The Lost Tomb
And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder
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4.1 • 105 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTELLER • A GOODREADS READER'S CHOICE AWARD FINALIST
From the #1 bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God, a jaw-dropping discovery of an Egyptian tomb opens up a slew of archaeological mysteries and deadly tales.
What’s it like to be the first to enter an Egyptian burial chamber that’s been sealed for thousands of years? What horrifying secret was found among the prehistoric ruins of the American Southwest? Who really was the infamous the Monster of Florence?
From the jungles of Honduras to macabre archaeological sites in the American Southwest, Douglas Preston's explorations have taken him across the globe. The Lost Tomb brings together a compelling collection of true stories about buried treasure, enigmatic murders, lost tombs, bizarre crimes, and other fascinating tales of the past and present.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This collection of macabre true stories is chilling and perplexing right down to the bone. Douglas Preston is famous for his thrillers, but here he draws on his journalism background to explore real-life tales that are darker than anything found in fiction—all with a focus on the mysteries found in bones and archaeological artifacts. Preston details discoveries that inspired all kinds of fascinating questions: What do we really know about the origins of Native Americans? Why did hundreds of people die by a lake in the Himalayas? Did a famous archaeologist make his reputation by perpetrating a hoax? Preston probes like an investigative reporter, analyzes like a scientist, and unfolds each story like a literary master. It’s no wonder that some of these tales actually inspired his own fiction. The Lost Tomb is an ideal companion for a dark and stormy night.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Preston (The Lost City of the Monkey God), who coauthors the Aloysius Pendergast series with Lincoln Child, shares the inspirations for many of those procedurals in this gripping compendium of his journalistic work, much of which was previously published in the New Yorker. Selections include the masterful "Monster of Florence," in which Preston and an Italian crime journalist attempt to identify a serial killer who claimed 14 victims in the 1970s and '80s, and Preston himself gets accused of complicity in the murders. "The Skiers at Dead Mountain" is another highlight, and has a more satisfying ending: Preston provides a persuasive explanation for the "apparently inexplicable" mass deaths of skiers in Russia's Ural Mountains in 1959, which some attributed to a murderous yeti. There are also intriguing natural puzzles, such as "The Mystery of Hell Creek," about a graveyard in North Dakota containing animals killed by the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. Their remains were discovered by a paleontologist who read one of Preston's novels that featured a similar find. Throughout, Preston tackles his subjects with the obsessive enthusiasm of an amateur detective and the skills of a seasoned novelist; even those who read the articles when they first were published will take pleasure in new afterwords that provide updates about Preston's theories. This is unbeatable reading for armchair sleuths.
Customer Reviews
Good not great
Some stories better than others. Also dated. Overall a good read.