Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: The Scorpion's Tail (USA 2021)

From the Publisher:
From #1 bestselling authors Preston & Child comes a thrilling novel following archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson as they work together to solve a twisted crime that reaches far beyond any of their worst fears.

Following the acclaimed debut of Old Bones, this second "happily anticipated" new thriller in Preston & Child's series features Nora Kelly, archaeologist at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute, and rookie FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, as they team up to solve a mystery that quickly escalates into nightmare (Booklist).

A mummified corpse, over half a century old, is found in the cellar of an abandoned building in a remote New Mexico ghost town. Corrie is assigned what seems to her a throwaway case: to ID the body and determine cause of death. She brings archaeologist Nora Kelly to excavate the body and lend her expertise to the investigation, and together they uncover something unexpected and shocking: the deceased apparently died in agony, in a fetal position, skin coming off in sheets, with a rictus of horror frozen on his face.

Hidden on the corpse lies a 16th century Spanish gold cross of immense value.

When they at last identify the body -- and the bizarre cause of death -- Corrie and Nora open a door into a terrifying, secret world of ancient treasure and modern obsession: a world centered on arguably the most defining, frightening, and transformative moment in American history.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: The Scorpion's Tail. Grand Central Publishing, ISBN: 9781538747285 (September, 2021), 434 p., $16.99.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: The Scorpion's Tail (UK 2021)

From the Publisher:
#1 bestselling authors Preston & Child return with the next book in a series featuring archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson.

After a shoot-out leaves a senior FBI agent gravely wounded, Corrie Swanson finds herself under investigation. Her supervisor assures her she's not to blame and the black mark on her record will be cleared in short order. But Corrie finds she cannot shake off an overwhelming feeling of guilt.

As a distraction, she takes on a new case involving a fifty-year-old, mummified corpse discovered in a hidden enclave at High Lonesome, a long-abandoned New Mexico ghost town. Quickly out of her depth, she realizes she needs the help of her old enemy, archaeologist Nora Kelly. The two women soon uncover a startling truth: the deceased was poisoned, and died clutching a priceless artifact.

Can the two women solve the mystery of the scorpion's tail? Or will they -- like others before them -- die in the attempt?

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: The Scorpion's Tail. Head of Zeus, ISBN: 9781838931247 (August, 2021), 401 p., £8.99.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: The Scorpion's Tail (USA 2021)

From the Publisher:
From #1 bestselling authors Preston & Child comes a thrilling novel following archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson as they work together to solve a twisted crime that reaches far beyond any of their worst fears.

Following the acclaimed debut of Old Bones, this second "happily anticipated" new thriller in Preston & Child's series features Nora Kelly, archaeologist at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute, and rookie FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, as they team up to solve a mystery that quickly escalates into nightmare (Booklist).

A mummified corpse, over half a century old, is found in the cellar of an abandoned building in a remote New Mexico ghost town. Corrie is assigned what seems to her a throwaway case: to ID the body and determine cause of death. She brings archaeologist Nora Kelly to excavate the body and lend her expertise to the investigation, and together they uncover something unexpected and shocking: the deceased apparently died in agony, in a fetal position, skin coming off in sheets, with a rictus of horror frozen on his face.

Hidden on the corpse lies a 16th century Spanish gold cross of immense value.

When they at last identify the body -- and the bizarre cause of death -- Corrie and Nora open a door into a terrifying, secret world of ancient treasure and modern obsession: a world centered on arguably the most defining, frightening, and transformative moment in American history.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: The Scorpion's Tail. Grand Central Publishing, ISBN: 9781538747278 (January, 2021), 401 p., $29.00, eBook $14.99.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: The Scorpion's Tail (UK 2021)

From the Publisher:
#1 bestselling authors Preston & Child return with the next book in a series featuring archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson.

After a shoot-out leaves a senior FBI agent gravely wounded, Corrie Swanson finds herself under investigation. Her supervisor assures her she's not to blame and the black mark on her record will be cleared in short order. But Corrie finds she cannot shake off an overwhelming feeling of guilt.

As a distraction, she takes on a new case involving a fifty-year-old, mummified corpse discovered in a hidden enclave at High Lonesome, a long-abandoned New Mexico ghost town. Quickly out of her depth, she realizes she needs the help of her old enemy, archaeologist Nora Kelly. The two women soon uncover a startling truth: the deceased was poisoned, and died clutching a priceless artifact.

Can the two women solve the mystery of the scorpion's tail? Or will they -- like others before them -- die in the attempt?

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child: The Scorpion's Tail. Head of Zeus, ISBN: 9781838931230 (January, 2021), 401 p., £18.99, eBook £6.99.