In this hard to put down thriller, archaeologist Nora Kelly and newly-minted FBI agent Corrie Swanson reluctantly join forces during an expedition to the Sierra Nevada to locate the supposed "Lost Camp" of the Donner Party which, unlike the two primary campsites, has never been found. Along the way they deal with murders, a kidnapping, grave robberies, and a fortune in gold.

Combining legend, fact, fiction, and science, the writing team of Preston Child takes the reader into the final days of the Donner Party and wraps enough mystery and intrigue to captivate the reader with a current-day archaeological dig, led by Nora Kelly a curator at the Santa Fe Institute of Archaeology, in the Lost Camp, all the while encompassing treasure hunting, grave robbing, and bio-warfare.

The book grabs you from the beginning, slows down a bit in the middle, and ends with such an explosive end the reader might not have understood, from the beginning, where this book would end up. Some of the descriptions are a bit graphic and stomach-turning, but this is about the infamous Donner Party and most people know what was supposed to have happened.

This is the first in the new Nora Kelly series which has Pendergast making a surprise visit, but not sure if he will be a recurring character. But one does wonder if Corrie and Nora will partner together on future cases.

Preston and Child’s new series features Nora Kelly and while it isn’t up to Pendergast standards (and really, what is?), it was pretty good. Nora has been in previous Preston and Child books and is a likable character. Because she is an archeologist, her storylines tend to be intricate and, at times, even educational. In this first book, Nora shares the spotlight with another character Pendergast readers will recognize, FBI agent Corrie Swanson.

As usual, the authors have written an excellent story, one in which their research really shines. There are also great characters, beautifully described locations and fast paced action. The ending was a bit weak, but Pendergast did make a brief appearance. So, bring on book two!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Old Bones is an extremely entertaining thriller/mystery that has something in it for almost everyone.

Like a good FBI crime thriller? This book has got you covered. Prefer an archeological mystery? That’s here too. How about the gruesome history of the Donner Party? That plays a big part in the story. Murder, mayhem, ghost stories, grave robberies, and just the slightest hint of romance help round out the lively plot.

There were a few pieces of the ending that I guessed in advance, but one big reveal was truly surprising - and that’s always a big plus. I enjoyed the two main characters and look forward to future titles in this new Preston & Child series.

The epilogue was a bit too convenient and dampened the overall pace and feel of the book a bit, but this didn’t hurt the overall experience by much. If anything, it merely dropped the actual rating to 4.75 stars instead of an even 5.

Fans of the writing duo will undoubtedly enjoy this novel. Others who are new to them, like me, will also find much to like and will probably end up venturing into their backlist.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

In a curious mix, OLD BONES, the new novel from bestselling writing partners Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, combines the excitement of a treasure hunt adventure with the mystery, and almost police procedural, of a mind-boggling FBI case.

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..

Continue reading at
http://www.thebigthrill.org/2019/07/up-close-preston-and-child/

These guys just consistently deliver. A new book from them is like a welcomed visit from an old friend.

Nora Kelly, a museum curator, begins an expedition for the "Lost Camp" of the Donner Party in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. What begins as an unremarkable dig begins to descend into chaos as fear and anxiety begin to mount. Adding to the mix, rookie FBI agent Corrie Swanson, who is investigating a possible connection to her case of murder, grave robbing and kidnapping. Riveting, fast paced thriller with two intelligent, strong women in the lead! I was intrigued by the vivid descriptions of conditions in the mountains the Donner Party suffered through and the excavation of the site. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's new series will surely be as engaging and compelling as their other collaborations, they certainly have me hooked!

2* out of five.
For me, the thrill is gone with Lincoln and Child. I still enjoy their individual books, but their joint efforts fail to engage me and I'm beyond tired of Pendergast. Yet I continue to read their books.

This appears to be a fresh beginning with Agent Corrie Swanson and archaeologist Nora Kelly, and with Agent Pendergast making a token appearance at the end. Perhaps new material will pump new life into their joint efforts, but this title felt anticlimactic to me.

As always, thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. #OldBones #NetGalley

3.5 / 5 ✪

The latest Preston & Child offering provides Nora Kelly with her own spinoff, featuring Corrie Swanson. In short, yeah, it’s… okay. I mean, it could’ve been a lot worse.

Seven years have passed since the events of Cemetery Dance. Dr. Nora Kelly has moved on to New Mexico, working as an archaeologist for the premier Santa Fe Archaeological Institute—though she has yet to move past the death of her husband, William J. Smithback. Here she has made a home, friends, a dog, memories, and yet much still eludes her.

Enter Clive Benton (NOT Guy Porter, as the blurb informs me)—Clive Benton—historian, Donner Party descendant, and lost gold enthusiast. He approaches Nora with an opportunity involving all three, and asks for the Institute to fund it. And for $20 million in lost gold, they are off on an epic adventure.

“The Lost Camp”, as Benton refers to it, is a third and as-of-yet undiscovered camp in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which had suffered rampant cannibalism, unnerving even when compared to the known camps fates. Hiring a small party of outfitters, wranglers, and graduate students, Nora and Benton are off to discern its fate. But something more than meets the eye is at work here, as Agent Corrie Swanson soon learns. Indeed, it may tie in to her case of grave desecrations, murder, and abduction happening in the present day. And the Party itself may have more to it than meets the eye.

So, I want to start at the end. Specifically, the end of the last 4 or 5 Pendergast books. They’ve been bad. The last two especially have turned a 180, introducing characters with no motive seen or heard in any of the story to that point, and listed them as somehow supernatural killers. Now, without too much of a spoiler—Old Bones doesn’t do that. The ending makes sense, and while the epilogue laid it on a little thick, nothing ridiculous occurs.

Next, let’s look at the story itself. A bit of a slow build; lots of bones, lots of Donner Party lore and supposition, interaction, investigation. Very little action or suspense. Somewhere around the halfway mark, things begin to move. Again, compared to the recent Pendergast books, I found it quite refreshing. It doesn’t rush, and it paints a competent picture. Sadly, Old Bones didn’t blow me away. It wasn’t a captivating read, a pulse-pounding thriller. But it was pretty good, and a relief compared to what we fans have endured lately.

Character-wise, I didn’t really care for Corrie, which is a shame, as I’ve always quite enjoyed her POVs. Nora’s too, for that matter. But while Nora continued to deliver in Old Bones, Corrie’s performance was a bit of a departure. Her chapters were a bit cliché. You know, the interagency feuds, the incompetent superiors, sexism, class structure, etc. In one scene, she relates to a witness to get them to open up in a fashion that’s been repeated waaaay too much in media. “‘The man’ likes music, just like me? Wow, I guess she’s alright, then. I should tell her what I didn’t tell anyone else”. Sigh. She was just a disappointment, in my opinion.

Bottomline, if you’re after a new and inventive supernatural thriller—this ain’t it. It’s a decent enough mystery-thriller, I suppose, especially if you’ve been reading the Pendergast series this entire time. Even feels like a bit of a triumph when compared to the latest books. They CAN still write. Honestly, I hope this new Kelly-Swanson spinoff delivers, I really do, because I think it’s time we think about cancelling the original.

Preston and Child never disappoint, and I was especially delighted to have a story featuring Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson instead of another Pendergast tale. The concept here was a new one for me - I haven't read much about the Donner Party, and never a fictional account. The plot develops deftly, beginning with the recovery of an old diary which sets in motion a whole chain of events that conclude in the typical nail-biting fashion favored by these authors.

One of the things I enjoy about Preston and Child books is the historical aspect drawn over a modern crisis. Here, we have the grisly tale of the Donner Party, known for cannibalism, laid over a modern archaeological dig trying to discover exactly what caused the "Lost Camp" members to become unhinged. The historical information is rendered in such a way that it prompts the reader to explore non-fiction sources to learn more about the time period and the historical event. For me, that's the power of good fiction. Recommended.

Welcome back Nora Kelly, archeologist extraordinaire. Nora is contacted by historian Clive Benton about the Lost Camp of the ill-fated Donner Party. Dr. Benton found the diary of one of the rescued members. It contains the possible location of the Lost Camp and a hint of the possibility of hidden gold. With funding secured Dr. Kelly’s group head to the Sierra Nevada’s to see what they can “dig up”.
I’d like to thank Douglas Preston , Lincoln Child and NewGalley for the opportunity to read and review Old Bones.

Preston and Child have added a new leading lady to their group of crime solving sleuths. Nora Kelly, seen in some of their earlier works, leads an archaeological dig at one of American History’s most notorious sites, Donner Pass, as she searches for clues to a lost group of members of the ill fated wagon train. Joining her are a host of others, each with their own agendas. As the body count rises, Nora must maintain the integrity of her site while figuring out who is behind the killings aided by a rookie FBI agent. Even old Pendergast steps in the final moments to help solve one of the mysteries Nora faced. As always, a great read.

Oh my goodness! I REALLY enjoyed this book! Preston and Child are my favorite author duo and I’m so excited for this new series. It’s definitely a series you can read and not have read the Pendergast series. However, it was fun seeing a couple of “old friends” in a new way!

Nora Kelly is asked to help find/excavate the Donner party’s “lost camp” in the remote sierra mountains. What could possible go wrong? Well, you’ll have to read for yourself to find out! I had to stay up well past my bedtime.

A big thank you to the publisher and the NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

#OldBones
An action packed thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. I hadn't read Preston and Child in a very long time so I found myself debated on requesting this one. I am so glad that I did. Old Bones has a great plot, but the main character, Nora Kelly, was authentic. I enjoyed the Donner Party plot point and that it has historical information to guide the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-arc copy of this novel.

Loved that two characters from previous Pendergast mysteries, Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson, were central to this story! Thoroughly enjoyed OLD BONES!

Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
By Jack | July 21, 2019 | Book Review
Preston and Child are about all you need to hear to know it is going to be a good, and likely great, mystery novel. Their collaboration is simply amazing. The new book is Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. This is a new one in the Nora Kelly series and is scheduled to be out on August 20, 2019

If you have read many of my reviews, you know that I occasionally buy a book but more often my reading matter comes from the library or reading advance reader copies (ARC) that I find on NetGalley ( https://www.netgalley.com/ ). A few weeks ago I was perusing Netgalley to see if they had anything interesting. Of the hundreds of books available there the Preston and Child book stood out.



I’ve read several books by the Preston and Child collaboration and reviewed a few here(http://www.jackreidy.com/blog/tag/preston-and-child/). So I knew it was going to be good. When I read the description, I thought Old Bones would be very good.. Here is the description from NetGalley:



” #1 bestselling authors Preston & Child bring the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party to new life in a thrilling blend 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. “

The murder near the beginning of the book first gets your attention. Then there are several plot lines developed and you start to wonder where the story is going. But each was interesting. And when they unite, it becomes a fascination story of an archaeological expedition to find the Lost Camp of the Donner Party accompanied by murder, lost gold, suspense, and more. I totally enjoyed this Old Bones and highly recommend it.

But don’t just take my word for it. Here are some good reviews from kirkus and good reads.

The morning after I finished I was talking about books with a friend of mine who enjoys mysteries. I mentioned reading an ARC of the new Preston and Child book. He had already pre-ordered it. Their names are enough to sell books.

OLD BONES is the first of the Nora Kelly series. As you may recall, Nora was the intrepid curator/archaeologist in some of the early Pendergast novels. The authors have decided to give Nora her own series, minus the usual Pendergast characters save one. Newly minted FBI agent Corrie Swanson is here also, investigating a murder.
Nora is on site excavating remains found of the famous Donner Party of 1847. What begins as a typical excavation turns into terror when members of their dig turn up dead. Corrie and the FBI are investigating these murders because they took place on Federal land, plus they tie in with another investigation involving grave robbing. Apparently, the robbed graves were descendants of a member of the Donner Party – but why the interest in them all of a sudden?
The premise sounds thrilling, but the telling of the tale is middling. Much of the action takes place on the dig and seems repetitive. Nora and Corrie butt heads during the course of the investigation and Corrie has to deal with the “good old boys” of law enforcement who mock her lack of experience.
The winning points of OLD BONES are the strong female characters – Nora, Corrie, and Nora’s boss Dr Fugit. It seems as though their characters are drawn well with good backstory, while the men are secondary. You won’t hear a complaint from me; I appreciate the authors giving Nora and Corrie their feisty personalities and strong work ethic.
Most of the book reads like a weak version of a Pendergast novel. I did keep expecting him to pop up somewhere to save the day. Final verdict – not the worst thing by far I’ve read, but just sort of dull. The best parts were the history, albeit gory, of the Donner Party and how they managed to survive.
Nora is a great character and I am looking forward to seeing her handle her next adventure. Perhaps the authors will hit their stride in the next book.

The only other book I have read by this duo was The Relic forever ago. My husband however, reads every Pendergast book and owns them, as well as any book by the authors. They are his favorite for their ease of reading (not so technical that it makes no sense to the layman reading) but still interesting. I absolutely agree with this. This book was easy to read while still holding interest and I read through it in two days. It was a great, intriguing read based on historical fact.

OLD BONES, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, connects two of the favorite characters from the Pendergast series, Nora Kelly, an archeologist, and Corrie Swanson, a rookie FBI agent. Nora Kelly has been presented with the idea that there is more to the Donner family tragedy than what has been recorded. She is convinced by a historian, Dr. Clive Benton, that there is an unfound campsite and potentially an unfound treasure. When Nora, Clive, and their crew arrive, they slowly discover the truth about the site and many more things that they weren't expecting. Meanwhile, some gruesome murders and their hidden connection to each other lead Corrie Swanson to the same site with her own set of questions.
Preston & Child's formula, while a little predictable and formulaic if you have read other books by them, is exciting and pleasantly familiar if you are a fan of them already. Like the Marvel Universe created in the movies recently, they also throw in tidbits throughout the book that tie into other books they have written. The suspense and thrilling nature of their writing, even without have the context of their other books, is well done and keeps the reader engaged and yearning to find out what happens next. Another writing talent that they excel at is their ability to clearly describe the locale/setting throughout the book. They explained the desert topography very intricately and how the characters worked their way through it, but also they don't waste any words in the descriptions so that the reader doesn't get bogged down and starts to lose interest in the story.
While OLD BONES didn't blow my mind like the some of Preston & Child's other works have, it is a well written book with an exciting finish and I am definitely interested in future books in this new series featuring Dr. Nora Kelly.

Well folks, I gotta give it 5 stars:) When I read the opening of this book, I thought ugh, I'm not going to like this, but I gave it another chapter or two and I was hooked. I thought it was a very good story. It really made the Donnor Party experience come to life. How awful it must of been, as you read it, it is so well described you can imagine being there. I enjoyed the mystery, and all the information on archaeological digs. The soon to be inevitable friendship between Nora and Corrie was also fun to read. They are both experts in their field and get on each others nerves, at the end of the book they find they have a friend in kind, Pendergast. Even if you aren't already a fan of Preston/Child you will enjoy this book.