I’ve read most of the books by Lincoln and/or Child’s. I am not a fan of the famous Pendergras series as the character is too strange. That said I really enjoy this series. Both main and secondary characters are relatable and likable. The plots
do veer toward weirdness but that what makes these fun to read. I do hope they continue to write these.

This is Nora Kelly #5, albeit it should really sort of be Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson #5 since the archeologist/FBI agent duo have been together for all five books (both of them have been in other books tangentially connected to the Pendergast series — only one mention of the NYC rogue agent as a mutual friend occurs). It’s a fascinating series with two very strong female leads who investigate independently and then usually combine their knowledge to solve the central mystery.

In this case, there’s the discovery of a body — a young woman connected to archeological academia who apparently just walked out into the blazing desert totally unprepared (although she should have known better) and stripping off all her clothes along the way. Her body is found with a pair of extremely rare green lightning stones, sacred Indigenous artifacts. There’s a mysterious billionaire who owns the only other known green colored lightning stones, and then there’s a second body that seems to have died under the same circumstances.

Preston & Child are masters of creating an atmospherically disparate, bleak, and remote landscape of hoodoo labyrinths surrounding the bodies, which adds to the challenges faced by both Corrie and Nora as they investigate. The authors also celebrate the new and elaborate technology available to forensics, which makes the reader feel like they have insider knowledge. There’s also a lot of historical significance regarding the Indigenous people of New Mexico that mixes in with the central mystery/crime.

This is still an action filled thriller that has your pulse pounding through the last nearly unbelievable chapters. Nora and Corrie complement each other and having Nora’s brother Skip and Corrie’s very close friend, Sheriff Watts, in the story, reminded me that I want this series to continue for a long time.

It’s not necessary to read the previous books in the series, but if you love this one (as I do), you’ll be delighted by the others. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES A mysterious dehydrated woman has green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Preston & Child accurately describe the New Mexico desert.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

BADLANDS [A Nora Kelly Mystery Book Five] is tremendously exciting and engrossing, an experience I've learned to expect from co-authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. These authors have an especial affinity for detailing the geology, geography, cultures, and aura of the American Southwest and of rural Mexico, balanced through viewpoints of multiple characters ("good guys" and "bad guys" both), and pulling in historical references to enlighten and vivify the contemporary timeline and plots. I found this exceptionally a "page-turner" and could not put it aside.

I’m always excited when there’s a new edition to the Corrie and Nora series. Two strong independent women, Corrie, an FBI agent and Nora an archeologist, have helped each other solve mysterious cases together. Their personalities and abilities complement each other as each case seems crazier than the last. When a woman’s nude body is discovered in the desert, her clothes strewn behind her, and two very rare artifacts in her hands, Nora and Corrie team up together to see why she committed suicide. When a second body is discovered, and ties link up to the Gallina tribe, who were all slaughtered centuries ago, the deaths become multi layered.. Could this be part of a cult, or what would possess these two highly educated women to knowingly sacrifice themselves in the desert? Mystical, otherworldly, supernatural all of these definitions apply. The history in this novel was fascinating. A page turner I could not put down. Thank you to the Publisher for granting me an ARC, and NetGalley.