Toned down a bit from Diablo Mesa, but still when I take a step back and think about it, very dramatic and I want to say florid except that the writing style remains functional. Being a little more down to earth, the author's note at the end explaining this novel as having been adapted from a true story, for which their movie deal fell through, made sense to me.

I found the reference to their own work in the "underappreciated" Ice Limit IV: Wormstorm cute. Along with reference to a few classic science fiction authors that made clear to me that yes, these are indeed meant as pulpy science fiction thrillers, not constrained to the mundane.

Also appreciated that the Corrie Swanson/Homer Watts relationship thread was resolved into "yes" (and again hoping we don't see forced conflict between them in the future, but I don't expect it), as well as Agent Sharp as Corrie's new mentor. I'm hoping we get at least one more book with him as her mentor before she graduates from probation. I am also feeling like I made a good choice starting with this spin-off series instead of going direct to the main Pendergast series (who I'll note hasn't felt the need to step in for the epilogue and tie things into a bow since The Scorpion's Tail), as we get to see Corrie Swanson learn what it is like to be an FBI agent as she experiences her own first cases. I can carry that perspective back into the older series later and see how it does or does not resonate with this.

Still not a fan that we tend to get the story all the way up to a dramatic confrontation, and then once the confrontation is dealt with we get something like an epilogue summary of what was later confirmed or discovered in the fallout to the case. I realise there isn't as much tension nor drama to be had in these, and it would probably sap a lot of momentum out of the books, but I am interested in that sort of careful forensic sifting through clues to bring the true story into focus.

But they are fun and fast reads. At the time I write this there remains one more in the series published, and I'm sure it won't take me too many more days to get through it.