I didn't realize going in that this would be a collection of the author's previously published essays and articles, mostly from The New Yorker, but in the end it didn't really matter. Even though nearly all of them were out of date, most published in the 90s and early 2000s, Preston gives 2023 updates on the articles when called for.

I had a good time listening to this. I love stories about lost treasures, the science of figuring out Why Humans and Where Humans, etc., and academic drama (there is so much of that in here). We've also got forged arrowheads sold for thousands of dollars, cannibalism, mysterious deaths, and lots of fights over human remains. My favorite chapter was probably the one about the Dyatlov Pass incident in Russia. That one had an extremely interesting hook, and the added bonus of the mystery being solved by the end.

I would definitely recommend this if you're in the mood for crusty long dead bones, and scholarly controversy.

I flew through this audiobook! Douglas Preston is one of my favorite authors and I was excited to see this new nonfiction book from him! The Lost Tomb is an interesting and exciting book of stories ranging from Egyptian archeological to the more macabre. Each story was unique and fascinating in it’s own right.

This was a collection of previously published articles combined into an anthology so it read like short stories. A couple were very similar, talking about ancient bones and the what they teach us. One was almost entirely about the laws related to native Americans wanting to rebuff ancestors and archeologists worrying what could be lost.
My favorite story was the one about dyatlovs pass. I was familiar with the incident but this provided way more details. I appreciated not just saying what some of the theories around it were but getting into them and how likely they were. It added something to other versions of the telling I had been exposed to.
My least favorite was the Amanda Knox story as it was all about the social media response instead of the actual crime. When the title talks about murder, I expect the crime details.
Overall, it was like listening to a very long podcast. While impressed with the reader’s pronunciation of foreign names, his voice was not my favorite for these kinds of stories.
Ultimately, I would unfortunately not recommend the entirety of this book to others.

I really enjoyed The Lost Tomb. Preston also writes fiction which makes his nonfiction writing very compelling. I felt like reading this book was a little like watching Unsolved Mysteries from when I was a kid. I LOVED that show.

The last couple articles were about the lost tomb. I found that super fascinating after reading Empress of the Nile. I felt that I understood more of what had happened in that part of the world.

The other part I found interesting is he spent a lot of time discussing the ethics around archeology in the US. I found it useful to ponder the various viewpoints.

I recommend this one. I particularly loved it on audiobook. Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this. This releases on Tuesday. Go pick it up.

#TheLostTomb #netgalley

This non fiction book of a series of already published articles by Douglas Preston was so enticing and enthralling to me that I had to order more books written about these very many interesting subjects by him!! The stories about archeology and our planet are most definitely my favorites. I couldn’t get enough and I wanted this book to go on. I am now a huge fan, looking forward to reading all the books that are out by Douglas Preston. Fascinating, educational and factual!!! Keep them coming, please, Doug. You are brilliant!!

Having never read anything by Douglas Preston, I had no expectations going into this book. I liked the majority of the books and found the topics interesting because I hadn't read about them before. Forensic Anthropology is a fascinating topic and Preston makes it accessible to the average reader. Many of the stories were articles published in popular magazines from over 20 years ago, so some of the information seems outdated at times. The author does give a 2023 update at the end of each section, however, to make it feel fresh.

Crisp and filled with Adventurous Stories, This is a good Introduction to lesser-known true-crime stories.

I enjoyed the book. The narration was very good. Would be happy to listen to another one I have enjoyed many books by this author

Straight up brilliant.

The writing is so descriptive and yet emotive, you find yourself immersed instantly in the stories.

If you enjoy short stories, with a darker edge then this is the book for you.

Audiobook narration is fantastic also. One of the best I have heard recently.

I didn't realize until halfway through that this is pretty much a handful of articles that were written by Douglas Preston over the course of his career. Much of this is outdated and a flail attempt to proclaim, "Look what I did!" I did enjoy the description of the well-preserved discoveries in the Dakotas. The rest is simply not that interesting.

Murders, mysteries and mummies – what more could you want?!

Preston presents a very compelling collection of odd tales from around the world where fact truly is stranger than fiction. I found his prose to be very easy to read and accessible, and the flow of his stories really kept me engaged. Not to mention the subject material is SO fascinating that you can’t help but devour it.

I wish I had known before picking this up that the stories were a compilation of previously published articles. Some were very outdated, and while there was a quick update blurb at the end of each story, the articles themselves kind of felt dated. Needless to say, it was still a great read but I think the initial blurb should mention that this is a collection of his journalistic articles, rather than new material.

The Last Tomb And Other Real Life Stories of Bones Burials and Murder by Douglas Preston

297 Pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: December 5, 2023

Audiobook
Listening Time: 12 Hours, 2 Minutes
Narrator: Will Collyer
Publisher: Hachette Audio

Nonfiction (Adult), History, Science

Introduction: Origin Stories
Uncommon Murders: A Buried Treasure
The Monster of Florence
Unexplained Deaths: The Skeletons at the Lake
The Skiers at Dead Mountain
The Skeleton on the Riverbank
Unsolved Mysteries: The Mystery of Oak Island
The Mystery of Sandia Cave
The Mystery of Hell Creek
Curious Crimes: The Clovis Point Con
Trial by Fury
Old Bones: Skeletons in the Closet
Cannibals of the Canyon
The Lost Tomb

This collection of short stories were previously published in different magazines and journals. I found all of them interesting. This was my first nonfiction book by this author. If you like stories of buried treasure or unsolved mysteries, you will enjoy this book.

This was just an okay read for me. I'll admit that despite reading the description this was still not what I was expecting in this book. Where this was interesting to find out the real events that have been shaped into the popular fictional reads that I have enjoyed in his collaborations and series. I will also admit that some of the stories were a little dated when I was expecting more recent stories but I was pleased to get updates at the end of each segment. Overall, this was just an okay read for me.

Douglas Preston collected all of his best stories in this book. I like how he goes to each location to see the things with his own eyes and draw his own conclusions instead of relying on interviews or articles. I got that adventurous vibes from him when I first read The Lost City of Z, and this book is full of other examples of his spirit.

Stories about dinosaurs and the Valley of Kings were especially captivating. I have always been interested in history of ancient Egypt and apocalyptic events from when dinosaurs roam the world. Preston provided new set of information that I have not heard before. On top of these two topic, he introduced a new interest to me: how to connect indigenous skeletons stored in museums to their tribes to give them burial that they deserve and the dilemma came with it.

If you were a kid dreaming of finding lost cities, treasures, and civilizations, and solving coldest of the cases, Preston is your author to read. His stories are real life Indiana Jones stories.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

I’m a huge fan of the Pendergast series (by this author Douglas Preston and his coauthor, Lincoln Child), so when I saw this audiobook with THIS cool of a cover…it was a no brainer, had to hear it. I loved the way this book was organized, and it’s incredibly apparent the high level of research and knowledge that was accumulated in order to write this. I was also praising the publishing company throughout my listen because the narrator was GREAT. I’ve been through so many duds lately, it was refreshing to get a stellar one. The reason it’s a 4 instead of 5, is only because not every story drew me in. I’d recommend this:

If you like:
-Adventure
-Real, unique stories
-A narrator who adds positively to the story, and makes it clear and easy to follow
-Indiana Jones is high up on your favorites list

A fascinating collection of essays by a great fiction writer, Douglas Preston makes non-fiction sound like the most exciting thriller. The remains of an incredibly ancient Caucasoid man, a lake full of skeletons in the Himalayas, cannibalistic tribes in America, proof of the last day of the dinosaurs, the Monster of Florence and a meditation on why we become trolls on social media, among other articles; Preston brings an immediacy to the most distant past and makes the most complicated subjects completely approachable. The titular Lost Tomb is suspenseful, engrossing and amazing. Will Collyer has a friendly voice that really sounds like the author discussing his experiences. The production is flawless, the sound very well-balanced and the music complements the atmosphere of the stories. I enjoyed every single one of these essays and it would be hard to pick a favorite. Preston’s own involvement in the Monster of Florence investigation read like an episode of Criminal Minds, but every chapter is equally compelling. A great audiobook.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Hachette Audio, Grand Central Publishing.

The Lost Tomb by Douglas Preston audiobook was a great, rewarding read for anyone interesting in history. Actually, anyone interesting in interesting things. Each chapter is a different story about something fascinating. The stories appeared in different publications in previous years and this is basically a contemplation. I heard of some of the stories and but these chapters only added to the mystery, with information I haven't heard before.

As for the audiobook itself, I was relieved when the narrator started speaking. I've heard him before and enjoy his narration. The audiobook is easy to listen to, with crisp dictation and overall easy to listen to.

I've been reading Douglas Preston for decades, and he still brings something interesting to every story. Not every book is great, but there is always adventure, even in his nonfiction.
In The Locked Tomb, we see Preston's take on several mysteries that occurred throughout time. The mysteries are already intriguing, but Preston is a journalist who travels around the world and gets involved in personally investigating related facts, making readers feel as though we have a front-row seat.
You don't have to read the book straight through, because the events are completely different. Are you interested in a dinosaur mystery? Egyptian tombs? Russians? Pick the stories you're most interested in first and then read the others later.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audio. The narrator did a fantastic job. The diction was clear but the narrator still managed to keep a tone of understated excitement while maintaining the same pace. I'm going to see if I can find more nonfiction narrated by this performer

Preston’s real life encounters with crime, archaeology, treasure hunters and looters is even more compelling than his best selling fiction. A fascinating read