Thunderhead
Nora Kelly, a young archaeologist in Santa Fe, receives a letter written sixteen years ago, yet mysteriously mailed only recently. In it her father, long believed dead, hints at a fantastic discovery that will make him famous and rich---the lost city of an ancient civilization that suddenly vanished a thousand years ago. Now Nora is leading an expedition into a harsh, remote corner of Utah's canyon country. Searching for her father and his glory, Nora begins t unravel the greatest riddle of American archeology. but what she unearths will be the newest of horrors...
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Community Reviews
3.5 Stars for this one.
I haven't read any other books by these authors, and I wouldn't even have read this one if a friend hadn't recommended it. But I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
The characters felt a little flat, and were hard to relate to. Often their actions were described as typical for them, or the characters were described as brave, or smart, etc. but I never got that sense from them. The author just told me that, the characters didn't make me feel it.
The "thriller" part of the story was there, but not in the "jump scare" way. There were times I had to pause what I was doing and simply listen to the story, or I nearly gasped in horror at the brutality of some of the scenes. In conjunction with this, the action was fast paced, especially in the last several chapters. It was the very definition of a page turner for me. I eagerly devoured the last few hours, needing to know what happened next.
The romance...felt forced. I don't know, maybe if I went through the book again I could see how it happens, but as it is, it came out of nowhere. And the characters won't really stick with me now that I'm done. They'll just be a faint memory from a book I once enjoyed.
In fact, my very favorite part of this book was the archeology and history. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the harsh landscape, the imagery that formed in my head as they traveled the land, and explored the ruins. It didn't feel like empty filler to flesh out the novel, it was detailed and well written. I found myself listening as intently at these sections as I did during the action scenes.
And lastly, the narrator. It got better as the book advanced. But I started out listening at 1.25 speed, and even then he sounded like he was giving everyone a breathless, sexy voice. I tried listening at normal speed, and it got worse. He reads so slowly, so quietly, so..breathlessly, it dang near made me uncomfortable. I quickly switched back to 1.25 and left it there until nearly the end, when I switched to 1.3 speed. He wasn't awful, but certainly a little too breathy for my taste.
I haven't read any other books by these authors, and I wouldn't even have read this one if a friend hadn't recommended it. But I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
The characters felt a little flat, and were hard to relate to. Often their actions were described as typical for them, or the characters were described as brave, or smart, etc. but I never got that sense from them. The author just told me that, the characters didn't make me feel it.
The "thriller" part of the story was there, but not in the "jump scare" way. There were times I had to pause what I was doing and simply listen to the story, or I nearly gasped in horror at the brutality of some of the scenes. In conjunction with this, the action was fast paced, especially in the last several chapters. It was the very definition of a page turner for me. I eagerly devoured the last few hours, needing to know what happened next.
The romance...felt forced. I don't know, maybe if I went through the book again I could see how it happens, but as it is, it came out of nowhere. And the characters won't really stick with me now that I'm done. They'll just be a faint memory from a book I once enjoyed.
In fact, my very favorite part of this book was the archeology and history. I was fascinated by the descriptions of the harsh landscape, the imagery that formed in my head as they traveled the land, and explored the ruins. It didn't feel like empty filler to flesh out the novel, it was detailed and well written. I found myself listening as intently at these sections as I did during the action scenes.
And lastly, the narrator. It got better as the book advanced. But I started out listening at 1.25 speed, and even then he sounded like he was giving everyone a breathless, sexy voice. I tried listening at normal speed, and it got worse. He reads so slowly, so quietly, so..breathlessly, it dang near made me uncomfortable. I quickly switched back to 1.25 and left it there until nearly the end, when I switched to 1.3 speed. He wasn't awful, but certainly a little too breathy for my taste.
Archaeology, lost ancient cities filled with priceless treasures, unknowable and unnameable terrors in the dark. . .this book has got everything I enjoy in a thriller.
Nora Kelly is an archaeologist at the Santa Fe Institute for Archaeology, whose reputation has already risen far above that of her father, a second-tier archaeologist who got lost on an expedition and never returned. However, one day, Nora finds a letter from her father, written twenty odd years ago, describing the route he took to the legendary Anasazi city of Quivira -- a supposed city of the priests filled with gold and silver. Despite a run-in with wild animals at her old family ranch, Nora decides to launch a very secret archaeological expedition to follow in her father's footsteps.
This book has all the usual thrills one comes to expect from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child -- mystery, intrigue, difficult interpersonal relationships, and a two hundred page ramping up of the rising action to get to quite a climax. This book had me gripping the edges and staying up way past my bedtime so I could get to the end. I'm actually surprised I didn't get nightmares. Some of the bits about the antagonist are genuinely terrifying. Best of all -- one of the members of Nora's expedition is Bill Smithback, our favorite journalist from Relic and Reliquary.
I've got to say, I've only read four books by Preston/Child, but each one hooks me and holds me until the very end. Each one is exactly what I want in a thriller novel, and I can't wait to read the next one.
Read it -- it'll reward you.
Nora Kelly is an archaeologist at the Santa Fe Institute for Archaeology, whose reputation has already risen far above that of her father, a second-tier archaeologist who got lost on an expedition and never returned. However, one day, Nora finds a letter from her father, written twenty odd years ago, describing the route he took to the legendary Anasazi city of Quivira -- a supposed city of the priests filled with gold and silver. Despite a run-in with wild animals at her old family ranch, Nora decides to launch a very secret archaeological expedition to follow in her father's footsteps.
This book has all the usual thrills one comes to expect from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child -- mystery, intrigue, difficult interpersonal relationships, and a two hundred page ramping up of the rising action to get to quite a climax. This book had me gripping the edges and staying up way past my bedtime so I could get to the end. I'm actually surprised I didn't get nightmares. Some of the bits about the antagonist are genuinely terrifying. Best of all -- one of the members of Nora's expedition is Bill Smithback, our favorite journalist from Relic and Reliquary.
I've got to say, I've only read four books by Preston/Child, but each one hooks me and holds me until the very end. Each one is exactly what I want in a thriller novel, and I can't wait to read the next one.
Read it -- it'll reward you.
Thank you NetGalley and Scribe UK for the chance to read and review this book.
While Thunderhead is an excellent depiction on domestic violence and the forms it takes, the 109 pages should not be read lightly. The stream of consciousness style is well done but thats not an easy thing to read and requires a lot of focus; to be honest, had the book been longer I may not have finished it. That being said, it may an excellent jump back into this style or the type of focus needed for it if you're out of practice.
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