Preston, Child dig up Roswell incident in ‘Diablo Mesa’  

Writing a book about the Roswell crash mystery is a tall order because it’s been done so many times before. On the other hand, it’s tantalizing for Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child fans to see archaeologist Nora Kelly and young FBI Agent Corrie Swanson thrown into one of these yarns. And it had to happen eventually, since both are stationed in New Mexico (as is Preston). 

Dig with caution 

“Diablo Mesa” (February, hardcover) is No. 3 in the Nora Kelly series, but again, Corrie is a co-star who deserves equal billing. It’s bordering on amusing how they end up in the same tales together, but I forgive the authors because I love reading about both of these strong-willed women. 

As a story that (literally) digs up the UFO crash site of 1947, you can probably predict “Diablo Mesa’s” happenings and tropes in advance. But the authors are enthusiastic about the material and they establish verisimilitude every step of the way. Anyway, the familiarity is part of the fun in this subgenre. 

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The modern hook is ground-penetrating radar technology — used in a lot of P&C’s archaeological fiction, and nicely detailed in Preston’s nonfiction book “The Lost City of the Monkey God.” The LIDAR maps created by flyovers tell Nora’s team where to place their grids and poke their trowels. 

An Elon Musk type named Lucas Tappan funds the dig, and he has all the governmental permits. But a cloud hangs over the discoveries that roll into the base camp on the titular rock formation: If the government is covering up the discovery of little green men, how long before Tappan’s team encounters Men in Black? 

As with P&C’s 2021 Pendergast novel “Bloodless,” two great acts are followed by a bombastic third act where a readers’ mileage may vary. But to their credit, the authors lay the groundwork. The action goes over the top at times, but in the end I found “Diablo Mesa” to be a satisfying addition to the Roswell subgenre – although mostly because of the main characters. 

Clashes with authority 

(SPOILERS FOLLOW.) 

Both Nora and Corrie have their requisite – and entertaining — clashes with their bosses. The Nora stuff is particularly tasty, as she’s fired from the Sante Fe institute but then hired (in the parking lot on her way out!) by Tappan. A plausible romance (who wouldn’t fall for Nora?) sets up the logistics for future Nora Kelly novels: Funding will no longer be a concern. 

Fans of Corrie-and-Sheriff-Watts will have to exercise patience until future books (although we get some cute moments here), but Corrie’s arc is at least laced with tension. As readers, we know the evil Lime is posing as her boss long before Corrie does. 

I also liked Nora’s brother Skip in “Diablo Mesa.” The family screw-up, Skip keeps plugging away at this job as a dig-site assistant; he might serve as an inspiration for those going through employment troubles. I love his warm relationships with both Nora and his loyal dog, Mitty. 

Tappan is likable, too. He’s a straightforward character – an entrepreneur who wants to do scientifically fascinating and worthwhile things with his money. He hires people for their skills, and doesn’t micromanage. There’s no “too good to be true” element with Tappan; P&C reserve evil traits for Lime and other MiBs in the final act. 

The existence of the secret government group Atropos has modern resonance with the growth of the spy state and other examples of government enmity against their supposed employers, the citizenry. That said, it’s a stretch that Atropos went 70 years without being exposed. That contributes to the final act going slightly off the rails. 

A reader’s enjoyment of “Diablo Mesa’s” plot might depend on how much they are into Roswell mythology going in. But it’s possible Preston & Child will hook some new acolytes with their enthusiastic writing, just as Tappan gradually hooks Nora.  

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