They have done it again! Their books are exciting, well thought out, entertaining, and just oh so much fun! I recommend their books to anyone that walks through our doors. Thank you for writing another winner! This books is an off-shoot of their main storyline and main characters. I enjoyed the local, plot, and how fast the story went by. I am looking forward to their next adventurous tale of these characters.
They have done it again! Their books are exciting, well thought out, entertaining, and just oh so much fun! I recommend their books to anyone that walks through our doors. Thank you for writing another winner! This books is an off-shoot of their main storyline and main characters. I enjoyed the local, plot, and how fast the story went by. I am looking forward to their next adventurous tale of these characters.
They have done it again! Their books are exciting, well thought out, entertaining, and just oh so much fun! I recommend their books to anyone that walks through our doors. Thank you for writing another winner! This books is an off-shoot of their main storyline and main characters. I enjoyed the local, plot, and how fast the story went by. I am looking forward to their next adventurous tale of these characters.

This was my first book by this author. I thought is was interesting to read about archeology. I really liked the strong female characters of Nora and Corrie. The mystery surrounding possible UFO sightings had me on the edge of my seat. I was so facilitated by all the theories laid out in this book. I had no idea this was part of a series and I can not wait to read more in this series.

What: archaeology! Murder!
About: Nora Kelly, from the Agent Pendergast series, thrives in her series!
Assets: this is probably not your first Preston & Child book, so you know what to expect — creative mystery-solving, rich prose/dialogue, and maybe an Easter egg or cameo
Obstacles: if you haven't read her character in the Pendergast books, you'll be fine with the series, but having the foundation of the character, authors, shared universe, etc. will enrich the experience.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have been my favorite authors for decades, beginning with Relic (1995), which was made into a movie by Paramount. I always look forward to reading their next book, so was surprised to find Diablo Mesa as less intriguing read. I found the storyline too extra-(terrestrial) for me. While I love that Preston and Child entertained alien science in their work, I just could not get excited about it.
I did, however, enjoy the growing relationship between the female heroines, Special Agent Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly. I will look forward to seeing where their next adventure takes them.

Thank you Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child for your wonderful contribution to the book world. And thank you to @GrandCentralpub for the egalley.

Diablo Mesa by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Nora Kelly #3

When Nora finds out that the Institute wants to send her to find aliens in Roswell, she resigns her position. Before she is out of the parking lot Mr. Tappan finds her and requests she direct the excavation which she again turns down until she finds out that Tappan has hired her brother to work at the site as well.

What will Nora find buried in the sand? What lies in the area beyond? What is the government trying to hide?

I just reviewed Diablo Mesa by Douglas Preston; Lincoln Child. #DiabloMesa #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

This is a page-turner!!

Not my favorite. I used to love Pendergast because they ALWAYS had weird endings to seemingly unbelievable things. Now we have landed just in fantasy and sci-fi. And, while this is not a Pendergast novel, I wanted more.

Nora Kelly is back in the third of her series set at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute. But now her position has changed and she has lost standing to Connor Digby, brought in by her boss not to assist her, but to be her boss.

Well things will change as the Director informs Nora her next work will be a dig at Roswell, yes, that Roswell, financed by billionaire Lucas Tappan. She cannot force herself to agree to this and ultimately resigns her position as they are about to fire her. Her brother learns she is gone and also resigns.

Meanwhile, Tappan, who is brilliant and wealthy and cagey, has been waiting to speak to Nora and offer her the job separate from the Institute. There is bickering for a while as Nora cannot conceive of being involved in this whole thing. Tappan gradually wears her down with more detailed information, views of his staging area and equipment, and work plans. She agrees and Skip is hired too.

Soon there are subtle signs that something is “off,” not right in Roswell. Not so much in the dig itself but the overall project. A man goes missing. Agent Corrie Swanson is already involved but doesn’t know in what.

I like what Preston and Child have done here, updating archaeological tests and routines to add so much to the described re-examination of the 1947 Roswell landing area in ways that feel real, if you are at all into sci fi. And the description of new equipment feels real to me, an interested non-scientist. Then there is the out of control Military-CIA who are quite believable as written.

I do recommend this. Lots of adventure with action, thinking and conspiracy. Just right for this world and a Preston & Child novel.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Diablo Mesa
Authors: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child



I read every book these two write. I'm a long time fan of the Pendergast series, and jumped right into this spin-off when they first started writing novels about Nora Kelly. Diablo Mesa is the 3rd book in this series, and the stories just keep getting better and better!!

This time Nora is tasked with investigating at Roswell, New Mexico. Yep -- aliens and The Incident we all know about. And, she isn't happy about it. Nora is a total skeptic when it comes to the legendary alien event. But her annoyance with the excavation comes to an end when they dig up two dead bodies. The bodies have obviously been mutilated to obscure identity. The FBI becomes involved and the case gets stranger and stranger. This is more than just murder -- but a possible cover-up of something much more dangerous and sinister.

Loved this story!!!!! I couldn't stop reading! Preston and Child hit it out of the park again! As usual -- they never disappoint me. Definitely up for whatever adventure they send Nora on next -- it's always action-packed and very suspenseful.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own**

In Diablo Mesa, archeologist Nora Kelly is tricked into working on a project at the site of the Roswell Incident in 1947—even though she doesn’t believe in extraterrestrials.

While excavating, Nora’s team discovers the bodies of a man and a woman that appear to date from the 1940s. In addition, some of their instruments’ readings lead many on the team to conclude that an alien spacecraft did crash in the New Mexico desert. But where is the spacecraft now? The team begins to look for it. In the meantime, FBI Agent Corrie Swanson is put in charge of determining who the murdered couple are and what were the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

I loved this book up until about 40% in, when it suddenly became a spy thriller. I expected, and wanted, more archeology, forensic science, and Roswell alien mythology. However, it still was a fast and fun adventure. For those that want a spy thriller, Diablo Mesa works well. 4 stars!

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson with another mystery on an archeological dig. This is a really good series

The plot started really well and was nicely developed with our favorite archeologist and FBI newbie. I can’t help but wonder, though, how come our FBI newbie, Corrie Swanson, is still in her intern stage with a mentor, after 3 novels! Likewise our archeologist, Nora Kelly, who can’t seem to advance in her career.

Elon Musk is obviously the prototype for the eccentric billionaire in the novel, Lucas Tappan. All of this is well and good up to about 60 or 70%. Then things get really murky and the plot evolves into a Star Wars wannabe with lots of galactic shoot outs right here in the good ole USA.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. I’m sure those readers inclined to Sci-Fi and galactic adventures will enjoy it thoroughly.

adventure. This time Nora's digging into the Roswell incident, against her better judgment, but when billionaire Lucas Tappan, founder of Icarus Space insists she's the only person for the job, hires her brother away from the institute they both work for, and promises her total control of the site, what's an archeologist to do? When Nora uncovers bodies buried at the site, their faces burned off with acid, she calls in her sometimes partner Corrie and the two just keep digging themselves in deeper. Mystery, murder, espionage, governments conspiracies, and just maybe ... a little romance lies ahead in a non-stop adventure for Kelly and Swanson.

Preston & Child's latest adventure for feisty archeologist Nora Kelly and the rookie FBI Agent Corrie Swanson has them finding trouble again. This time, Nora calls Corrie when she uncovers a pair of bodies buried at the site of the 1947 Roswell incident (which she's been talked into treating as a legitimate archeological dig).

Wait. Maybe I should have led with that.

When space-tech billionaire Lucas Tappan shows up at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute to offer a healthy sum for someone to do a serious archeological study of the Roswell site there's only one catch; Nora Kelly has to lead the effort. Nora is already put out by getting passed over by a male counterpart for a promotion, and the idea of linking her name to anything involving UFOs is more than she can stand, knowing that it would be a career killer.

Well, getting fired doesn't look that good either, so when Lucas corners her in the parking lot (as she is clearing out her office), he makes her an offer she can't refuse. Well, not for long anyway. Soon, Nora, her brother Skip, and their dog, Matty, are whisked away to the supposed UFO crash site where Lucas has already assembled a small village of Airstreams and RVs. But before they can start looking for buried UFO traces, Nora insisted they check out what looks like deep-scanning radar imagines of a pair of bodies near the site. Nora expects it to be a Native American burial site, which she can identify, report, recover, and get on with the job, but it turns out that they're a man and a woman who appear to have been tortured, burned with acid to make them hard to identify, and then buried ... at just about the time the Roswell Incident took place.

Fortunately, Nora has her FBI friend Corrie on speed dial.

What follows, just at the cover copy promises, is a "Pandora's box of espionage and violence, uncovering bloody traces of a powerful force that will stop at nothing to protect its secrets."

Readers of previous books will be happy to find out that Corrine's slow-cooking love interest, Sheriff Homer Watts, gets roped into the mystery as well. He's still wearing his Resistol silver belly (hat) and his grandfather's Colt Peacemakers, somehow managing to pull the whole thing off without a touch of irony. Spoiler alert ... the hat's gonna take a beating. Nora's due for some romance too if she can take a moment from digging up bones, treasure, and possible alien crashes, but we'll leave that to the reader to find out.

As soon as I saw the Roswell tie-in I was hooked, no surprise to anyone who knows me, and there's enough conspiracy theory and thoughtfully-constructed evidence in here to make this a valid science fiction crossover while holding its own as a mystery/thriller. I especially appreciated the author's familiarity with the three generations of government claims about what really happened at Roswell, weather balloon, nuclear monitoring device, and Russian alien spoof respectively, and the technology used to dig into the UFO portion of the mystery is very credibly handled.

Not that there actually are aliens on Diablo Mesa ... but you'll have to read the book to find out for sure.

In this newest addition to the Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson series, we see our leading ladies making personal changes that have been needed for a while. What helps spark these changes, why the Roswell UFO incident of course! Preston and Child continue to use real life historical incidents to pull together a great mystery/action filled story that keeps the reader entertained and wanting more. I eagerly look forward to see what historical incident they'll tackle next and how Nora and Corrie continue to evolve. I am hooked to this series! Thank you to NetGalley for a e-copy for a honest review.

This is a great addition to their awesome series. The female leads are fascinating and continue to develop in their jobs and as people. These books are a must for adventure readers, mystery and thrillers.

Diablo Mesa is the third book in this series. This time around Nora is on a dig near area 51 looking for a possible UFO from the 40's. Her scientific approach keeps her skeptical. When 2 bodies are found on the dig site, Corrie is called in to investigate since the dig is on federal land. I am really loving this series and I think this is the best one yet.

I devoured this latest. I really love both Nora and Corrie as characters. They had less one on one interaction in this one. But I didn't mind because it allowed both of their characters to be explored further, individually. We also get to see characters from previous books, like Nora's brother Skip and Sheriff Watts. The ending scenes were fast paced and had me holding my breath. Do they find a UFO? I'm not telling. You will have to read to find out. The final scene was gold and the best revenge. I look forward to seeing how this changes things for Nora in the future. I highly recommend this one as well as the entire series.

This is a fun book, as usual with Preston & Child. Where science meets science fiction, a professor and archeologist is asked to do research that she feels will seriously affect her career. But circumstances prevail and she ends up with her brother and a rich, and of course, handsome billionaire who funds the whole operation.
It's a fun story and goes along pretty well til the end, where credulity is a bit strained.

But the dog is ok, the most important thing, and it for sure a fun concept to contemplate. 4.5 stars

I'm really liking Nora Kelley as she is rounded out even more in her third adventure. Aliens and government secrets are the plot when two bodies from the 1940s and a weird contraption are found on a dig in the desert. Nora and Corrine are on the case. Best read in order but this could stand alone with less enjoyment for the reader. A good series spinoff by consistent writers.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

Nora Kelly is definitely not your typical archeologist, and Corrie Swanson isn’t a buttoned up FBI agent.

These two have two separate but equal cases going on, trying to figure out how, or if the cases are related, and if Tappen’s funding of the Area 51 dig has dug up more than aliens.

I love Nora’s skepticism throughout, no matter what’s going on she doesn’t let anyone or anything change her mind, she weighs the facts.

And Corrie finally being a lead agent, especially with everything going on around her, totally makes the story work.

Now, the only thing is, who do they really need to worry about?

5 Stars!



Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child can always be counted on for a good story. Known best for this Special Agent Pendergast books, the duo have found another winner in their Nora Kelly series. This series has given a new generation of readers a chance to jump in to the beginning of a new series and they have not disappointed. The third book of the series, Diablo Mesa, promised to be another exciting chapter in the series and I was happy to jump back into its world of intrigue for more thrills and chills.



Lucas Tappan is an eccentric billionaire who is convinced that extraterrestrials have visited the Earth. He turns his obsession to the Roswell “crash” site and has one person in mind to lead his search for alien artifacts: Nora Kelly. Nora resists and is fired from her job for initially refusing. When her brother signs on with Tappan, though, she feels like she has no choice but to join the team. She fears that this will destroy her reputation as a reputable scientist but is determined to bring hard science to the dig. When she quickly uncovers two murder victims, the FBI and Special Agent Corrie Swanson comes into the picture to investigate. The world will never again be the same.



Nora continues her excavation while Corrie begins to look into the murder victims from the 1940’s and both women find their work getting more complicated and bizarre. While Corrie digs into a murder long forgotten but becoming increasingly dangerous in the present, Nora begins to uncover items both mundane and strange that make her question long-held beliefs about the possibility alien life. The two mysteries begin to converge in ways that bring government conspiracies and possible extraterrestrial forces into play in a way that could become deadly for both of them. There is a mystery in the desert outside of Roswell that has been hidden for generations and the truth could kill them both when it finally comes to light.



Diablo Mesa has a little bit of everything in it. Preston and Child take a chance in blending genres to craft the novel. This can water down the story and make it confusing but the two pull it off in their normal spectacular fashion. Part police procedural, part thriller, and part science fiction, Diablo Mesa is difficult to label but easy to like. The book takes a measured approach to the story and there is ample time to build the story but action is dished out in a measured fashion throughout so that the reader is kept moving along. As expected, there is enough science (or at least quasi-science) to give the story a feeling of reality so the reader can believe what is happening during the course of the novel (and possibly beyond). It is a blend of fact and fiction that entertains and yet makes the reader think about the real world as well.



I have been a fan of Preston and Child for years, decades even, and I think I can safely say that Diablo Mesa is the best novel I have read from the duo in a long time if not the best they have ever written. The story just grabbed me from the outset and the two converging storylines, the excavation of the possible alien crash site and the investigation of the decades-old murders, were handled perfectly in both pacing as well as their interaction and development with the other storyline. The novel unwinds with almost no word out of place and it kept me glued to the pages from the first page to the last. There may be a time or two when it will lose some appeal to those who are not into science fiction as it does get a bit into that at times but this is not an issue for me. Diablo Mesa shows just how good Preston and Child can be.



I would like to thank Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this review copy. Diablo Mesa scheduled to be released on March 15, 2022.

I can always count on a book by Preston and Child to engage me with unputdownedness and this one is no exception. Even better, it features familiar characters like Nora Kelly. The writing is exceptional as always and though the subject matter can get a bit 'out there' at times, the story roped me right in. Outlandish at times but always exciting, I enjoyed this book immensely.