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Fossil Hunter

By: John B. Olson

Publisher: Tyndale House

ISBN: 978-1-4143-1459-4

Summary:

In the desolate Iraqi desert, a lone shepherd stumbles across a whale fossil. Initial analysis indicates that it could be a new species – a discovery that might shed light on the evolution debate.

Paleontologist Dr. Katie James is asked to lead an expedition to recover the rest of the fossil before her archrival, Nick Murad, can find it first.

But while she’s there, Katie also uncovers the unexpected – a human fossil so controversial she’s forced to collaborate with Nick to analyze the find before it can be destroyed by a fundamentalist faction of the Iraqi government. Their initial results fly in the face of current scientific theory, and it seems the whole world turns against them, including those they thought they could trust.

Then the fossil disappears, sending Nick and Katie on a chase that could cost them their reputations, their careers – even their lives.

Review:

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 - 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.