Book description:
A dangerous scheme could bury their long-held dreams forever. . . .
From the time she was little, Martha Jankowski has been digging in the dirt, much to the dismay of her mother. Now she dreams of being a paleontologist and is determined to make her parents proud by uncovering the next big discovery. When Martha finds what she hopes to be a fully intact dinosaur skeleton--one that could win her an acclaimed exhibit--she learns another team is competing against her and could steal her chance at being recognized for this momentous discovery.
Paleontology student Jacob Duncan has fulfilled his dream of digging for dinosaur bones at last. In a race against time, he and his team are bent on unearthing a complete skeleton to claim a museum exhibit with their names on it. But when Jacob meets their charming competitor Martha and uncovers foul play within his team, love and danger grow hand in hand until a menacing ruse threatens to destroy it all.
My review:
I was intrigued and slightly dubious about a Christian fiction series about dinosaur digs, but figured this author could pull it off. She definitely showed that she could in the first book, and here we are with the second, enforcing the fact that she can indeed pull it off.
I'll be honest. I had trouble liking Martha for a lot of the book. I had an on again off again like with her. (If that statement makes sense.) :) She did have more than her share of troubles, and redeemed herself in the end. Or should I say, was redeemed in the end...
Jacob was an awesome and likable character throughout the book, and held to his convictions and faith throughout everything he faced. I did mutter out loud at one point "You should have told her buddy..." (Yeah, I talk out loud sometimes when reading)
The dig stuff was interesting, as was the lectures Martha and Jacob attended, but what really made this book was the suspense and drama that was more prevalent than most of Woodhouses' historical novels. The addition of a Pinkerton detective was an added bonus for me...I am fascinated by anything Pinkerton.
There is a lot of subterfuge and mysterious deaths throughout the book, and I was pretty sure I knew who the guilty party was. Man, was I wrong. The author was rather devious and did a very good sleight of hand type thing. She had me focused on one person, and I was sure that they were the guilty party. Then BOOM!...she showed her other hand, and I was shocked. So shocked, I talked out loud again and said "OK, I did not see that coming!"
I am still feeling surprised and impressed.
Suspense is my favorite genre', and the author filled my need for that in spades in this book. Yeah, the dinosaur dig stuff was interesting, but she wowed me with the suspense, especially at the identity of the white glove person.
Last, but not least: One thing I appreciate about this author is the fact that she does not shy away from putting Christian content in her books. There is always discussion about Biblical truths, there are always Scriptures quoted and discussed, and her characters always struggle and grow in some way spiritually. More authors need to be like that.
The book had a great ending, and was a great way to spend part of my day off. :)
About the author:
Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than twenty-five books. A lover of history and research, she often gets sucked into the past and then her husband has to lure her out with chocolate and the promise of eighteen holes on the golf course. She loves music, kayaking, and her family. Her books have been awarded the Carol Award, Holt Medallion, Reader's Choice Award, Selah Award, Spur Award, and others. A popular speaker/teacher, she's shared with over 1,000,000 people at more than twenty-five hundred venues across the country. Married to the love of her life for three decades, she lives and writes in the Poconos where she's traded in her hat of "craziest mom" for "coolest grandma."
Find more about her and her books at KimberleyWoodhouse.com
Book #1
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