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romantic suspense
Series · thriller
Nora Kelly
The Nora Kelly series by Douglas Preston has 5 known books (6 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Thunderhead (1999). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Badlands.
- Books
- 5 known books (6 novels)
- Published
- 6
- First published
- 2019
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Thriller
- Last checked
Start here: Thunderhead (1999) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Thunderhead
Thunderhead, published July 1, 1999 at 548 pages, is marked ordinal zero in Nora Kelly — a Preston & Child novel that predates the numbered series by two decades and stands as its longest book.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Thunderhead - Book 2:
Old Bones
Old Bones didn't appear until August 1, 2019, twenty years after Thunderhead, formally opening the numbered series at 369 pages — the shortest entry so far.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Old Bones - Book 3:
The Scorpion's Tail
The Scorpion's Tail followed in 2021 as the second numbered book, running 480 pages. It continues the format Old Bones established: Santa Fe archaeologist Nora Kelly paired with young FBI agent Corrie Swanson, working a case that starts with buried history and turns dangerous in the present.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Scorpion's Tail - Book 4:
Diablo Mesa
Diablo Mesa, from 2022, is the third entry at 416 pages, following Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson into another case rooted in buried history that turns dangerous in the present -- the pairing of archaeological expertise and federal investigative authority that defines the series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Diablo Mesa - Book 5:
Dead Mountain
Dead Mountain arrived in 2023 as the fourth numbered book, at 408 pages, continuing Nora and Corrie's run of cold cases with a forensic or historical dimension. Each Nora Kelly novel is self-contained, so it works as an entry point even for readers new to the series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead Mountain - Book 6:
Badlands
Badlands, published in 2025 two years after Dead Mountain, is the fifth numbered entry at 400 pages and the current end of the series to date. No further Nora Kelly title had been announced as of this writing, though Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's shared universe leaves the door open for more crossovers with the Pendergast series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Badlands
About the Nora Kelly series
Nora Kelly is a Santa Fe archaeologist -- introduced in Preston & Child's 1999 standalone Thunderhead -- who resurfaces two decades later as director of the Institute of Archaeology, partnered with young FBI agent Corrie Swanson (herself a recurring character from the Pendergast series) to work cold cases and crimes with a forensic or historical dimension. The pairing lets the authors combine Nora's academic, dig-site expertise with Corrie's federal investigative authority.
The numbered series proper runs from Old Bones (2019) through Badlands (2025), each novel built around a case that starts with buried history -- a doomed wagon train, a vanished mesa community, a decades-cold murder -- and turns dangerous in the present. Nora also appears as a supporting character across the Pendergast series (most notably in The Cabinet of Curiosities, tracked on this site under Pendergast), reflecting how thoroughly Preston & Child's different series share one connected universe.
Frequently asked questions
How many Nora Kelly books are there?
Five numbered novels -- Old Bones (2019) through Badlands (2025) -- plus the character's 1999 introduction in the standalone Thunderhead.
What order should I read the Nora Kelly books in?
Publication order, starting with Old Bones (or Thunderhead first, for Nora's earlier introduction two decades before the series proper).
Is Nora Kelly connected to Agent Pendergast?
Yes -- Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson both also appear across the Pendergast series (Corrie is Pendergast's protegee; Nora features prominently in The Cabinet of Curiosities), reflecting Preston & Child's shared story universe.
Do I need to read Thunderhead before Old Bones?
No -- Old Bones works as a standalone starting point, though Thunderhead adds twenty years of backstory for Nora's character.
Is there a new Nora Kelly book coming?
No further title had been announced beyond Badlands (2025) as of this writing.
If you like the Nora Kelly series
Reading order last verified .