Old Bones

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell

The #1 NYT bestselling authors Preston & Child bring the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party to new life in this thrilling novel of archaeology, history, murder, and suspense.
Nora Kelly, a young curator at the Santa Fe Institute of Archaeology, is approached by historian Clive Benton with a once-in-a-lifetime proposal: to lead a team in search of the so-called "Lost Camp" of the tragic Donner Party. This was a group of pioneers who earned a terrible place in American history when they became snow-bound in the California mountains in 1847, their fate unknown until the first skeletonized survivors stumbled out of the wilderness, raving about starvation, murder-and cannibalism.

Benton tells Kelly he has stumbled upon an amazing find: the long-sought diary of one of the victims, which has an enigmatic description of the Lost Camp. Nora agrees to lead an expedition to locate and excavate it-to reveal its long-buried secrets.

Once in the mountains, however, they learn that discovering the camp is only the first step in a mounting journey of fear. For as they uncover old bones, they expose the real truth of what happened, one that is far more shocking and bizarre than mere cannibalism. And when those ancient horrors lead to present-day violence on a grand scale, rookie FBI agent Corrie Swanson is assigned the case...only to find that her first investigation might very well be her last.

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR OLD BONES

"Long-time readers of Preston and Child will love to see the beloved characters of Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson take center stage in what is a terrific start to a new series. Their writing talent shines as this mix of history, exploration of nature and crime will without a doubt land on the top of the best-seller lists. Though some of the historical facts have been tweaked a bit for the story to work, a note to the reader from the authors at the end reveals what is true and what they made up, and is sure to lead to a surge in attention for non-fiction accounts of what really happened that horrible winter."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Associated Press

"The two strong female protagonists [Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson] share a dynamic reminiscent of that between Pendergast and his friend on the NYPD, Vincent D'Agosta. An intriguing series launch."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #333333}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Publishers Weekly

"Old Bones exceeds expectations at every juncture, a thriller extraordinaire that turns history upside down in forming the basis of a riveting and relentless tale."—Providence Sunday Journal

"A smart, satisfying read."—Kirkus

"This outing belongs to two dedicated women, whose future adventures will be happily anticipated."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Booklist

"Preston & Child is one of those "names" on a book that make you want to set everything else aside in order to read what amazing words they've written [...] From the best writing team out there, you do not want to miss this book."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'}Suspense Magazine

"From the thriller world's dynamic duo comes a new work of archeology, murder, and the Donner Party. This one should please longtime fans of Preston and Child, as well as new devotees drawn in by that ever-appealing set up of a past crime coming back to haunt the present."—CrimeReads

"Preston and Child have created a fine mix of fiction and historical fact. The story is peopled by complex and engaging characters with sometimes murky ambitions. . . The ending, which seems far-fetched, is definitely, disturbingly possible."—Booktrib

"Old Bones has it all: chills, thrills and a blend of history, along with archaeological expertise you can only get from a Preston & Child novel. I loved spending time with Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson, and look forward to seeing them in future adventures. Longtime readers will be rewarded not only by this pairing but by some other surprises leading up to the conclusion of this exciting read."—Bookreporter

Not one of their best books

While it was interesting to bring Cori & Nora together from previous Pentergast books, it felt rather clunky and lacked the normal excitement I've come to expect from this team of authors. Introducing Pentergast in the last few minutes to finish wrapping things up was lame and predictable.

Ok novel. Poor reader performance and choice

This has some of the old charm. A bit slow to get moving. Missing the underlying horror elements of their earlier works in the Pendergast series. Speaking of Pendergast, the actress totally botches Agent Pendergast’s accent. Yikes. It changes and is quite disconnected. Her performance seems oddly unmatched at times. Overall, this novel does not do much to lend to ones satisfaction. Go listen to the older material. Or, look for a better performance on Libravox

Expanding and world building

This is an excellent addition to the Pendergast world and explores what others from the past are doing in this story.

I really enjoyed it, except...

good story. I'm glad to see the Corrie character again. thought the ending was a bit corny and the narrator does an awlful pendergast

Interesting

Not my favorite of Preston/Child books, but an interesting enough read for long summer days. If you are wanting more Pendergast, this is not for you.