Promotional Information

The adventure-packed thriller by the New York Times bestselling authors of Riptide, The Relic, and The Reliquary is now in paperback.

About the Author

Douglas Preston worked for the American Museum of Natural History in New York as managing editor of Curator magazine. He is a world traveler, and his articles have been published in such magazines as Smithsonian and The New Yorker. He has written a number of nonfiction books as well as several novels.
Lincoln Child was an editor at St. Martin's Press when he met Douglas Preston and invited him to write a book about the American Museum of Natural History (Dinosaurs in the Attic). The two first collaborated on The Relic; their other titles include Mount Dragon and Reliquary.

Reviews

A novel of considerable scope and interest.... Grounded in science but flirting with the supernatural, Preston and Child have created a highly readable tale of adventure and long-ago crimes.
*Dallas Morning News*

Exciting, well-conceived, and well-oiled...a rip-snorter for lovers of adventure stories, with more than a touch of evil.
*Toronto Star*

Chilling...Preston and Child continue to redefine 'page-turner.
*Denver Rocky Mountain News*

Spellbinding.
*Kirkus Reviews*

The adventure is marginally higher than the suspense in Preston and Child's sturdy new tale of scientific derring-do, concerning a search for Quivira, the legendary Anasazi Indian City of Gold. With four high-concept thrillers behind them, from 1995's Relic to last year's Riptide, the authors know what buttons to push and levers to yankÄperhaps too well. The novel has a clockwork feel, from its first tickÄthe spooky stalking of archeologist Nora Kelly on an isolated New Mexican ranchÄto its last tock. Playing it safe, Preston and Child take no missteps as Nora finds an old letter from her long-missing father with clues to Quivira's location; leads an expedition of central-casting types (a leathery old cowboy, a beautiful female photographer, the jokey journalist who figured in Relic and Reliquary, etc.); after much difficulty, discovers Quivira, which is revealed as a repository of ancient evil; and encounters death by way of the Native American witches who threatened her at the novel's start. It's all predictable but rarely dull. The authors display deep affection for the pulp they're recycling, talent for exciting set piecesÄa hazardous ascent along a ridge toward Quivira and the flash-flooding of the canyon harboring the city are showcases of action writingÄand, always their ace, the ability to infuse every aspect of their story with authentic techno-scientific lore. This is a novel in which the archeological niceties of ancient black-on-yellow micaceous pottery are as important to plot as the caliber of the gun the heroine wields. Fans of the authors' similarly inspired, and similarly metronomic, scientific textbooks-cum-thrillers should find this one much to their taste. Simultaneous audio. (July) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

YA-Checking on disturbing noises at her family's abandoned ranch house, Nora Kelly experiences a frightening encounter with two entities that resemble extremely large and ferocious wolves (in reality men disguised as skinwalkers), barely escaping with her life. On her frantic flight toward safety, she accidentally stumbles across the last letter her father wrote, describing the route he had taken in finding the lost legendary Anasazi city of gold, Quivivra. Nora finds a financial backer and puts together an expedition staffed with experts to help her find the site once more. The group encounters monumental natural obstacles and deep personality conflicts. And once the skinwalkers reappear, the eerie power of evil seems to take over. Members of the team begin to die mysteriously, and when a flash flood hits the canyon, the body count rises. The delicate balance of good and evil in the world serves as the major theme. The adventure occurs amid the beauty and spectacular dangers of the harsh environment, inspiring and frightening to behold. The constant challenge of staying alive keeps the excitement sharp. The strong emotion of greed and the interaction of opposing interests insures continual strife within the group. High-tech communications and the latest knowledge about diseases contrast with the ancient culture, and also provide answers to many of the mysteries associated with the Quivivra. This is a story filled with excitement, a sense of place, and personable characters, delivered in a quick-paced race against evil, humankind, and the tremendous forces of nature.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

A novel of considerable scope and interest.... Grounded in science but flirting with the supernatural, Preston and Child have created a highly readable tale of adventure and long-ago crimes. * Dallas Morning News *
Exciting, well-conceived, and well-oiled...a rip-snorter for lovers of adventure stories, with more than a touch of evil. * Toronto Star *
Chilling...Preston and Child continue to redefine 'page-turner. * Denver Rocky Mountain News *
Spellbinding. * Kirkus Reviews *