Badlands

Badlands by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
6/3/25; 368 pages
Grand Central Publishing
Nora Kelly & Corrie Swanson Series #5

Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is a very highly recommended action-packed thriller and the fifth novel in the series featuring archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. It can definitely be read as a standalone novel and features strong, capable female protagonists. Preston and Child dependably deliver another winner.

FBI Agent Corrie Swanson is assigned the investigation into the skeleton of a woman found in the New Mexico badlands. The woman apparently walked into the desert, removed all her clothes while walking, and died of heatstroke and thirst. By the bones are found an arrowhead and two round green stones. When Corrie calls Nora to look at the arrowhead, Nora immediately took more interest in the stones which she identifies as extremely rare green lightning stones. The body is identified as Molly Vine, a science teacher who went missing five years earlier.

When another body is found and identified as Mandy Driver, a geological consultant, two green lightning are again found by her. Their investigation leads Corrie and Nora to believe that the two deaths might be connected to Professor Oskarbi who had ties to both deceased women at the University of New Mexico. He also had an interest in the Gallinas, indigenous people who used lightning stones and were wiped out in the 13th century by the Chaco Canyon people. How does this all connect together?

As expected Badlands is a well-written, heart-stopping thriller which held my complete attention from start to finish. The plot moves at a lightning-fast pace and the setting, which comes to life, is beautifully described. Yes, you might have to set some disbelief aside, but there are also real historical facts woven into the plot. The investigation follows some complicated turns along the way, and there are several different story lines going on as everything heads to a run-in with the supernatural. You'll definitely want to read this in one sitting.

Corrie and Nora are great characters and it was wonderful to see them back, working together. They are both intelligent, insightful, and competent women and their characters continue to develop in this outing. Nora's brother Skip is back, making questionable decisions as is Corries friend, Sheriff Watts.

Badlands is an excellent choice for anyone who loves page-turning, action-packed thrillers. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.