The Scorpion's Tail

December 21, 2020
Bestsellers Preston and Child’s enjoyable sequel to 2019’s Old Bones takes FBI special agent Corrie Swanson, who studied forensic anthropology, to New Mexico after a mummified male corpse is found in a ghost town on federal land—and a trespasser shot at the sheriff investigating the scene. When Swanson arrives, she decides to ask Nora Kelly, a senior curator at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, for help unearthing the remains, which are in an unusual fetal position, so that any evidence of the man’s death having been caused by foul play remains intact. Kelly reluctantly agrees to assist, and finds a solid gold, jewel-encrusted cross on the body, dating to the Spanish colonial period. That discovery suggests a connection between the dead man, who appears to have perished in the 1940s, and recurrent legends of a treasure trove of riches hidden somewhere in the area. The authors do their usual solid job of maintaining suspense throughout. Their two capable female leads are well-suited to sustain a long series. Agent: Eric Simonoff, WME.

Starred review from December 1, 2020
Past and present collide on a trail of death in the second in the authors' Nora Kelly series, begun with Old Bones (2019). When a local sheriff investigates the illegal activity of relic hunters in an abandoned, middle-of-nowhere New Mexico gold-mining town called High Lonesome, he discovers a mummified corpse and a fabulous cross of gold. The discovery is on federal land, so the FBI gets involved. Special Agent Corrie Swanson would have liked a juicier assignment than checking out some old bones in the high desert, but she has a degree in forensic anthropology, and she's a rookie. She persuades a reluctant Dr. Nora Kelly, senior curator at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, to help puzzle out what happened to the man, as it's unclear whether a crime has been committed. Forensics determine that the gold is slightly radioactive, and there's a pack animal skull with a bullet hole. And by the looks of the decades-old corpse, the poor man suffered a horrible death. High Lonesome is on the Jornada del Muerto, or Dead Man's Journey, the bleak and dismal trail that connected Mexico City and Santa Fe during Spanish colonial rule. The authors are expert plotters and storytellers with smart, engaging characters--Kelly is an experienced pro who thinks Swanson "looked very much the rookie." Newbie Swanson had barely passed her firearms qualification, and being a lousy shot may bring tragic consequences and a guilty conscience. Luckily, Sheriff Watts has practiced his quick draw since he was a preschooler. Meanwhile, some of those relic hunters are dangerous men searching for an object--not the gold--unknown to Kelly and Swanson. To a descendant of the dead man, "most people would have thought his precious item fit only to line a henhouse with." Expect nice twists, hairy danger, and good old-fashioned gunplay. This one's an attention grabber. Get a copy.

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January 1, 2021
In Old Bones (2019), Preston and Child teamed up supporting characters from other books, FBI agent Corrie Swanson and archaeologist Nora Kelly. Their first case was a little rocky--thanks to personality conflicts between the sleuths--and this new outing shows every sign of continuing that trend. After a near-fatal incident during a hostage situation, Swanson, who's still only eight months out of the academy, is assigned what should be a straightforward case: human remains have been found at a New Mexico ghost town, and she simply needs to determine whether homicide was involved. She turns to Kelly, a senior curator at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute. Reluctantly, Kelly agrees to help out, not knowing she is putting her life at risk (again). The authors bring the same rigorous plotting and deft characterizations to this novel as they do with their Special Agent Pendergast books (happily, Pendergast makes an appearance here), and the Kelly and Swanson pairing is certainly engaging. It seems the duo might be settling in for a good, long run.

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