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Nicolette Scott Mystery #1
Track of the Scorpion
In the badlands of New Mexico, where the heat of a summer day can kill, archaeologist Nicolette Scott is working with her father on what she regards as just another routine dig. Her father, a grand old man of Southwestern archaeology, is excavating a thousand-year-old Anasazi Indian site. Nick and the professor are seeking proof that cannibalism was a way of life among the Anasazi.
But then Nick learns of a discovery an old prospector has made in sands not far from their site, and she embarks on a dig of her own. Buried in the desert is a World War II bomber, its mummified crew still on board. Stranger yet, the plane is riddled with bullet holes, as if it had been shot down during combat.
When Nick starts asking questions, all hell breaks loose. The more she investigates, the more the mystery of what the plane was doing there and why it crashed deepens, and the fifty-year-old deaths turn out to be the precursors of a peril that is very much alive. Nick has reawakened a monstrous conspiracy half a century old. Violence, betrayal, and murder will dog Nick's every step, until her only hope for survival is her own archaeological expertise.
But then Nick learns of a discovery an old prospector has made in sands not far from their site, and she embarks on a dig of her own. Buried in the desert is a World War II bomber, its mummified crew still on board. Stranger yet, the plane is riddled with bullet holes, as if it had been shot down during combat.
When Nick starts asking questions, all hell breaks loose. The more she investigates, the more the mystery of what the plane was doing there and why it crashed deepens, and the fifty-year-old deaths turn out to be the precursors of a peril that is very much alive. Nick has reawakened a monstrous conspiracy half a century old. Violence, betrayal, and murder will dog Nick's every step, until her only hope for survival is her own archaeological expertise.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1996
1 person is currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Val Davis
30 books3 followersA pen name used by Robert Irvine with his wife Angie.
Val Davis studied anthropology and archaeology at the University of California at Berkeley and now lives in Northern California.
Val Davis studied anthropology and archaeology at the University of California at Berkeley and now lives in Northern California.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 7, 2015
Taking place in New Mexico, while on a dig with her well known father, our heroine hears about a plane found buried in the desert, the archaeologist has to do investigate. When she starts to dig (pun intended) into how a B-17 from WWII could be shot down over friendly skies.....the cover-up is massive. The sense of place is a highlight, with you feel the sweltering heat, sweating off the pounds and getting really thirsty. A pretty good debut.
April 7, 2018
This was really just all right. I wanted to finish the book to find out what the big secret was, and it was an unlikely secret indeed! The main characters were fairly well developed, with retrospectives to a very unhappy and unlikely childhood...in fact, I wonder why Nick revered her father...he was a total creep! The plot turned and twisted, with good guys becoming bad guys and crazy old widows with strange fantasies. I'm glad I read it, but I'm done with this author!
January 9, 2019
Excellent adventure-mystery with a "Indiana Jones" type heroine. First in series.
May 28, 2022
I liked it! A bit oddly paced at some times and glosses over a few things but the spirit of archeology and desert were there
October 9, 2025
A little over the top but entertaining. Will read more!
June 25, 2015
PROTAGONIST: Nicolette Scott, archaeologist
SETTING: New Mexico
SERIES: #1 of 5
RATING: 3.5
WHY: Nicolette Scott is an archaeologist who is helping her father in a project in New Mexico involving his special, the Anasazi. A local discovers a downed plane buried in his property. It turns out to be a B-17 from WWII which is of special interest to her since she specializes in historical aircraft. It turns out that there's an elaborate cover-up, and several people are killed to stop the secret from being revealed. The book moved along well, but it seemed odd that so many murders could take place without attracting attention. I was disappointed in the conclusion--the book just ended abruptly without resolving several threads.
SETTING: New Mexico
SERIES: #1 of 5
RATING: 3.5
WHY: Nicolette Scott is an archaeologist who is helping her father in a project in New Mexico involving his special, the Anasazi. A local discovers a downed plane buried in his property. It turns out to be a B-17 from WWII which is of special interest to her since she specializes in historical aircraft. It turns out that there's an elaborate cover-up, and several people are killed to stop the secret from being revealed. The book moved along well, but it seemed odd that so many murders could take place without attracting attention. I was disappointed in the conclusion--the book just ended abruptly without resolving several threads.
November 8, 2017
Enjoyable and exciting but preposterous premise with cartoonish villains. Nicky finds WW2 B-17 bomber buried in N. Mexico desert with bodies still inside. Arch villain who was part of the team developing the atom bomb joined plot to prevent peaceful end to WW 2. A Japanese diplomat was on the bomber going to Washington DC to negotiate, but plane was shot down. Suspenseful ending as Nicky outwits the mercenaries hired by the villain; she leads them into the desert with no water but she finds a hidden well and kills the bad guys using her wilderness skills. Best of the series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews