Dead Mountain

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell

From the #1 New York Times bestselling duo, renowned archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson investigate a mystery so enigmatic it may have no solution.

In 2008, nine mountaineers failed to return from a winter backpacking trip in the New Mexico mountains. At their final campsite, searchers found a bizarre scene: something had appeared at the door of their tent so terrifying that it impelled them to slash their way out and flee barefoot to certain death in a blizzard. Despite a diligent search, only six bodies were found, two violently crushed and inexplicably missing their eyes. The case, given the code name “Dead Mountain” by the FBI, was never solved.

Now, two more bodies from the lost expedition are unexpectedly discovered in a cave, one a grisly suicide. Young FBI Agent Corrie Swanson teams up with archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate what really happened on that fateful trip fifteen years ago—and to find the ninth victim. But their search awakens a long-slumbering evil, which pursues Corrie and Nora with a vengeance, determined to prevent the final missing corpse from ever coming to light.

Critic reviews

Praise for Preston and Child

“Diablo Mesa is thriller-adventure writing of the absolute highest order that takes Preston and Child back to their high-concept roots... It reads like a hybrid of the best from Wilbur Smith and Alistair MacLean, making for flat-out great reading entertainment.”—Providence Sunday Journal

“The story has tension, mystery, murder… Down-to-earth action tackles an otherworldly mystery in this devilishly plausible yarn.”—Kirkus (Starred Review)

“Excellent… The taut suspense and tight plotting that marked the authors’ earliest Pendergast novels are very much in evidence. Fans of kick-ass female leads will be delighted.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Thoroughly entertaining.”—Booklist

“Diablo Mesa will keep you enthralled.”—The Florida Times-Union

Good book. Awful narrator

Almost had me bailing out. How a woman could actively make a kick ass female FBI agent sound simpering and weak is beyond me.

Should have bought print version

As others have said, the narration (& overall audio production) was hard to listen to. A good adaptation of a real world event into a fictional suspense. Though I like the Nora Kelly character, I would prefer the focus to shift to Corrie has she passes out of probation and moves to full FBI agent. Corrie is a great character but the audio performance doesn’t do her justice. I’ll probably opt for print next time in what I hope is a Corrie Swanson/Homer Watts focused novel.

Brutal narration

Story was decent but whole thing felt annoying and lame with this narrator. Would never listen again for that reason.

Disappointed

Narrator has a good voice for one character only. The male voices she portrayed were confusing and too hard to believe.
The plot was also too predictable for Child and Preston.

Just confused why it's still a "Nora Kelly Novel"

Thoroughly enjoyed the story, and the narration was superb. My only critique is that these do NOT feel like "Nora Kelly Novels." "Agent Swanson Investigations" would be far more apt, and would allow for this particular world to expand. As well, the epilogue was THOROUGHLY needed for a satisfactory ending.