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"Archaeologist Nora Kelly is adrift in her career and her personal life when a violent, inexplicable incident leaves her in possession of a mysteri...
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Mar 08, 2008
Shelly
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This is the first Preston/Child book I read. After reading this, I have devoured every single one of their books since. It crackles with intelligence and suspense. It is extremely addictive and the setting is by far one of the most interesting and memorable, practically a character in and of itself. A must read. Plus they continue characters throughout their books, not all at once, but here and there. Smithback and Nora in particular from this book. I loved it!
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Mar 01, 2009
Jeanne
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What a great adventure! A nice break from fantasy although it had quite a few elements common to fantasy in it. There was witchcraft, ancient mythology, bravery, treachery and travel. The research into the anasazi was thorough and exact as was the archaeology.
May 29, 2008
Candice
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Easily my favorite of all the books cowritten by these authors. I remember being absolutely hooked by this book, experiencing the adrenaline rush in real-time, the first time I read it, and I've reread it countless times since then. Perhaps I like it better because it doesn't have FBI Special Agent Pendergast in it (who has become rather unbelievable in the most recent Preston/Child books). As always with these authors' better books, the interwoven archaeological facts and level of detail are im
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Jun 13, 2011
Angela
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The adventure is marginally higher than the suspense in Preston and Child's sturdy new tale of scientific derring-do, concerning a search for Quivira, the legendary Anasazi Indian City of Gold. The authors know what buttons to push and levers to yank, perhaps too well. The novel has a clockwork feel, from its first tick, the spooky stalking of archaeologist Nora Kelly on an isolated New Mexican ranch, to its last tock. Playing it safe, Preston and Child take no missteps as Nora finds an old lett
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Sep 28, 2010
Sara
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Nora Kelly is a young archaeologist and an associate professor at a prestigious museum in Santa Fe. She lives a pretty boring life, split between work, checking in on her out of work brother Skip, and looking after the ranch left to her and skip after he died. At least they think he's dead; he disappeared after an expedition into the middle of Utah canyon country. Lately, however a series of events have made her question everything she thought she knew. Why was she attacked late one night wh
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Sep 02, 2010
Tony
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Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child- Thunderhead (Warner Books 2000) 4 Stars
Nora Kelly is attacked by two men dressed in animal pelts while visiting her abandoned ranch. She suddenly receives a letter from her deceased father that was addressed sixteen years ago. Now she is off to find what she hopes will being the greatest archaeological find since King Tut. The expedition will take them into the deepest and darkest parts of Utah’s canyons and just when she thinks she has found all the More...
Nora Kelly is attacked by two men dressed in animal pelts while visiting her abandoned ranch. She suddenly receives a letter from her deceased father that was addressed sixteen years ago. Now she is off to find what she hopes will being the greatest archaeological find since King Tut. The expedition will take them into the deepest and darkest parts of Utah’s canyons and just when she thinks she has found all the More...
Aug 03, 2011
Rick
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This the third Preston and Child novel that I have read and I enjoyed it very much. This one did not include agent Pendergast, but did lay the background for how Nora Kelly and Bill Smithback first met, prior to their starring roles in "Cabinet of Curiosities" . The story was continually exciting and had just the right blend of detailed archaeology and the hint of the supernatural. This was a straight up adventure novel with the details of the expedition exceptionally well drawn an
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Aug 10, 2011
Neeke
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What a book... I read this as my 5th (8th, if inculding solo efforts) Preston & Child books, so I was already familiar with their style of tension-building, the twists 'n turns of the storyline and the occasional, probable (gruesome) death of many characters. After reading a number of books by the same author you'd think you've seen it all, but P&C have the gift to make every single book unique and can surprise you still from time to time, something which does not happen with, say... Brown or Re
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Feb 15, 2010
Gloria
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This is an interesting story overall, and long. I think it would have appealed to me more in my 20s though. The biggest problem I have with it is that its believability suffers in part because of the story's pacing and partly because of the rather bizarre form of evil presented. A young, untested archaeologist manages in a week's time to be seriously attacked, get funding for potentially the biggest archaeological dig of all time, and line up the professional participants ... and they're off! Th
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Nov 28, 2007
Evelyn
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A young archaeologist leads a dangerous expedition looking for Quivira, the fabled Anasazi "Lost City of Gold," after receiving a mysterious letter from her father who has been missing for sixteen years.
Spellbinding! Preston and Child have set the standard in defining the page-turner. Best adventure book I've read in years!
Spellbinding! Preston and Child have set the standard in defining the page-turner. Best adventure book I've read in years!
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Oct 22, 2011
Shirley
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Thunderhead is included in the Reader's Digest Select Editions, Volume 6, 1999. It is a suspenseful page-turner. The contemporary tale is blended with fascinating Anasazi Indian legend and fact. The archaeological finds strike wonder and terror in the reader.
Ernest Goddard who finances the expedition suggests that those undertaking the trip ". . . are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. You're headed for a site that may prove to be the biggest archaeological discovery More...
Ernest Goddard who finances the expedition suggests that those undertaking the trip ". . . are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. You're headed for a site that may prove to be the biggest archaeological discovery More...
Dec 17, 2009
Amanda
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Archaeology + suspense thrillers = my kind of book
Sometimes these type of stories can be really cheesy, but the authors definitely know what they're talking about here. It doesn't matter what is based on fact and what isn't, because archaeology is mostly speculation anyway. I really enjoyed this book.
Sometimes these type of stories can be really cheesy, but the authors definitely know what they're talking about here. It doesn't matter what is based on fact and what isn't, because archaeology is mostly speculation anyway. I really enjoyed this book.
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Nov 04, 2011
Riju
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Even in terms of the gold standards set by the Preston-Child duo in their Pendergast series, this book, which does not feature Agent Pendergast (although it has the reporter William Smithback Junior, and the Archeologist Norah Kelly, both of whom we would be revisiting in subsequent volumes), outshines many others written by the same authors. The plot is tight and rich in details. The characters are depicted in sharp lines of different shades. The landscape is majestic-yet-hostile beyond contemp
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Dec 14, 2008
Jamie
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I really like the books by Preston and Child! This one is our first introduction to Nora Kelly who makes a later appearance in the book,
The Cabinet of Curiosities, while Smithback(from Relic) is back there's no sign of Pendergast. It's an interesting tale of Nora looking for Quivara, a Native American settlement that may have been the fabled City of Gold that Spanish explorer Coronado was looking for. I liked how Preston and Child link in a lot of Native American legend along with intersti More...
The Cabinet of Curiosities, while Smithback(from Relic) is back there's no sign of Pendergast. It's an interesting tale of Nora looking for Quivara, a Native American settlement that may have been the fabled City of Gold that Spanish explorer Coronado was looking for. I liked how Preston and Child link in a lot of Native American legend along with intersti More...
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Jan 06, 2011
Marti
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If you are a person who enjoys reading about archeological finds, you may enjoy this thriller. Nora Kelly happens to find an old letter that has been recently delivered, that is from her father. On the strength of this, and some information from satellites contributed by a young researcher, she is able to get funding for an expedition to locate an Anasazi site her father had found. A team including horses is assembled, and they set out across Lake Powell on a raft to begin their quest. Will
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Feb 21, 2011
Sezin
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I really enjoyed this story! I've always had a thing for tales of lost archeological cities and the one in this book is fascinating. I also liked the twist in history that they proposed here with regards to what actually happened to the Anasazi Peoples. Fascinating stuff.
In the usual style of Preston and Child, the book is exceedingly well-written and researched. If you've never read any of their stories then make sure and start with "Relic" and "Reliquary". They h More...
In the usual style of Preston and Child, the book is exceedingly well-written and researched. If you've never read any of their stories then make sure and start with "Relic" and "Reliquary". They h More...
Oct 31, 2008
Judy
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Read this book several times---Loved it!
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Apr 30, 2011
Terri
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I'm a fan of this writing duo, but I had missed reading this book. I listened to the audiobook read by Scott Brick. Perhaps because the protagonist in this book is one of my favorite characters in some of the later books and perhaps also because I enjoy books about archaeology, particularly when they are set in the Southwest, an area of the United States with which I am somewhat familiar, I really enjoyed this book. The suspense, the uses of setting, the introduction of the supernatural, all
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Oct 31, 2010
Ed
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This is not the best effort from these two. Any one of the Pendergast series is better than this story.
The plot involves the search for the missing Anasazi City of Quivira, celebrated in legend as the lost city of Gold that Cortez wandered around in the desert looking for. Nora Kelly, an archeologist in Santa Fe, N.M. receives a letter, written years ago, from her long missing father, alleging that he had discovered Quivira. She manages to fund an expedition to re-trace his journey More...
The plot involves the search for the missing Anasazi City of Quivira, celebrated in legend as the lost city of Gold that Cortez wandered around in the desert looking for. Nora Kelly, an archeologist in Santa Fe, N.M. receives a letter, written years ago, from her long missing father, alleging that he had discovered Quivira. She manages to fund an expedition to re-trace his journey More...
Aug 03, 2011
Rebecca
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Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child know how to scare the shit out of people.
I am a huge fan of Preston and Child. They have a way of writing thrillers that hit every emotion, that are unlike any other novel I’ve ever gotten my hands on, and they just plain make an impact.
Nora Kelly, an archeologist, receives a letter from her father who has been missing and presumed dead for decades. At the same time she is attacked by creatures that haunt her daydreams for weeks after. Th More...
I am a huge fan of Preston and Child. They have a way of writing thrillers that hit every emotion, that are unlike any other novel I’ve ever gotten my hands on, and they just plain make an impact.
Nora Kelly, an archeologist, receives a letter from her father who has been missing and presumed dead for decades. At the same time she is attacked by creatures that haunt her daydreams for weeks after. Th More...
Jan 30, 2010
Dee
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I'm a sucker for a page-turning thriller in an exotic locale. For an all-too-brief period of time, I was immersed in an archaeological dig of an ancient Indian tribe of the southwest. Stark terrain, menacing events, and a hint of the supernatural mixed with science set the stage for a roller-coaster ride of a tale. This read like a Michael Crichton book for those who may be fans. Sadly, I'm running out of Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child books to read and I have enjoyed every hour I've lost to
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Apr 01, 2011
Lisa
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If you've read any of Preston/Child's other work, then you know what you're getting here; vaguely supernatural mystery with a reasonable explanation, but, then again, maybe not.
Honestly, the book is par for the course for these authors. I used to really love these books, but lately, I just can't seem to enjoy them. Lisa is sad.
But the streak continues; my favorite character died. I am the kiss of death.
Recommended for fans of Preston/Child, but probably n
Honestly, the book is par for the course for these authors. I used to really love these books, but lately, I just can't seem to enjoy them. Lisa is sad.
But the streak continues; my favorite character died. I am the kiss of death.
Recommended for fans of Preston/Child, but probably n
Jan 02, 2012
This was a great adventure mystery set in the West. The Main characters are archeologists who are looking for a lost city of gold. The Ananzi Indians and involved skin walkers who were witchdoctors with incredible powers. The descriptions of the Utah deserts and mountains were breathtaking especially one scene of a flash flood. One of the characters was featured in a few of their previous works, but you don't need to have read the prior books to enjoy this one.
Feb 12, 2008
Nancy
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The story takes place in Utah and New Mexico, and focuses on Nora Kelly (who is also in Cabinet of Curiosities), a young archaeologist who receives a letter from her father, who had been dead for years, telling her that he has found a fabled lost city in the desolate canyons of Utah. Then at her family's deserted ranch, she is set upon by two people wearing wolf skins who obviously mean her harm.
She is able to get an expedition together and the group sets out in search of the lost ci More...
She is able to get an expedition together and the group sets out in search of the lost ci More...
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Nov 23, 2011
Shelly
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If you're not reading Preston and Child, stop what you're doing and go get one. Get in on this. It's a whirlwind adventure story with plot twists, murder, gore and breathtaking descriptions of both archeological finds, and gruesome murders. I'm trying really really hard here not to go OMG READ THE DAMN BOOK NOW. Because I do that with every Preston and Child book. This isn't a Pendergast novel, but rather a precursor story with Nora and Smithback (our Pendergastian cohorts in Cabinet of Curiosit
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Mar 21, 2011
Rebecca
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I DEVOURED this book! Absolutely one of the most toe-curling thrillers I have ever read. The adventure through Utah's Canyon Country is amazingly detailed, and definitely does justice to the rugged beauty of Utah's backcountry. The author definitely keeps you on your toes, and all throughout I was left wondering whether the villains in this book would be supernatural demons, or if the creatures were more a Scooby-Doo "its Old Man Withers" man-in-the-mask type. Read it & see!
May 31, 2009
Paula
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I love the way these two write and keep you riveted to your seat.
Nora Kelly finds a letter written by her father to her mother 16 years ago. The letter was recently mailed but it is believed that her father is dead. The letter contains instructions on how to reach a lost city of gold.
Dr. Goddard of the institute where Nora works, funds the expedition as well as hiring the people she will need, including his own daughter. Much danger is encountered when they reach their d
Nora Kelly finds a letter written by her father to her mother 16 years ago. The letter was recently mailed but it is believed that her father is dead. The letter contains instructions on how to reach a lost city of gold.
Dr. Goddard of the institute where Nora works, funds the expedition as well as hiring the people she will need, including his own daughter. Much danger is encountered when they reach their d
May 02, 2010
Tyler
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A little too predictable and the characters were not developed all that well. I would put the book somewhere in the middle; I've read better and worse books. It at least kept my attention throughout, and character dialog was decent.
I really enjoyed learning about the Anasazi Native Americans. I had really never known anything about them before reading this book and then researching afterwards.
I really enjoyed learning about the Anasazi Native Americans. I had really never known anything about them before reading this book and then researching afterwards.
May 03, 2011
Charmayne
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I first read the Reader's Digest Condensed version of this book! Then I had to go out and find the original version and read it again. I love reading archeology themed books and I love reading about our ancient Native American heritages, this one had both with some good mystery and tension mixed in. This is one of those can't put it down books that you read during a good thunder storm! :-)
Apr 16, 2010
Kate
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This book is one of the earlier efforts by the duo of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs. I wouldn't call it their best, but it was entertaining. The main character is anthropologist Nora Kelly. She receives a mysterious letter from her father-who supposedly vanished years ago while searching for a lost Anasazi city. It gets racier from there. It's pretty standard but still a good read.
