The Scorpion's Tail, by co-authors Douglas Preston, and Lincoln Child, is the second installment their Nora Kelly series. Dr. Nora Kelly is senior curator at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute who first appeared in the authors Thunderhead and is an associate of FBI Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast. The series also features FBI Agent Corrie Swanson of the Albuquerque Field Office. She's the protegee of Special Agent Pendergast who saw something in her that her own parents didn't. Corrie and Nora first worked together in the story Old Bones which revisited the Donner family tragedy.

Corrie has been out of the FBI academy for 8 months and is spending the next two years on probation while working out of New Mexico field office. She had quite the experience after Nora lead an expedition into the Sierra Nevada to find the Donner Party's "Lost Camp" and found herself deep in trouble. You could say that Nora owes Corrie her life. While responding to a violent domestic dispute with other agents, Corrie makes a mistake and even though she saves a child, she blames herself for not doing enough.

Two weeks later, she is assigned by Supervisory Agent Hale Morwood to an unfolding case up near the Azul Mountains. A local sheriff encountered an illegal relic hunter uncovering a dead man's body. One of the reasons that this is the perfect case for Corrie is that she has a background in forensic anthropology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Corrie requests Nora's assistance in determining how hold the body might be. Corrie needs all the help she can get because people see how young she is and tend to ignore her.

Nora is an ace when it comes to ancient Pueblo culture. Said mummified body appears to have been buried since around 1945. What’s even more shocking is that an old golden cross is found with the body likely dating back to the 17th century when Spain and Native Indians warred with each other over the land. This suddenly becomes a mystery, and a treasure hunt of sorts. There's talk of a hidden treasure high up in the mountains surrounding the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. But then things get a bit strange. Someone doesn't want Corrie or Nora anywhere near the ghost town of High Lonesome.

They'll face the rigors of the dangerous terrain where Geronimo and the Apaches once roamed which is now home to Los Alamos and the White Sands Testing Range. They will face historic details about the release of nuclear weapons on the desert and the desire among those in the know and others to find a long-hidden cache of gold and other gems. There's a lot going on in this story, but it is fast paced and engrossing. The historical aspects of the story, especially the nuclear tests in the New Mexico desert, once again proves that the authors actually took their time and did some research before laying pen to paper.

As a historical buff, I found myself checking on the authors work to see how accurate they are. Surprisingly, very. We yet again get an Agent Pendergast sighting to save the day. Not sure why he’s needed except to embarrass Corrie or to prove he’s just better than anyone else.

A little mystery, a little history, and a young sheriff that will remind the reader of a young Walt Longmire.Though FBI special agent Corrie Swanson and curator Nora Kelly of the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute are central characters, I found Sheriff Watts to be more engaging. A local sheriff that added humor, skill, and insight into what would have otherwise been a dull and dry book.

When a mummified corpse is found in High Lonesome, a ghost town on federal land and Watt’s starts to investigate only to be shot at, he decides he needs to call in another set of guns -- those belonging to the FBI. When a body is recovered, along with a gold jeweled encrusted cross dating back to the Spanish colonial period, interests begin to peak. When the remains are identified as a man that disappeared in the 1940s, and a legend of missing treasure buried along the Jornada del Muerto discussed, all eyes suddenly focus on the investigation. What no one was expecting was what was going on at the local military base at the time and how lore was passed from father to son.

Interesting twists, a great deal of history, well-placed humor, and a memorable young sheriff with nothing to prove but a whole lot to say.

Another FBI thriller from Preston and Child featuring archaeologist Nora Kelly and young agent Corrie Swanson! I enjoyed the way the modern murder opened a multi-faceted historical mystery.

Another exciting installment in this series featuring archeologist curator Nora Kelly and FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson of the Albuquerque Field Office.

There is talk of a hidden treasure high up in the mountains surrounding the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. This folk tale is thought to be mostly myth, but there are those who are desperate to find the riches gleaned from the exodus of a group of friars leaving the area after the Apaches try to take back their land. There are many who have sought these riches for years and, as the bodies pile up, the key protagonists in this tale try to stop the looting. NO SPOILERS.

This is the second book and I must confess, I liked it less than the first, but it was a page-turner nevertheless. Lots of action and interesting details about the release of nuclear weapons on the desert and the desire among those in the know to find a long hidden cache of gold and other gems. There's a lot going on in this story but it is very fast paced and extremely engrossing. the details that the authors are known for are ever present and it's a history lesson as well as a thriller. I must say that I really don't like the character of Corrie Swanson, but I do like Nora Kelly. I love this author duo and can't wait to read the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson ride again in The Scorpion’s Tail by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. As a low-ranking FBI special agent in the New Mexico field office, Swanson gets called out to investigate the discovery of a mummified corpse in an abandoned desert town on federal land. She coerces Nora Kelly, senior curator at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute to assist her in excavating the body. The body is curled up in a fetal position and when fully unearthed, discovered to be holding a cross of gold that dates to Spanish colonial rule. Soon the two are tied up in a conspiracy involving relic hunters, radiation, and rumors of a long-hidden cache of Spanish treasure.

Preston and Child know how to build and sustain suspense. Kelly and Swanson are great characters and play well off each other. Each are dealing with workplace politics. Swanson is trying to make her bones in the FBI and struggling to make the right kind of impression, especially after her participation in an arrest that nearly ended tragically. Kelly is dealing with academic politics and is in line for a promotion at the Institute. Swanson’s instincts tell her that they are on the trail of something big but her inexperience makes it harder for her to convince anyone. Kelly is being pulled away from her own projects at work, but the mystery before her proves too tantalizing to resist.

Preston and Child surround these two with solid characters, including quick-draw Sheriff Watts. The New Mexico desert is a character in itself. The remoteness, isolation and danger play a major role. Preston and Child are the best at blending history, archeology and adventure. This second book in a new series bodes well for many more sequels. Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

Every man now worships gold, all other reverence being done away. - Sextus Propertius

This is the second book in a new series by authors Preston and Child. Even though my favorite series of theirs will always be the Pendergast books, I am enjoying this series too. I liked this second book even more than the first book OLD BONES too.

FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson, working out of tha Albuquerque, New Mexico field office, and Nora Kelly, senior curator/archaeologist out of the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, are working together again, looking into deaths and archaeological site pilfering on BLM land and on the adjoining White Sands Missile Range.

I especially enjoyed the details about White Sands that I had no idea about.

Swanson and Kelly are also working with a local fast-draw sheriff, who I enjoyed reading about. Different factions that are out there against Swanson and Kelly are looking for different things but it all comes together in a grand adventure.

This is another addition to the Preston/Child library that is well worth reading.

I received this book from Grand Central Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

This is outing #2 for archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI agent Corinne Swanson, from the great writing team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, this time set in New Mexico. A relic hunter is caught red-handed doing some digging in a mining ghost town called the High Lonesome and shoots it out with the young sheriff, Homer Watts. Afterwards, it is learned that his digging uncovered a mummified corpse. Corrie is sent to look into it, to determine if it was a natural death. From what she sees, she wants Nora Kelly to come to the site to do a careful excavation. Little do the two realize where this will eventually lead them and who it will endanger. Kelly and Swanson get along scrappily and there's the usual cameo appearance from Special Agent Pendergast. A very exciting adventure with fascinating local history and lore woven into the story, even the details of the first atomic bomb test at White Sands!

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity!

Rookie FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly, a senior curator at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, team up again to solve a mystery involving a mummified corpse discovered with a valuable religious relic.

Scars from Swanson’s rough childhood make her bend the FBI rules, not unlike her mentor Aloysius Pendergast, the protagonist of the author’s best known series. Kelly and Swanson make a great team, because they constantly challenge each other while sharing the curse of being underestimated due to their gender. The women appeared as secondary characters in several of the Pendergast books. They have both grown and become more appealing in this new series, of which this is the second installment. The first book in the series,OLD BONES, involves an alternative history tale involving the Donnor party. While part of a series, each novel stands alone as it contains a distinct mystery.

Swanson and Kelly aren’t always likable, but they are interesting and relatable. Of the secondary characters, the stars of this installment are the young sheriff who finds the bodies and the various indigenous characters who provide clues. The plot has a number of moving parts, but comes to a satisfying resolution.

I look forward to the next installment of this spin off series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc., for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

If you’ve read any other books by these authors, you know that you are going to learn some engrossing facts about some relatively obscure historical event. In The Scorpion’s Tale, the event is the routing of the Spaniards from New Mexico by the Apache during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.

A man’s body is found partially buried in a remote New Mexico ghost town. Is he a murder victim? And why was the man carrying an antique gem-encrusted gold cross? Probationary FBI Agent Corrine Swanson and archaeologist Nora Kelly search for answers to a 75-year-old crime.

This book has everything but the kitchen sink within its plot: uprisings, treasure hunts, and atomic bomb tests. The settings are described in detail making the reader feel surrounded by desert and rugged terrain. To me, the history and setting make up for the book’s deficiencies. The villain and mystery carry no surprises from early on. The characters feel a bit flat to me. The Scorpion’s Tail will appeal to historical fiction readers more than to fans of the authors’ Pendergast series of complex mysteries. Personally, I think this book is an enjoyable read. 4 stars!

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Nora and Corrie at it again.

So amazing. This is a very good story of treasure and lore from the desert in New Mexico. If you are looking for a story like that and gunfights and modern day military tactics all in one this is for you. Can’t wait to see what they cook up next.

I'm always up for a new Preston, Child novel and The Scorpion's Tail did not fail Combining a good mystery with archeology (a love of mine) was definitely a roller coaster ride! FBI agent Corrie Swanson was needing a distraction and was assigned to a ghost town where a mummified body was found. Thinking it was a simple assignment she quickly changed her mind after getting help from Archeologist Nora Kelly to exhume the body and realizing there was more to meet the eye. Little did they know where their questions would take them and the dangers they would face.

The Scorpion's Tail was an exciting and interesting read and I thank NewGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to preview this book.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the 2nd in a new series from Preston/Child. And Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson make excellent partners.

One of the best things about a Preston/Child book is the real life history that they add to their story. In this one we are brought to the desert of New Mexico. When Swanson finds a decades old dead body she asks Dr Kelly, archaeologist, to help.

The story takes some wonderful twists and turns leading the reader on a fact filled and fun ride.

Preston/Child have a magical way of writing together. Their stories, including this one, pull you in from the first couple of pages. And the suspense lasts until you turn the final page.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I love these authors and their Pendergast series. When I heard they had started a new series featuring Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson how could I resist.

This is the second book in this new series and is set in New Mexico. A mummified corpse is found in a ghost town with a gold cross. Who is he? Where did he get the cross? You’ll have to read to find out!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this awesome book.

After enjoying “Old Bones” and many from the Pendergast series, I was looking forward to another featuring Nora and Corrie. And I would like to continue to read it because the history of the area would really be interesting. However, 25% is the best I can do.

Corrie, a rookie FBI agent, is characterized as being an absolute nincompoop – not just once, but continuously. She is further characterized as being weak, insecure in her training and totally incompetent. Oh, and also she alternates between mouthing off showing a giant chip on her shoulder and being scared of a flea. This is not only an insult to womanhood, but a HUGE insult to the men and women of the FBI.

As if that were not offensive enough, the F- word was dominant. By the time I’d read 20%, it was on every “F*ing” page and after that, multiple times on each page.

Then there were the Federal Agents, presumably in the role of protectors of federal lands. They were more like drunk red necks, trying to see how much damage they could do while gleaning anything valuable for themselves.

As much as I’ve enjoyed other books by Preston, I had to close this one.

I appreciate the ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. I’m sorry I didn’t enjoy it.

This one didn't grab my attention like the first Nora Kelly did, but once I got into it, I definitely still enjoyed it. Interesting history and mystery, fun science details, and awesome main characters. I'll continue to follow this series.

3.5 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/01/07/the-scorpions-tail-by-preston-child-review/

The Scorpion’s Tail is the second in the Nora Kelly spinoff, a collaboration between the archaeologist and FBI newbie Corrie Swanson. As both are prominently linked with Special Agent Pendergast, the man still crops up from time to time, solving mysteries and annoying law enforcement.

Note: The length of the book is suspect. The ebook version claims to be 309 pages, while the hardcover is 416, and the large print is 592. Short answer: I have no IDEA how long this is.

All Sheriff Watts wanted was a day off. A nice, lonely stream; a quiet bit of fishing. What he got was a wounded looter and a mummified corpse. High Lonesome was once one of the premier gold mining towns in the West. Like most early Western mines, it busted out and was left as little more than a ruin. Due to its remote, inaccessible locale, the ghost town is pristine, rarely looted, and intact. But when Watts comes upon a mummified corpse, the ruin is about to become the site of an FBI investigation.

Enter Corrie Swanson, junior agent. She in turn enlists the help of Nora Kelly, to ID the body and determine cause of death. It’s going along well enough at first—due to the lonesome nature of High Lonesome, the pair (plus Nora’s brother, Skip) don’t have to contend with a large team or crowd of reporters—until two unexpected details come to life. The first is that the mummified man died in horrible agony—in a fetal position, skin falling off in sheets, rictus of horror plastered on his face.

The second is the solid gold, 16th century Spanish cross hidden on the corpse.

When these details emerge, they expose Kelly and Swanson to the dangerous world of looters and treasure hunters, conspiracies and cover-ups. Throw in a mystery so strange it involves the Army, the Pre-Columbian city of Teotihuacan, a certain sexy sheriff, a terrible secret, and the most explosive moment in American history.

If nothing else, this will be a case neither Swanson nor Kelly will ever forget—should they live long enough to solve it.

The story of Scorpion’s Tail is a good one, for the most part. The author combo can sure spin an addictive yarn. As usual, the story, the setting, the mystery drinks you in in its early stages. And when the story really gets rolling you’re already heavily invested. I had no problem reading—again, up to a point.

The main issue (and my main complaint with the recent Preston & Child books) concerns the ensuing conspiracy theory and ridiculous leap of faith that always follows. In theory, there’s nothing wrong with a conspiracy theory. They can be practical, ridiculous, and sometimes even true. The first several times can even be a fun adventure. But eventually the fun stops. Now if 2020 taught us anything, it’s that everyone loves a good conspiracy theory, and that everyone has their own point of disillusionment. Scorpion’s Tail eventually leads me past my own. It’s… absurd. And honestly, neither terribly intricate nor well formed. On the positive side, it waits until the 2/3 mark to kick in, when I was already invested in the story. So, while it soured things, I still wanted to finish the book. Whether it does the same for you is the question.

The details—usually Preston & Child’s bread and butter—aren’t as sound in this one. From referring to Spanish Friars (Jesuits don’t have friars, and they were the choice of Colonial Spain), to cutoff words in Spanish translating to cutoff words in English, to the change in language for a few key characters at the 2/3 mark—everything seems a little less polished, a little less cared for.

The pace is as amazing as ever. The mystery begins with an action-packed opening chapter and keeps upping the ante throughout, so that there’s never a dull moment. Hiccups in the plot aside: I never had trouble reading this book. And I never thought about putting it down. So, while there may be some less than stellar action sequences, there were also those that were genuinely heart-pounding. The conspiracy theory soured my opinion, but the mystery redeemed it. The characters are a nice contrast of likable and unlikable that the authors write so well, and every character has their own history and motives. No cardboard cutouts here.

Now, let’s talk about the ending.

So, as spoiler free as possible, without getting into specifics, let’s say that there are two mysteries to solve. The former is settled through most of the book. The latter is summed up in its conclusion. The latter mystery is annoying as we’re provided almost none of the details such that I was expecting it would be the premise of the next book. But then it’s summed up and solved in but a few pages. The way this was done, the manner of it… was annoying.

Also, not all characters get resolution at the end. In fact, one of the two leads (Corrie and Nora) doesn’t. The fledgling romance is left completely in the wind, and isn’t even addressed in the conclusion. It was like: here’s the wrap-up, oh and this second mystery solved, then a brief snapshot of one character’s resolution—the end. I was on-board throughout; the leap of faith, the absurd bits, the annoying bits, the action, mystery, tension, romance—but this lost me. It was an incredibly disappointing and abrupt ending. And I really expected better.

TL;DR

Once again, Preston & Child deliver a heart-pounding, gut-wrenching thriller with an intricate mystery, fascinating location, and highly believable characters. Unfortunately, while I never had a problem reading it, Scorpion’s Tail suffers from a lack of polish, a ludicrous leap of faith, absurd conspiracy theory, and a disappointing lack of resolution for most of its characters. While there’s no denying that this is a very good ride, the final third sours what could’ve been a really good book. And the conclusion tests even that. For fans of the first, I’d still recommend Nora and Corrie’s follow-up. For fans of the Pendergast series, I’d still recommend Scorpion’s Tail as there’s no Constance. For people looking for a book to read on a plane, yeah, you could do much worse. For people who are looking for a intricate, believable, amazing, or inventive thriller—keep looking. For the bottom line: I had no trouble reading this. And while the ending was a disappointment, at the end of the day it was still a mostly good read.

In 2019, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child introduced their fans to a new series led by archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Special Agent Corrine Swanson in the bestselling book Old Bones. Now, the authors bring the duo back for another adventure in THE SCORPION’S TAIL.

This time around, a mummified corpse from the ’40s is found in a remote New Mexico ghost town. Corrie and Nora must work together to figure out this daunting mystery that connects with an important date in American history.

“We wanted this novel to be a quintessential New Mexico story,” Preston says, “since Corrie has just taken up her first job at the Albuquerque Field Office of the FBI. A body is discovered in a remote ghost town at the edge of the fearsome Jornada del Muerto—Journey of the Dead or Journey of Death desert, north of the White Sands Missile Range. Corrie investigates and asks archaeologist Nora Kelly to excavate the corpse to determine if it’s a homicide or an accidental death. The corpse, which is 75 years old, shows evidence of a very strange and agonizing death—and a fabulously valuable golden cross is found on it.”

Full article available on the link

It is always a joy to have a new Preston/Child book and The Scorpions Tail doesn't disappoint. The New Mexican history one learns is a plus.

This is the 2nd book in the series & I enjoyed it a lot. I love the mix of history & archaeology in a really good mystery like this. It’s so interesting! I also like the two main characters who are intelligent, strong women. However, like the first book, I get tired of the way Corrie is talked down to & basically told to behave by her male superior way too often. I gave a little cheer at one point, though. Hope to see her continue to grow & be more assertive. Overall, great book! I look forward to the next one.

A great mystery filled with a beautiful setting, historical facts, and wonderful research by the authors. The story follows FBI agent Corrie Swanson and archeologist Nora Kelly dig through history to solve a possible murder and the legend of a hidden treasure. The story also includes several interesting and background characters such as Sherriff Watts (the cowboy sheriff type) and Skip (Nora's brother and apparently amazing cook). Like all things Preston and Childs, the story takes the reader on a ride culminating and one huge climactic scene and even a cameo by our favorite Special Agent Pendergast.

I liked a lot about this book. Like several books by the duo, the historical elements and backgrounds are interesting. The writing easily carries the reader through the story. The pacing of this book is pretty steady in my opinion. At no time did I feel like the story was dragging. Overall I really liked the book and this second installment of the Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly series.