Customer Reviews

Thunderhead

5 star:		(125)
4 star:		(61)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Child and Preston have created their best novel to date here, a combination of archaological/anthropological fact and mystery thriller fiction that is hard to put down once begun. The southwestern setting, specifically the canyon country of the Colorado basin is skillfully (and for the most part, accurately) drawn, and there is enough actual historical information about the Anasazi and their mysterious legacy to render the book "educational," to a degree. Also noteworthy is the improved character development the authors have provided this time around. Whereas in *Riptide* just about all of the characters were of the carboard-cutout type, the people who animate *Thunderhead* actually display a few internal conflicts and contradictions. Tolstoy it's not, but for a quick summertime read, I don't think we should raise the bar TOO high.

The ending, while filled with interesting twists and turns, is manically theatrical, perhaps too much so. But given the grandiose and dramatic plot lines that develop throoughout the preceding hundreds of pages, a Hollywood-type ending is surely forgivable here. If you want Great Literature, look elsewhere, but if you want a fun and absorbing read, this book might just be for you.

With their fifth novel, Thunderhead, Preston and Child may haveproduced their best adventure story yet. And an adventure it is!Thunderhead combines all of the excitement and awe of H. Rider Haggard's lost civilization stories with the mystery and appeal of Tony Hillerman's stories set in the American Southwest. Latching onto the enignma of the Ancient Ones, the Anasazi-- those prehistoric Indian dwellers-- Preston and Child have created a novel of almost unbearable suspense, archeological lore, and excitement.

Throughout much of the first two-thirds of Thunderhead readers almost have to remind themselves that the book is actually fiction, it seems so real. Thunderhead is extremely well researched. Throughout the novel readers will be treated to a wealth of knowledge about the ancient Anasazi culture: everything we do know about them, don't know about them, and the latest scientific controversy-- did the Anasazi engage in cannibalism? The history and geology of the area plays an important role in the story as does other American Native beliefs and religion. A lot of attention is given to Indian beliefs as they pertain to witchcraft: skinwalkers and plants that produce hallucinogenic drugs. Indeed, in an afterward, the authors site the fact that Douglas Preston traveled and lived among the southwestern Indian people and has written about them. There are repeated references to Howard Carter's discovery of King Tut's tomb, Schliemann's discovery of Troy, and the Wetherill brothers' discovery of the ancient cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, Colorado.

The last portion of Thunderhead becomes more of a traditionally plot-driven adventure thriller with catastrophe, death, murder, and evil running amuck. Thunderhead is one of the best adventure novels to see the light of day for quite sometime. Readers who have any knowledge of or have ever ventured to the Southwest and have fallen under the allure and mystic beauty of the area, especially of the ancient cliff dwellings, will have their imaginations rekindled anew. The nearly 500 pages of Thunderhead will flow through the reader's fingers as swiftly as the current in the waters of a flashflood headed for the Colorado River. And like those flood waters, it is a roller coaster ride filled with thrills and surprises until the very satisfying conclusion. This is a tale not to be missed. END

First I need to say that I've been an avid fan of D.P. and L.C. since the Relic. I own the first HC edition of all their books AND a paperback copy (or two)of each, for travel purposes. Although I've enjoyed all their books, I never thought they would write a book to rival the Relic, I was wrong. Thunderhead goes beyond expectations and delivers an intriguing and fast-paced punch. With another incredible combination of humor, detailed storyline and palpable characters you get pulled right in. I've read the Relic about twenty times, without exageration and Reliquary almost the same. When Thunderhead came out I was in a slump, so to speak, and it alone pulled me out (yeah, I know it sounds corny, but give me a break! I'm a bookaholic). Oh, by the way, if you really loved the Relic & Reliquary you are in for a real treat here.....

Like most of Preston's and Child's books, this is a very entertaining read. In addition to presenting an adventure with a mysterious twist, Preston and Child do what they do best--take interesting modern discoveries in science and make them the cornerstone of their adventure. I remember reading just a few years ago a controversial article that posited cannibalism by ancient peoples by the condition of excavated human bones (burnished on the ends by "pot polish"), and darn if that article doesn't fuel one of the twists in this book!

It really is a pleasure to see how these writers come up with wild and innovative ideas that are grounded in science. What fun! I can also recommend another of their books starring Smithback and Nora--"Cabinet of Curiosities"--for another fun read.

Child and Preston have gotten better with each succeeding novel, and Thunderhead is one of their most recent. At their best, they read rather like adult versions of Jonny Quest: exotic locales, a fair share of mystery, a lot of adventure and intrigue, and just a soupcon of sci-fi or the supernatural.

The authorial dynamic duo this time take on the mystery of the disappearance of the Anasazi, and the search for a lost city of gold. Their research is up to date, and their posed solution for the Anasazi's disappearance/demise is quite intriguing. Local color is excellent, and the action superior - Douglas Preston once personally retraced Coronado's journey on horseback, and he does a great job making the reader feel the reality of it.

The characters in Thunderhead are what really make it work, though. Bill Smithback, from the Relic books, is much more fully realized here than in his previous appearances. Heroine Nora is as sympathetic as they come: a previous reviewer said Sarah Michelle Gellar would be ideal for the role; they could have gone further, and noticed that the girl who becomes Nora's nemesis could as easily be played by Eliza Dushku, since the dynamic between the two in Thunderhead is a great deal like that of the two antagonistic Slayers in Buffy. The villains of the piece are far from black-hearted ogres, shaded with a very believable moral ambiguity, which is one of the greatest strengths of the book.

My only complaint about Thunderhead is that it had to end. I'm given to understand that Nora and Bill are slated to appear in an upcoming C&P book, and that's good, because they started to feel like old friends by the time I was finished riding this long, involving adventure trail with them.

Finally! A thriller that lives up to the hype! "THUNDERHEAD", from the dueling PC's of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, delivers a chilling, nail-biting story in the tradition of the Indiana Jones series--with the danger factor turned up to full-tilt! Nora Kelly is an assistant professor at the Santa Fe Archeological Institute, feeling quite burned out with her academic life. Her heart's passion is to be out in the wilderness making great discoveries in the name of bettering humankind. Her father, an archeologist as well, but better known as a man with dreams bigger than facts could support, mysteriously disappeared sixteen years earlier while pursuing the mythical Quivira--an ancient lost city rumored to contain the world's wealth in gold. His disappearance leaves Nora and her younger brother Skip to fend for themselves. Nora has begun to make a name for herself, but her brother battles with his need to drink himself into oblivion. One night, Nora is drawn inexplicably to her family's now-abandoned and delapidated ranch, where she is terrifyingly and viciously attacked by what she at first thinks are wild dogs, but turn out to be somehow human. In her flight to escape her attackers, she happens coincidentally upon a letter, addressed to her deceased mother...from her father. In it, he hints at his discovery of his fabled Quivira, but the letter is more enigmatic than informative. Thus begins one of the most memorable adventure stories of the past decade, as Nora convinces her employer to fund an expedition to locate the lost city, and perhaps answer the questions that have plagued her regarding her father's disappearance. After a harrowing journey with a hastily but well-thought out team, Nora finally stumbles upon the legendary city...but the thrills only begin there. Haunting, chilling, but wildly entertaining...this was definitely a page-turning adventure! Plan on staying up till the wee hours to follow this awesome tale!

If you're a person who reads for the enjoyment of it, you know the rare feeling of constant anticipation as you turn the pages of a good book. Not good literature, but a good book. The suspense nearly kills you as you race to the ending, dying to know what happens. I guess, they usually call such a book a page-turner, but the phrase hardly does such a reading experience justice. "Thunderhead" is one of these books.

It begins with a Chrichton-like set-up: a young, eager archaeologist stumbles across a letter written by her believed-dead father 16 years ago, speaking of a mythical city of Gold deep in the canyon country of Utah, that would be THE find of the 20th Century. Needless to say Nora (the young archaeologist) sets out to find the city described by her father. However, awaiting her and her team, is an ancient evil awakened by her quest, an evil that has only one focus: the stop the archaeological team from reaching the city.

Again, much like a Chrichton novel and these authors previous works, the plot becomes a masterful blend of science and blood-guts-n-gore suspense. The body count is high, and the scenes graphic, but they are sprinkled so tastefully (if that's the right word) through a novel that sets out an interesting theory on the ancient cliff-dwelling Indians and their mysterious past.

Saying much more would give away a plot that true edge-of-your-seat suspense, and I wouldn't want to spoil someone else's read...but needless to say this book is well worth reading.

Nora Kelly is an anthropologist specializing in Southwest Indian ruins. Her life is normal until one day she receives a letter from her father. A letter written 16 years ago but just recently mailed. From a father who disappeared while searching for the lost Anasazi city of Quivera. She convinces her employer that with the letter she too can find the lost city. An expedition is mounted with Nora in the lead but she doesn't reckon with the unrestrained ambition of her boss's daughter who is along on the expedtion and wants all the glory for herself. And to make matters worse the expedition is being stalked by two skinwalkers, Anasazi witches, who will stop at nothing to prevent Quivera from being found.

This is another good entry from Preston and Child who specialize in the cliffhanger type of thriller. There are always more and more obstacles thrown in the heroes path, who just manage to overcome them before the next crisis is hurled on their heads. In one way it is formulaic, but Preston and Child carry it off quite well. At times the dialogue seemed a little stilted and the boss's ambitious daughter may have been a little over the top but on the whole the book was enjoyable. If you like cliffhanger thrillers you could do worse than this book.

THUNDERHEAD is a great summer read, just don't read it on a camping trip. The disaster-plagued expedition goes through some disturbing stuff, and the gore factor is pretty high. Still, the plot, if a bit far-fetched(what Preston-Child book isn't?), is action-packed, the research into Native American culture is impressive, and the characters are enjoyable. I personally was pleasantly surprised at the return of Bill Smithback, the obnoxious but endearing journalist from RELIC and RELIQUARY. Say what you want about his lack of investigative principles, but Smithback is one of the funniest characters in all of Preston and Child's books, and clearly a favorite of the authors. All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves being creeped out.

"Thunderhead" is perhaps my favorite Preston/Child novel to date, as it is definitely head and shoulders above the competition in the "techno-thriller" genre. Where Preston and Child have separated themselves from the pack is in their writing and characterizations. Any writer can string together high tech jargon and cool gadgets and produce a story. However, it takes writers of rare talent to combine that science with tight plotting, characters with real depth and beautifully written settings.

In "Thunderhead" the reader follows an expedition in pursuit of Quivera, the lost city of gold. Of course, nothing is ever easy, and there are mysterious forces at work trying to block the expedition. While that may sound somewhat hokey, I can assure you that the authors have done their research well. They bring a tremendous amount of historical fact, as well as cutting edge speculation into their story. In fact, I was so intrigued by the history they injected into the story, I went out and bought several books on the ancient cultures of the American Southwest.

In the end, "Thunderhead" is a great read; it has enough of a foundation in reality that you don't find yourself grimacing at the clichés of a typical thriller. At the same time, the writing is superb, and the reader is inevitably sucked in as the authors ratchet up the tension to the point where one literally can't put the book down. Once again, these authors have proven that a book doesn't have to be mindless to be entertaining.

Enjoy!