First published 2019
Curator Nora Kelly has built her reputation on successful excavations when historian Guy Porter approaches her with an unusual proposition. He wants her to lead an expedition into the Sierra Nevada mountains to find the lost camp of the Donner Party, the pioneers who became trapped in the winter of 1847 and resorted to cannibalism to survive. The legendary tale of their courage and desperation has captivated Americans for generations. Kelly agrees to the challenge and ventures into the mountains with Porter. They discover the missing starvation camp, but this archaeological triumph becomes just the beginning of their troubles. The real story behind the long dead pioneers proves far more complex than anyone imagined. Their search has attracted dangerous attention from people willing to kill for the Donner Party's rumored fortune in gold. Kelly finds herself caught between uncovering historical truth and surviving a present day threat that turns her academic expedition into a fight for her life.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, archaeology, thriller
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, treasure-hunt
Setting: Sierra Nevada, United States
Period: 1847, 21st Century
401 pages · Kindle Edition · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: violence