For those that haven't read them, I'd HIGHLY recommend them....

There are several books by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child,all having one running character in them.  And DAMN is he awesome.  :)

Relic
Reliquary
Cabinet of Curiosities
Still Life with Crows
Brimstone
Dance of Death

Follows is a quote from Cabinet which shows how cultured and amusing Special Agent Pendergast is:

"You disguise your thoughts poorly, Sergeant. While you were looking at the drawings from The Barber of Seville, I saw your index finger unconsciously tapping the rhythm to Rsonia's aria, 'Una voce poco fa.'"

O'Shaughnessy stared at Pendergast.  "I bet you think you're a real Sherlock Holmes."

"One does not often find a policeman with a love of opera."

"What about you?  You like opera?"  O'Shaughnessy threw the question back at him.

"I loathe it.  Opera was the television of the nineteenth century:  loud, vulgar, and garish, with plots that could only be called infantile."

For the first time, O'Shaughnessy smiled.  He shook his head.  "Pendergast, all I can say is, your powers of observation aren't nearly as formidable as you might think.  Jesus, what a philistine."

His smile widened as he saw a look of irritation cloud the FBI agent's face for no more than an instant.