Badlands

Bad Lands is a gripping thriller with plenty of setting references to the climate of New Mexico and Indian artifacts. The plot doesn't just center on the Nora character but significantly includes her younger brother Skip and his newfound buddy Edison Nash, FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, University of New Mexico professor Carlos Oskarbi and his adoring female students. A few secondary characters added salt to this brew. Emma Bluebird was my favorite. She is a gun-toting, elderly Navajo Indian woman who distrusts white people. When Nora and Corrie knock on her door, they are greeted with a shotgun. She doesn't speak much English but is able to give them a clue for their investigation. They are looking into the deaths of two women, both doctors show more in archeology. Both women had been walking through a wilderness area, took of all their clothes, and collapsed into the hot sands of the Gallina Canyon to die. Emma is always in control of the conversation and uses that shotgun to tell the ladies when their meeting is over.

The artifacts that are used in the plot are called lightening stones. When they are rubbed together, a soft light emerges. The stones are rare. Only two pair of them are known to exist but it is presumed that there are many in the wilderness areas of the state. As the story progresses, we learn more and more about them. The Gallina people, who existed up to 1200 BC, used them in religious rituals.

The plot was complex. While the story opened with the death of an unknown woman in the wilderness, it quickly moves to identify her and another body as well as what connected them. Both were professors at the University of New Mexico and while still studying were known to be groupies of Dr. Carlos Oskarbi. Here the plot takes off in several different arcs.

Badlands may be my favorite Preston and Childs novel. It's the most thrilling tale I've read from them to date and I am happy to give it high marks. show less

I have been a fan of Preston and Child's Nora Kelly series from the very first book (Old Bones). I have learned so much about the landscape and history of New Mexico in reading the series, and Badlands is no exception. This fast-paced tale had me exploring remote areas along with Nora and Corrie and learning more about the Pueblo and Navajo cultures. (Never skip the Author's Notes at the end of the books.)

The progression of the lives of the characters has completely won me over. Corrie continues to grow as an FBI agent, and Sheriff Homer Watts, with his immaculate cowboy hat and pearl-handled six-shooters, tries his best to always ride in to save the day whenever his damsel, Corrie, is in danger.

I do have to admit that I did get annoyed show more with Nora, as she knowingly put herself in danger (what I call a TSTL Moment-- Too Stupid To Live), and her feckless brother, Skip, never ceases to amaze me. Is his luck ever going to run out? Especially when he becomes friends with the local law unto himself rich guy.

As much as I enjoyed the characters, the story, and all the things I learned, I couldn't totally buy into what caused the women's deaths. It was a tad too far-fetched and had my suspension bridge of disbelief swaying wildly in the breeze. Is that going to keep me from reading the next book in the series? Of course not! I'm ready to read it right now.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) show less

Excellent writing and fast pace make this 5th book in the series another must read.

FBI Agent Corrie Swanson and archeologist Nora Kelly are working together again. This time, they are investigating the unusual, separate, deaths of two women found in the desert. The deaths seem almost like suicide as the women had apparently taken themselves to remote areas in the New Mexico badlands. Corrie and Nora know the deaths are related when the evidence team finds lightning stones clutched in their hands. These stones, used by the ancient Chaco people, make Corrie and Nora believe that they are on the trail of some sort of cult that is involved in long extinct, and most probably evil, rituals.

I love the writing style of the Preston and Child show more team and read almost everything they write together and separately. I like the two main characters, Corrie and Nora, as well as their friends, lovers, and colleagues. Nora’s brother, Skip, always a bit impulsive and immature, plays a larger role in this particular book. The narrative is straight forward and the fascinating historical details are evidence of a great deal of research. I really like when I can learn a lot from reading a work of fiction. I always look forward to a new installment in this series and highly recommend it to any fans of suspenseful thrillers.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Cynthia Farrell, did a great job of voicing all the characters and giving the story an appropriate amount of dramatic flair. I do wish the production had a male narrator as well as there are many male characters, but this was a fine production that enhanced my enjoyment of the book. show less

Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is a very highly recommended action-packed thriller and the fifth novel in the series featuring archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. It can definitely be read as a standalone novel and features strong, capable female protagonists. Preston and Child dependably deliver another winner.

FBI Agent Corrie Swanson is assigned the investigation into the skeleton of a woman found in the New Mexico badlands. The woman apparently walked into the desert, removed all her clothes while walking, and died of heatstroke and thirst. By the bones are found an arrowhead and two round green stones. When Corrie calls Nora to look at the arrowhead, Nora immediately took more interest in the stones show more which she identifies as extremely rare green lightning stones. The body is identified as Molly Vine, a science teacher who went missing five years earlier.

When another body is found and identified as Mandy Driver, a geological consultant, two green lightning are again found by her. Their investigation leads Corrie and Nora to believe that the two deaths might be connected to Professor Oskarbi who had ties to both deceased women at the University of New Mexico. He also had an interest in the Gallinas, indigenous people who used lightning stones and were wiped out in the 13th century by the Chaco Canyon people. How does this all connect together?

As expected Badlands is a well-written, heart-stopping thriller which held my complete attention from start to finish. The plot moves at a lightning-fast pace and the setting, which comes to life, is beautifully described. Yes, you might have to set some disbelief aside, but there are also real historical facts woven into the plot. The investigation follows some complicated turns along the way, and there are several different story lines going on as everything heads to a run-in with the supernatural. You'll definitely want to read this in one sitting.

Corrie and Nora are great characters and it was wonderful to see them back, working together. They are both intelligent, insightful, and competent women and their characters continue to develop in this outing. Nora's brother Skip is back, making questionable decisions as is Corries friend, Sheriff Watts.

Badlands is an excellent choice for anyone who loves page-turning, action-packed thrillers. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2025/05/badlands.html show less

As a reader of everything Preston and Child have written, I find myself a pretty tough, but knowledgeable, critic of their work. "Badlands" is a nice addition to the Nora Kelly series, but, in my humble opinion, falls somewhat short of the previous efforts, especially the last two books. The premise of the story is fine, revolving around mysterious deaths that have occurred in the desert of the Badlands, with authorities questioning the reasons behind the strange condition in which the bodies were found.

Bring on probationary FBI agent Corrie Swanson and archeologist Nora Kelly (plus Sheriff Homer Watts), who attempt to sort out the reasons for the strange deaths. As with the other books in the series, the ladies soon find out there is show more much, much more below what's on the surface as they move through their investigation. Other familiar characters (e.g., Skip Kelly and Agent Sharp) make their appearances, but this book comes up a little short in the category of memorable characters. Partly because of that and a less-than-riveting plot, this book seems too patterned and familiar. There is very little action in the first 60% of the book making the book a little tough to get through. Thankfully, in the last third of the story, the plot picks up momentum and heads in a couple of different directions, leading to a satisfying, if not expected, conclusion.

I don't want to pan the novel because it's a decent book. It's just that it feels too familiar and almost phoned in. I'm sure there are fans of the series that will think differently of "Badlands", but for this reader, I'm hoping P & C will up their game a little in Book 6.

I'd like to thank Net Galley, Grand Central Publishing, and the authors for providing me with an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

In New Mexico, the skeleton of a woman is found and the case is assigned to FBI Agent Corrie Swanson and archaeologist Nora Kelly. When a second body is found, the two realize the case runs deeper than they imagined.

Corrie and Nora team up together again to try to solve a case of 2 healthy, educated women who walked into the desert to die. Corrie and Nora go off in different directions for awhile before coming back together including Nora doing 2 different things that were very risky for no good reason. I didn’t like that. Brother Skip also goes off separately and runs into trouble but that’s more expected of him. The story is somewhat slow-paced but still interesting until the last third where it gets exciting. I like the show more characters and the writing and enjoyed the story. show less

"Badlands" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is a thrilling 5-star adventure read! FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, along with archaeologist Nora Kelly, must unravel the suspicious events that led to the discovery of skeletal remains in the New Mexico desert.

While this is the fifth book in the Nora Kelly series, the true star of the story is Corrie Swanson, with Nora taking on more of a supporting role. There's plenty of deceit and trickery, woven together with Native American history—slightly embellished for storytelling purposes, but certainly enjoyable. If you enjoyed the first four books, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. I’m already looking forward to book #6!

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, show more and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review. show less