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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This is the second Preston and Child outing for archeologist, Dr. Nora Kelly and rookie FBI agent, Corrie Swanson. I’m a fan of both of these ladies having followed their development in the Agent Pendergast series. While this is a good story with an intricately layered plot woven around a ghost town, buried treasure, military testing, and an ancient corpse, I found it dragged a little in certain spots. And as much as I love Pendergast—one of my all-time favorite characters—I wasn’t happy with him stealing Corrie and Nora’s “thunder” at the end. I hope P&C continue to have Pendergast make cameos in this series, but I’d rather see him applauding Corrie for her work rather than being the one to make the case-solving pronouncement.
On the plus side, I loved the character of Homer Watts, a young, marksman sheriff with a penchant for the Old West, and I enjoyed Moorwood’s (Corrie’s boss) development throughout the book. I hope these characters continue as the series progresses. The last quarter moves at a blistering pace which kept me on the edge of my seat and madly flipping pages. While it takes a while to get off the ground, and the plot develops spider legs branching in myriad directions, The Scorpion’s Tail is an entertaining read.
309 pages
5 stars
Nora, the archaeologist and Corrie the probationary FBI Agent meet up once again in this, the second book in the series.
When Sheriff Homer Watts comes upon an artifact thief unexpectedly in an abandoned ghost town, he also discovers a partially buried body. He contacts the FBI (since it is on federal land). Corrie is dispatched to investigate. She decides that the body needs archeological exhumation and contacts Nora.
Thus the latest adventure begins.
This book takes the reader on an exciting and captivating journey complete with murderers, crooked soldiers and other assorted ne’er-do wells. Together Corroe, Nora, Homer and associates chase a mysterious treasure across the desert. They take life and limb into danger.
The puzzle is twisty and its solution is not readily apparent.
I truly enjoyed this book. In fact, I have begun to like this series better than dear, old Pendergast. (He makes a cameo appearance in this book.) The writing and plotting are superb. The transitions are smooth and almost unnoticeable. Corrie and Nora are two very different people but they seem to get along well and each is highly skilled and good at her job.
Great authors
I read anything written by Lincoln and Child. Always entertaining
well done
Preston and Childs are in my lust of favorite authors, and this book added to the many reasons. Brought New Mexico and the White Sands Missile Range to life—I’ve been there a number of times, and as usual the plot kept me thoughly engaged.
I’ve never been disappointed in one of Preston and Child’s books.
They do a great job of building the story.
Enjoy reading the books by these authors. Always waiting for the next one to come along.
It’s a page turner!
Love all their books!
I’ve read and enjoyed at least a dozen books by preston and child, but this one… I couldn’t get past the two whiny, woe is me, female protagonists. There just didn’t seem to be anything to like about either one. The slow progression caused me to put it down a quarter of the way through.
Great series!
This review contains spoilers!
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This is an enjoyable detective and archeological adventure featuring Nora Kelley AND Corrie Swanson. I love the new character, Sheriff Watts although his plan to save the day late in the story was fun but pretty unrealistic.
I was dismayed that both protagonists had to be so worried about their jobs/promotions. It seemed completely unnecessary added tension. They also both ended up looking rather like ineffective victims instead of smart, successful, self-motivated individuals.
I loved the High Lonesome digs & mysteries, the treasure angle, and Corrie’s suspicions of certain military personnel.
I did not like Morewood’s hot and cold treatment of Corrie. One minute he pooh poohed her ideas and refused to listen to her thoughts and the next minute he “patted her on her head” with a little commendation as if that made everything alright. Overall, I think the authors would benefit from editorial advice from someone who understands and appreciates intelligent, strong willed women.
While his cameo at the end was a bit insulting to Corrie, Nora, and the FBI, I do love Agent Pendergast.
This is the 2nd book of this author duo’s new series. Definitely enjoyed this one, too. And they had Agent Pendergast come in at the end for a surprise visit. A nice series, though still like the Pendergast series a bit more. Will definitely buy a book 3, but hope they keep writing more Pendergast books, too.
Great story and characters!!
This is the second book in this series and I think it’s even better than the first one. It was fast paced. I wanted to read it really fast but at the same time read it slow and make it last. I like Nora and Corrie, both strong characters and it’s always interesting when Agent Pendergast makes an appearance. I enjoyed the story and am impatiently waiting for the next one.
A mummy, a hunt for buried treasure and a gun fight in a ghost town, what more could a fan of this series want? Another enjoyable mystery by my favs Preston & Child! Looking forward to the next installment!
This was a Preston and Child book, and like all of their books, you can’t put it down. You know things are not what they seem, but you just can’t figure out where they are going. I finished it in less than 2 days and wanted more. It contained quite a bit of history of New Mexico that I wasn’t aware of. I love books that not only entertain but teach. I’m looking forward to more books about these two women.
I have not yet read the first book in this series but definitely enjoyed the second book which is definitely a stand alone and loved that Pendergast makes an appearance at the end. Great characters and as always such a well written book. I will definitely being going back to read the first book.
The Scorpion’s Tail is another chilling and fascinating tale by award-winning writer Douglas Preston. F.B.I. newcomer, Corrie Swanson is assigned a seemingly uninspiring case of a long-dead corpse uncovered in the mountains of the American Southwest. Corrie is working with Nora Kelly, a curator at the Archeology Institute in Santa Fe. How long has the body been dead and what was the cause and manner of death? Good questions all as Corrie and Nora push buttons and bad people push back. It seems that the duo is not wanted and that somebody wants to short circuit their investigation before it starts.
The Scorpion’s Tail is a skillful blend of science, procedural, history, and plain old suspense. A sure-fire winner by a well-known and ultra-reliable storyteller.