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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Part X-Files, part Agents of SHIELD, part police procedural with a dash of romance… this is a fantastic and thoroughly entertaining fast-paced story in the Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson series.
Due to work pressures, it took me a while to get through the book. As anything by Preston and Child, it was an enjoyable read. There was, however, a few things that didn't tie up. For example, why would the government allow excavation of the Roswell site if they didn't want its secrets exposed? Perhaps this was answered, but I missed it. Perhaps someone could explain this to me. The ending also seemed convoluted. Everything coming together so nicely doesn't seem likely.
I am trying to wrap my mind around the new direction Preston and Child has been taking us. Their books are seemingly pushing the boundaries of reality, and I don't know whether I like them or not. I suppose I am still a bit upset with the last Pendergast book, where they took things too far for me. Their writing has always had an air of credibility, but their last two or three books border on the ridiculous, surreal and cheap sci-fi.
I love the writing of Preston and Child. Some criticism has been that their books move too slow, but I am afraid I have to disagree. I am tired of reading books that relentlessly go at 200 mph. Their books are paced extremely well. They generally write incredible plots and storylines that are original and feel that there could be some truth to them. I just don't know whether I am ready for green aliens, time travel and alternate universes that their books have been exploring of late. The latter comment is not a spoiler as these comments don't pertain to this book. Sure, there are some alien artefacts and technology, but the authors have always kept it mysterious in a way - not so much with this last book.
Will I read the next Nora Kelly book? Absolutely! However, I still prefer the Pendergast series and can't wait for the next instalment.
I am trying to wrap my mind around the new direction Preston and Child has been taking us. Their books are seemingly pushing the boundaries of reality, and I don't know whether I like them or not. I suppose I am still a bit upset with the last Pendergast book, where they took things too far for me. Their writing has always had an air of credibility, but their last two or three books border on the ridiculous, surreal and cheap sci-fi.
I love the writing of Preston and Child. Some criticism has been that their books move too slow, but I am afraid I have to disagree. I am tired of reading books that relentlessly go at 200 mph. Their books are paced extremely well. They generally write incredible plots and storylines that are original and feel that there could be some truth to them. I just don't know whether I am ready for green aliens, time travel and alternate universes that their books have been exploring of late. The latter comment is not a spoiler as these comments don't pertain to this book. Sure, there are some alien artefacts and technology, but the authors have always kept it mysterious in a way - not so much with this last book.
Will I read the next Nora Kelly book? Absolutely! However, I still prefer the Pendergast series and can't wait for the next instalment.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I found Diablo Mesa by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child to be enjoyable; it certainly was a vast improvement over The Scorpion’s Tale.
As an aside, why is this considered a “Nora Kelly” series when there is a ton of Corrie Swanson in it? I don’t dislike Corrie (she is much better this time around), but if you are going to call a novel a “Nora Kelly” shouldn’t she be the main focus? The way all three novels were written it would have been better to call label this a Kelly and Swanson series. A small nit to pick, I know, but it is a bit of a pet peeve when books misrepresent what they are (sometimes it is not the author’s fault, the publishers do have an awful lot of control over the industry).
Any how . . . . on to Diablo Mesa. In this offering Nora Kelly, despite her numerous objections, finds herself on an archaeological excavation of the infamous Roswell incident; brought there by billionaire Lucas Tappan (an Elon Musk type character without the Musk baggage). As Nora, her brother Skip, and the team assembled by Tappan begin the preliminary work of the excavation Nora uncovers the graves of two murder victims. Since this dig site is on Federal land, the FBI is called, and Special Agent Corrie Swanson is sent to investigate. Through a series of twists and turns the excavation team and FBI unravels an ever-growing web of lies, coverups, espionage, and conspiracy theories that endanger, well, everything.
I was glad to see that immaturity and passive-aggressive behavior exhibited by Corrie last volume was missing from this one; and that she behave like a competent, professional woman who could interact with another competent, professional woman. You really had to suspend your belief (more so than usual) for the novel’s final act. However, given that the Roswell incident is the story’s focus/starting point . . . I was willing to go with it. It was a fun, in a popcorn movie fashion, quick read.
As an aside, why is this considered a “Nora Kelly” series when there is a ton of Corrie Swanson in it? I don’t dislike Corrie (she is much better this time around), but if you are going to call a novel a “Nora Kelly” shouldn’t she be the main focus? The way all three novels were written it would have been better to call label this a Kelly and Swanson series. A small nit to pick, I know, but it is a bit of a pet peeve when books misrepresent what they are (sometimes it is not the author’s fault, the publishers do have an awful lot of control over the industry).
Any how . . . . on to Diablo Mesa. In this offering Nora Kelly, despite her numerous objections, finds herself on an archaeological excavation of the infamous Roswell incident; brought there by billionaire Lucas Tappan (an Elon Musk type character without the Musk baggage). As Nora, her brother Skip, and the team assembled by Tappan begin the preliminary work of the excavation Nora uncovers the graves of two murder victims. Since this dig site is on Federal land, the FBI is called, and Special Agent Corrie Swanson is sent to investigate. Through a series of twists and turns the excavation team and FBI unravels an ever-growing web of lies, coverups, espionage, and conspiracy theories that endanger, well, everything.
I was glad to see that immaturity and passive-aggressive behavior exhibited by Corrie last volume was missing from this one; and that she behave like a competent, professional woman who could interact with another competent, professional woman. You really had to suspend your belief (more so than usual) for the novel’s final act. However, given that the Roswell incident is the story’s focus/starting point . . . I was willing to go with it. It was a fun, in a popcorn movie fashion, quick read.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Despite being the third book of a series, this story reads well enough as a stand-alone novel (at least, I'd forgotten most from the first two books I read ages ago and it still made sense to me). I do also highly recommend starting the series at the beginning though, only because it's so good; and especially, starting with the Pendergast series from which it is an offshoot, with "Relic".
This book represents exactly the pacing I love from a mystery-thriller: enough exposition to pique the readers interest, accelerating through unexpected twists into a climactic page-turning conclusion.
There was a bit more monologue that I typically like (I skimmed through some denser technical sections that were packed with irrelevant details), and I feel the ending could have been more thoroughly realized for an increase in depth, especially to balance out some of the longer sections near the beginning.
This novel, while not especially unique in its tropes, and required suspension of disbelief, is an easy read that I generally enjoyed. I'm definitely looking forward to progressing next to the fourth book in its series.
This book represents exactly the pacing I love from a mystery-thriller: enough exposition to pique the readers interest, accelerating through unexpected twists into a climactic page-turning conclusion.
There was a bit more monologue that I typically like (I skimmed through some denser technical sections that were packed with irrelevant details), and I feel the ending could have been more thoroughly realized for an increase in depth, especially to balance out some of the longer sections near the beginning.
This novel, while not especially unique in its tropes, and required suspension of disbelief, is an easy read that I generally enjoyed. I'm definitely looking forward to progressing next to the fourth book in its series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No