Book Review of Badlands by Preston and Child – Great mix of history and intrigue
Table of Contents
My Rating of Badlands – 4 out of 5
Plot Synopsis of Badlands
The author duo of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have two popular series running. One is the Nora Kelly series. The other is the Agent Pendergast series. Between the two, my personal favorite is the Nora Kelly one. It is both well-researched as well as informative. They combine an eclectic mix of archaeology, history and murder mysteries. Added to this, is FBI rookie agent Corrie Swanson, who is green but far from dumb. Overall, that results in a pacy, historical thriller, set in modern times.
Badlands, is the latest addition to this critically acclaimed series. Set in the state of New Mexico, it traces mystery deaths in the scorching desert – which outwardly look like suicides without any tangible motive. The discovery of some ancient Native American artifacts near the bodies, add to the intrigue. The case falls onto Corrie Swanson to solve and she reaches out to her collaborator, Nora Kelly, for help. Nora is a seasoned archaeologist and a dogged researcher. They join forces to to get to the bottom of this weird case.
While Nora and Corrie grapple with the mysterious skeleton found in the desert, her brother Skip joins the melee! He is a maverick, happy-go-lucky character, who bumbles into situations which he then can’t get out of. His new found friendship with Edwin Nash – a rich collector of Indian artifacts, as usual leads to trouble. And again, Nora has to get him out of that too. Though that eventually leads to the resolution of this mess, Skip is guilty of a cavalier attitude which fosters trouble.
Mixed in all this intrigue is the ancient history of Native American tribes. The Gallina and the Chacos and in turn the Pueblo tribes are intricately mixed into the storyline. Tradition, superstition and myths are intertwined, in the midst of the haunting wilderness of the desert badlands. The Chacos once settled here. There is proof of invasion by the Gallinas. They are not known to be the nicest tribe and conflict arises between the two.
Then a major war erupts between the tribes and the Gallina are violently wiped out – no survivors. Cut to the present time, and an Anthropology professor and his students study these ancient tribes and make some startling discoveries. Then the professor vanishes. Leaving his students flummoxed and mystified. Twelve years later, the suicides start. Corrie, entrusted with resolving this mystery, struggles to put two and two together. Nora, Skip and the local Sheriff, Homer Watts joins the investigation.
As the clues unravel, Nora and Corrie are drawn deeper into the convoluted series of incidents and travel to Mexico, pursuing leads. As the grand finale draws near, a bit of sensationalism creeps into the story telling. Here, I’m kind of willing to give the author duo a bit of loose rein as it makes good read. But it does require some amount of suspension of belief to aid in the fictional trajectory. Afterall, a good story sometimes has to be allowed a little literary freedom!
Conclusion – Badlands:
With a perfect blend of history, tradition and mystery, this novel strikes a chord with me. Reading about the lives of the ancient American Indians, their artwork and conflicts, is a novel experience in itself! The authors capably marry that with a modern suspense thriller – that too with great aplomb. The characters of Nora and Corrie, though diametrically different, have one thing in common. No, two in fact. Dogged persistence to find the truth and balanced intelligence. Together, they make a great team. Overall, a recommended read for thriller buffs, who also love a whiff of history baked in!
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