Review: Thunderhead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Thunderhead by Douglas Preston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Archaeologist Nora Kelly is adrift in her career and her personal life when a violent, inexplicable incident leaves her in possession of a mysterious letter. Written by her father, who vanished sixteen years ago in the remote desert, the letter reveals the location of a legendary site hidden in the red rock canyon country of southern Utah: Quivira, the Anasazi Indians' wondrous lost city of gold.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child know how to scare the shit out of people.


I am a huge fan of Preston and Child. They have a way of writing thrillers that hit every emotion, that are unlike any other novel I’ve ever gotten my hands on, and they just plain make an impact.


Nora Kelly, an archeologist, receives a letter from her father who has been missing and presumed dead for decades. At the same time she is attacked by creatures that haunt her daydreams for weeks after. The letter tells of the legendary city of Quivara, a city of gold. With an expedition in toe, she leads the group into the canyons of the American west in search of the city and, unknowingly, danger.


As usual the authors are amazing writers, and I love their styles. It’s simple with a dash of something exotic. The characters are all fleshed out with an accuracy that helps you to follow their every move and believe their dialogue. They’re grisly, make you shudder and produce horror on an entirely new level.

There’s a mystery, which is answered with a twist and the most curious of answers. It’s never a cut and dry source for suspense, there are more elements that drag the reader deeper into the story.


Biased I may be, but I’m extremely picky when it comes to mysteries. I’ve read ones that are pure cliché and thrillers that just bore me with their corny premises. I praise these authors, and this book, because of how well it was written, how on the edge of my seat it pushes me, and because it’s a damn good thrill ride.


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