out of prison]] because of his heinous crimes. He deserved to die, so it wasn't all that wrong to kill him.
* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler:Adrian attacks Nora in her office in retaliation for her spurning his advances. He rips open her shirt and is about to choke her unconscious when help arrives.]]
* BallroomBlitz: The opening of the Tomb of Senef is a high society social event.
* BattleButler: Proctor is instrumental in the plot to break Pendergast out of prison.
-->''The man was no mere chauffeur -- D'Agosta had figured that out as soon as he saw him break down and stow away a [=CAR-15/XM-117=] Commando in less than sixty seconds -- but he could never seem to penetrate Proctor's [[TheStoic Jeeves-like opacity]].''
* BewilderingPunishment: Until he remembers The Event, Pendergast has no explanations for his brother's seething hatred of him.
* BigEater: Both Smithback and Viola. Smithback is rather pleased when he notices her gorging on the buffet table as whole-heartedly as he is.
* BigNo: Bulke lets out an increasing string of these when he's set upon by [[spoiler:Lipper]] in the museum's attic.
* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler:Diogenes attempts to completely shatter Constance and get her to commit suicide.]] The worst part: unlike the other parts of his plan, this one is specifically [[ForTheEvulz just for the hell of it]].
* BreakTheHaughty: FBI Agent Coffey makes clear that he considers the warden and the entire guard staff of Herkmoor Prison to be beneath him in the chain of command and threatens them all with the worst kind of punishment for disobeying his "orders". When the warden says he has Coffey on tape, threatening two of his guards and inadvertently precipitating Pendergast's escape attempt, Coffey collapses into a chair and whimpers that they can clear up this ''"misunderstanding"'' without informing Coffey's own superiors... [[spoiler:and then another guard calls the warden and tells him that it wasn't an attempt; Pendergast has in fact escaped]].
* BrownNote: [[spoiler:The light and sound show Diogenes creates is designed to induce brain damage and insanity in the viewer.]]
* ButtMonkey: Smithback gets maimed again thanks to his involvement with Pendergast. He comes out sporting a sulfuric acid scar this time.
* TheCasanova: While stewing to himself over Nora's rejection, Adrian tells himself there are ''tons'' of eager interns and low level women back at the British Museum who are very receptive to him.
* TheChessmaster: Diogenes is pulling the strings the whole time [[spoiler:as the unassuming Dr. Menzies]].
* ClearTheirName: Smithback and Hayward team up to find the evidence that Pendergast was framed.
* ClimacticVolcanoBackdrop: [[spoiler:Constance]] and Diogenes have their final confrontation at the Sciara del Fuoco on Stromboli. Diogenes invokes the trope, as he leads the fight there so he can use the dangerous area (which he knows well) as an advantage.
* ContinuityNod:
** When first venturing to the Tomb of Senef, Adrian, Nora and Menzies note a stain on the frescoed walls. It's blood from the [[Literature/TheRelic Mbwun attacks]].
** When arriving at the opening gala, Smithback notes the presence of Wanda Meursault, the actress who used the [[Literature/DanceOfDeath Sacred Images opening controversy]] to boost her exposure.
* CursedWithAwesome: Diogenes describes Constance's immortality this way.
* CuteBookworm: Constance has had over a century to read, and she's put the time to good use.
* DesignatedBullet: [[spoiler:Constance hunts Diogenes with the scalpel he gave her to kill herself.]]
* DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler:Constance throws Diogenes into the Sciara del Fuoco.]]
* DrivenToSuicide:
** [[spoiler:Comstock Pendergast placed a single shot derringer in his magic lantern box intended for the victim to put themselves out of their misery. Whatever horrible things were in the show, it was enough to cause a ''seven-year-old'' to prefer death.]]
** [[spoiler:Diogenes masterminds a seduction of Constance simply to drive her to kill herself.]]
* EurekaMoment: Smithback figures out that [[spoiler:Diogenes is Menzies]] when he has to duck into the closet at his house and notices [[spoiler:''two'' distinct types of jackets that no one person would ever mix]].
* EvilBrit: Played with. [[spoiler:At first, Adrian is just a HandsomeLech who relentlessly hits on Nora, but after his brain is damaged by the sound and light show, he has no inhibition filter and tries to rape and kill Nora for spurning his advances.]]
* FateWorseThanDeath: What the hieroglyphs on the Tomb of Senef promise anyone who violates it.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Smithback wryly notes that with all the important people at the opening, "If somebody nuked the joint[...] the repercussions wouldn't just be national -- they'd be global."
* FrameUp: Pendergast is in prison for crimes Diogenes committed and pinned on him.
* FrightDeathTrap: [[spoiler:Comstock Pendergast's magic lantern show was designed to scare the victim to death, cause them to go insane or commit suicide. Diogenes recreates the device in The Tomb of Senef to do the same.]]
* GeniusCripple: Glinn.
* GoneHorriblyWrong: [[spoiler:Diogenes thinks that his plan to get Constance to kill herself is simple and straightforward. Instead, he gives her a new reason to live -- to take her revenge on him.]]
* GreatEscape: D'Agosta and some of Pendergast's surviving friends concoct an elaborate prison break to free Pendergast.
* HandsomeLech: Adrian makes constant passes at Nora and is not deterred by the fact that she is married.
* HappilyMarried: Nora firmly tells Adrian she's happily married and has no interest in him.
* HeroicBSOD: Mary Johnson is found in a corner, staring at the ceiling and crying freely after [[spoiler:she discovers [=DeMeo=]'s body]].
* TheHunterBecomesTheHunted: Diogenes decides to turn the tables on [[spoiler:Constance]] after he figures out he's being followed. [[spoiler:It backfires.]]
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Diogenes exploits this feeling in Constance, pretending to be a kindred soul.
* IronicEcho: While [[spoiler:trying to have Pendergast murdered]], Agent Coffey threatens the guards with demotion and [[ReassignedToAntarctica transfer to North Dakota]]. When everything comes crashing down on him, Coffey is [[spoiler:heavily demoted and transferred to North Dakota]].
* IrrationalHatred: Diogenes for Pendergast.
* ItsPersonal: Agent Coffey hates Pendergast so much, he's willing to do anything to destroy him.
* LaserGuidedKarma: Diogenes' need to destroy everything and everyone close to his brother leads to him [[spoiler:bringing about the one person who eventually causes his death]].
* NeverMyFault:
** {{Inverted|Trope}}. [[spoiler:Diogenes ''assumes'' that Aloysius feels this way about The Event. He never knew that Aloysius had blocked out the memory so that he was ''unable'' to apologize or take responsibility for what happened. His later, fervent denials that he ever did anything to hurt Diogenes simply furthered this conviction.]]
** When Pendergast is "[[StealthInsult complimenting]]" Coffey on his handling of the Museum crisis in ''Literature/TheRelic'', Coffey squirms for a moment at the memory, before hastily thinking that he's always been too hard on himself, and no one could have been expected to handle that situation well.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:While attempting to warm his way to Constance, Diogenes actually does tell a few truths regarding himself -- including the general area his home is located in. Guess how Constance is able to find him and corner him near the end?]]
* NoNameGiven[=/=]LastNameBasis: D'Agosta tries to get Proctor to be less formal with him, but he won't even give him his first name.
* NoSenseOfHumor: No matter how hard D'Agosta tries to joke or talk with Proctor during their stakeout of the prison, he flatly replies with a word or two at a time.
* NotSoDifferentRemark: [[spoiler:Diogenes seduces Constance using many speeches about how alike they are and setting himself up as a kindred soul to her. He even fakes suicide scars so she will relate to him.]]
* MeaningfulName: The fat museum guard's name is Bulke.
* {{Nepotism}}: While being interrogated by Agent Coffey, Pendergast says that another agent with Coffey's record would have been drummed out of the Bureau years ago, and remarks on Coffey's remarkable ''"good luck"'' in having a retired U.S. Senator for a father-in-law.
* OhCrap:
** When Pendergast learns that the Tomb of Senef is a sound and light show, he makes the connection to [[spoiler:The Event and realizes Diogenes's plan]].
** Diogenes gets one as he attempts to make his escape on a train [[spoiler:and discovers that Constance has come on board his car with a gun aimed right at his face]].
* PlaceWorseThanDeath: Coffey threatens the prison guards with being transferred to North Dakota.
* PoorCommunicationKills: If only Diogenes had known that Aloysius had [[spoiler:suppressed his memories of the incident that drove the former crazy, he might have been more forgiving. Instead, he naturally assumed his brother was actively lying about his role to escape blame]].
* ThePowerOfHate: Constance finds her reason to keep living.
* PrisonRape: Agent Coffey sets Pendergast up to be raped by the most brutal gang in the prison as a way to soften him up for a confession.
* ProfessionalButtKisser: Agent Rabiner to Agent Coffey.
* ProperlyParanoid: Mary Johnson muses to herself about the curse of the Tomb of Senef as she goes to make her rounds inside. She tells herself she's being silly [[spoiler:and then comes across the mutilated corpse of [=DeMeo=]]].
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Agent Coffey's threat of demotion and transfer to North Dakota, [[spoiler:which he ends up receiving himself]].
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: The last 100 or so pages are devoted to [[spoiler:Constance relentlessly hunting Diogenes all over the Earth after completely mind screwing her earlier in the novel]].
* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler:Lipper and [=DeMeo=].]]
* SealedEvilInACan: The files on the Tomb of Senef from the 1930s suggest that it was sealed because of mysterious deaths and rumors of curses that surrounded it.
* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: {{Inverted|Trope}} -- [[spoiler:the last person Constance ''wants'' to remember is Diogenes]].
* StealthInsult: Under the pretense of pleading for mercy, Pendergast begins a long series of "compliments" to FBI Agent Coffey on his own stellar career achievements; before he is done, the guard in the cell is snickering at Coffey's expense, and Coffey stonily tells him to turn off the tape recorder.
* TraumaInducedAmnesia: Pendergast has no memory of The Event which made his brother evil, to the point that he honestly insists that it did not happen and that Diogenes was simply "born bad". [[spoiler:The horrors that he saw happen to his brother in the magic lantern box were so traumatic that he repressed the entire memory of going into the sub-basement with his brother. When he awoke from the ordeal, he believed his parents' story about his brother being sick with scarlet fever. Diogenes believed that he was simply ''denying'' that he had done anything to him and had no remorse, causing his undying hatred of his older brother.]]
* UnluckyExtra: Larry Enderby. This is his second appearance ([[spoiler:having found Margo after her attack in ''Literature/DanceOfDeath'']]). Captain Hayward recognizes him during the opening of the Tomb of Senef and thinks to herself that the poor guy has terrible luck.
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Diogenes suffers one when Constance goes after him. He tries to flee, tail between his legs... ''and fails''.]]
* VillainousLineage: Diogenes was born with the natural inclination towards insanity and evil that runs in the Pendergast line.
* WhamLine: The final line of the book -- [[spoiler:Constance reveals that she's [[SurprisePregnancy pregnant]] with Diogenes' child]].
* WomanScorned: [[spoiler:Constance takes Diogenes' seduction and betrayal of her ''very'' personally.]]
----

* AttemptedRape: [[spoiler:Adrian attacks Nora in her office in retaliation for her spurning his advances. He rips open her shirt and is about to choke her unconscious when help arrives]].

-->The man was no mere chauffeur--D'Agosta had figured that out as soon as he saw him break down and stow away a [=CAR-15/XM-117=] Commando in less than sixty seconds--but he could never seem to penetrate Proctor's [[TheStoic Jeeves-like opacity]].

* BreakTheCutie: [[spoiler: Diogenes attempts to completely shatter Constance and get her to commit suicide]]. The worst part? Unlike the other parts of his plan, this one is specifically [[ForTheEvulz just for the hell of it]].
* BreakTheHaughty: FBI Agent Coffey makes clear that he considers the warden and the entire guard staff of Herkmoor Prison to be beneath him in the chain of command, and threatens them all with the worst kind of punishment for disobeying his "orders"; when the warden says he has Coffey on tape, threatening two of his guards and inadvertently precipitating Pendergast's escape attempt, Coffey collapses into a chair and whimpers that they can clear up this ''"misunderstanding"'' without informing Coffey's own superiors [[spoiler:...then another guard calls the warden and tells him it wasn't an attempt, Pendergast has in fact escaped.]]

* ContinuityNod: When first venturing to the Tomb of Senef, Adrian, Nora and Menzies note a stain on the frescoed walls. It's blood from the [[Literature/TheRelic Mbwun attacks]].

* DesignatedBullet: [[spoiler:Constance hunts Diogenes with the scalpel he gave her to kill herself]].

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Comstock Pendergast placed a single shot derringer in his magic lantern box intended for the victim to put themselves out of their misery. Whatever horrible things were in the show, it was enough to cause a ''seven year old'' to prefer death.]]

* EurekaMoment: Smithback figures out that [[spoiler:Diogenes is Menzies]] when he has to duck into the closet at his house and notices [[spoiler:''two'' distinct types of jackets that no one person would ever mix.]]
* EvilBrit: Played with [[spoiler:Adrian is just a HandsomeLech who relentlessly hits on Nora. After his brain is damaged by the sound and light show, he has no inhibition filter and tries to rape and kill Nora for spurning his advances.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Smithback wryly notes that with all the important people at the opening, "If somebody nuked the joint[...] the repercussions wouldn't just be national--they'd be global."
* {{Frameup}}: Pendergast is in prison for crimes Diogenes committed and pinned on him.

* GoneHorriblyWrong: [[spoiler:Diogenes thinks his plan to get Constance to kill herself is simple and straightforward. Instead, he gives her a new reason to live--to take her revenge on him.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: Diogenes' need to destroy everything and everyone close to his brother leads to him[[spoiler: bringing about the one person who eventually causes his death.]]
* NeverMyFault: Inverted [[spoiler:Diogenes ''assumes'' Aloysius feels this way about The Event. He never knew Aloysius had blocked out the memory so he was ''unable'' to apologize or take responsibility for what happened. His later, fervent denials that he ever did anything to hurt Diogenes simply furthered this conviction.]]
** When Pendergast is "[[StealthInsult complimenting]]" Coffey on his handling of the Museum crisis in ''Literature/Relic'', Coffey squirms for a moment at the memory, before hastily thinking that he's always been too hard on himself, and no one could have been expected to handle that situation well.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler: While attempting to warm his way to Constance, Diogenes actually does tell a few truths regarding himself--- including the general area his home is located in. Guess how Constance is able to find him and corner him near the end?]]

* {{Nepotism}}: while being interrogated by Agent Coffey, Pendergast says that another agent with Coffey's record would have been drummed out of the Bureau years ago, and remarks on Coffey's remarkable ''"good luck"'' in having a retired U.S. Senator for a father-in-law.
* OhCrap: When Pendergast learns that the Tomb of Senef is a sound and light show, he makes the connection to [[spoiler:The Event and realizes Diogenes's plan.]]
** Diogenes gets one as he attempts to make his escape on a train [[spoiler: and discovers Constance has come on board his car with a gun aimed right at his face.]]

* PoorCommunicationKills: If only Diogenes had known that Aloysius had [[spoiler: suppressed his memories of the incident that drove the former crazy, he might have been more forgiving. Instead, he naturally assumed his brother was actively lying about his role to escape blame]].

* ProperlyParanoid: Mary Johnson muses to herself about the curse of the Tomb of Senef as she goes to make her rounds inside. She tells herself she's being silly [[spoiler:and then comes across the mutilated corpse of [=DeMeo=].]]
* ReassignedToAntarctica: Agent Coffey's threat of demotion and transfer to North Dakota. [[spoiler:Which he ends up receiving himself]].
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: The last 100 or so pages are devoted to [[spoiler: Constance relentlessly hunting Diogenes all over the Earth after completely mind screwing her earlier in the novel.]]
* SacrificialLamb: [[spoiler:Lipper and [=DeMeo=]]].
* SealedEvilInACan: The files on the Tomb of Senef from the 1930s suggest it was sealed because of mysterious deaths and rumors of curses that surrounded it.
* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: Inverted -- [[spoiler:the last person Constance ''wants'' to remember is Diogenes]].
* StealthInsult: under the pretense of pleading for mercy, Pendergast begins a long series of "compliments" to FBI Agent Coffey on his own stellar career achievements; before he is done, the guard in the cell is snickering at Coffey's expense, and Coffey stonily tells him to turn off the tape recorder.
* TraumaInducedAmnesia: Pendergast has no memory of The Event which made his brother evil, to the point where he honestly insists that it did not happen and Diogenes was simply "born bad." [[spoiler:The horrors that he saw happen to his brother in the magic lantern box were so traumatic he repressed the entire memory of going into the subbasement with his brother. When he awoke from the ordeal, he believed his parents' story about his brother being sick with scarlet fever. Diogenes believed he was simply ''denying'' that he had done anything to him and had no remorse, causing his undying hatred of his older brother.]]

* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler: Diogenes suffers one when Constance goes after him. He tries to flee, tail between his legs...''and fails''.]]

* WhamLine: The final line of the book--[[spoiler:Constance reveals she's [[SurprisePregnancy pregnant]] with Diogenes's child.]]
* WomanScorned: [[spoiler:Constance takes Diogenes's seduction and betrayal of her ''very'' personally]].

* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler:Diogenes seduces Constance using many speeches about how alike they are and setting himself up as a kindred soul to her. He even fakes suicide scars so she will relate to him.]]

* InTheBlood: Diogenes was born with the natural inclination towards insanity and evil that runs in the Pendergast line.

'''''Book of the Dead''''' is a novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child first published in 2006. It is part of their informal [[Literature/AgentPendergast Agent Pendergast series]] and the third and final novel in the Diogenes trilogy arc.

'''''Book of the Dead''''' is a novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child first published in 2006. It is part of their informal [[Literature/AgentPendergast Agent Pendergast series]].

''Book Of The Dead'' is a novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child first published in 2006. It is part of their informal [[Literature/AgentPendergast Agent Pendergast series]].

* IronicEcho: While [[spoiler:trying to have Pendergast murdered]], Agent Coffey threatens the guards with termination and [[ReassignedToAntarctica transfer to North Dakota]]. When everything comes crashing down on him, Coffey is [[spoiler:heavily demoted and transferred to North Dakota]].

* IronicEcho: While [[spoiler:trying to have Pendergast murdered]], Agent Coffey threatens the guards with termination and [[ReassignedToAntartica transfer to North Dakota]]. When everything comes crashing down on him, Coffey is [[spoiler:heavily demoted and transferred to North Dakota]].

* ReassignedToAntartica: Agent Coffey's threat of demotion and transfer to North Dakota. [[spoiler:Which he ends up receiving himself]].

* IronicEcho: While [[spoiler:trying to have Pendergast murdered]], Agent Coffey threatens the guards with termination and transfer to North Dakota. When everything comes crashing down on him, Coffey is [[spoiler:heavily demoted and transferred to North Dakota]].

!!Provides Examples Of:

* TheHunterBecomesTheHunted: Diogenes decides to turn the tables on [[spoiler:Constance]] after he figures out he's being followed. [spoiler:It backfires.]]