The Scorpion's Tail (Nora Kelly Series #2)

The Scorpion's Tail (Nora Kelly Series #2)

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-01-13 04:20:28
  • Update Date：2025-09-08
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Douglas Preston
  • ISBN：9781538747278
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Editor Reviews

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

From the Publisher

Reviews

，

K Saju ，

Second book in the series for archaeologist Nora and her FBI "friend" Corrie ， looks like we'll be seeing more of them now。 Being a bigger fan of agent Pendergast ， frankly I'd rather have his involvement more。。 Nothing against the new characters but I'd love to have more of a pure Pendergast series。 That being said this book has got interesting stories of the first atomic bomb and it's worth a read。 Second book in the series for archaeologist Nora and her FBI "friend" Corrie ， looks like we'll be seeing more of them now。 Being a bigger fan of agent Pendergast ， frankly I'd rather have his involvement more。。 Nothing against the new characters but I'd love to have more of a pure Pendergast series。 That being said this book has got interesting stories of the first atomic bomb and it's worth a read。 。。。more

Suz Jay ，

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 unde 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。 。。。more

Shelley ，

So， Pendergast once again does his deus ex machina and everything works out for everyone。 Everyone but Corrie。

TC ，

Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 。。。more

Tracy ，

I like the combination of Nora and Corrie very much。 Love the history lessons， almost had to explain myself to the husband when I read the first revelation of the atomic blast， but he was watching football。 Any chance we could get Sherriff Watts back？ Nice guest appearance by Pendergast as well。

Kimberly ，

Review featured at www。books-n-kisses。comThis 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。Pres Review featured at www。books-n-kisses。comThis 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。 。。。more

Krupal Kulkarni ，

The second outing of the unlikely team of Nora and Corrie pretty much follows the script and plot scenario of the previous one except for a few modifications。 The initial incident that is the inception of the investigan takes place indirectly does seem unnecessary except for putting Corrie on the defensive and second guessing herself and being bitchy with everyone。 She also does come across as clueless most of the time during this investigation and Nora on the other hand is worried about the pol The second outing of the unlikely team of Nora and Corrie pretty much follows the script and plot scenario of the previous one except for a few modifications。 The initial incident that is the inception of the investigan takes place indirectly does seem unnecessary except for putting Corrie on the defensive and second guessing herself and being bitchy with everyone。 She also does come across as clueless most of the time during this investigation and Nora on the other hand is worried about the politics of the organization she is working for especially after the scandal in the last book。 So Nora isn't particularly enthusiastic to aid Corrie in her case but does so anyway and sees it till the end。 The Cowboy sheriff isn't the most original character that the authors could have come up with and he does seem a bit silly prancing about with his ancient guns and without any deputies or backup。 The last part is especially surprising when he gets caught in a shootout but doesn't apparently have any back up to call。 The Character revealed to be the mastermind of the gang behind the looting of artifacts also turns up personally on the scene even though he doesn't have anything particular to do on such looting operations。 That does come across as egregious。 The plot of the mummified corpse and the story behind it does seem inspired by horror legends of victims getting caught inadvertently in nuclear explosion tests or perhaps a certain Green skinned behemoth and so is a tad unreal。 Corrie doesn't get any marks for perspicacity in this one though she does cover herself with glory by the most fortuitous of circumstances and poor Nora must be satisfied by a medal from the FBI instead of promotion in her field。 The cameo by Pendergast in the end doesn't have the same impact as it did in the first one。 However those are minor quibbles and the overall book was enjoyable albeit a bit slow paced。 。。。more

Bror ，

Almost beyond excellent （spoilers）Our 2nd favorite FBI agent is back with a real roller-coaster ride。 New faces， old faces， almost nonstop action。 Very interesting tie-in to a very important historical event。 Sounds good， and was good， except for the ending。 I was already celebrating that she’s standing on her own and proving herself， but then our favorite FBI agent walzes in uninvited， unannounced and dare I say it， unwanted。 That did not only take the wind out of her sails， but the sails， rigg Almost beyond excellent （spoilers）Our 2nd favorite FBI agent is back with a real roller-coaster ride。 New faces， old faces， almost nonstop action。 Very interesting tie-in to a very important historical event。 Sounds good， and was good， except for the ending。 I was already celebrating that she’s standing on her own and proving herself， but then our favorite FBI agent walzes in uninvited， unannounced and dare I say it， unwanted。 That did not only take the wind out of her sails， but the sails， rigging and masts， too。 Still， except for the ending， the book was so good that I can’t round down to 4 stars。 。。。more

Diane Hernandez ，

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 archaeolo 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。 。。。more

Nan Williams ，

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 betwee 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。 。。。more

Samantha Fraenkel ，

Oooh this is shaping up to be a really exciting series。 I've been a long time fan of Preston & Child's Pendergast novels so this spin off series featuring Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly was a must read。 The first book in the series， Old Bones， was excellent so I was very excited to dive into book two， The Scorpion's Tail; it didn't disappoint。 I really love the mix of archaeology and mystery / thriller that this series focuses on。 It is so interesting and keeps me turning the pages late into the Oooh this is shaping up to be a really exciting series。 I've been a long time fan of Preston & Child's Pendergast novels so this spin off series featuring Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly was a must read。 The first book in the series， Old Bones， was excellent so I was very excited to dive into book two， The Scorpion's Tail; it didn't disappoint。 I really love the mix of archaeology and mystery / thriller that this series focuses on。 It is so interesting and keeps me turning the pages late into the night！ The Scorpion's Tail sees Swanson and Kelly taking on a new case involving a mummified corpse discovered in High Lonesome， an abandoned ghost town in New Mexico。 A really great read！ （Seriously， everything this duo writes is great！）ARC Provided by Edelweiss 。。。more

Sally ，

As my first book of 2021， this is a lot to beat。 I loved the characters （Corrie and Nora balance each other so well and I love reading about women in this field）， the plot was compelling， and the pacing was great。 I found myself staying up until 2 am reading， saying I’d stop after one more twist。。。 one more twist。 I love how these guys can tell such a compelling story without gratuitous violence， for those of us who love a mystery but not the bloodshed。 Will definitely be looking forward to the As my first book of 2021， this is a lot to beat。 I loved the characters （Corrie and Nora balance each other so well and I love reading about women in this field）， the plot was compelling， and the pacing was great。 I found myself staying up until 2 am reading， saying I’d stop after one more twist。。。 one more twist。 I love how these guys can tell such a compelling story without gratuitous violence， for those of us who love a mystery but not the bloodshed。 Will definitely be looking forward to the next one！ 。。。more

Christy LoveOfBooks ，

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 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。 。。。more

Sue ，

The Scorpion’s Tail is the second of Preston and Child’s Nora Kelly series which actually feels and reads more as the Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson series， an offshoot of the wonderful Pendergast books。 Much of the plot is covered in the descriptions which are easily found so I will briefly summarize。 Corrie， who is in her initial 2 year “apprenticeship” with the FBI， has been given an assignment: to discover what a relic hunter was searching for in a long isolated ghost town in the hills near W The Scorpion’s Tail is the second of Preston and Child’s Nora Kelly series which actually feels and reads more as the Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson series， an offshoot of the wonderful Pendergast books。 Much of the plot is covered in the descriptions which are easily found so I will briefly summarize。 Corrie， who is in her initial 2 year “apprenticeship” with the FBI， has been given an assignment: to discover what a relic hunter was searching for in a long isolated ghost town in the hills near White Sands Reservation。 What was worth his taking a bullet？From that， the story branches out to other talk of relics of the very old southwest， how Nora with her anthropologist eye and knowledge can assist with the case。 And the case develops。 There is murder， there are gunfights。 At times， the new West feels a bit like the Old West。 While some of the action and actors felt a bit over the top to me， I enjoyed the history， the discussions of authenticating finds or interpreting their meaning。 Occasional steps out of reality are not unusual in Preston and Child’s books。 Unlike in the Pendergast novels， however， the steps here were not into the paranormal but rather into the far fetched。 But， hey， I still enjoyed the novel and I have liked Corrie Swanson since Still Life With Crows。A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Sonya ，

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 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。 I only had one bone to pick and that was the character Corrie Swanson。 I completely understand the desire to create a female character facing a lot of the struggles that she faces being a young woman with in the FBI organization。 I also understand the need to make her kind of a loose cannon rookie; however， I grew increasingly frustrated with her brash approach to everything and her almost portrayed incompetence and ungrateful attitude towards Nora。 I won't go into too much detail as I'm sure it would be a spoiler to the plot， but there were a few places in the book where the character missed things that should have easily been part of her training like number of shell casings， the fact that military are to remove their cover when entering a building。 A good first part of the book centers mainly around her point of view。 Towards the middle end the story felt more balanced between Corrie and Nora。 Once this balance in the telling of the story was established， I had little issue with Corrie。 Her intelligence and strength shone through in the end and I think her personality felt a bit tempered near the end。Other than the love/hate feelings I had towards Corrie， I really enjoyed the book。 A big thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC and opportunity to read and review this next installment of the Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly series。 。。。more

Joe Jones ，

This is the second book in the spin off from the Pendergast series。 If you wanted to you could start here without major spoilers from the first book。 Nora and Corrie are interesting characters and it is fun getting to know them better in this entry。 An interesting plot and setting helped move things along as well。 I am hooked and will be looking for the next book！

Will ，

3。5 / 5 ✪https://arefugefromlife。wordpress。com。。。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 ID 3。5 / 5 ✪https://arefugefromlife。wordpress。com。。。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;DROnce 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。 。。。more

Carol ，

I can never find very much wrong with anything that Douglas Preston and/or Lincoln Childs produces。 I thought the first book in this series got off to a rather slow start but when I became better acquainted with Nora Kelly I found that the series was not only entertaining but actually was high quality with great characters and fascinating subject matter。 The discovery of the mummified body is on federal land， so the FBI gets involved。 This brings on Special Agent Corrie Swanson who we met in the I can never find very much wrong with anything that Douglas Preston and/or Lincoln Childs produces。 I thought the first book in this series got off to a rather slow start but when I became better acquainted with Nora Kelly I found that the series was not only entertaining but actually was high quality with great characters and fascinating subject matter。 The discovery of the mummified body is on federal land， so the FBI gets involved。 This brings on Special Agent Corrie Swanson who we met in the first book。 Looks like these two characters may become a team…and that would be great。 Corrie would have liked a juicier and more exciting assignment rather than checking out some old bones in the high desert， but she has a degree in forensic anthropology…plus she’s a rookie…so off she goes。 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 even been committed。 These two authors are experts when it comes to plotting and telling the story。 It all comes together with some nice twists and nail biting danger to give us another great offering form Preston and Childs。 。。。more

Heather Fineisen ，

I like Nora Kelly but her character along with newbie FBI agent Corrine don't really carry this adventure。 Interesting archeological references but the predictability offsets it。 The evil Colonel is almost a caricature。 The unlikely events that the group including the FBI and a local sheriff finds themselves is a bit of shoot 'em up western material 。 I enjoy the regular series but this title doesn't reach that caliber。Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley I like Nora Kelly but her character along with newbie FBI agent Corrine don't really carry this adventure。 Interesting archeological references but the predictability offsets it。 The evil Colonel is almost a caricature。 The unlikely events that the group including the FBI and a local sheriff finds themselves is a bit of shoot 'em up western material 。 I enjoy the regular series but this title doesn't reach that caliber。Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley 。。。more

Lisa ，

Corrie Swanson， rookie FBI agent， is given her first case。 Her job is to identify a mummified corpse found in a remote New Mexico ghost town。 To help her， she calls on Nora Kelly， acclaimed archaeologist at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute。 What begins as a simple excavation become a twisted tale of hidden treasure， grave robbers， murder and corruption。 I enjoyed the latest installment of the Nora Kelly series！ Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child weave a twisted， thrilling tale with glimpses o Corrie Swanson， rookie FBI agent， is given her first case。 Her job is to identify a mummified corpse found in a remote New Mexico ghost town。 To help her， she calls on Nora Kelly， acclaimed archaeologist at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute。 What begins as a simple excavation become a twisted tale of hidden treasure， grave robbers， murder and corruption。 I enjoyed the latest installment of the Nora Kelly series！ Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child weave a twisted， thrilling tale with glimpses of the turbulent history of New Mexico。 I found this book to be very hard to put down！ 。。。more

Book ，

Sheriff Homer Watts wounds a relic hunter on federal land， and FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson joins his investigation of the unidentified corpse uncovered by the artifact thief before his capture。 After visiting the site， a cellar in a building in High Lonesome， an abandoned ghost town in the Azul Mountains near White Sands Missile Range， Corrie decides she needs an expert。 She recruits archaeologist Nora Kelly to excavate the body in order “to preserve the integrity of the evidence。” Doug Pre Sheriff Homer Watts wounds a relic hunter on federal land， and FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson joins his investigation of the unidentified corpse uncovered by the artifact thief before his capture。 After visiting the site， a cellar in a building in High Lonesome， an abandoned ghost town in the Azul Mountains near White Sands Missile Range， Corrie decides she needs an expert。 She recruits archaeologist Nora Kelly to excavate the body in order “to preserve the integrity of the evidence。” Doug Preston and Lincoln Child are exceptional storytellers。 This tale combines old west history – American Indian lore and the legend of the Victorio Peak Treasure of a billion dollars in gold – with the corpse’s cause of death。 The extensive analysis concludes the body is Jim Gower， a rancher who dies due to witnessing the first nuclear device test in July 1945。 The authors’ ability to combine fascinating historical perspective with present-day mystery makes a captivating adventure told at a relentless pace。 A Scorpion’s Tail features the newest Preston & Child protagonist， Archaeologist Nora Kelly from the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute。 And while their popular character， Agent Pendergast， comes by for a brief appearance， it is Nora and Corrie that carry this exceptional adventure。 。。。more

Michelle ，

3。5 Review to come closer to pub date。

Cynde ，

Corrie Swanson Fresh from FBI training is assigned to the Albuquerque office of the FBI。 On her first case her marksmanship lets her down and she feels she has failed。 Given another chance with a case that may turn out to be nothing， she applies herself even harder to find the answers。 A Sheriff stumbles on a looter in a old Ghost town site and discovers a mummified body。 Corrie's task is to determine how the man died。 She contacts Nora Kelly， an archeologist at the Santa Fe Archeological Instit Corrie Swanson Fresh from FBI training is assigned to the Albuquerque office of the FBI。 On her first case her marksmanship lets her down and she feels she has failed。 Given another chance with a case that may turn out to be nothing， she applies herself even harder to find the answers。 A Sheriff stumbles on a looter in a old Ghost town site and discovers a mummified body。 Corrie's task is to determine how the man died。 She contacts Nora Kelly， an archeologist at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute， who she had worked with on a case in Donner Pass last year。 Nora reluctantly comes out to the Ghost town to exhume the body and search the site for clues。 This begins a mystery inside a conundrum inside a dangerous investigation。 The case takes the two on a roller-coaster ride of clues。 This book is exciting and a wonderful read。 The authors constantly keep things moving in their usual style and since both women are friends with a Special FBI agent it is not surprising that he might make an all important cameo appearance。I highly recommend this book and/or any of the books by these authors。 They always provide a good story！！！ I received a copy from Net Galley for my honest review。 。。。more

Steven ，

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。The creators of Pendergast have done it again。 I've always loved both Nora and Corrie， and was super excited to hear about their first book， Old bones， in which they come together to solve a historical mystery *and* a modern mystery。 Lucky for us， Preston & Child had bigger plans than just one book， and from this plan comes The Scorpion's Tail。Interestingly enough， it's pretty clear earl Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。The creators of Pendergast have done it again。 I've always loved both Nora and Corrie， and was super excited to hear about their first book， Old bones， in which they come together to solve a historical mystery *and* a modern mystery。 Lucky for us， Preston & Child had bigger plans than just one book， and from this plan comes The Scorpion's Tail。Interestingly enough， it's pretty clear early on who the bad guy is。 The fun in this story is all the twists and turns it took to get there - all of the clues， all of the dead ends， all of the puzzles and conundrums that build towards an explosive finale。I'm really interested to see， after that ending， where the next Nora and Corrie book will take us。 I'm *so* along for this ride。Highly recommended but pick up book one first。 （Honestly， you don't have to read all of the Pendergast books first， but you'd know so much more about these characters if you did。） 。。。more

Jacque ，

Nora Kelly， archaeologist， is recruited by Corrie， the rookie FBI protégée of Special Agent Pendergast， to unearth the mummified body found in a ghost town in New Mexico。 Set in the are near White Sands and the site of the original atomic bomb tests， the mystery deepens quickly。 Who is the body？ What killed him？ I enjoyed this story very much and was caught up in the story immediately。 I liked the characters of Corrie and Nora and their friendship， as well as the sheriff and Corrie’s superior。 P Nora Kelly， archaeologist， is recruited by Corrie， the rookie FBI protégée of Special Agent Pendergast， to unearth the mummified body found in a ghost town in New Mexico。 Set in the are near White Sands and the site of the original atomic bomb tests， the mystery deepens quickly。 Who is the body？ What killed him？ I enjoyed this story very much and was caught up in the story immediately。 I liked the characters of Corrie and Nora and their friendship， as well as the sheriff and Corrie’s superior。 Pendergast makes a short appearance at the end to reveal the solution to the final mystery， keeping his mysterious aura。 A thoroughly entertaining story， set in a beautiful and rugged area of New Mexico， The Scorpion’s Tail is a welcome addition to the offshoot stories by Preston and Child。 。。。more

Lynne ，

In this 2nd outing archeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson team up to investigate a 75 year old murder mystery when a victim is found in the ghost town of High Lonesome。 As expected a fast paced thriller with one mystery leading to another！ Looking forward to more by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child。 Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy。

CYIReadBooks （Claire） ，

Special Agent Corrie Swanson is teamed up with archeologist Dr。 Nora Kelly to solve the mystery behind a mummified corpse found in a remote New Mexico ghost town。 Added to that mystery is also the finding of a seemingly priceless artifact -- a gold cross that was found in a pouch from the corpse。 Now it's up to Nora， Corrie and the local authorities to not only identify and solve the death of "John Doe，" they must also solve the mystery behind the gold cross。The authors， Preston&Child have yet a Special Agent Corrie Swanson is teamed up with archeologist Dr。 Nora Kelly to solve the mystery behind a mummified corpse found in a remote New Mexico ghost town。 Added to that mystery is also the finding of a seemingly priceless artifact -- a gold cross that was found in a pouch from the corpse。 Now it's up to Nora， Corrie and the local authorities to not only identify and solve the death of "John Doe，" they must also solve the mystery behind the gold cross。The authors， Preston&Child have yet again executed another fine novel。 With a New Mexico backdrop， it is apparent that extensive research was conducted about the area， customs， and history to provide a flavor for the township and remote desert locations。 All of which are woven into an exciting and mysterious plot。The characters Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson play well into the storyline of the novel。 So do the villains and other minor players。 However， I did not particularly appreciate the appearance of Special Agent Pendergast （from the Pendergast series） in this novel because it just seemed to take away the spotlight from Nora and Corrie。Overall， I really enjoyed The Scorpion's Tail。 It's an exciting and entertaining read sure to please mystery fans and fans of the authors。 I've rated it four stars。 I really liked it。I received a digital ARC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley。 The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions。 。。。more

Sheryle ，

This book is the second collaboration between archeologist Nora Kelly and FBI agent Corrie Swanson。 Like most Preston & Child novels， it was excellent。 These authors really know how to write and delivered a story filled with interesting characters， beautiful locations， non-stop action and an intriguing plot。 My only complaint is that I don’t think Pendergast was used wisely in this book。 My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 My thanks This book is the second collaboration between archeologist Nora Kelly and FBI agent Corrie Swanson。 Like most Preston & Child novels， it was excellent。 These authors really know how to write and delivered a story filled with interesting characters， beautiful locations， non-stop action and an intriguing plot。 My only complaint is that I don’t think Pendergast was used wisely in this book。 My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 My thanks to the the author， the publisher， and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it。 。。。more

Alexis ，

This book was exactly what you expect from a Preston & Child collaboration， with all the good and the not so good that comes with that territory。As always the plot is interesting and well researched。 There are enough twists and turns to keep you interested， writing action is clearly a strong point for these two， but the mystery is eminently solvable。 These are traits you want in a thriller for sure。 The research and love of history is clear in the writing。 The scenery is beautifully described an This book was exactly what you expect from a Preston & Child collaboration， with all the good and the not so good that comes with that territory。As always the plot is interesting and well researched。 There are enough twists and turns to keep you interested， writing action is clearly a strong point for these two， but the mystery is eminently solvable。 These are traits you want in a thriller for sure。 The research and love of history is clear in the writing。 The scenery is beautifully described and the history comes to life as the story unfolds。 This pair can certainly craft a solid tale。However， like other books by these authors， the character development all feels like a “men writing women” cliche。 With Corrie， it is leaned into pretty hard that she is facing discrimination as a young woman in a man’s field， but she is never written in a way that shows any kind of three-dimensional existence。 She is a girl （but not like other girls！） with a checkered （but never fully shared！） past。。。you know the formula。 Add in that she is written as an intellectual blank slate （an FBI agent with no idea about Watergate， was stationed in an area for 8 months and clearly never looked at a map， often deficient in knowledge she should have given her “specialty training”。。。just to name a few） and this protagonist rapidly fails to make an impact。 The men only do slightly better， each being a paper doll archetype， but there you at least feel like authors have imbued them with some intellect。In short a five star plot with one star characters。 。。。more

Linda ，

There's certainly plenty of sting happenin' here in the vast deserts and mountains of New Mexico。 In particular， Albuquerque and as far as the arms can stretch and the binocs can view。We're riding alongside FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson in this second edition of the Nora Kelly Series。 Corrie is coming out the other side of a domestic dispute gone bad。 She blames herself for a split second decision that almost cost the life of a child。。。。。。 an out of control adult seemingly devaluing his famil There's certainly plenty of sting happenin' here in the vast deserts and mountains of New Mexico。 In particular， Albuquerque and as far as the arms can stretch and the binocs can view。We're riding alongside FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson in this second edition of the Nora Kelly Series。 Corrie is coming out the other side of a domestic dispute gone bad。 She blames herself for a split second decision that almost cost the life of a child。。。。。。 an out of control adult seemingly devaluing his family in a hostage situation。Being on a two-year probationary program in her training， Corrie is told to sit this one out for a while。 Her boss， Morwood， has reassigned her to a recent unfolding case up near the Azul Mountains。 An illegal relic hunter uncovered a man's body in the process。 Morwood felt that Corrie's background in forensic anthropology could be key to this investigation。 Said mummified body appears to have been there since around 1945。 A murder victim or what？Corrie calls upon Dr。 Nora Kelly， senior curator at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute。 Nora is an ace when it comes to ancient Pueblo culture。 Besides， Corrie saved Nora's butt in the last outing。 And this case is gonna try women's souls。 Someone doesn't want Corrie and 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。 Certainly not a place to go unprepared。The Scorpion's Tail is another high-level adventure in the hands of the dynamic duo Preston & Child。 If you've been a fan over the years， you know whereof I speak。 This series features two superbly strong female lead characters packin' high-octane cerebral assets。 And they work well together。 Preston & Child line their stories with layers of history and science which almost compels the reader to find out more on the topic at hand。 It's never overwhelming and it just adds to the intrigue of the setting。 That's the draw with Preston & Child。 Expect the unexpected。 You'll never look at a historical situation with the same eyes again。 And no one sets up a scene like they do。 Bravo， Gentlemen， once again。 Just Bravo。I received a copy of The Scorpion's Tail through NetGalley for an honest review。 My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to the talented Preston & Child。 。。。more