Where cults go haywire, camping goes wrong and no Pendergast in sight.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Arc meaning Advanced Reader Copy.

Sidenote, this is the first non-Pendergast book I’ve read from Preston and Child. It’s also the 5th book of the Nora Kelly series.

It faithfully follows the thriller formula and slow build-up with collecting data, interviews and bits of character development sprinkled in. Given how the most ‘modern’ one I read was ‘White Fire’, to get a glimpse of how far the characters have gone makes me excited to catch up on the series.

Writing style is consistent as ever, and the heavy descriptions of the environment feel rarer. This time around we have now FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, Nora Kelly, Skip, Agent Sharp, Sheriff Watts and more investigating the mysterious deaths of women found dead in a desert with more questions than clues. Corrie and Nora have great chemistry and make a great team when it comes to finding answers and getting things done as active protagonists.

This one focused on the investigation without much of a ‘B’-plot aside from Skip bonding with a certain billionaire artifact-lover. There’s plenty of mystery about the ‘Gallinas’ so be prepared to learn a lot.

The ending was wild, and made stepping away from reading hard to do.

Thriller, Nora Kelly, Preston & Child enjoyers will get a kick out of this one. The publication date for this book is Jun 03 2025.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central for the pre-release copy of Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Below is my honest review.

I'm a huge Preston & Child fan, and I really love Nora and Corrie. This one did NOT disappoint. In fact, it might be one of my favorites in the Pendergast world so far.

This one follows Corrie and Nora as they work together to investigate a five year old corpse found in the heat of the Badlands - the naked corpse of an adult woman, her clothes casually dropped one piece at a time as she wandered into the desert sands until she collapsed and cooked to death, leaving only a pair of Gallina tribal lightning stones in her hands.

As the two leads delve deeper into this odd almost ritualistic suicide, they find out that there is much, much more going on, and they are thrust into dangerous territory - both physically (the worst parts of the barren desert areas of New Mexico) and case-wise.

Highly recommend this one. Absolutely fantastic. One of their best!

This one could totally be read as a standalone, though it does connect back to the Pendergast series and the previous entries in this Corrie/Nora spinoff series. You'll enjoy it either way, but definitely suggest getting the most of out by reading ALL THE BOOKS! :)

Nora and Corrie are two strong female characters that drive this story. The archaeologist and FBi pair investigate the suicides of several young women in New Mexico. However, the journey to find the reasons for the suicides takes Nora to the hills of Mexico. Nora's brother is a supporting character in the story and continues to make decisions without realizing consequences. The story relies on Native American history and religion. This one kept me turning the pages. The reader deals with cults, the stealing of artifacts, and near death experiences. It's quite the ride. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

Whew! Hot, tired and totally spooked out after finishing Badlands. This mystery, horror and suspense story is a historical tale of adventure set in the New Mexico badlands with its frightening, remote landscape of scorching heat, sandstone sprires, labyrinths and hoodoo rocks. It is a tale of the supernatural involving dark powers, an awakening god, human sacrifices, skinwalkers, and (didn’t you see it coming) drugs. Incorporated in the storyline are rituals, cults and rare sacred stones. The narrative brings alive the Chacoan people, also known as the Ancestral Puebloans, and the Gallinas, an Indigenous tribe, wiped out in the 13th Century.
FBI agent Corrie Swanson, in her two year probationary period, enlists archaeologist Nora Kelly, of the New York Museum of Natural History, to assist her in an investigation of the discovery of a woman’s body found in the desert. The FBI case has been titled “Badlands.” The woman, found naked, with her clothes having been removed and dropped behind her in a continuous line, was determined to have died of heatstroke and dehydration.
She had disappeared 12 years previously, had a degree in archeology and yet was not dressed appropriately for the desert environment and was without a means to carry water. Found under her bones is a Paleoindian spearpoint and in her hands, two rare artifacts called lightning stones. The stones were made from a mineral called prasiolite and believed to have been used by the Pueblo Indians in their underground chambers, known as kivas, to summon the Gods.
A second body is found with the use of drones. She is a high school teacher who died in the desert in the same manner, naked with her clothes strewn off, two months earlier.
Are the deaths connected? Are they suicides? Is a cult involved?
Nora’s brother Skip, Collections Manager at the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute, who demonstrates a lack of self-control and common sense and has a tendency to make bad decisions, befriends a billionaire named Edison. The young man is a collector of Indian artifacts who inherited his collection, much of which has unknown provenance, from his grandfather. The collection contains two lightning stones. The actions of Skip and Edison move the events of the story forward.
Preston and Child are two men who sure know how to create brave, intelligent, independent female characters. Corrie Swanson has been present in all five Nora Kelly books and they are an incomparable team whether they come up against deranged cult leaders or predatory men.
Academia plays a large and important part in this thriller with college professors and their graduate students playing key roles. Fracking is the MacGuffin, deepening the reader’s feel for the land and the history of its people. For good measure, the authors throw in an Easter egg for fans to find. (Just need to mention that I’m writing this review on Easter Sunday- so an Easter egg of its own). They also make a reference to a certain New York City FBI agent familiar and important to both protagonists. As always in their books, there is the vocabulary I appreciate and the information that motivates me to do some light research.
The afterword affords Preston and Child the opportunity to provide more history about the Chacoan and Gallina people and insight in to the genuine versus fictional elements in the story.
Badlands has a lot to offer and should not be missed. It is not necessary to have read any books by the authors before but it will most certainly lead you to them. I have read them all and just thinking about them makes me thirst for the next story, (Too much reading about the desert?)
I would like to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance copy of Badlands. This is my honest review of Preston and Child’s book.







In the novel, fracking is the MacGuffin, deepening the reader’s feel for the land and the history of its people.

This is a Corrie Swanson book that adds in Nora Kelly and her brother Skip. Corrie gets involved in finding out what is causing people to die in the desert. She asks for help from Nora who also brings in Skip. They travel around the Southwest looking for answers. There is some mysticism and Native American lore included in this book. Another great read by this team of authors!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this arc. I received this arc in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.


Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson are back again this time in New Mexico after some bones are found along with clothes scattered and two rocks with the body in what looks like a suicide but is actually a ritual sacrifice. Corrie looks through the evidence and sees the rocks and has Nora consult on the case and they figure out that a cult is behind the killings and actually finds a women alive who seemed to be doing a ritual sacrifice for a cult that started with their professor Obascari who twisted some Native American traditions to suit his needs and got his phd students to follow him. He actually died twelve years prior and one of his male students took over and they mummified his body which they take out during their sacrifices and even mutilate the bodies of anyone who comes across their cult and try to steal from them. Nora, Corrie, and Skip (Nora’s brother) are given two different things by the cult that causes them to hallucinate and they see what looks like a monster made up of shadows which they probably only saw because of the payote. After Nora plays a song that was believed to be able to ward off angry witches the cult members commit ritualistic suicide and some other professors that where Obascari’s students back then where taken into custody in case they knew about the cult as well. Preston and Child even wrote a scene about Nora listening to some audiobooks by the pair which I found entertaining and I giggled reading that part. This book was so interesting and entertaining which is what I love most about these books. I cannot wait for the next one. I am so happy that Corrie is officially an agent now without a mentor to guide her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Earc of this book!

BADLANDS, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is book five in the Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson series. (I added Corrie in because she's as much as part of them as Nora). Although this branch off from the Pendergast series is considered book five, it can be read as a standalone. I have read virtually every novel by these authors, and while a couple names were mentioned in passing, no prior knowledge is really needed to enjoy this book.

FBI Agent Corrie Swanson is called in when a production company comes across the remains of a body in the New Mexico desert. A woman who died years before, shedding her clothes as she died of exposure and dehydration. The fact that made this stand out more so was that she had two extremely rare lightning stones in her possession. Was it a ritual sacrifice, or suicide?

Corrie calls in Nora Kelly to help on this case. I love how both of these characters have grown, and feel that they both make very strong leads in these novels. As with any Preston/Child novel, a lot of history is gone over--which makes the story even more gripping because of reality added in--and the writing style is fast and fluid. This book doesn't lag--with maybe a couple exceptions when it came to discussing the technicalities of AI computer advancement--however, that is likely just an "I'm not as interested in it" assessment.

When a second body is found--just like the first, only more recent--the reasoning starts to turn to a program overseen by a charismatic professor, the possibility of a cult, and bordering on speculation of the supernatural. The last quarter of the book was simply NOT a place you want to pause, as the revelations and twists are coming at you from every angle.

Overall, another incredible novel from two authors I find consistently "above average" in all of their solo and collective writing endeavors.

Recommended.

A thoroughly entertaining story, creepy and suspenseful, and complete researched and informative. Reminded me of Tony Hillerman in the best way, and brought the southwest alive, and the folklore to the forefront. Bravo and can’t wait for the next one.
Y

I was immediately immersed as the story opens in New Mexico’s Badlands. I truly enjoy the characters in this series and fell right into another riveting adventure mystery with FBI Corrie Swanson and archaeologist Nora Kelly.

Highly recommend, especially for fans of the Nora Kelly series. Pub Date: June 3 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
#Badlands #NetGalley

I really love the books by these authors, especially the Nora Kelly series. I truly feel as if I’m there, & am thankful I’m not. The details, the characters are so vivid and well researched. Can’t wait for more! #Badlands #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley for advanced copy of Badlands. Thrilling case for FBI to find why woman committed suicide in the middle of the desert.

This is another novel in the Nora Kelly Series. It also features Corrie Swanson, her FBI friend, and Nora’s brother Skip. the main theme of the book is a cult based on an old Native American tribe located in the checkerboard area of New Mexico. It is a fast paced and engaging read.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Goodreads, Net Galley, Amazon, Facebook and my fiction book review blog.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fast read with a lot of twist and turns and adventure. Preston & Child (and Kelley and Swanson) don't disappoint with this one!

The skeletal remains of a woman who dies five years earlier are found in the New Mexico desert, someone who apparently walked out to die. In her hand is discovered two strange stones, similar to those associated with local Native American Tribes. FBi Agent Corrie Swanson is assigned to the case, and due the archaeological implications, calls in Nora Kelly for assistance. When they learn of a recent similar case of a woman dying the desert holding the same type of stones, patterns begin to form. Patterns that will lead them to ancient tribes and a cult practicing dark rituals. Before they know it, they're facing a dangerous situation like none they've experienced before.
This was another terrific entry in the Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson series featuring some absolutely fascinating history and story telling. More grounded than Preston & Child's Pendergast series has become, it features the type of plot classic X-Files episodes would have. This series has become as good as the Pendergast one at its peak.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I absolutely love this series; the next installment doesn’t disappoint. What’s so great about the series is they’re are filled with great dialogue and combine a good police (well FBI) procedural mystery with anthropology and events/people that actually existed.

This story once again sees Nora Kelly working with Agent Corrie Swanson as they unravel the mystery of the deaths of two women found in the desert dead in which they had stripped down and each had strange green stones. I totally didn’t see the end coming like it did. I wish these books were a TV series, I’m obsessed!

Preston & Child deliver another thrilling read, blending Southwest U.S. native culture with a fast-paced mystery. The main characters navigate the eerie Badlands in a story packed with danger, myth, and unexpected twists. The explosive conclusion makes this one hard to put down—a must-read for fans of suspense and rich storytelling.

Set out in the far reaches of New Mexico's Badlands is the remains of a doomed tribe who were slaughtered by their neighbors for mostly unknown reasons. No archeological expeditions are known to have entered their canyons. Corrie Swanson is given lead investigator on a mysterious death, a woman who appears to have walked out in the desert purposely to die. The woman is found stripped naked and holding two lightening stones where her hands would have been. The stones are rare sacred stone used by the Chaco Tribe to summon the gods. there is only on other set known of . The mystery deepens as Corrie begins to identify the woman and they find another body in the same situation. Corrie calls on her friend Nora Kelly, archeologist, to help understand the artifacts.
This becomes one of the most imaginative, gory and frightening book the authors have come up with. It is fabulous!!!!
I never tire of reading their work in each of the series they pen. This book is the fifth in this series but could be read as a stand alone if needed to be, but the whole series is worth reading!.

FBI Corrie Swanson and archaeologist Nora Kelly team up again to uncover a mystery in New Mexico’s Badlands. This series is always on the top of my reading list. A fast-paced adventure filled with ancient history, mystery, and suspense.

I will be purchasing this hardcover to add to my Nora Kelly collection. Pub Date: June 3 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
#Badlands #NetGalley

I have read over 35 books by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, counting both those written collectively and individually, so yes, you can consider me a fan. Their combination of history, geography, modern-day mystery, and even a touch of the supernatural usually make for a very interesting and thought-provoking read, with a little bit of learning thrown in. Archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent (in training) Corrie Swanson are back in their fifth standalone adventure, “Badlands”, set in the American southwest.

When a film crew working in the desert of New Mexico stumble across a body, Corrie Swanson (along with her mentor Agent Swift) is called in to investigate. The remains belong to a archeology student who disappeared 12 years ago, a woman who was very familiar with working in the desert yet died of thirst and exposure, shedding her clothes as she went along. She was also found with two rare artifacts known as lightning stones, the only other known pair belonging to a rich collector named Edison, with a somewhat loose moral collecting code of honor.

When it seems that this death could somehow be related to a group of doctoral students and their famous professor that were studying the Gallina people who were all massacred in the 1200’s, Corrie calls in Nora Kelly to help with the investigation. As a second body is found identical to the first by much more recent, the search for the missing professor and the remaining doctoral students gets more frantic. Can Corrie and Nora solve the mystery before other victims are claimed by the desert?

Lots of action and mystery, as usual, with quite a bit of history. It is also nice to see both Nora and Corrie growing as characters and with budding romances/personal lives. The only negative continues to be Skip, Nora’s goofy brother who always ignores protocols, common sense, and basic safety and gets into trouble that he shouldn’t have. It is ludicrous to believe that all of the scientific institutes and the FBI continue to put up with his antics, antics which have pretty directly led to agents’ deaths. Not sure if he’s meant as comic relief or just an interesting sidenote, but he has become too much of a distraction. Even in a thriller such as this, it is difficult to suspend disbelief when it comes to this idiot.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

Another fun installment in the Nora Kelly series. Nora and Corrie investigate a string of strange suicides that point towards a possible cult. The character development was a bit lacking in this one, but I always enjoy the science, history, and sleuthing. I look forward to the next in the series! Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.