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Nora Kelly #3
Diablo Mesa
Lucas Tappan, a wealthy and eccentric billionaire and founder of Icarus Space Systems, approaches the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute with an outlandish proposal—to finance a careful, scientific excavation of the Roswell Incident site, where a UFO is alleged to have crashed in 1947. A skeptical Nora Kelly, to her great annoyance, is tasked with the job.
Nora's excavation immediately uncovers two murder victims buried at the site, faces and hands obliterated with acid to erase their identities. Special Agent Corrie Swanson is assigned to the case. As Nora’s excavation proceeds, uncovering things both bizarre and seemingly inexplicable, Corrie’s homicide investigation throws open a Pandora's box of espionage and violence, uncovering bloody traces of a powerful force that will stop at nothing to protect its secrets—and that threatens to engulf them all in an unimaginable fate.
Nora's excavation immediately uncovers two murder victims buried at the site, faces and hands obliterated with acid to erase their identities. Special Agent Corrie Swanson is assigned to the case. As Nora’s excavation proceeds, uncovering things both bizarre and seemingly inexplicable, Corrie’s homicide investigation throws open a Pandora's box of espionage and violence, uncovering bloody traces of a powerful force that will stop at nothing to protect its secrets—and that threatens to engulf them all in an unimaginable fate.
398 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2022
1472 people are currently reading
8674 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Preston
178 books13.4k followersDouglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two front teeth to his brother Richard's fist; and various broken bones, also incurred in dust-ups with Richard. (Richard went on to write The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event, which tells you all you need to know about what it was like to grow up with him as a brother.)
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,323 reviews
February 15, 2022
4.5⭐
Another winner with the third Nora Kelly book! A highly entertaining and action-packed mystery surrounding an archaeological site from the 40s and UFOs!
In Diablo Mesa Nora reluctantly accepts a new archaeological project. Digging The Roswell site where a UFO crashed in 1947 is not what she wants on her resume. Skip, her brother has already joined to assist Noam Bitan the artifact curator. The project is funded by a young billionaire and founder of Icarus Space Systems, Lucas Tappan. Shortly after they started the team discovered two bodies at the site and a colleague, Special Agent Corrie Swanson was contacted.
I admit this was rather an unusual entry, but I loved it. Government cover-up, secret agency, and spies. I didn't know what to think nor did I predict how the story will unfold. This can be read as a standalone thriller. Highly recommend it if you enjoy a fast-paced plot, action, and well-developed characters with UFO storyline. A must read for Preston & Child fans!
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.
Available 15 Feb 2022!
Another winner with the third Nora Kelly book! A highly entertaining and action-packed mystery surrounding an archaeological site from the 40s and UFOs!
In Diablo Mesa Nora reluctantly accepts a new archaeological project. Digging The Roswell site where a UFO crashed in 1947 is not what she wants on her resume. Skip, her brother has already joined to assist Noam Bitan the artifact curator. The project is funded by a young billionaire and founder of Icarus Space Systems, Lucas Tappan. Shortly after they started the team discovered two bodies at the site and a colleague, Special Agent Corrie Swanson was contacted.
I admit this was rather an unusual entry, but I loved it. Government cover-up, secret agency, and spies. I didn't know what to think nor did I predict how the story will unfold. This can be read as a standalone thriller. Highly recommend it if you enjoy a fast-paced plot, action, and well-developed characters with UFO storyline. A must read for Preston & Child fans!
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC.
Available 15 Feb 2022!
June 7, 2022
Nora Kelly, a top archaeologist in her field has just been fired at her job for not agreeing to work a dig on the old "Roswell" site but then is persuaded by billionaire Lucas Tappan to head a renown group of scientists to work on the project along with her brother Skip who had also worked at the Institute where she was terminated. Nora only believes in science and cannot even remotely wrap her head around the possibility of "little green men" or any type of extraterrestrial activity. It defies her logic as a competent scientist although she feels there could be ancient Indian artifacts buried within the area and with Tanners passion for his project she reluctantly agreed since she was out of a job anyway. Shortly after they begin their excavation they find the remains of two bodies that seem to be clothed in the fashion of the 1940's around the time of the "1947 Roswell Crash".
Nora contacts her friend in the FBI Corinne Swanson to come out and take them through the next steps involved of discovering an old crime scene so they may continue their work. Unbeknownst to the team they are being watched but by whom? They had the government's approval to conduct their dig at Roswell although Tanner feels there may be a mole within their camp. Before long one of their top scientists goes missing when he feels they are digging in the incorrect area and then they discover something unbelievable that is buried underground and just when they are ready to unmask their find a couple of military helicopters and several jeeps immediately flood their campsite armed with many guns and these soldiers are not friendly and have plans for the campsite and Nora's team that they could never have imagined and maybe some won't live to find out what is behind the discovery and why they are being invaded by their own military.
This was a very exciting and fast read (I couldn't put the book down). I didn't realize this was a third book in a series because it was terrific as a stand-alone but now I am interested in reading the previous books to get more backstory on some of the characters even though it's not necessary to understand and enjoy this action packed thriller. I highly recommend this story for any reader who has always been interested in the famous "Roswell Crash Incident" since it was extremely entertaining, fast-paced and interesting. Preston & Child seem to put out many great thrillers and I hoe to read many more in the future.
I want to thank the publisher " Grand Central Publishing" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a truly marvelous thriller and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given this book a rating of 4 1/2 EXCITING AND CAPTIVATING 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!
Nora contacts her friend in the FBI Corinne Swanson to come out and take them through the next steps involved of discovering an old crime scene so they may continue their work. Unbeknownst to the team they are being watched but by whom? They had the government's approval to conduct their dig at Roswell although Tanner feels there may be a mole within their camp. Before long one of their top scientists goes missing when he feels they are digging in the incorrect area and then they discover something unbelievable that is buried underground and just when they are ready to unmask their find a couple of military helicopters and several jeeps immediately flood their campsite armed with many guns and these soldiers are not friendly and have plans for the campsite and Nora's team that they could never have imagined and maybe some won't live to find out what is behind the discovery and why they are being invaded by their own military.
This was a very exciting and fast read (I couldn't put the book down). I didn't realize this was a third book in a series because it was terrific as a stand-alone but now I am interested in reading the previous books to get more backstory on some of the characters even though it's not necessary to understand and enjoy this action packed thriller. I highly recommend this story for any reader who has always been interested in the famous "Roswell Crash Incident" since it was extremely entertaining, fast-paced and interesting. Preston & Child seem to put out many great thrillers and I hoe to read many more in the future.
I want to thank the publisher " Grand Central Publishing" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a truly marvelous thriller and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given this book a rating of 4 1/2 EXCITING AND CAPTIVATING 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!
March 29, 2022
The third Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson adventure – and they are starting to accumulate quite a cast of other regulars as well! This is quickly becoming another “must-read-as-the-books-are-released” series from Preston & Child.
I give this one 4.5 stars and it might be my favorite one in the series so far. Part of the reason for that is that, while the other two are good, I think it usually takes a few books for a series to get settled in. The story is very intriguing and mysterious. The plot is action packed. There is the always appreciated tongue in cheek humor.
If you like Preston & Child but haven’t started this series yet . . . you should. If you liked the first two Nora and Corrie books and are wondering if you should continue . . . you should!
Below is my summary of the book that I shared in a biddy read chat. Only click if you have read the book already or you don’t care about spoilers:
Thoughts in gif and meme form
Self destruct
In lieu of Deus Ex Machina . . . a warning
Corrie Swanson
Our newest power couple?
Skip - is he the next . . .
Watts
Also Watts
I give this one 4.5 stars and it might be my favorite one in the series so far. Part of the reason for that is that, while the other two are good, I think it usually takes a few books for a series to get settled in. The story is very intriguing and mysterious. The plot is action packed. There is the always appreciated tongue in cheek humor.
If you like Preston & Child but haven’t started this series yet . . . you should. If you liked the first two Nora and Corrie books and are wondering if you should continue . . . you should!
Below is my summary of the book that I shared in a biddy read chat. Only click if you have read the book already or you don’t care about spoilers:
Thoughts in gif and meme form
Self destruct
In lieu of Deus Ex Machina . . . a warning
Corrie Swanson
Our newest power couple?
Skip - is he the next . . .
Watts
Also Watts
March 21, 2024
3.5
Before I say my peace about this book, I have to say that I really like both of the series’ leading ladies. And maybe because our gentlemen authors created such great kick-butt heroines, I believe they deserve better.
Sure this was a fun page turner— hasn’t everyone wondered about Area 51, aliens and other topics often discussed by conspiracy theorists?
But I want the rollicking adventure served up with a great mystery case, like those that often face Pendergast and friends. I don’t want to guess the bad guy(s) so quickly and then wonder why they took the easy way to the end.
It’s an easy read with the ending tied neatly with a big beautiful bow but it left me wanting more. I know I’m an outlier, but I’m pretty sure my fave new FBI agent, Corrie, would understand my blunt honesty!!
(Reviewed 4/10/22)
Before I say my peace about this book, I have to say that I really like both of the series’ leading ladies. And maybe because our gentlemen authors created such great kick-butt heroines, I believe they deserve better.
Sure this was a fun page turner— hasn’t everyone wondered about Area 51, aliens and other topics often discussed by conspiracy theorists?
But I want the rollicking adventure served up with a great mystery case, like those that often face Pendergast and friends. I don’t want to guess the bad guy(s) so quickly and then wonder why they took the easy way to the end.
It’s an easy read with the ending tied neatly with a big beautiful bow but it left me wanting more. I know I’m an outlier, but I’m pretty sure my fave new FBI agent, Corrie, would understand my blunt honesty!!
(Reviewed 4/10/22)
March 15, 2022
Super entertaining and well done!! 👏
I just love the writing of this duo. They know how to write great plots, characters and action.
Diablo Mesa is the third book in the Nora Kelly series.
Nora Kelly is a character that comes from the Pendergast series by the same writing duo, Preston & Child.
Another character from Pendergast is in this series as well.
FBI Agent Corrie Swanson works very well in this Arizona/New Mexico environment and I love her ongoing friendship with Nora Kelly.
Diablo Mesa has a plot that involves the 1947 Roswell Incident that happened in New Mexico.
I love how they handled this plot and I wasn’t quite sure how P & C were going to make it work for me.
There's no goofiness with the subject matter on the topic of UFOs and aliens!
The book did not turn into this guy…
All the side characters from Skip, Watts and more turned this into an great addition to the series.
Throwing in some unidentified murder victims and nonstop action at the end made the book fantastic.
I'm really looking forward to more books with Nora Kelly and crew!
I just love the writing of this duo. They know how to write great plots, characters and action.
Diablo Mesa is the third book in the Nora Kelly series.
Nora Kelly is a character that comes from the Pendergast series by the same writing duo, Preston & Child.
Another character from Pendergast is in this series as well.
FBI Agent Corrie Swanson works very well in this Arizona/New Mexico environment and I love her ongoing friendship with Nora Kelly.
Diablo Mesa has a plot that involves the 1947 Roswell Incident that happened in New Mexico.
I love how they handled this plot and I wasn’t quite sure how P & C were going to make it work for me.
There's no goofiness with the subject matter on the topic of UFOs and aliens!
The book did not turn into this guy…
All the side characters from Skip, Watts and more turned this into an great addition to the series.
Throwing in some unidentified murder victims and nonstop action at the end made the book fantastic.
I'm really looking forward to more books with Nora Kelly and crew!
December 8, 2021
"Death is a mystery and burial is a secret." (Stephen King)
Well now......we have plenty of both in this latest offering by the dynamic writing duo of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Fasten your seat belts and gaze toward the heavens for strange flashing lights that zip along and disappear.
Nora Kelly, archaeologist extraordinaire, works at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute in New Mexico. There's been a shift in the pecking order there that has left Nora feeling disallusioned and resentful. To add to her dismay, her boss has already set her up to be part of Lucas Tappan's team of researchers investigating at Roswell where the story of a UFO in 1947 is still being tossed around. Nora wants no part of this and quits. But Tappan, billionaire dabbling in his Icarus Space Systems, finally talks her into coming onboard. Nora's brother, Skip, walked out as well and joined the team.
What we have here is a fast-paced, action packed round of events like stepping into a sandy Black Hole in the deserts of New Mexico. Preston and Child know their stuff and they present this excursion into uncovering corridors that raise eyebrows into the UFO theories of the past. Digging in a certain area near Los Alamos reveals two bodies long dead. But there's something about this desert crypt that will give them mega clues. A call to Sheriff Watts, wearer of antique six shooters, and to Special Agent Corrie Swanson of the FBI will open this up wider than wide.
Even if you're not a UFO believer, the storyline is set up surrounded by a mystery of who knows what and when and who is burying dark secrets from prying eyes. Diablo Mesa is another fine notch on the Nora Kelly Series belt.
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for the opportunity.
Well now......we have plenty of both in this latest offering by the dynamic writing duo of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Fasten your seat belts and gaze toward the heavens for strange flashing lights that zip along and disappear.
Nora Kelly, archaeologist extraordinaire, works at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute in New Mexico. There's been a shift in the pecking order there that has left Nora feeling disallusioned and resentful. To add to her dismay, her boss has already set her up to be part of Lucas Tappan's team of researchers investigating at Roswell where the story of a UFO in 1947 is still being tossed around. Nora wants no part of this and quits. But Tappan, billionaire dabbling in his Icarus Space Systems, finally talks her into coming onboard. Nora's brother, Skip, walked out as well and joined the team.
What we have here is a fast-paced, action packed round of events like stepping into a sandy Black Hole in the deserts of New Mexico. Preston and Child know their stuff and they present this excursion into uncovering corridors that raise eyebrows into the UFO theories of the past. Digging in a certain area near Los Alamos reveals two bodies long dead. But there's something about this desert crypt that will give them mega clues. A call to Sheriff Watts, wearer of antique six shooters, and to Special Agent Corrie Swanson of the FBI will open this up wider than wide.
Even if you're not a UFO believer, the storyline is set up surrounded by a mystery of who knows what and when and who is burying dark secrets from prying eyes. Diablo Mesa is another fine notch on the Nora Kelly Series belt.
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for the opportunity.
March 25, 2022
3.5. I was reading this after just finishing a book on conspiracy theories and boy this book could provide plenty of fodder for those who believe that an alien spacecraft landed at Roswell. This book finds Nora Kelly taking a unusual job from a man with great wads of money. Interesting story line with plenty of chills and thrills. Two bodies are found which brings Cora, into the picture. A little too unbelievable near the end but all the action definitely keeps those pages turning.
March 28, 2022
“All those dark spots and smudges are what we laymen would call ‘buried stuff,’” said Tappan. “Stuff that your excavation will unearth.”Nora Kelly, archaeologist at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute, and FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson are back together for a third novel, Diablo Mesa. Reluctant, skeptical Nora is hired by an eccentric billionaire, Lucas Tappan, to excavate the alleged 1947 UFO crash site at Roswell, New Mexico. But when her team finds the buried bodies of two long-dead murder victims near the site, Nora calls in Corrie and the FBI. From there, matters get both strange and dangerous, as Nora finds physical evidence that cannot be explained by modern science, and both investigations draw the attention of a group determined to keep its secrets from the world.
“It could be anything,” Nora said. “Rocks, tin cans, trash.”
Tappan tapped the charts with a finger. “Maybe so, but this proves one thing: The government lied. There was no weather balloon or secret nuclear surveillance device. Why would they lie?”
Diablo Mesa is a bit of a throwback to many of the earlier novels by Preston and Child. As you might expect in a novel centered around alleged UFO crash site, there are scientifically unexplainable occurrences in this story, quite unlike the first two novels in this series, which were strictly earth-bound tales of humans behaving badly. The novel is a fun what-if about Roswell, so it’s on brand that Nora and Tappan quickly develop a Scully and Mulder vibe. I don’t know if it was planned or just a happy coincidence, but having the black helicopters show up in Chapter 51–ya know, as in Area 51–in a book about Roswell was a nice touch.
Diablo Mesa is a fun, fast read, with at least one genuinely surprising turn. It’s well plotted as all the Preston and Child books are, and while the villains were a bit over-the-top, it fit with the storyline. My biggest critique would be that, due to turns the story takes, Nora and Corrine are separated for the majority of the novel. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
February 19, 2022
A billionaire hires Nora Kelly and a team of experts to search for traces of a UFO. They immediately discover the remains of some people who died in the 1940’s. That provides the excuse for the authors to bring FBI agent Corrie Swanson into the book. People begin to die and disappear and it becomes apparent that the team is facing bigger problems than aliens
I enjoyed this book more than the previous 2 books in this series. The plot was good, the villains were credible and Corrie wasn’t as dumb as she was in the last book. There was also a lot of action, especially at the end of the book. The members of the team were extremely generic. I think they have been in a thousand books before. They exist just to spout the occasional fact.
I enjoyed this book more than the previous 2 books in this series. The plot was good, the villains were credible and Corrie wasn’t as dumb as she was in the last book. There was also a lot of action, especially at the end of the book. The members of the team were extremely generic. I think they have been in a thousand books before. They exist just to spout the occasional fact.
February 20, 2022
When I first read some of the early reviews I was somewhat anxious as it involved the Roswell incident which does do something for the conspiracy folks and I was not sure I was going to like the book. But the reputation of Messieurs Preston & Child was enough of convincing me to buy the book.
The first few books in this series feels a lot like small affairs after reading this novel which does skate through the X-Files zone, which is a compliment in my book as that show is simply awesome and then some, to end on interested note. Namely where does Nora goes next or will the focus be more on Corrie.
The book starts with Nora Kelly turning down a archeologically dig, the Roswell dig, and in essence being sacked from the institute. The job was offered by some Billionaire who seems to be nuts, albeit when he personally offers her the job seems to offer far more than a job for crazies. His team is top of the bill and he has put down some serious money for it to be hoax. But the trouble really starts when they discover the bodies of two people who have been buried in the desert for a long time. Of Course Corrie Swanson gets involved as the bodies are found on Federal lands.
This really puts Nora & Corrie in scope of a conspiracy from the heart of the US government. It becomes a breakneck pace reading at the last third of the book when you really want to find out how this book is going to end. Preston & Child really get the story going and once more deliver a book that shows how excellent they are in the field of thrillers.
An undownputtable book after the middle and the worst thing is that we have to wait for their next coproduction with Pendergast, Nora Kelly of Corrie Swanson. These two writers keep proving that they can deliver time after time.
Well advised reading.
The first few books in this series feels a lot like small affairs after reading this novel which does skate through the X-Files zone, which is a compliment in my book as that show is simply awesome and then some, to end on interested note. Namely where does Nora goes next or will the focus be more on Corrie.
The book starts with Nora Kelly turning down a archeologically dig, the Roswell dig, and in essence being sacked from the institute. The job was offered by some Billionaire who seems to be nuts, albeit when he personally offers her the job seems to offer far more than a job for crazies. His team is top of the bill and he has put down some serious money for it to be hoax. But the trouble really starts when they discover the bodies of two people who have been buried in the desert for a long time. Of Course Corrie Swanson gets involved as the bodies are found on Federal lands.
This really puts Nora & Corrie in scope of a conspiracy from the heart of the US government. It becomes a breakneck pace reading at the last third of the book when you really want to find out how this book is going to end. Preston & Child really get the story going and once more deliver a book that shows how excellent they are in the field of thrillers.
An undownputtable book after the middle and the worst thing is that we have to wait for their next coproduction with Pendergast, Nora Kelly of Corrie Swanson. These two writers keep proving that they can deliver time after time.
Well advised reading.
July 23, 2023
I couldn’t put this book down another great Nora Kelly book. she is a strong well developed character. The book is full of plot twists, , greed and intrigue with a government cover-up at the centre of the plot.. It was a enjoyable read it had me hooked from the start and didn’t let go until the surprising conclusion. I don’t want to say to much without giving away to much. I was in the dark when I started this as I think it is the best way.
June 16, 2022
An okay yarn that did not feel completely finished at the end. 4 of 10 stars
March 29, 2022
Disappointing in several ways, the biggest of which was the abrupt whiplash halfway through the story - it goes from a carefully constructed mystery to a murder filled shoot-em-up in an utterly disturbing and bloodthirsty manner, and so many plot threads are left dangling (and consequences left unexplored) that it all comes off as a bit slap-dash.
Spoilers below...
Plot threads and holes like:
The Israeli's disappearance in never adequately explained -- was he out there to meet our secret protectors or did he stumble to close to them or did they consciously track him down?
The old scientist at Los Alamos is mentioned as a suicide and it's just accepted - did Lime get to him and fake it like the others, or was HE hiding things too and felt guilty?
Why does no one think to mention that our torched FBI mentor might not have been an accident considering subsequent events?
Alien tech has a functional life measures in the MILLIONS of years? That's not materials science, that's plot magic.
Spoilers below...
Plot threads and holes like:
The Israeli's disappearance in never adequately explained -- was he out there to meet our secret protectors or did he stumble to close to them or did they consciously track him down?
The old scientist at Los Alamos is mentioned as a suicide and it's just accepted - did Lime get to him and fake it like the others, or was HE hiding things too and felt guilty?
Why does no one think to mention that our torched FBI mentor might not have been an accident considering subsequent events?
Alien tech has a functional life measures in the MILLIONS of years? That's not materials science, that's plot magic.
March 15, 2022
SPOILERS AHEAD.
“No, baby, not like this…”
So there’s the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The good part is that Preston and Child’s action is some of the best out there, as always. This book takes some time to warm up, but when it gets hot, it gets hot. All the favorite characters from this series are here as well: Nora Kelly, her brother Skip, FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, and her mentor, Agent Hal Morwood. Sheriff Homer Watts, introduced in the last book, makes an appearance again as well.
The bad was bad, for me anyway. Morwood gets whacked early on, and it seems like a waste of a great character in order to serve a story that is kind of “meh” at best. Honestly, the plot smacks of an old, rejected X-Files script complete with Scully (Nora) and Mulder (new character Lucas Tappan). Tappan is an Elon Musk type dude. Which is ok, but I felt like the authors went overboard trying to make that obvious. Also like Mulder and Scully, Nora and Tappan eventually get it on, a lot, to the point where it distracted me from the mediocre story.
Anyway…the ugly.
So the billionaire Elon Musk dude wants to dig up the old Roswell site. After getting Nora fired from the archeological institute, he appoints her to head up the dig. Eventually they stumble upon evidence that aliens are very real, and very hostile. In order to prevent this from getting out, a super secret, super rogue, super culty rouge US intelligence agency scoops up Nora, her new f*ck buddy Tappan, Skip, Corrie, and Sheriff Watts, while killing pretty much every other character in the book. That’s ok, none of them got any development anyway.
Nora and Tappan are shown “The Truth,” and man, the truth really is out there. Preston and Child often walk right up to the line between reality and the supernatural, but this time they went so far into the supernatural that the whole Nora Kelly series jumped the shark for me. It really strained credulity. I mean I’m not sure that a straight up Sci-Fi author would put this out there. The plot is “resolved” when Corrie, Skip, and Watts blaze through the entire super black ops army with nothing but a jeep, a Glock, an old six shooter, and a couple of Molotov Cocktails. They rescue Nora and Tappan from the clutches of the super secret military cult leader, who conveniently sets the base to self destruct.
I really expected, and hoped, that Agent Pendergast would show up at the end and say that it was really just a coverup for an advanced weapons system or something, but nope it really is aliens, and there’s some big baddy aliens out there that look to wipe out advanced cultures to eliminate competition for interstellar resources. Did I mention that this sounds like a hokey Sci-Fi plot? Years ago the History Channel went to shit and started showing aliens and conspiracy shows. It feels like that’s what happened here.
But the worst offense, in my mind, was what it did to Nora Kelly, who went from being a smart, resourceful, kickass female lead to a passenger in her own story after being overcome by the supposed raw sex appeal and money of the cheap Elon Musk wannabe. It just kind of seems like a betrayal of one of Preston and Child’s most awesome characters. In the end it talks about how she trades in her jeans and work shirts for designer shoes and Gucci clothes. It’s just…not Nora Kelly.
And the story just leaves Corrie Swanson hanging. Her mentor is dead. She’s in limbo at the FBI, she’s seen all this super secret stuff, and she doesn’t get one single word of resolution. She’s barely there in the epilogue type final chapters.
Like I said earlier, this story really jumped the shark for me. I don’t know how they reasonably expect to return the series to a history/archaeology based story, not with Big Scary Aliens hanging over its head and Super Sexy Elon Musk clone overshadowing Nora.
I’d be interested in perhaps seeing a spin off series featuring Corrie Swanson and Sheriff Watts, neither of whom saw the whole “truth.” But just, yikes.
No baby, not like this…
“No, baby, not like this…”
So there’s the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The good part is that Preston and Child’s action is some of the best out there, as always. This book takes some time to warm up, but when it gets hot, it gets hot. All the favorite characters from this series are here as well: Nora Kelly, her brother Skip, FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, and her mentor, Agent Hal Morwood. Sheriff Homer Watts, introduced in the last book, makes an appearance again as well.
The bad was bad, for me anyway. Morwood gets whacked early on, and it seems like a waste of a great character in order to serve a story that is kind of “meh” at best. Honestly, the plot smacks of an old, rejected X-Files script complete with Scully (Nora) and Mulder (new character Lucas Tappan). Tappan is an Elon Musk type dude. Which is ok, but I felt like the authors went overboard trying to make that obvious. Also like Mulder and Scully, Nora and Tappan eventually get it on, a lot, to the point where it distracted me from the mediocre story.
Anyway…the ugly.
So the billionaire Elon Musk dude wants to dig up the old Roswell site. After getting Nora fired from the archeological institute, he appoints her to head up the dig. Eventually they stumble upon evidence that aliens are very real, and very hostile. In order to prevent this from getting out, a super secret, super rogue, super culty rouge US intelligence agency scoops up Nora, her new f*ck buddy Tappan, Skip, Corrie, and Sheriff Watts, while killing pretty much every other character in the book. That’s ok, none of them got any development anyway.
Nora and Tappan are shown “The Truth,” and man, the truth really is out there. Preston and Child often walk right up to the line between reality and the supernatural, but this time they went so far into the supernatural that the whole Nora Kelly series jumped the shark for me. It really strained credulity. I mean I’m not sure that a straight up Sci-Fi author would put this out there. The plot is “resolved” when Corrie, Skip, and Watts blaze through the entire super black ops army with nothing but a jeep, a Glock, an old six shooter, and a couple of Molotov Cocktails. They rescue Nora and Tappan from the clutches of the super secret military cult leader, who conveniently sets the base to self destruct.
I really expected, and hoped, that Agent Pendergast would show up at the end and say that it was really just a coverup for an advanced weapons system or something, but nope it really is aliens, and there’s some big baddy aliens out there that look to wipe out advanced cultures to eliminate competition for interstellar resources. Did I mention that this sounds like a hokey Sci-Fi plot? Years ago the History Channel went to shit and started showing aliens and conspiracy shows. It feels like that’s what happened here.
But the worst offense, in my mind, was what it did to Nora Kelly, who went from being a smart, resourceful, kickass female lead to a passenger in her own story after being overcome by the supposed raw sex appeal and money of the cheap Elon Musk wannabe. It just kind of seems like a betrayal of one of Preston and Child’s most awesome characters. In the end it talks about how she trades in her jeans and work shirts for designer shoes and Gucci clothes. It’s just…not Nora Kelly.
And the story just leaves Corrie Swanson hanging. Her mentor is dead. She’s in limbo at the FBI, she’s seen all this super secret stuff, and she doesn’t get one single word of resolution. She’s barely there in the epilogue type final chapters.
Like I said earlier, this story really jumped the shark for me. I don’t know how they reasonably expect to return the series to a history/archaeology based story, not with Big Scary Aliens hanging over its head and Super Sexy Elon Musk clone overshadowing Nora.
I’d be interested in perhaps seeing a spin off series featuring Corrie Swanson and Sheriff Watts, neither of whom saw the whole “truth.” But just, yikes.
No baby, not like this…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2021
This was my first introduction to archeologist Nora Kelly, and I was pleasantly surprised by her. She's smart, interesting, dogged, and loyal. The plot centered on a UFO search and I'm rarely engaged by this subject. Government conspiracies, Area 51, blah, blah. My lack of zeal is by no means a reflection of the authors' ability to weave an exciting tale. I love books with an archeological slant, however, and plan to go back and read the first Nora Kelly installment.
February 19, 2024
Rating: 4.50
Always on the hunt for new authors, I came across Thunderhead and found Nora Kelly's character interesting and the narrative, engaging. Unfortunately, I had to return it to the library before finishing it though was impressed at the skills of both Child and Preston.
With this story, we find Nora Kelly, PhD infuriated with her superiors at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute due to their demand she heads up an expedition to the Area 51, funded by the founder of Icarus Space Systems, Lucas Tappan, an eccentric billionaire. Skeptical of alien cultures and UFO's, she resigns her post and storms out. Soon after Tappan approaches her with an offer to work directly with his team and fills in the missing details which intrigue her sense of discovery. As they negotiate a deal, Nora requests her brother Skip and their dog be part of the deal; Tappan gladly agrees.
Arriving at the site, she's introduced to a team of renown scientists; among them is Noam Bitan, an Israeli who had become a target due to his claims of abduction while working for the SETI project. After spending time with him, Nora realizes her skepticism requires an overhaul which pleases Tappan to no end. As a result, he assigns Skip to be Noam's assistant during the excavation.
The focus of the excavation are 'tracks' left from the landing of the Area 51 UFO the government hid from the public and Tappan is convinced they'll lead to the most important discovery in history.
In a matter of a week, they uncover two burnt cadavers from decades previous. In order to do advanced forensic analysis, Nora contacts Special Agent Corrie Swanson, a long time friend requesting expedited DNA and dental testing in order to establish the identities. As the excavation continues they discover a strange metal object which has "Dial A Yield" stamped in the casing which is shipped to the FBI along with the cadavers.
Preston and Childs show their skills with mystery and suspense using 'curve balls' of epic proportions. Incorporation of murder, attacks, and discovery of alien technology create a well plotted out page turner. As with all my reviews, I prefer to leave specific characters, details and plot points OUT since revealing them ruins the experience.
For mystery lovers of all types, this is a highly recommended book and I will be returning to Thunderhead once it becomes available.
Always on the hunt for new authors, I came across Thunderhead and found Nora Kelly's character interesting and the narrative, engaging. Unfortunately, I had to return it to the library before finishing it though was impressed at the skills of both Child and Preston.
With this story, we find Nora Kelly, PhD infuriated with her superiors at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute due to their demand she heads up an expedition to the Area 51, funded by the founder of Icarus Space Systems, Lucas Tappan, an eccentric billionaire. Skeptical of alien cultures and UFO's, she resigns her post and storms out. Soon after Tappan approaches her with an offer to work directly with his team and fills in the missing details which intrigue her sense of discovery. As they negotiate a deal, Nora requests her brother Skip and their dog be part of the deal; Tappan gladly agrees.
Arriving at the site, she's introduced to a team of renown scientists; among them is Noam Bitan, an Israeli who had become a target due to his claims of abduction while working for the SETI project. After spending time with him, Nora realizes her skepticism requires an overhaul which pleases Tappan to no end. As a result, he assigns Skip to be Noam's assistant during the excavation.
The focus of the excavation are 'tracks' left from the landing of the Area 51 UFO the government hid from the public and Tappan is convinced they'll lead to the most important discovery in history.
In a matter of a week, they uncover two burnt cadavers from decades previous. In order to do advanced forensic analysis, Nora contacts Special Agent Corrie Swanson, a long time friend requesting expedited DNA and dental testing in order to establish the identities. As the excavation continues they discover a strange metal object which has "Dial A Yield" stamped in the casing which is shipped to the FBI along with the cadavers.
Preston and Childs show their skills with mystery and suspense using 'curve balls' of epic proportions. Incorporation of murder, attacks, and discovery of alien technology create a well plotted out page turner. As with all my reviews, I prefer to leave specific characters, details and plot points OUT since revealing them ruins the experience.
For mystery lovers of all types, this is a highly recommended book and I will be returning to Thunderhead once it becomes available.
March 29, 2022
Nora Kelly gets roped into doing an excavation at the site of the Roswell crash. Corrie gets involved when 2 buried bodies are found. A secret cabal within the government wants to make sure nothing is found.
I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this 3rd Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson book. On the one hand, it's much more fast paced and exciting than the languid pace of the first two novels. On the other, it gets balls out crazy towards the end, turning into something that would fit better in a Pendergast novel. I do wonder if Preston and Child are planning on making any further novels after that ending. It does upset the apple cart. My guess is they ignore most of it .
I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this 3rd Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson book. On the one hand, it's much more fast paced and exciting than the languid pace of the first two novels. On the other, it gets balls out crazy towards the end, turning into something that would fit better in a Pendergast novel. I do wonder if Preston and Child are planning on making any further novels after that ending. It does upset the apple cart. My guess is they ignore most of it .
March 14, 2022
Typical, excellent Preston & Child! Can't wait for more.
January 21, 2022
Diablo Mesa is the third novel in the Nora Kelly series and I’ve definitely gained an appreciation for her character as well as the character of Corrie Swanson. Being a die hard fan of Aloyisus Pendergast, I was skeptical about having Nora and Corrie in the lead roles. But now that we’re into the third Kelly novel, my opinion has changed for the better.
The characters in Diablo Mesa remain unchanged from the previous novels — with Nora, Skip and Corrie in the lead roles. You also have the carryovers such as Weingrau and Digby. All of which lends to a comforting familiarity. That being said, I would not recommend reading Diablo Mesa as a standalone.
The plot is well developed like the authors’ other novels. And it seems that they have changed course somewhat because they are now delving into the unknown territories of a parallel universe (in their latest Pendergast novel,) and now with Diablo Mesa, Roswell, and Area 51.
Though I wasn’t too keen on the parallel universe theme, I was intrigued with the Area 51 theme in Diablo Mesa. It is evident from reading Diablo Mesa that a lot of research was conducted into the science of UFOs, military intelligence, and forensics. As such, that research really made for some interesting topics.
Diablo Mesa will not fit with all Nora Kelly fans as some of the topics and themes did seem a bit far fetched. However, if you are reading the novel for entertainment value and as a part of the continuing series, Diablo Mesa will be a satisfying read. Four glowing stars.
I received a digital ARC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
The characters in Diablo Mesa remain unchanged from the previous novels — with Nora, Skip and Corrie in the lead roles. You also have the carryovers such as Weingrau and Digby. All of which lends to a comforting familiarity. That being said, I would not recommend reading Diablo Mesa as a standalone.
The plot is well developed like the authors’ other novels. And it seems that they have changed course somewhat because they are now delving into the unknown territories of a parallel universe (in their latest Pendergast novel,) and now with Diablo Mesa, Roswell, and Area 51.
Though I wasn’t too keen on the parallel universe theme, I was intrigued with the Area 51 theme in Diablo Mesa. It is evident from reading Diablo Mesa that a lot of research was conducted into the science of UFOs, military intelligence, and forensics. As such, that research really made for some interesting topics.
Diablo Mesa will not fit with all Nora Kelly fans as some of the topics and themes did seem a bit far fetched. However, if you are reading the novel for entertainment value and as a part of the continuing series, Diablo Mesa will be a satisfying read. Four glowing stars.
I received a digital ARC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
April 13, 2022
Although Nora doesn't believe it for a second, the urging of billionaire, Lucas Tappan and a generous grant to the institute, has done nothing to loosen her hold out but not her disbelief. Lucas specifically wants Nora to lead the expedition because of her reputation. She declines and is fired. But he doesn't give up easily. The site he wants her to investigate is where an unidentified aircraft, perhaps a UFO, supposedly crashed in 1947. Although the book started out a little slow, it soon ramped up. It kept getting better and better, but the reader will right about here, be forced to take a giant breathe and suspend your disbelief. Get ready to meet ET without his bicycle or his ability to "hone home". Combining the Roswell Incident, the H-bomb, Cold War spies, UAPs, and a secret military organization may seem like a lot to cram into a single story, but as with most of this duo's books, it soon becomes a riveting adventure full of far-flung conspiracies. Nora also gets a bit of a shock from her brother, Skip. Up to this point I haven't really cared much for this series but I have to give this one a full 5 star rating.
March 1, 2022
Preston and Child take on the mystery of what happened at Roswell - and it does not disappoint. Archeologist Nora Kelly is hired by an eccentric billionaire to do a scientific excavation of the alleged crash site to provide proof, one way or the other, of what occurred in 1947. A page turner from the very beginning.
February 15, 2022
Nora Kelly is back in the third of her series set at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute. But now her position has changed and she has lost standing to Connor Digby, brought in by her boss not to assist her, but to be her boss.
Well things will change as the Director informs Nora her next work will be a dig at Roswell, yes, that Roswell, financed by billionaire Lucas Tappan. She cannot force herself to agree to this and ultimately resigns her position as they are about to fire her. Her brother learns she is gone and also resigns.
Meanwhile, Tappan, who is brilliant and wealthy and cagey, has been waiting to speak to Nora and offer her the job separate from the Institute. There is bickering for a while as Nora cannot conceive of being involved in this whole thing. Tappan gradually wears her down with more detailed information, views of his staging area and equipment, and work plans. She agrees and Skip is hired too.
Soon there are subtle signs that something is “off,” not right in Roswell. Not so much in the dig itself but the overall project. A man goes missing. Agent Corrie Swanson is already involved but doesn’t know in what.
I like what Preston and Child have done here, updating archaeological tests and routines to add so much to the described re-examination of the 1947 Roswell landing area in ways that feel real, if you are at all into sci fi. And the description of new equipment feels real to me, an interested non-scientist. Then there is the out of control Military-CIA who are quite believable as written.
I do recommend this. Lots of adventure with action, thinking and conspiracy. Just right for this world and a Preston & Child novel.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Well things will change as the Director informs Nora her next work will be a dig at Roswell, yes, that Roswell, financed by billionaire Lucas Tappan. She cannot force herself to agree to this and ultimately resigns her position as they are about to fire her. Her brother learns she is gone and also resigns.
Meanwhile, Tappan, who is brilliant and wealthy and cagey, has been waiting to speak to Nora and offer her the job separate from the Institute. There is bickering for a while as Nora cannot conceive of being involved in this whole thing. Tappan gradually wears her down with more detailed information, views of his staging area and equipment, and work plans. She agrees and Skip is hired too.
Soon there are subtle signs that something is “off,” not right in Roswell. Not so much in the dig itself but the overall project. A man goes missing. Agent Corrie Swanson is already involved but doesn’t know in what.
I like what Preston and Child have done here, updating archaeological tests and routines to add so much to the described re-examination of the 1947 Roswell landing area in ways that feel real, if you are at all into sci fi. And the description of new equipment feels real to me, an interested non-scientist. Then there is the out of control Military-CIA who are quite believable as written.
I do recommend this. Lots of adventure with action, thinking and conspiracy. Just right for this world and a Preston & Child novel.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
March 25, 2025
This thriller definitely gives a new twist to the Roswell myth. Absolutely enjoyed the references to the Cold War, some alien spacecraft, a secret service nobody ever heard before, Nora Kelly, her FBI counterpart Corrie Swanson, action sequences murder and double dealings. One of the best page turners I read for quite a while. Astonishing twists. The best book in that series by the authors so far. Loved every single page of it. Highly recommended!
January 15, 2022
When I first realized the direction this book was taking, I admit my first reaction was, "Aww, c'mon, guys, you're really not going to go there, are you?" Well, yes - yes they did - and guess what? It was a heck of a ride.
This is the third in the series starring archaeologist Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson, an FBI agent. I've been following the two since the beginning, and this entry certainly doesn't disappoint. When billionaire Lucas Tappan (think: a more affable but no less filthy rich version of Elon Musk) asks the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute to take on a scientific excavation of the Roswell Incident site on his dime, the Institute head and Nora's nemesis assigns Nora to the project. Nora refuses - after all, the UFO crash theory was debunked years ago. When the boss insists, Nora walks out.
As it turns out, so does Tappan - right to the parking lot, where he turns on his charm and opens his wallet to convince Nora to head up what now will be their private project. To her surprise, she learns that her brother Skip, who lives with her and works at the Institute, has accepted a job with Tappan's new venture. After much cajoling - and a closer look at the crash site - Nora agrees (well, it's not like she has a job to go back to, and besides, there's no one else to keep an eye on her brother).
The dig site is at a remote spot called Diablo Mesa, the spot where an alien spaceship is believed by some to have crashed - an event the government has tried to cover up ever since. When a pair of not so well-buried bodies turns up early on and it seems great pains have been taken to hide their identities, Nora gets suspicious. She calls in her friend Corrie, who through a nasty turn of events has just been assigned a new FBI mentor (readers get a glimpse of what he's up to in previous chapters). The dig resumes, unearthing clues that lead to more questions than answers. Neither Nora nor Corrie are about to quit, at least until things start to happen that could force that issue and possibly even bring their careers to a permanent end.
Honestly, I can't say I've ever bought into the conspiracy theories of a Roswell cover-up, but this tale certainly put a new, and at least somewhat plausible, spin on it. Besides that, I was so intrigued by the cologne that Tappan favored - called "Creed Santal" - that I just had to look it up. At roughly $300 for a relatively small bottle of the stuff, though, guess I'll have to settle for popping in an upscale department store to see if I can find a salesperson who'll let me sniff a sample. Meantime, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this book. It was a dandy!
This is the third in the series starring archaeologist Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson, an FBI agent. I've been following the two since the beginning, and this entry certainly doesn't disappoint. When billionaire Lucas Tappan (think: a more affable but no less filthy rich version of Elon Musk) asks the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute to take on a scientific excavation of the Roswell Incident site on his dime, the Institute head and Nora's nemesis assigns Nora to the project. Nora refuses - after all, the UFO crash theory was debunked years ago. When the boss insists, Nora walks out.
As it turns out, so does Tappan - right to the parking lot, where he turns on his charm and opens his wallet to convince Nora to head up what now will be their private project. To her surprise, she learns that her brother Skip, who lives with her and works at the Institute, has accepted a job with Tappan's new venture. After much cajoling - and a closer look at the crash site - Nora agrees (well, it's not like she has a job to go back to, and besides, there's no one else to keep an eye on her brother).
The dig site is at a remote spot called Diablo Mesa, the spot where an alien spaceship is believed by some to have crashed - an event the government has tried to cover up ever since. When a pair of not so well-buried bodies turns up early on and it seems great pains have been taken to hide their identities, Nora gets suspicious. She calls in her friend Corrie, who through a nasty turn of events has just been assigned a new FBI mentor (readers get a glimpse of what he's up to in previous chapters). The dig resumes, unearthing clues that lead to more questions than answers. Neither Nora nor Corrie are about to quit, at least until things start to happen that could force that issue and possibly even bring their careers to a permanent end.
Honestly, I can't say I've ever bought into the conspiracy theories of a Roswell cover-up, but this tale certainly put a new, and at least somewhat plausible, spin on it. Besides that, I was so intrigued by the cologne that Tappan favored - called "Creed Santal" - that I just had to look it up. At roughly $300 for a relatively small bottle of the stuff, though, guess I'll have to settle for popping in an upscale department store to see if I can find a salesperson who'll let me sniff a sample. Meantime, many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this book. It was a dandy!
March 31, 2022
The first three quarters of this book is excellent, but then it takes a right turn into la la land and never recovers. I did not like the abrupt change of pace and I did not like the conclusion. Too bad. I will continue to read Preston & Child. This could have been a great book instead of a mediocre one.
March 26, 2022
Archaeologist Nora Kelly is asked to excavate the site of an alleged UFO landing – that happened way back in 1945 and was extensively covered up by the government of that time. A reluctant Nora takes up the assignment, as she’s highly sceptical of the alien invasion theory. On the first few days of their dig, they come across two dead bodies with their identities obliterated – dating back to the same time as the UFO landing. In comes FBI Special Agent Corey Swanson to investigate the mystery of the two bodies.
Meanwhile, a powerful group within the Government do not want Nora and Corey’s investigation to go any further and they will go to any length to keep their decades-old secret hidden forever….
Please read my detailed review from the link below:
https://www.aniblogshere.com/book-rev...
Do Read 📖, Like 👍🏼, Comment 💭, or Share 🚩
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#diablomesa #preston&child #bookmagic #bookreview #lovebooks #bookrecommendations #bookreviewer #bookreviewblog #bookreviewersofinstagram #booklover #books #bookreviewing #bookreviews #bookreviewblogger #bookblogger #lovebooks #suspense #booklovers #thriller #crime #mystery #murdermystery #generalmystery #generalthriller #norakelly #THRILLER #POLICE PROCEDURALS #paranormalthriller #GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE #GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE #coreyswanson
Meanwhile, a powerful group within the Government do not want Nora and Corey’s investigation to go any further and they will go to any length to keep their decades-old secret hidden forever….
Please read my detailed review from the link below:
https://www.aniblogshere.com/book-rev...
Do Read 📖, Like 👍🏼, Comment 💭, or Share 🚩
🙏🏼🙏🏼
#diablomesa #preston&child #bookmagic #bookreview #lovebooks #bookrecommendations #bookreviewer #bookreviewblog #bookreviewersofinstagram #booklover #books #bookreviewing #bookreviews #bookreviewblogger #bookblogger #lovebooks #suspense #booklovers #thriller #crime #mystery #murdermystery #generalmystery #generalthriller #norakelly #THRILLER #POLICE PROCEDURALS #paranormalthriller #GENERAL MYSTERY & DETECTIVE #GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE #coreyswanson
March 2, 2022
The authors have finally gone over the ridiculous edge and have become a waste of time and money.
February 28, 2022
Nora is invited to head an excavation at the infamous Roswell site. Corrie becomes involved when a couple of dead bodies are the first things excavated …
Obviously there's more to the story, but that's the gist of it. Do they find evidence of a crashed flying saucer and/or aliens? You'll just have to read and find out. I will say that the revelation of what's really going on, while somewhat late in coming, is very satisfying, and Preston & Child do not shy away from any of the implications.
Yes, this is one of a series of novels featuring Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson, but prior knowledge of the series is not essential for the enjoyment of this one.
I remember questioning, at the beginning of the series, whether having the two womens' adventures constantly intersecting was going to feel contrived. Just how often do archaeological digs run into problems that would naturally involve the FBI anyway? I have to say that, so far, it hasn't seemed contrived at all. I should know better than to doubt the writing capabilities of Preston & Child by now.
I have long been a fan of the authors' work, both singly and in collaboration, so I'm not even going to try to pretend that this is an objective review. While they've written many books over the years, this is as good a one to start with as any. You may not need to have read the others, but, if my own experience is anything to go by, you're going to want to. Highly recommended!
Obviously there's more to the story, but that's the gist of it. Do they find evidence of a crashed flying saucer and/or aliens? You'll just have to read and find out. I will say that the revelation of what's really going on, while somewhat late in coming, is very satisfying, and Preston & Child do not shy away from any of the implications.
Yes, this is one of a series of novels featuring Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson, but prior knowledge of the series is not essential for the enjoyment of this one.
I remember questioning, at the beginning of the series, whether having the two womens' adventures constantly intersecting was going to feel contrived. Just how often do archaeological digs run into problems that would naturally involve the FBI anyway? I have to say that, so far, it hasn't seemed contrived at all. I should know better than to doubt the writing capabilities of Preston & Child by now.
I have long been a fan of the authors' work, both singly and in collaboration, so I'm not even going to try to pretend that this is an objective review. While they've written many books over the years, this is as good a one to start with as any. You may not need to have read the others, but, if my own experience is anything to go by, you're going to want to. Highly recommended!
February 14, 2022
3.0 - 3.5 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com...
Yeah, there’s a reason I couldn’t land on an exact rating for this one. Read on to find out why.
—
Nora Kelly has a job to do—it’s just not the one she ever expected.
Former lead archaeologist at the esteemed Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, she is approached by Luccas Tappan, a wealthy and eccentric billionaire and incidentally the reason that she is “formerly” at the Institute at all. See, only hours before Nora was asked to lead a dig at the Roswell Site—perhaps the site of the single greatest conspiracy in American history. Unwilling to be mocked for the rest of her probably short career as “that alien archaeologist”, she refused. But then, the Institute wasn’t really asking at all. And Nora wasn’t backing down.
Enter Lucas Tappan, handsome and persuasive billionaire who’s ready to write Nora a blank check in return for her services. Yeah, a blank check. From a billionaire. And even for a successful archaeologist like Nora Kelly, it’s really, really hard to say no to that.
And so she leads the dig to uncover what really happened at Roswell. But she’s going to need some help.
After her initial excavations uncover a couple of murder victims, Special Agent Corrie Swanson is asked to investigate. But what she finds only begets more questions than answers. And after carrying on with her own excavation, Nora’s path does as well. But just what exactly is going on in Roswell? And is it really aliens? And is there really a government conspiracy that will threaten the lives of the entire team, or will the desert—and the little grey beings—claim them first?
—
What makes a good series? After starring as a mainstay in Preston & Child’s Pendergast series for several of the first ten books, Nora Kelly was granted her own spinoff, and given her own co-star, Corrie Swanson, who played second fiddle to Pendergast in several more. The premier, Old Bones, was pretty good, but far from captivating, falling especially flat in its last third. A few leaps in logic really ruined what could have been a great debut.
Three-quarters of the followup, Scorpion’s Tail, wowed me. But again, the final hundred or so pages were quite a letdown. It makes some rather large leaps of faith with little or no evidence or justification beyond gut-feeling behind them. It was still an interesting read—just not a great one.
Which brings us to Diablo Mesa.
This one started out interesting. An excavation of the Roswell crash site? A possible government conspiracy? A bit of danger, adventure, and romance thrown in? Yeah, sounds like a pretty great read!
Which it very much was—for the first 75%.
Then it crashed and burned. Much like the alien spacecraft—I mean, “weather balloon”. And also like the rest of the series before it; all failing at the same point in each book.
So what can I really say about it? As it turns out, not a whole lot. Until that three-quarters mark, I was pretty much captivated. It was a great read; despite the obvious government conspiracy, despite the alien buildup, despite the kinda ridiculous romance(s), despite all the technical terms and archaeological process (take it from a former archaeologist: it ain’t interesting. Archaeology is a bit like war—99% of it is incredibly boring).
And so when it failed—at the 75% mark, like I KNEW it would—it was a disappointment. And so much of one that that’s most of what I remember about it, nearly two weeks later. Not the plot, not the thrill, not the conclusion (that really tried to turn that failure around)—but the failure itself. This one collapsed for the same reasons as those before it: gut-instincts and ridiculous leaps of faith. The resulting chaos was a mixture of bad plans and terrible logic, and the resulting fallout almost unbelievable chance working up to a happy ending. Happy, so long as your favorite character wasn’t any of the bit parts. In other reviews I might clock these as spoilers, but they’ve been done time and again in this series (and the Pendergast before it, at that), so I’ve pretty much come to expect them. So when I say that Diablo Mesa is a solid 3 to 3.5 star book, believe me that no one is more disappointed by this than I am.
TL;DR
75% of Diablo Mesa was gripping, thrilling, and a middle-finger to those two books before it. Or to most of the last half-dozen of Preston & Child thrillers. It was going to succeed where they could not. Not make the same mistakes, not falter in the final stretch, turn the entire series around and finish out an amazing story. But then. A leap of faith. Impossible logic. Another ridiculous, underdog story and a plan that would never work on paper but somehow ends up doing just that.
I mean… it’s really frustrating. This one fails in the exact same spot as the two before it. And even though the ending is actually, legitimately good—it’s not chilling in the way it should have been. Upon finishing Diablo Mesa I had the same reaction that I have writing this review nearly two weeks later: disappointment. Because it could have been great. But it was ruined for the same reasons, at the same time as those before it.
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Yeah, there’s a reason I couldn’t land on an exact rating for this one. Read on to find out why.
—
Nora Kelly has a job to do—it’s just not the one she ever expected.
Former lead archaeologist at the esteemed Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, she is approached by Luccas Tappan, a wealthy and eccentric billionaire and incidentally the reason that she is “formerly” at the Institute at all. See, only hours before Nora was asked to lead a dig at the Roswell Site—perhaps the site of the single greatest conspiracy in American history. Unwilling to be mocked for the rest of her probably short career as “that alien archaeologist”, she refused. But then, the Institute wasn’t really asking at all. And Nora wasn’t backing down.
Enter Lucas Tappan, handsome and persuasive billionaire who’s ready to write Nora a blank check in return for her services. Yeah, a blank check. From a billionaire. And even for a successful archaeologist like Nora Kelly, it’s really, really hard to say no to that.
And so she leads the dig to uncover what really happened at Roswell. But she’s going to need some help.
After her initial excavations uncover a couple of murder victims, Special Agent Corrie Swanson is asked to investigate. But what she finds only begets more questions than answers. And after carrying on with her own excavation, Nora’s path does as well. But just what exactly is going on in Roswell? And is it really aliens? And is there really a government conspiracy that will threaten the lives of the entire team, or will the desert—and the little grey beings—claim them first?
—
What makes a good series? After starring as a mainstay in Preston & Child’s Pendergast series for several of the first ten books, Nora Kelly was granted her own spinoff, and given her own co-star, Corrie Swanson, who played second fiddle to Pendergast in several more. The premier, Old Bones, was pretty good, but far from captivating, falling especially flat in its last third. A few leaps in logic really ruined what could have been a great debut.
Three-quarters of the followup, Scorpion’s Tail, wowed me. But again, the final hundred or so pages were quite a letdown. It makes some rather large leaps of faith with little or no evidence or justification beyond gut-feeling behind them. It was still an interesting read—just not a great one.
Which brings us to Diablo Mesa.
This one started out interesting. An excavation of the Roswell crash site? A possible government conspiracy? A bit of danger, adventure, and romance thrown in? Yeah, sounds like a pretty great read!
Which it very much was—for the first 75%.
Then it crashed and burned. Much like the alien spacecraft—I mean, “weather balloon”. And also like the rest of the series before it; all failing at the same point in each book.
So what can I really say about it? As it turns out, not a whole lot. Until that three-quarters mark, I was pretty much captivated. It was a great read; despite the obvious government conspiracy, despite the alien buildup, despite the kinda ridiculous romance(s), despite all the technical terms and archaeological process (take it from a former archaeologist: it ain’t interesting. Archaeology is a bit like war—99% of it is incredibly boring).
And so when it failed—at the 75% mark, like I KNEW it would—it was a disappointment. And so much of one that that’s most of what I remember about it, nearly two weeks later. Not the plot, not the thrill, not the conclusion (that really tried to turn that failure around)—but the failure itself. This one collapsed for the same reasons as those before it: gut-instincts and ridiculous leaps of faith. The resulting chaos was a mixture of bad plans and terrible logic, and the resulting fallout almost unbelievable chance working up to a happy ending. Happy, so long as your favorite character wasn’t any of the bit parts. In other reviews I might clock these as spoilers, but they’ve been done time and again in this series (and the Pendergast before it, at that), so I’ve pretty much come to expect them. So when I say that Diablo Mesa is a solid 3 to 3.5 star book, believe me that no one is more disappointed by this than I am.
TL;DR
75% of Diablo Mesa was gripping, thrilling, and a middle-finger to those two books before it. Or to most of the last half-dozen of Preston & Child thrillers. It was going to succeed where they could not. Not make the same mistakes, not falter in the final stretch, turn the entire series around and finish out an amazing story. But then. A leap of faith. Impossible logic. Another ridiculous, underdog story and a plan that would never work on paper but somehow ends up doing just that.
I mean… it’s really frustrating. This one fails in the exact same spot as the two before it. And even though the ending is actually, legitimately good—it’s not chilling in the way it should have been. Upon finishing Diablo Mesa I had the same reaction that I have writing this review nearly two weeks later: disappointment. Because it could have been great. But it was ruined for the same reasons, at the same time as those before it.
August 14, 2024
I gotta admit. I love anything that has to do with the Roswell crash and aliens. I did not enjoy this one though…
It’s a shame because I like Douglass Preston and Lincoln Child.
But this just didn’t do it for me. I’ll admit my expectations were high. But there was WAY too much science jargon, and way too much filler.
It’s interesting considering the whole Bob Lazar aspect of it. Idk. It just didn’t do anything for me. Maybe if they cut out the heavy science stuff that I have no business reading and the filler I would have been able to enjoy the story more.
2.5 stars ⭐️
It’s a shame because I like Douglass Preston and Lincoln Child.
But this just didn’t do it for me. I’ll admit my expectations were high. But there was WAY too much science jargon, and way too much filler.
It’s interesting considering the whole Bob Lazar aspect of it. Idk. It just didn’t do anything for me. Maybe if they cut out the heavy science stuff that I have no business reading and the filler I would have been able to enjoy the story more.
2.5 stars ⭐️
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