Diablo Mesa

by Douglas Preston

First published 2022

Archaeologist Nora Kelly receives an unusual assignment when billionaire Lucas Tappan offers to fund a scientific dig at the infamous 1947 Roswell UFO crash site. Kelly approaches the project with skepticism, but Tappan's Icarus Space Systems provides the resources for a proper excavation. The dig takes a dark turn when Kelly uncovers two corpses buried at the location. Acid has destroyed the victims' faces and hands, making identification impossible. FBI Agent Corrie Swanson takes charge of the murder investigation while Kelly continues her archaeological work. As the excavation progresses, both women encounter increasingly strange discoveries that challenge their understanding of the site. Swanson's homicide case reveals a web of espionage and violence stretching back decades. A shadowy organization emerges as the likely culprit, one that has killed to protect its secrets and shows no signs of stopping. The investigation puts both Kelly and Swanson in mortal danger as they edge closer to truths that powerful forces will eliminate them to conceal.

Genres: science-fiction, adventure, mystery, archaeology, thriller, action

Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, morally-ambiguous-characters

Setting: Diablo Mesa, Roswell, Icarus Space Systems

Period: 1947, Present Day

368 pages · Kindle Edition · Grand Central Publishing

Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, murder

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