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 could shed new 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.

The Fossil Hunter by John Olson is a really fun read filled with forays into science, international intrigue and hints of romance. If you’re looking for romance, that is not the primary purpose of this book. But if you enjoy a suspense/thriller with international overtones, then get this book.

Katie is in danger of losing her job at the university where she is a post-doc student. As a way to save her job, she is given the opportunity to go to Iraq and hunt for a pre-historic whale. Her crime? She’s a Christian who’s also a paleontologist. Now that she’s been shipped to Iraq, she’s racing against the man who took her job at another university. Nick doesn’t want to compete, but Katie is left with no choice.

I could taste the grit in my teeth as they dug for the fossils and hid from various factions who didn’t want them to unearth the fossil. There were so many factions in this book, it was hard to know who Katie could trust and who she couldn’t. While I liked Nick, a lot, I also felt very connected to Katie from the first couple pages and pulled for her as I flipped pages. The pacing was intense and for as little as I know about paleontology, the science seemed accurate.

The plot twists into the final pages, making it a very enjoyable read. Especially for those who like a flash of international flair with their thrillers.