Old Bones (Nora Kelly, 1)
Old Bones (Nora Kelly, 1) book cover

Old Bones (Nora Kelly, 1)

Mass Market Paperback – October 27, 2020

Price
$9.29
Publisher
Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1538747230
Dimensions
4.25 x 1 x 7.5 inches
Weight
7.2 ounces

Description

PRAISE FOR OLD BONES "Long-time readers of Preston and Child will love to see the beloved characters of Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson take center stage in what is a terrific start to a new series. Their writing talent shines as this mix of history, exploration of nature and crime will without a doubt land on the top of the best-seller lists. Though some of the historical facts have been tweaked a bit for the story to work, a note to the reader from the authors at the end reveals what is true and what they made up, and is sure to lead to a surge in attention for non-fiction accounts of what really happened that horrible winter."― p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Associated Press "The two strong female protagonists [Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson] share a dynamic reminiscent of that between Pendergast and his friend on the NYPD, Vincent D'Agosta. An intriguing series launch."― p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #333333}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Publishers Weekly " Old Bones exceeds expectations at every juncture, a thriller extraordinaire that turns history upside down in forming the basis of a riveting and relentless tale."― Providence Sunday Journal "A smart, satisfying read."― Kirkus "This outing belongs to two dedicated women, whose future adventures will be happily anticipated."― p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Booklist "Preston & Child is one of those "names" on a book that make you want to set everything else aside in order to read what amazing words they've written [...] From the best writing team out there, you do not want to miss this book."― p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Suspense Magazine "From the thriller world's dynamic duo comes a new work of archeology, murder, and the Donner Party. This one should please longtime fans of Preston and Child, as well as new devotees drawn in by that ever-appealing set up of a past crime coming back to haunt the present."― CrimeReads "Preston and Child have created a fine mix of fiction and historical fact. The story is peopled by complex and engaging characters with sometimes murky ambitions. . . The ending, which seems far-fetched, is definitely, disturbingly possible."― Booktrib " Old Bones has it all: chills, thrills and a blend of history, along with archaeological expertise you can only get from a Preston & Child novel. I loved spending time with Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson, and look forward to seeing them in future adventures. Longtime readers will be rewarded not only by this pairing but by some other surprises leading up to the conclusion of this exciting read."― Bookreporter "Though the story of the Donner Party and its gruesome cannibalism has been told and retold, this masterful examination of the perplexing events offers a fresh take that carries meaning for contemporary readers. The launch of the Nora Kelly series is to be applauded."― p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Washington Independent Review of Books "Preston and Child's cast of characters spin off in their latest, starring Nora Kelly and ex-distinguished youth-turned-FBI agent Corrie Swanson. Kelly leads an expedition to excavate the Donner Party camp, while Swanson investigates a series of grave robberies. The longtime writing team yet again seamlessly merges science and suspense."― Newsweek "Preston & Child can write like no others. They have well-written and defined characters and easy to read stories. You are never disappointed by one of their books."― p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Red Carpet Crash EXTRAORDINARY ACCLAIM FOR PRESTON & CHILD: " There's nothing else like them."― p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px; font: 13.3px Times; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Washington Post "Mystery thriller writing of the highest order."― Providence Sunday Journal "Consistently exciting and never predictable."― Associated Press The thrillers of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child "stand head and shoulders above their rivals" ( Publishers Weekly ). Preston and Child's Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities were chosen by readers in a National Public Radio poll as being among the one hundred greatest thrillers ever written, and Relic was made into a number-one box office hit movie. They are coauthors of the famed Pendergast series and their recent novels include Verses for the Dead, City of Endless Night, The Obsidian Chamber, and Blue Labyrinth . In addition to his novels and nonfiction works (such as The Lost City of the Monkey God ), Preston writes about archaeology for The New Yorker and National Geographic magazines. Lincoln Child is a Florida resident and former book editor who has published seven novels of his own, including such bestsellers as Full Wolf Moon and Deep Storm . xa0Readers can sign up for The Pendergast File, a monthly "strangely entertaining" newsletter from the authors, at their website, www.PrestonChild.com. The authors welcome visitors to their Facebook page, where they post regularly.

Features & Highlights

  • The #1
  • New York Times
  • 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.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(7.7K)
★★★★
25%
(3.2K)
★★★
15%
(1.9K)
★★
7%
(898)
-7%
(-898)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

good one for the midden heap

I couldn’t wait to read this book.
But, wow, what a let down. The characters, for the most part are underdeveloped. The plot for new fact finding and solving possible new mysteries surrounding this sad historical event was a great opportunity to get super creative.....the ideas surrounding this story had tons of intrigue!
However, there was much repetition - rehashing all the basic details; with every chapter a predictable outcome and too many convenient coincidences; and the anticlimactic ending - just a big disappointment, and a missed opportunity for a great story.
Honesty, I think the authors really liked the term “midden heap” and just went from there.
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Great Book

This is the first book I’ve read by these authors. I got it mainly because I have always been interested in archeology and remote desert locations. I felt the book was awesome.

I don’t usually like reading a book that has recurring characters in a series, but they explained things in a easy to understand way without probably boring readers of the series.
1 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Authors must never have visited the area

The description of Truckee, Donner Lake, and surrounding areas is so wrong that I cannot imagine that the authors ever bothered to take a trip there, or perhaps even look at photographs, or give more than a cursory glimpse at a map. Many things they describe could not possibly occur in the area due to space or other constraints. Yes, I know it's fiction, but as a resident of the area I wish a little more attention had been paid to the setting. Interesting story, however, that really engrosses the reader.
✓ Verified Purchase

Riveting

Well written and holds your interest from page to page
✓ Verified Purchase

Disappointing

Somewhat repetitive and boring. Not a lot of suspense. Ending a big disappointment, especially the appearance of Pendergast.
✓ Verified Purchase

Preston and Child mystery did not disappoint

Enjoy the authors, a good book
✓ Verified Purchase

This one hit all the right buttons for me

This Preston/Child outing hit all the right buttons for me: two of my favorite characters from the many of Pendergast's allies/acolytes took center stage on this one - Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson; the history of the Donner Party tragedy (albeit spun off into a fictional "alternative world"), which has always fascinated me in that way that tragedies borne of decisions made with the best of intentions do; meticulous details on the archaeological process; and equally careful attention to the law enforcement procedures that Corrie follows in her investigation.

I like that Pendergast makes a cameo appearance but isn't his usual over-the-top "super agent" presence, giving readers a more realistic understanding of Corrie's painstaking process to solve the criminal part of this story. That aspect also allowed readers to watch Corrie's personality and capabilities unfold throughout the novel, as well as feel part of the archaeological team as Nora's explanations of the process to Clive become lessons for us, the readers.

As a lifelong archeology "fan," this novel really drew me in and didn't let me go.

Great story, and I'm glad Preston and Child are planning more Nora Kelly-based novels.
✓ Verified Purchase

Detective chiller

Sisters book. She says nice story & characters
✓ Verified Purchase

Dnf

I found the first few chapters uninteresting and tedious. Stopped reading.
✓ Verified Purchase

Loved the two mysteries.

was so surprized when Pendergast had to solve the problems.. of locating the treasures...After Nora and Corrine worked so hard..