Diablo Mesa

By: Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

Narrated by: Cynthia Farrell

Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times bestsellers Preston and Child, archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson are tasked with the mysterious deaths of two people found at a site where a UFO allegedly crashed decades before.

Lucas Tappan, a wealthy and eccentric billionaire and founder of Icarus Space Systems, approaches the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute with an outlandish proposal—to finance a careful, scientific excavation of the Roswell Incident site, where a UFO is alleged to have crashed in 1947. A skeptical Nora Kelly, to her great annoyance, is tasked with the job. 

Nora's excavation immediately uncovers two murder victims buried at the site, faces and hands obliterated with acid to erase their identities. Special Agent Corrie Swanson is assigned to the case. As Nora’s excavation proceeds, uncovering things both bizarre and seemingly inexplicable, Corrie’s homicide investigation throws open a Pandora's box of espionage and violence, uncovering bloody traces of a powerful force that will stop at nothing to protect its secrets—and that threatens to engulf them all in an unimaginable fate.

©2022 Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (P)2022 Grand Central Publishing

Amazing book, as usual, but why this narrator?!

I can understand a switch in narrators due to the female leads in these books...but the male characters sound like a 10 year girl was asked to impersonate a 50 year old man.
really distracting. hard to take seriously. I've stopped gangway through and will be returning it and buying a print copy.

so many mispronounced words!

when in doubt, look it up! New Mexican place names and Hispanic surnames with the wrong syllables accented -- examples include the pronunciation of the names Vigil and Alamogordo. very distracting.

Dreadful narrator, tired formula writing

I complained about this narrator doing reviews on the first two books. At least this time we did not have her destroying Pendergast. Perhaps, because this storyline is exhausted, having been done in one form or another many, many times, it was disappointing to have Preston and Child use it. Because of aging eyes I listen to Audible books. Cynthia Farrell not only destroys the voices of men, her Cory and Nora sounded like whinny teenage girls. I will never bother with a book she reads again. Also, not sure I trust Preston and Child after this sloppy affair.

Irritating

I might have enjoyed this book more or the narrator wasn’t so very irritating. I’ve loved Preston & Childs novels very much over the years, and honestly tried to like The Nora Kelly series from the beginning.
I found the plot to be disappointing and unbelievable even for a "science fiction". As such, I will no longer read the Nora Kelly Series.

Narrator makes listening to the story unbearable

I am returning this audiobook after listening to a few chapters and will purchase print. I am so disappointed, since I have been looking forward to this audiobook for months. I wasn t fond of her narration in the first two in the series either.

Bad narration

I always like their books but this narrator was awful. The story was very confusing as well. I read for pleasure. Not scientific study.

Worse Than Bloodless….

This is simply the most terribly written book by 2 of my most favorite authors, Preston and Child. How could their editors let this happen?
Badly written, nearly non existent research, on and on I could go. I have read every book ever written by them. All of them more than once. There is just no excuse for their lazy approach to this story.

Please, please, no more male voices

The book was good, great even, but Ms. Farrell lowering her voice to portray a man is so irritating. Use a guy, please.

Worst Narration Ever? Yes.

This is, without a doubt, the worst narration I've ever had the deep misfortune of listening to. Why my two favorite authors- gentlemen used to having their work read by the late, great René Auberjonois- chose to employ THIS lady, I'm afraid I can't understand. Did they lose a bet? Was she a pestilent family friend that decided to "help" and they were too polite to refuse?

In any case, the verdict is this:
go buy the print or ebook version of this one, because the audiobook is an entire hot mess. Even Preston and Child's legendary literary talent couldn't overcome the ear-bleedingly bad voice (over)acting. Sorry guys. I'm sure the print book will garner much better reviews.

PLEASE get another narrator!

I generally love the Preston/Child books. This one however, meh. The plot is a little far fetched and the narrator is AWFUL. An Israeli scientist with a French accent? Her male voices are ridiculous. Her tone and inflection are deplorable. I really miss Rene Auberjonois.