What a great book! There’s so much to enjoy here, not the least of it being the in depth information on archeology which underpins the core mystery. This is a real ensemble in terms of characters, with Nora and Corrie both offering such great story lines and relationships, including the interesting off-shoot plot line with Skip. Of course, this is well written. These authors have long demonstrated their skills in that regard and this book is no exception, with consistent pacing and credible dialogue,

A really fascinating novel, which gave me information about things that I did not know before, such as recording being done on wax cylinders and native American people and their artifacts. This did not detract from the story, which was good. Corrie Swanson, a young FBI agent has to investigate a woman, found in the desert, naked. Anyone who wants a good read is recommended to obtain this book.

Slow start, but boy does it heat up into an unputdownable story. The sense of place is also foreboding and ramps up the pressure, the desert is so well described that you can really imagine the heat. I really liked the characters too.

Oooh, this was another excellent book from Preston and Child. The core characters of the series are the same, the dogged and kind Corrie, the dedicated expert Nora and the potential love interest in Watts. There is the slightly off the rails brother, the old fashioned colleagues who sometimes flash with brilliance and the FBI procedure that needs to be followed. The book is set in and out of the dessert with amazing landmasses, stone pillars and rocky skylines, the descriptions grabbed me so much that I spent far too much time on Google looking at images to get a feel for the atmosphere.. The painting of the colours and heat and exhaustion were great and the different threads are all told with aplomb and woven together in a gripping way. I can’t wait for more.

I do so enjoy the work of these two authors and they've delivered another excellent tale. What starts out as an investigation into human remains found in the Badlands develops into a much bigger, more widespread case. Nora and Corrie really have their work cut out for them. Plenty of action, intriguing twists and turns, and the supernatural twist to finish it all off. Great read!
Thanks to Netgalley, Aria & Aries, and Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have long regarded the books by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, both their joint and solo efforts, as some of the finest pieces of escapist fiction that you can find. Over time I tired a bit of their books about FBI Special Agent Pendergast, but I have really enjoyed their more recent series about archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson.

Bad Lands is the latest entry in the series and it is another fun read full of sharp characterisations, interesting dollops of information and an entertaining plot that becomes wilder as it goes along.

In the New Mexico badlands, the skeleton of a woman is found. The victim apparently walked into the desert, shedding clothes as she went, and died in an agony of heatstroke and thirst. Two rare artifacts are found clutched in her bony hands: lightning stones used by the ancient Chaco people to summon the gods. Agent Swanson is assigned the case and she brings in archaeologist Nora Kelly to offer technical advice. When a second body is found, exactly like the first, the two realise that the case runs deeper than they imagined. As Corrie and Nora pursue their investigation into remote canyons, haunted ruins, and long-lost rituals, they find themselves potentially confronting a dark power from the past.

This is not a race-along thriller, like Preston’s recent Extinction, but is a moderately paced tale that keeps the reader interested through its intriguing central conceit and the uncertainty about where it is all heading. Swanson’s investigation gradually reveals an unsettling web of craziness and two evocative journeys, one into a remote part of Mexico and the other across a barren landscape ruined by gas fracking, help to drive the story along and increase the suspense. The background information and conjecture about the demise of the Chaco people is fascinating and the final climax is spooky and very bloody. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Twisty, dark, tense, and exciting.
I was happy to catch up with Nora and the gang, fascinated by the archaeological side, kept on the edge by the creepy background
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine