From #1 bestselling authors Preston & Child comes a thrilling novel following archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson as they work together to solve a twisted crime that reaches far beyond any of their worst fears.
Following the acclaimed debut of Old Bones, this second “happily anticipated” new thriller in Preston & Child’s series features Nora Kelly, archaeologist at the … features Nora Kelly, archaeologist at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute, and rookie FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, as they team up to solve a mystery that quickly escalates into nightmare (Booklist).
A mummified corpse, over half a century old, is found in the cellar of an abandoned building in a remote New Mexico ghost town. Corrie is assigned what seems to her a throwaway case: to ID the body and determine cause of death. She brings archaeologist Nora Kelly to excavate the body and lend her expertise to the investigation, and together they uncover something unexpected and shocking: the deceased apparently died in agony, in a fetal position, skin coming off in sheets, with a rictus of horror frozen on his face.
Hidden on the corpse lies a 16th century Spanish gold cross of immense value.
When they at last identify the body — and the bizarre cause of death — Corrie and Nora open a door into a terrifying, secret world of ancient treasure and modern obsession: a world centered on arguably the most defining, frightening, and transformative moment in American history.
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Not so much as a who dunnit but more of a what did it? Is the first mystery in this novel and like previous novels by these great team authors the suspense and tension ratchet up the more ones reads. This novel is not as history bound as the shoes with chopped off feet in them. Or as graphicly disturbing as the Donner party novel but just as entertaining this novel was. The same two characters from the previous novel carry over very well, and then of course agent Pendergast has to show up at the end. To lend his characteristic opinion of finishing the mystery, with a side note or additional twist to the mystery. A well rounded plot with enough questions left over for another novel in this series.
Every man now worships gold, all other reverence being done away. – Sextus Propertius
This is the second book in a new series by authors Preston and Child. Even though my favorite series of theirs will always be the Pendergast books, I am enjoying this series too. I liked this second book even more than the first book OLD BONES too.
FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson, working out of tha Albuquerque, New Mexico field office, and Nora Kelly, senior curator/archaeologist out of the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, are working together again, looking into deaths and archaeological site pilfering on BLM land and on the adjoining White Sands Missile Range.
I especially enjoyed the details about White Sands that I had no idea about.
Swanson and Kelly are also working with a local fast-draw sheriff, who I enjoyed reading about. Different factions that are out there against Swanson and Kelly are looking for different things but it all comes together in a grand adventure.
This is another addition to the Preston/Child library that is well worth reading.
I received this book from Grand Central Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.