After reading "mutant Fever" and "Cold Vengeance" [in that order, it is absolutely essential !!], I felt a little more difficult to follow the adventures of a Pendergast more "passive" in 2 first volumes of this trilogy "Hélène" (inspector's wife) ... It is essential to leave nothing to filter the first chapters (most interesting) and the second part of "Hell Descent" proves slightly less addictive than the first ... Well, I do not want to authors, Preston and Child have offered us very good novels (5 stars, and often without problems) ... ("Relic", "The Chamber of curiosities "," The book of the dead "... etc.). I think it is difficult to maintain a level of excellence (the same "misadventure" also happens, for example, John Connolly and his favorite character, Charlie "Bird" Parker with "Whispers" is less good looks -he that its previous "productions"). All successful author is, I think, subject to the same phenomenon a little more laborious novel! (I will still read "Whispers" by J. Connolly). Thank you all the same for Preston and Child "Descent to Hell" ... and all their other works duo or solo ("She knew" L. Child). RickN (Belgium).