Review – Fossil Hunter

In collaboration with Premise Media, award-winning novelist, speaker and bio-chemist, John B Olson, wrote “The Fossil Hunter,” a new romantic thriller. The books publication is coordinated with the release of Premise Media’s documentary on Intelligent Design, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

The book’s theme highlights the tension between the scientific and religious communities over evolution and creationism, sometimes called Intelligent Design. The focus is paleontology, the study of ancient fossils. The protagonist, Dr. Katie James, is young and beautiful. Her arch rival, whom she first meets in Iraq, Dr. Nick Murad, is rugged and handsome. When Dr. James makes an unanticipated discovery, she defends her new find with the skills of a female “Indiana Jones.” The result gives the reader nonstop action wrapped in mystery, adventure, and romance.

When Dr. James leads an expedition into the arid Iraqi desert to find the rest of the ancient whale fossil a shepherd had found, she couldn’t know her results would threaten the current theory of evolution, her employment, and prestige, and call her faith into question. She couldn’t know that circumstances would bring her adversary and competitor, Dr. Murad, to Iraq when she discovers an ancient human fossil so controversial it puts her entire expedition in danger.

Dr. James is accused of destroying the fossil after it mysteriously disappears. Dr. Murad, intrigued by the young doctor’s attitudes, actions and looks, persuades James to join forces with him to find the fossil and discover who took it. The dangerous chase begins through the hot, dry desert, a chase where they soon become the pursued. They don’t know if their pursuers are fossil smugglers, the Iraqi police, or government agents. They only know their search could cost them their jobs, their reputations, and their very lives.

Olson chose paleontology over chemistry because he felt readers could relate to finding bones better than stolen genomes, something he’s more familiar with. He holds a doctorate in biochemistry and recently quit his day job working for a major scientific software company to devote himself to a ministry of writing and speaking. His writing awards include a Christy Award, a Christy finalist, a Silver Angel award, and placement on the New York Public Library’s list, Books for the Teen Age. If the documentary from Premise Media and Olson’s book do as well as expected, plans to make Fossil Hunter into a major feature film will begin.

Although the plot was interesting and the characters well-developed, I found a few clich?s and overtones of sermonizing when the characters explained creationism. However, I read an advanced reader’s copy and those minor flaws could be corrected when it is finally published. I recommend it.