The Scorpion's Tail, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

There's nothing quite like slipping on a comfortable old pair of shoes. Every time is a new experience, but you know the contours and the fit. It's always a pleasant experience.

I'd been in kind of a reading slump in early 2021. I've tried some well-regarded new books that weren't what I hoped for, and rereading hasn't been especially rewarding either. Then, finally, my library reserve of Preston and Child's The Scorpion's Tail was ready for pickup.

Publishers love books in a series. It's a way for them to hopefully collect annual dividends, and with real luck a movie or TV series will spring from the books. It is attempted too often these days, but I always loved recurring characters. It probably started with Doc Savage adventures for me.

I got right on the P&C train in 1997, with Relic. It was an especially strong debut, and the intrepid authors followed suit with several more good books, until really hitting their stride in 2002 with The Cabinet of Curiosities. Their Pendergast character was in Relic, but he came to the forefront in Cabinet.

Pendergast proved to be immensely popular with readers, and I have been a vocal fan and supporter of the books for years and years.

I cannot imagine how tough it must be to keep a character fresh with book after book after book. I can't say I've actively disliked any of the Pendergast novels, but there are definitely high and low period in the series.

Preston and Child attempted to create another colorful franchise character with the Gideon Crew books, but they never really sparked for me. They certainly aren't bad books, but I never had the love for them, or the Crew character, as I had for Pendergast.

The last few Pendergast novels were more satisfying than some before them, but new blood was needed. Doug and Linc teamed two of their longtime characters, Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson, in a wonderful 2019 novel called Old Bones. Now we have the second book in this promising new series.

Nora and Corrie are back in The Scorpion's Tail. These two characters have good chemistry together. While they have seemingly opposite personalities, and they sometimes clash with each other's obstinate traits, somehow they work well together, giving readers a rousing good time in the bargain.

You know how it is when you are in the grip of a really great book? How when you know you have things to do, but you cannot tear yourself away from it? You read another chapter, and another chapter, unable to put down the book.

It's been a long time since I was so engrossed in a book. Months, probably. The Scorpion's Tail moves like an express train. Sure, you have to rein in your disbelief here and there, but that's the fun in a rollicking adventure yarn like this one.

The Scorpion's Tail has history, archeology, Native American folklore, buried treasure, intrigue, old style western shootouts, and a generous amount of wit. And, like Old Bones, a certain major player in the Preston and Child oeuvre makes an appearance near the end of the book.

The fiction of Douglas Preston is a beloved pair of literary shoes I hope never grows so threadbare I have to discard it.

Written by Mark Sieber