Thunderhead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Archaeologist Nora Kelly is called out to the old home place where she grew up. Abandoned, the neighbor says that there have been lights and noises coming from the house. When Nora checks it out, the abandoned home has been vandalized but in such a way as to seem like someone was tearing it to pieces to search for something. Then she's attacked by some men wrapped in filthy furs demanding, "Where is the letter?" Fortunately for Nora, her neighbor shows up carrying a gun and they are able to escape. On the way out she is in such a hurry that she runs into the old mailbox. She has to get out and pull it out from under her bumper and a letter falls out of the old mailbox. It was written by her father 16 years ago when he disappeared while searching a remote area for the Anasazi city of Quivira. He gives her enough information to narrow the search down.
Nora decides she has to try and find her father's remains and whether or not he ever found the city of Quivira. It's suppose to be the city of gold that the Spaniards searched for. Using satellites and computers she is able to find an ancient road and is able to persuade her boss to finance a small group to see what they can find.
By horseback, they go to the ancient road bed and camp and begin looking for the city. This is when the real adventures begin. I enjoyed this book so much. I like all of Preston and Child's books but I believe this one is one of my favorites. I didn't put it down. I thought it was great from front to back. Mystery, action, and believable. Stan and I have visited the ancient Anasazi sites that were mentioned in the book like Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. It made the book more alive for me.
There is one sex scene in the book that I wish they had left out. So I wouldn't recommend it to young teens. Otherwise I highly recommend it.
