Old Bones
Ratings15
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings15
Average rating3.8
The #1 NYT bestselling authors Preston & Child bring the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party to new life in this thrilling novel of archaeology, history, murder, and suspense. Nora Kelly, a young curator at the Santa Fe Institute of Archaeology, is approached by historian Clive Benton with a once-in-a-lifetime proposal: to lead a team in search of the so-called "Lost Camp" of the tragic Donner Party. This was a group of pioneers who earned a terrible place in American history when they became snow-bound in the California mountains in 1847, their fate unknown until the first skeletonized survivors stumbled out of the wilderness, raving about starvation, murder-and cannibalism. Benton tells Kelly he has stumbled upon an amazing find: the long-sought diary of one of the victims, which has an enigmatic description of the Lost Camp. Nora agrees to lead an expedition to locate and excavate it-to reveal its long-buried secrets. Once in the mountains, however, they learn that discovering the camp is only the first step in a mounting journey of fear. For as they uncover old bones, they expose the real truth of what happened, one that is far more shocking and bizarre than mere cannibalism. And when those ancient horrors lead to present-day violence on a grand scale, rookie FBI agent Corrie Swanson is assigned the case...only to find that her first investigation might very well be her last.
Reviews with the most likes.
It's my first Preston & Child book, and I have a feeling it won't be the last. It was entertaining, and kept me interested until the end.
This was a solid, legit book if you ask me. I wasn't disappointed with the ending which was great. I enjoyed the pace of the writing and unfolding of events. Good stuff.
This was my re-introduction to the works of Preston & Child, having read The Relic and perhaps two others many years ago. Old Bones is the first in a series revolving around archaeologist Nora Kelly, based out of New Mexico.
In the early 90's, I had participated in an archaeological dig in southeastern Kansas which eventually led to my taking formal classes at UNM in Albuquerque. While there, I met a few FBI agents who worked out if the Field Office there. I have also had a long-standing interest in the history of the American West.
Thus, this novel piqued my curiosity on a number of different levels. It was merely a bonus that it's a great story with enough suspense to make it difficult to put down when one needs to sleep, etc.
I had never read much about the tragedy of the Donner party but now I am intrigued enough to – as suggested at the end of the book – to read one of the non-fiction accounts as well.
This novel was as much about FBI agent Corrie Swanson as it was about Nora Kelly. The historian who sets everything into motion – Clive Benton – is also prominent and fully characterized.
The novel's conclusion is satisfying and also leaves a bit of mystery for the reader to wonder about.
Well done!
I will definitely read the next installment in the Nora Kelly series when it appears. In the meantime, I want to seek out and read as many of the previous Preston & Child novel's as I can....
A nice little romp (if a tad slow) for a spin-off from the Agent Pendergast series.
Ever since Lincoln and Child introduced Corrie Swanson into the realms of Pendergast, I was waiting for them to expand her role. I figured she would have been great for a YA series with Pendergastian overtones, but now she's an adult, a grown woman who followed in her mentor's footsteps and joined the FBI. At first, I was looking forward to this, but she does not come off too well in the first book. She's a little uptight, a little by-the-book. She's lost some of the goth edge that she possessed when she was first introduced.
Nora Kelly, the widow of the last William Smithback, is an old friend from the Pendergast realms. It's nice to see her getting a larger role in this world. She's intelligent and strong, and a good protagonist.
OLD BONES starts off promising, with a hunt for Donner party campsites, but the book really only simmers and never boils. It does not really live up to the expectations I have for typical Lincoln & Child work, but I'm going to chalk that up to the fact that it's a first book and they're still finding footing for both of the characters. Both women, formerly secondary characters in Pendergast's world, are now front and center and the writers seem to be figuring them out.
The first book in this spin-off series is solid, but doesn't really hum. However, I anticipate a second book will not suffer a sophomore slump.
Series
4 primary books6 released booksNora Kelly is a 6-book series with 4 primary works first released in 1999 with contributions by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
