Old Bones
- Authors: Lincoln Child, Douglas Preston
- Series: Book 1 in the Nora Kelly series
- Genres: Mystery
- Rank:Top 100 in Best Historical Mystery on AmazonTop 300 in Best Women Sleuths Books on AmazonTop 1000 in Best Suspense Thrillers on Amazon
- Rating: 4.5 based on 15,450 reviews
- Release Date: August 20, 2019
- Print length: 384 pages (Hardcover)
About the book
The #1 NYT bestselling authors Preston & Child bring the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party to new life in this thrilling novel of archaeology, history, murder, and suspense.
Nora Kelly, a young curator at the Santa Fe Institute of Archaeology, is approached by historian Clive Benton with a unique proposition: to lead a team on a quest to find the elusive "Lost Camp" of the tragic Donner Party. This group of pioneers made history in a terrible way when they became trapped in the California mountains in 1847, with their fate remaining a mystery until the first survivors emerged, telling tales of starvation, murder, and even cannibalism.
Benton reveals to Kelly that he has come across a remarkable discovery: the long-sought diary of one of the victims, containing a cryptic description of the Lost Camp. Intrigued, Nora agrees to head an expedition to locate and excavate the site, hoping to unveil its hidden secrets.
However, as they delve into the mountains, they soon realize that finding the camp is just the beginning of a harrowing journey. With the discovery of ancient bones, they uncover a truth more shocking and twisted than mere cannibalism. And when the horrors of the past lead to violence in the present on a large scale, rookie FBI agent Corrie Swanson is tasked with the investigation... only to find that her first case may also be her last.