I absolutely love this series. I get to participate in archaeological digs. I get to learn fascinating bits of history. I get to tag along with two intelligent, brave women, and-- last but not least-- I get to vicariously savor thrilling chases, narrow escapes, and plenty of quick thinking and derring-do. There are times that this is exactly what the doctor orders, and I can rely on Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child to serve up the correct dosage prescribed.
I have to admit that, although I loved Diablo Mesa, I'm not as passionate about it as I was about The Scorpion's Tail, and I think that's due entirely to the central Quest. My taste buds fire up more when served a tasty Native American and Spanish treasure than it does with a course of UFOs, but that's just me. (Although a certain one-word message did send a chill down my spine.)
Preston and Child can be relied upon to build fantastic plots as they have done here, but it's the cast of characters that brings everything to life. Nora Kelly and her brother Skip. The continuing maturation of Special Agent Corrie Swanson. Sheriff Watts of Socorro County with his pearl-handled six-shooters and Resistol hat. This ensemble cast sparkles, and can even have me laughing in the middle of a dire chase scene.
Once again, I've finished a Nora Kelly book with a smile on my face and resigned to the interminable wait for the next adventure. Bring it on!
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
I have to admit that, although I loved Diablo Mesa, I'm not as passionate about it as I was about The Scorpion's Tail, and I think that's due entirely to the central Quest. My taste buds fire up more when served a tasty Native American and Spanish treasure than it does with a course of UFOs, but that's just me. (Although a certain one-word message did send a chill down my spine.)
Preston and Child can be relied upon to build fantastic plots as they have done here, but it's the cast of characters that brings everything to life. Nora Kelly and her brother Skip. The continuing maturation of Special Agent Corrie Swanson. Sheriff Watts of Socorro County with his pearl-handled six-shooters and Resistol hat. This ensemble cast sparkles, and can even have me laughing in the middle of a dire chase scene.
Once again, I've finished a Nora Kelly book with a smile on my face and resigned to the interminable wait for the next adventure. Bring it on!
(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)
I'm really enjoying Preston & Child's Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson series. One of my favorite novels from Preston/Childs was THUNDERHEAD which featured Nora on a search for the lost city of gold, Quivara, that Coronado had searched for in the 16th century. Then a few years ago, they started writing the series featuring Nora beginning with OLD BONES and following it up with THE SCORPION'S TAIL. I really thought both of these novels were great.
DIABLO MESA is another very compelling page-turner that I had a hard time putting down. I read the novel of close to 400 pages in two days and when it ended I wanted more! In this one, Nora is fired from her job at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute after she refuses to work with billionaire, Lucas Tappan, to do a scientific excavation of the purported UFO crash site in Roswell, New Mexico. However, Tappan persuades Nora to work with him and his team on the dig and as soon as they start excavating, they uncover two murder victims buried at the site. Since this is Federal land, FBI agent Corrie Swanson is assigned to investigate the deaths. So who were the murder victims? Corrie's investigation leads her to Los Alamos where the atomic bomb was developed and her mentor working with her is put in harm's way. Then there are some bizarre findings at the UFO crash site that may actually prove that it did originate from outer space. All of this leads to the ire of a secret government organization who have been guarding the secrets of the Roswell incident since 1947. So what really happened and can Nora and her team get to the bottom of the mystery?
This was another Preston/Child novel that I enjoyed a lot. However, it was a little different from some of their other novels in that it really was placed in the realm of science fiction. I have read quite a few of their novels and I feel that the Nora Kelly series are some of their best yet and I'm looking forward to read what will happen to her next. I do also enjoy the Pendergast novels and I still need to finish that series, hopefully sometime in the near future but I do have lots of other books to read!
DIABLO MESA is another very compelling page-turner that I had a hard time putting down. I read the novel of close to 400 pages in two days and when it ended I wanted more! In this one, Nora is fired from her job at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute after she refuses to work with billionaire, Lucas Tappan, to do a scientific excavation of the purported UFO crash site in Roswell, New Mexico. However, Tappan persuades Nora to work with him and his team on the dig and as soon as they start excavating, they uncover two murder victims buried at the site. Since this is Federal land, FBI agent Corrie Swanson is assigned to investigate the deaths. So who were the murder victims? Corrie's investigation leads her to Los Alamos where the atomic bomb was developed and her mentor working with her is put in harm's way. Then there are some bizarre findings at the UFO crash site that may actually prove that it did originate from outer space. All of this leads to the ire of a secret government organization who have been guarding the secrets of the Roswell incident since 1947. So what really happened and can Nora and her team get to the bottom of the mystery?
This was another Preston/Child novel that I enjoyed a lot. However, it was a little different from some of their other novels in that it really was placed in the realm of science fiction. I have read quite a few of their novels and I feel that the Nora Kelly series are some of their best yet and I'm looking forward to read what will happen to her next. I do also enjoy the Pendergast novels and I still need to finish that series, hopefully sometime in the near future but I do have lots of other books to read!
