Relic is one of those books that hooked me from the first page. It's a gripping blend of mystery and horror, set in the New York Museum of Natural History. The story kicks off with a bizarre series of murders inside the museum, and the victims are found mutilated in ways that defy explanation. A team of investigators, including an FBI agent and a museum curator, start digging into the museum's dark history and uncover an ancient curse tied to a mythical creature called the Mbwun. The deeper they go, the more they realize the museum itself might be alive with something far more sinister than they imagined.
The pacing is relentless, and the atmosphere is thick with dread. What I love most is how the authors, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, weave scientific curiosity with supernatural terror. The creature's origins are tied to a failed expedition, and the way the past haunts the present is brilliantly executed. The climax in the museum's darkened halls had me reading under the covers way past midnight. If you enjoy stories where history and horror collide, this one’s a must-read.