Fossil Hunter

I initially balked at the opportunity to review Fossil Hunter because on the back of the book there's an advertisement proclaiming the book is part of the "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed campaign." Oh no...the dreaded threat of agenda-driven fiction! Thankfully, my concern has proven utterly unfounded. Fossil Hunter is a thoroughly absorbing thrill ride that takes readers from the halls of academia to the deserts of Iraq. Katie James is a renowned paleontologist who suffers from demophobia - a debilitating fear of crowds. That, plus her Christian faith, has caused her academic creditionls to come under fire. Believing her work and her faith can go hand-in-hand, Katie is desperate to prove herself and secure the funding her university needs in order to continue her research. She's sent into Iraq with the task of finding a potential new species of whale which could prove to be a new link in evolutionary theory. She finds herself in a race opposite her arch-rival Dr. Nick Murad. However, when a new fossil is discovered, Katie and Nick are forced to collaborate in order to survive warring factions in the Iraqi government and agenda-driven academics only interested in fossil finds that support popular (and evolutionary) scientific theories. The action is briskly-paced and the characterizations are wonderfully rich and well-drawn. Olson puts his scientific background to good use (he has a background in biochemistry), but he never drowns the novel in incomprehensible lingo - all of the science is presented in such a way as to be fascinating and comprehensible by even the uninitiated reader. The inclusion of the present geo-political realities Katie and Nick face add tension and credibility to the storyline. Fossil Hunter packed with enough action and humor (and just a dash of romance!) to be worthy of a chapter in the adventures of another famous academic adventurer - Indiana Jones. What sets this novel apart is its intelligent, thoughtful, engaging discussion of the intersection of faith and science. Fossil Hunter is a action-packed thrill ride that begs for a sequel - I'd love to see the further adventures of Katie & Nick. Highly recommended.

I loved _Fossil_Hunter_. I thought the opening scene with Katie James was a total grabber - completely unexpected, and a great intro to a complex character. The romantic tension totally worked, and I swear I worked up a sympathetic sweat reading about the desert. Don't get me started on the sand and heat rash. With all due respect to an earlier reviewer, I felt the author immersed me in the scientific world of paleontology and told a great story - and I didn't need any more on Intelligent Design than what he fleshed out. In fact, I liked that I came away not knowing his opinion - nor his characters' really. Olson raised intelligent questions, and resisted the urge to preach or indoctrinate. If I want to know more about the real-life debate, I can read non-fiction. I wanted a gripping, fun, realistic, thought-provoking ride. And I got it.

What a great book! It's an exciting adventure, a surprising mystery, a good romance and even manages to be educational, all at the same time. John B. Olson has done it again!

There's nothing I like more than a fast-paced romantic adventure/suspense novel with a little humor thrown in. This book certainly did not disappoint. I have to admit to being somewhat skeptical of male authors writing female characters, especially if there is any romance involved. However, I have read all of John Olson's books, and I am always surprised at how perceptive he seems to be. I hope you will like this adventure as much as I did!

Paleontologist Dr Katie James has it all ~ beauty, brains, a successful career.....and a debilitating phobia! Determined to overcome her weakness, Katie devotes herself to the discovery and investigation of fossils, comfortable that her faith and profession can go hand in hand. Dr Nick Murad is highly skilled, thorough and intent on beating Katie James to every fossil remaining undiscovered in the known universe! Uncompromising in his belief of evolutionary theory, Nick jumps at the chance to search for fossils in the previously prohibited hot spots in Iraq. He just didn't count on Katie James getting in his way. Political intrigue and Iraqi governmental and religious rivalry set Nick and Katie against each other in a tantalising race to uncover the remainder of a whale fossil purported to be in the Al Muthanna desert. When Katie's team is attacked, Nick Murad is the last man on earth Katie wants to save her. John B Olson's fourth novel is rip roaring hit! Katie is by no means your everyday heroine ~ she is gutsy, brilliant, passionate about her faith and career with a vulnerability brought about by her neurosis, which only adds to her appeal. Nick is an equally well drawn character, smart, attractive, fulfilled by his career, if not his choice of women, and requiring more than a brief pep talk to consider creation by intelligent design. Their interaction is entertaining and electrifying. Action, adventure and humour abound, scene descriptions are so detailed I felt myself sweating in the desert and the seamlessly interwoven discussion of scientific theory and intelligent design, stimulating and engaging. John's PhD in Biochemistry has been put to good use in this novel yet at no time did I feel confused by the jargon. Fossil Hunter will appeal to men and women and has my highest recommendation. I would love to see Katie and Nick hit the big screen one day ~ eat your heart out, Indiana!