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mimi_032's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
hkaradus's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
cathepsut's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Nora Kelly is an archaeologist. She is sent on an expedition to find and excavate a lost camp of the infamous Donner Party. At the same time in other parts of the world, graves are dug up and corpses are destroyed and partly stolen. And it might somehow be related to Nora‘s trip into the Sierra Nevada mountains and what she might find. Enter freshly minted and insecure FBI agent Corrie Swanson, trying to make connections and to solve her first major case.
I liked Nora and Corrie and can see them becoming a dynamic duo in the books that follow this one. The rugged setting in the mountains appealed to me and the archeological theme drew me right in. I remember the books by Preston & Child to be faster paced, but it‘s been 20 years since I read the last one, so it‘s probably me.
I was entertained. Not massively so, but enough to maybe pick up other books by the authors. I might have another stab at the original Pendergast series.
3.5/5, rounded up. 🦴🍖🦴½
I liked Nora and Corrie and can see them becoming a dynamic duo in the books that follow this one. The rugged setting in the mountains appealed to me and the archeological theme drew me right in. I remember the books by Preston & Child to be faster paced, but it‘s been 20 years since I read the last one, so it‘s probably me.
I was entertained. Not massively so, but enough to maybe pick up other books by the authors. I might have another stab at the original Pendergast series.
3.5/5, rounded up. 🦴🍖🦴½
minxy's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
envy4's review against another edition
5.0
This book was exciting from the start. The crumbs left throughout the book kept me curious. The characters were written well and brought a lot to the story. Overall, really happy with the mix of history and mystery.
book_concierge's review
3.0
Book on CD narrated by Cynthia Farrell.
First book of the Nora Kelly series. (Note: She has made previous appearances in the Pendergast series.)
Nora is a curator at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute and is approached by historian Clive Benton with an opportunity to lead an expedition to find the Donner Party “Lost Camp.” The hook is the rumor of millions of dollars in gold coins buried at the camp site.
Meanwhile, novice FBI agent Corinne Swanson has been assigned the odd case of a grave robbery cum murder. Researching further she finds several other grave robberies, as well as a missing (and presumed murdered) young woman which all have the same connection: the victims were all descendants of one of the Donner Party members.
The body count goes up as a major spring storm is about to completely cut them off. Is the killer one of the archeological team? Someone from the wilderness outfitter’s team? Has someone been following them? And what about the ghost(s)?
Preston and Childs are great thriller writers. They keep the reader turning pages with short sentences and chapters. They increase the tension and suspense by moving back and forth between the two story lines, until they inevitably intersect.
I really liked Nora as a central character, and hope that she continues to work with Special Agent Swanson, too. And now I really need to start reading the Pendergast series!
First book of the Nora Kelly series. (Note: She has made previous appearances in the Pendergast series.)
Nora is a curator at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute and is approached by historian Clive Benton with an opportunity to lead an expedition to find the Donner Party “Lost Camp.” The hook is the rumor of millions of dollars in gold coins buried at the camp site.
Meanwhile, novice FBI agent Corinne Swanson has been assigned the odd case of a grave robbery cum murder. Researching further she finds several other grave robberies, as well as a missing (and presumed murdered) young woman which all have the same connection: the victims were all descendants of one of the Donner Party members.
The body count goes up as a major spring storm is about to completely cut them off. Is the killer one of the archeological team? Someone from the wilderness outfitter’s team? Has someone been following them? And what about the ghost(s)?
Preston and Childs are great thriller writers. They keep the reader turning pages with short sentences and chapters. They increase the tension and suspense by moving back and forth between the two story lines, until they inevitably intersect.
I really liked Nora as a central character, and hope that she continues to work with Special Agent Swanson, too. And now I really need to start reading the Pendergast series!
vandasz's review
3.0
3,5⭐️ hehe, a végén Pendergast ügynök cameoja elég jó volt. amúgy szokásos Preston-Child cozy murder mistery, tökéletes gyors kikapcsolódás
trolle69's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
kiminindy's review
3.0
I just thought this was mediocre. I never could get the characters straight. Also, the narrator does a terrible Pendergast.....he should have an elegant southern drawl not a british accent.