Wednesday, September 01, 2021

The Scorpion's Tail by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

First Line: Since graduating from the Academy eight months before, Special Agent Corrie Swanson had learned to expect almost anything.
 
Rookie FBI Agent Corrie Swanson is given what she believes to be a throwaway case. A mummified corpse has been found in the basement of a building in a remote New Mexico ghost town. Once on the scene, she can see that a professional should be in charge of uncovering the body, so she uses the old "Hey, I saved your life" schtick on archaeologist, Nora Kelly. Fortunately, the Santa Fe Archaeological Society looks favorably on the positive PR of working with the FBI, so Nora obtains the all-clear and travels to the ghost town.
 
As she slowly uncovers the body, two things jump out at Nora. One, it's obvious from the position and appearance of the body that the person died in terrible agony, and two, hidden on the corpse is a sixteenth-century Spanish gold cross of immense value.
 
What Nora and Corrie will soon learn is that identifying the body and the cause of death will open the door to a world of ancient treasure, modern obsession, and one of the most defining moments of American history.
 
~
 
If you're in the mood for a book that's flat-out fun to read, by all means, get your hands on a copy of The Scorpion's Tail. Preston and Child's story of treasure and obsession had my eyes glued to the page, and when life intruded and I had to put the book down, my mind kept wandering back to it, wondering what was going to happen next.
 
These two authors pushed so many of my WOW buttons that I don't think I can list them all. I learned several interesting tidbits of New Mexico history such as the Pueblo Revolt. I was taken to the White Sands Missile Range. The trip to a remote ghost town reminded me of so many similar trips my husband and I made here in Arizona. Ones where the trails were so bad I thought my kidneys and spine would never be the same-- but so much fun! Then there was the fabulous lost Spanish treasure, the white-knuckle night escape from the bad guys, a little Army-Navy joke, and of course, the archaeology.
 
There's so much "wonderfulness" in The Scorpion's Tail that I think the brief appearance made by Preston and Child's Agent Pendergast was completely unnecessary. This book's adventure, its marvelous setting, its mystery are all taken to the next level by the authors' characters. Corrie Swanson's backstory is slowly being revealed, and it's an interesting one. She's going to make an excellent agent, but she can be impulsive and does need Agent Morwood's mentoring. Nora Kelly is my kind of archaeologist who's learning about the politics of promotion at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, and her brother Skip is the perfect person to bring along on a dig. There's the smart, handsome sheriff of Socorro who wears two six-shooters strapped to his hips, but don't let the theatricality fool you. When you've got a cast like this, it makes the mystery and the adventure shine even brighter.
 
If you can't tell that I loved this book, I have to say that I'm worried about you. I'll also worry about you if you like this sort of book and decide not to read it. The Scorpion's Tail is a fantastic, fun read. What are you waiting for?

The Scorpion's Tail by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
eISBN: 9781538747292
Grand Central Publishing © 2021
eBook, 402 pages
 
Thriller, #2 Nora Kelly mystery
Rating: A+
Source: Purchased from Amazon.

15 comments:

  1. So glad to see you enjoyed this so much, Cathy. My husband is a fan of this duo, and he's praised their work, too. I always think it's interesting how some duo efforts are outstanding. Others...not so much. This one seems to work very well.

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    1. Yes, it does. They also work well separately.

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  2. This sounds like a fun novel that's easy to escape into. I'll have to look at it...like Margot, I'm a bit reluctant to read novels written by more than one author because I've had some bad experiences with a few of them. I always wonder, too, why they decided to write as partners rather than separately.

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    1. They are famous for their Pendergast series, which I can take or leave. It's good, but it just doesn't grab me enough to want to keep reading it. I'm loving this Nora Kelly series, and I have to put in a plug for Douglas Preston. I really enjoy the books that he writes solo.

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  3. Corrie Swanson's an FBI agent now? I've got to read this book! I've read and loved most of Preston and Child's books, but I've gotten behind on them in recent years. Sounds like I really need to catch up! :)

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    1. I don't read the Pendergast novels, so I'm guessing that's where you know Corrie from. :-) I really enjoy these two Nora Kelly books where Corrie teams up with Nora. I think you'll like them, too.

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  4. OK. I'll try it since it got a rave A+ review and not a deathray.

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    1. You're making me laugh with your "deathrays".

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  5. Sounds good! I read almost anything they write. Good or bad :)

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    1. I was in the mood for fun and informative, and I got both in spades. :-)

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  6. When you really like a Mystery, I hear it in your writer's voice. You make me want to run and get a copy. I have put Preston & Child on hold for too long.

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    1. I hope you get a chance to read and enjoy this one, Tea!

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  7. Replies
    1. I know this isn't your usual type of book, so now I'm a bit nervous.

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    2. Don't get nervous. I just won't keep reading if I don't like it. But you said it's fun so I'll try that. I liked Bluff, which was fun, so one never knows.

      As for deathrays, I'm thinking of tasers being pointed at bad books. Have to have a sense of humor to get through days in this house with my TV and books to entertain me. (And chocolate)

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