Fossil Hunter by John B. Olson

Normally, I don't "dig" archaeology (ha!), but John B. Olson's writing can make even the most boring of sciences fascinating, intriguing, and a wild, adventurous ride!

Meet Katie James, paleontologist extraordinaire. She's a legend in the field...not because of her finds, but because of her Indiana Jones type adventures! From the capture of five fossil poachers in Peru, to her latest wild adventure in Iraq (you will NOT believe how she stops the soldiers!), Katie just has a way of disarming men with weapons.

But, put her in front of a large crowd, and she gets dizzy, throws up, and hyperventilates! Not good for a college professor, huh?

Not only is she a paleontologist, but she's a Christian...a fact that works against her and gets her fired after a news conference that goes belly up. So she's shocked when she gets the opportunity of a lifetime: a dig in Iraq, searching for whale fossils.

Only problem is her competition, renowned paleontologist Nick Murad...seems he's received his OWN invite to the whale fossil hunt. Can Katie beat him to the find, or is there even a find to be found? And what is UP with all the soldiers protecting them?

If that's protection, I'll watch myself, thank you very much!

While I did get a little lost among the archeology lingo, I loved the adventure and intrigue. We even got a smattering of romance...but not enough to clutter up the story (sorry, I'm not a romance fan:-).

With Sunnis and Shiites battling for archaeological finds, poachers attempting to steal said finds, and no one to trust, "Fossil Hunter" is one wild, hot, sandy ride! It did NOT make me want a trip to Iraq any time soon, but it did generate some thoughts in my own head about the intelligent design vs. evolutionist debate...

In the words of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?" Sure we can...once we all acknowledge God as creator...which I'm happy to say...whoops! Almost slipped there a second!

I'm giving "Fossil Hunter" five out of five bookmarks, with an archaeology textbook as a charm...you'll need it to understand some of the technical jargon. Why can't they just say "old bones from the days before Elvis" instead of "Archaeoceti"?

Happy Reading!

Deena