Sign of the Anasazi

I was sure I wasn't going to get swept up in this book. But I am interested in material about the Southwest and/or the Anasazi so I bought the book and opened to the first chapter. It didn't take long before I couldn't put the book down. I was hooked. I won't go into a recap of the plot because that's been done here by others. I will reveal, however, the author weaves scenarios and characters back and forth throughout the book. But rather than confuse, it intrigues and keeps you wanting more. I highly recommend this adventure tale. A fine, well-written and researched piece of fiction. I heartily recommend it!

"Sign of the Anasazi" begins with the kidnapping of 2 young children, Jacob and Brittany, in an effort to get to their grandfather, Dr. Marcus Aaron. It turns out that Dr. Aaron has something the kidnappers want, an alien shuttle he stole years before, and they will stop at nothing to get it back. Enter FBI agent Dov Bar Lev who suspects something fishy when he finds out that Keenan Darstow is the agent in charge of the kidnapping investigation. With the help of former agent and Navy SEAL Thomas Kuzmic and a variety of other characters, including a couple of grizzly bears, Dov sets out to discover the truth behind the kidnapping and Agent Darstow's interest in Dr. Aaron. Author Marc Lieberman has managed to combine the mystery of the lost tribe of the Anasazi with the mystery of Roswell to create a well-written science fiction tale that not only held my interest, but made it difficult for me to put the book down. The characters were well-developed and believable; the plot made sense and didn't expect me to go too far beyond the rational; and the action developed at a pace that not only kept me interested but had me wishing it wouldn't end. The other thing I enjoyed about this book was how each short chapter was told from the point of view of a different main character. It was a nice change from the single point of view format many authors use, and it made the unfolding plot much more suspenseful. I also like when chapters are short because I do a lot of my reading at night and like to have a good stopping point when I finally put the book down to go to sleep. While I would definitely recommend this book to Sci-Fi lovers, I also think it would be a great read for anyone who likes adventure stories as this book is one wild ride from start to finish.

If you like the concept of fast paced adventure, that has aliens/lost Indian tribes, rolled into a believable package, this book is for you. For me this was a page turner. Where's book #2? Well worth the money!

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/09) "Sign of the Anasazi" begins after a linguist, Dr. Marcus Aaron, steals an alien spaceship that was being held by the United States military. The government is greatly distressed about this theft. The technology in this ship could allow the United States to have world domination. This was a huge fear held by Marcus. In an attempt to retrieve both the spaceship and Dr. Aaron's knowledge of the alien language, an evil FBI agent kidnaps his grandchildren. Planning to return to earth, Dr. Aaron sends his daughter clues of his return hidden in objects containing the alien technology. The FBI wants this information. The adventure continues when other interesting and eccentric characters such as FBI agent Dov Bar Lev get involved to help her. There are also some great scenes involving some grizzly bear pets owned by a colorful character named Old Vic; adding this to the alien story and the discovery of a lost Indian tribe, make for a great adventure. I was immediately drawn to "Sign of the Anasazi" as soon as I saw the beautiful and intriguing cover of the book. When I began reading, I was immediately hooked on the story. Combining interesting characters, alien technology, and linking the Anasazi history with the Roswell incident also made this book my kind of science fiction/mystery novel. Having an interest in the Anasazi and having been to places where they have lived and left behind signs of their existence, I truly the alternative history aspect of the story fascinating. Mark Lieberman has a fantastic imagination. In this book, "Sign of the Anasazi," he created a truly unique story that many readers will find to be a refreshing change of pace. I cannot wait to read the next novel in his Dov Bar Lev series.

It's been a long time since I've read a good science fiction piece that's set in the present day and is still believable. I really enjoyed this author's first offering. He has assembled a large cast of characters, each of them interesting in themselves and certainly intrinsic to his tale. He has conjured up a really fast read with several parallel stories going on at the same time. Stories that switch from location to location fluidly. Wherever he takes us, on Earth, within its recesses, or into deep space, the reader is in very capable hands.