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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I like how this series is turning out.
The first book presented Cori as a hotshot FBI agent, and this one raises the insecurities felt by an agent who is rising very fast.
And the insecurity feels real and earned, like of course she's an excellent marksman, but she could get better and an accident early on proves she needs to improve.
And her political game is really weak because she's so new and so when she encounters just the worst dude she tells him he's the worst rather than playing nice and trying to get along because he's higher up in the world.
But that dude was the worst, just a real jerk.
Luckily he was a fictional jerk, so I don't have to worry about him now that the book he was in is over.
I like that this series is a little more down to earth than the Pendergast books, which I mostly like because it always seems like there COULD be something supernatural going on, and sometimes there is something that's at least not normal, if not directly ghostly and otherworldly.
This is less ghosts and misters and more historical mysteries and why they haven't been solved yet, and is still very fun.
I liked how the story fit together, and the story made a lot of sense by the end, which at the start seemed a little unlikely.
The first book presented Cori as a hotshot FBI agent, and this one raises the insecurities felt by an agent who is rising very fast.
And the insecurity feels real and earned, like of course she's an excellent marksman, but she could get better and an accident early on proves she needs to improve.
And her political game is really weak because she's so new and so when she encounters just the worst dude she tells him he's the worst rather than playing nice and trying to get along because he's higher up in the world.
But that dude was the worst, just a real jerk.
Luckily he was a fictional jerk, so I don't have to worry about him now that the book he was in is over.
I like that this series is a little more down to earth than the Pendergast books, which I mostly like because it always seems like there COULD be something supernatural going on, and sometimes there is something that's at least not normal, if not directly ghostly and otherworldly.
This is less ghosts and misters and more historical mysteries and why they haven't been solved yet, and is still very fun.
I liked how the story fit together, and the story made a lot of sense by the end, which at the start seemed a little unlikely.
Listen...I love a good archaeological mystery. Very entertaining...you can read as standalone, but probably better in order.
I enjoy these books-they are comfortable like chicken pot pie for my brain. They generally have a nice little mystery, some history, some action- just enough to keep me engaged but not too much. And, I like Nora.
Mergh, this wasn't as good as Old Bones--it seemed to focus equally on Corrie and Nora, if not a little more on Corrie, which was annoying. Honestly how she ended up working in the field and not just in a forensics lab is baffling. There were too many parts throughout that were just super convenient to allow the case to go forward the way it did (allowing evidence to change hands or certain trains to go investigated). But regardless, it was a quick, fluffy read with lots of treasure-hunt-laden quests, inaccurate archaeological tropes aside!
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not awful. It's a step above the Gideon's Crew books (which are themselves as close to a James Patterson formulaic potboiler as Preston and Child get). I have liked Corrie Swanson since Still Life with Crows...but I always thought Nora Kelly was a bit personality-free and an odd choice for a spin off character. Still Old Bones was fun enough. This was kinda "Meh" I was glad to see it end. Maybe this is just my mood at present...and I am quite a ways from giving up on the new Corrie books in the way that I rather quickly gave up on Gideon.
More than once I yelled at the authors for lazy writing and unrealistic plot points and authorial manipulation (and conclusion jumping) but I finished it. Good but not great.
More than once I yelled at the authors for lazy writing and unrealistic plot points and authorial manipulation (and conclusion jumping) but I finished it. Good but not great.
I loved the first book in this series, probably even more so because of our family connection to the Donner Story. (I have a great great great aunt who was at the camp where the survivors lived after they were rescued. She wrote about her time with them in her diary).
This book, book two, made me question if book one was really any good, or if I was just super fascinated with the family connection. I found this story to be incredibly hard to follow, with too many unconnected events being thrown together. It felt cluttered. I was also completely unfamiliar with the history this book is based on, and I'll have to do some research (my own curiosity) to see how much of that may be based on facts. Knowing the history before reading the book may have helped, a little.
The female leads - an FBI agent and a highly renowned archaeologist, both of whom should be strong and confident, came across as simpering, apologetic, women. I cringed through most of their dialog in the book. Little things, like the escape scene in the cave... seriously? They had that much of a "whispered" conversation, in a cave, and the man guarding them didn't hear them? Much of that conversation should have been internal dialog, with the women smart enough to understand, having both just done the same research, together, with just a nudge.
This book, book two, made me question if book one was really any good, or if I was just super fascinated with the family connection. I found this story to be incredibly hard to follow, with too many unconnected events being thrown together. It felt cluttered. I was also completely unfamiliar with the history this book is based on, and I'll have to do some research (my own curiosity) to see how much of that may be based on facts. Knowing the history before reading the book may have helped, a little.
The female leads - an FBI agent and a highly renowned archaeologist, both of whom should be strong and confident, came across as simpering, apologetic, women. I cringed through most of their dialog in the book. Little things, like the escape scene in the cave... seriously? They had that much of a "whispered" conversation, in a cave, and the man guarding them didn't hear them? Much of that conversation should have been internal dialog, with the women smart enough to understand, having both just done the same research, together, with just a nudge.
Corrie is in charge of her first dead body discovery. After a botch job on the last case she is more than nervous and has to work harder to prove her worth. When the mystery of the mummified corpse leads to more than she could ever imagine. And to make matters worse she drags Nora Kelly into her web. Danger lurks around every corner. This book contains many different players in the mystery and keeps you guessing the entire time. When it is all said and done there will be many secrets revealed.
There is danger around every corner. This book is a non-stop adventure full of danger, lies and much corruption. People turn up dead and the mystery gets harder to solve and the puzzle pieces are not lining up the way they should.
I love Nora Kelly and her brains. She is an interesting character and she is highly intelligent. She will get the credit she deserves one day. I truly believe that. I can't wait to see what happens next.
There is danger around every corner. This book is a non-stop adventure full of danger, lies and much corruption. People turn up dead and the mystery gets harder to solve and the puzzle pieces are not lining up the way they should.
I love Nora Kelly and her brains. She is an interesting character and she is highly intelligent. She will get the credit she deserves one day. I truly believe that. I can't wait to see what happens next.
adventurous
informative
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