This is the fifth book in the Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson series by Preston & Child. Corrie is a young FBI agent who is assigned to a case where a skeleton is found of a woman who apparently walked into the desert of the New Mexico badlands, stripped off her clothing, and then died of heat stroke. Why would anyone do this? Was it a suicide or was something else behind it? Among her remains were two rare lightning stones which were used by the ancient Chaco people to summon their gods. Corrie brings in her friend Nora Kelly, an archaeologist, to help investigate. The victim had been in the desert for five years but then another body is found under the same circumstances so how are they related? Is it the work of a cult? The focus of the investigation leads to a former professor named Oskarbi who had researched and written a book on a group of Native Americans, the Gallina, who vanished prior to the arrival of Europeans in America. But how and why did they vanish and could their practices to summon evil spirits still be used by the followers of Oskarbi. But Oskarbi supposedly returned to Mexico 14 years ago and hadn't been heard from since. So can Corrie and Nora get to the bottom of the mystery?
I enjoyed this one as much as the previous novels in this series. The last hundred pages or so was really compelling leading to a rather bizarre ending. Nora's brother Skip also played a role in the novel and as usual gets in over his head when he goes treasure hunting for artifacts in Gallina Canyon with a rich collector. This book also provided some very interesting historical information on the ancient people of Chaco Canyon formerly called the Anasazi which means "ancient enemy" or "ancient stranger" in Navajo. The current more respectful term is Ancestral Puebloans. I'll be looking forward to reading the next book in this series when it comes out and I still need to catch up on Preston & Childs' Pendergast series. So much to read!
I enjoyed this one as much as the previous novels in this series. The last hundred pages or so was really compelling leading to a rather bizarre ending. Nora's brother Skip also played a role in the novel and as usual gets in over his head when he goes treasure hunting for artifacts in Gallina Canyon with a rich collector. This book also provided some very interesting historical information on the ancient people of Chaco Canyon formerly called the Anasazi which means "ancient enemy" or "ancient stranger" in Navajo. The current more respectful term is Ancestral Puebloans. I'll be looking forward to reading the next book in this series when it comes out and I still need to catch up on Preston & Childs' Pendergast series. So much to read!
I have been a fan of Preston and Child's Nora Kelly series from the very first book (Old Bones). I have learned so much about the landscape and history of New Mexico in reading the series, and Badlands is no exception. This fast-paced tale had me exploring remote areas along with Nora and Corrie and learning more about the Pueblo and Navajo cultures. (Never skip the Author's Notes at the end of the books.)
The progression of the lives of the characters has completely won me over. Corrie continues to grow as an FBI agent, and Sheriff Homer Watts, with his immaculate cowboy hat and pearl-handled six-shooters, tries his best to always ride in to save the day whenever his damsel, Corrie, is in danger.
I do have to admit that I did get annoyed with Nora, as she knowingly put herself in danger (what I call a TSTL Moment-- Too Stupid To Live), and her feckless brother, Skip, never ceases to amaze me. Is his luck ever going to run out? Especially when he becomes friends with the local law unto himself rich guy.
As much as I enjoyed the characters, the story, and all the things I learned, I couldn't totally buy into what caused the women's deaths. It was a tad too far-fetched and had my suspension bridge of disbelief swaying wildly in the breeze. Is that going to keep me from reading the next book in the series? Of course not! I'm ready to read it right now.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
The progression of the lives of the characters has completely won me over. Corrie continues to grow as an FBI agent, and Sheriff Homer Watts, with his immaculate cowboy hat and pearl-handled six-shooters, tries his best to always ride in to save the day whenever his damsel, Corrie, is in danger.
I do have to admit that I did get annoyed with Nora, as she knowingly put herself in danger (what I call a TSTL Moment-- Too Stupid To Live), and her feckless brother, Skip, never ceases to amaze me. Is his luck ever going to run out? Especially when he becomes friends with the local law unto himself rich guy.
As much as I enjoyed the characters, the story, and all the things I learned, I couldn't totally buy into what caused the women's deaths. It was a tad too far-fetched and had my suspension bridge of disbelief swaying wildly in the breeze. Is that going to keep me from reading the next book in the series? Of course not! I'm ready to read it right now.
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
