Agent Pendergast
thriller
Series · thriller
Nora Kelly
The Nora Kelly series by Douglas Preston has 5 books and is best read in publication order, starting with Thunderhead (1999).
- Books
- 5 books
- First published
- 2019
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: Thunderhead (1999) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Thunderhead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Thunderhead - Book 2:
Old Bones
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Old Bones - Book 3:
The Scorpion's Tail
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Scorpion's Tail - Book 4:
Diablo Mesa
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Diablo Mesa - Book 5:
Dead Mountain
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead Mountain - Book 6:
Badlands
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.
How to read this series
Thunderhead (1999) is optional but rewarding: it's Nora Kelly's introduction, twenty years before the numbered series begins. The core sequence starts with Old Bones (2019), which pairs her for the first time with Agent Corrie Swanson and establishes the archaeology-plus-FBI format every later book follows.
Each novel is a self-contained case, so the series is friendly to readers joining partway through, but Old Bones remains the strongest entry point since it sets up Nora and Corrie's working partnership from scratch.
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.
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Reading order last verified .