Nora Kelly Books in Order

This reading order guide provides the complete list of Nora Kelly books in order, from the very first to the latest, so you won’t miss anything!

About the Nora Kelly Series

The Nora Kelly books by Douglas Preston are a mix of archaeology, history and mystery. If you like stories about old secrets mixed with modern investigations, you might like this series. The books are full of historical facts, interesting finds and strong women characters. They move fast and are easy to get into.

The first book in the series is Old Bones, which came out in 2019. But Nora Kelly, the main character, was actually in a couple of earlier books too—Thunderhead and The Cabinet of Curiosities. Those older books introduced her as a smart and determined archaeologist who often ends up in dangerous situations. Even back then she was a strong and curious character. So it makes sense she got her own series.

Preston and Child have been working together for a long time but they both have interesting backgrounds. Douglas Preston grew up in Massachusetts and had a lot of outdoor adventures as a kid. He also worked at the American Museum of Natural History which helped shape his interest in science and storytelling. Lincoln Child started writing when he was young and later worked as an editor. When they teamed up their skills really clicked and they’ve written a bunch of successful thrillers together—even though they live far apart.

In Old Bones Nora is leading a dig to find the site of the Donner Party camp in the Sierra Nevada. What starts as a regular archaeology job turns into something much darker. She works with a historian named Clive Benton and together they uncover some disturbing truths—not just about the past but also dangers in the present. The mix of real history and suspense makes the story really engaging.

In the next book The Scorpion’s Tail Nora teams up with Corrie Swanson, an FBI agent from some of the authors’ other books. They’re looking into a strange, mummified body found in a ghost town in New Mexico. What seems like a simple case ends up involving hidden objects, old crimes and even politics. Nora and Corrie don’t always see eye to eye but that makes their teamwork more interesting.

Later books like Diablo Mesa and Dead Mountain keep the partnership going. The stories get into conspiracy theories, government secrets and even alien stuff—but still feel grounded in real science and archaeology. That balance between fact and fiction keeps the books from getting too crazy.

If you’ve read other Preston & Child books you’ll recognize some of the characters or style. But even if you haven’t you can jump right in. It’s not just about solving crimes—it’s also about uncovering forgotten stories from the past. The characters grow and change over time and the stories stay fresh.

So if you’re in the mood for fast paced mysteries with smart women and buried secrets this series might be for you.