Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Archaeologist Nel Bently has her own crew, her own research, and a private patron to fund her passion for dirt. With her trowel barely into the dry earth of Chile’s coast, however, Nel learns she and her crew are being watched.

Los Pobladores, known to Nel only as vandals and looters, take issue with any archaeologist brave or stubborn enough to set boots on their land. Nel is both and far from willing to give up the site that will make her career. She must keep her crew, her friends, and her life’s work safe, but with a benefactor playing chess with their lives, and angry militants who may actually have a point, Nel is ready to fight dirty.

 

Book Review

Archeology and science fiction are not usually mentioned in the same sentence, but after reading this first book in the ‘Nel Bently’ series, the idea of one linked to the other makes a lot of sense to me. And not just because this book is set at least a few years from 2016 - a fact that does not become evident until the final few chapters. The whole concept this story is based on and built around is fascinating, the way V.S. Holmes has written the characters and plot is brilliant, and while the central idea isn’t entirely new, the way V.S. has given it a slight twist makes it a fresh approach.

And no, I can’t be more specific because giving more details here would spoil the entire experience of discovering the truth of what is going on. The story is constructed so well, that for quite a while I thought I was reading an interesting novel about a dedicated archeologist and her finds, the political machinations she is exposed to, and the confrontations she has with militants who want her to stop digging. And that alone would have made a good action/adventure story à la Indiana Jones with a touch of political interest of modern-day traditionalists thrown in. Except – there is so much more to the story!

Nel is a great main character. She is a tough woman, an archeologist dedicated to discovering the secrets of our ancestors, and not exactly a people person. She has students working with her on the dig in Chile that it took a lot of effort to get permits for, students she is supposed to teach, she can’t get herself to talk to them beyond the bare socially required minimum. She is much more comfortable with her best friend, Mickey, an experienced archeologist in his own right. But when the local activists begin to become more insistent about protecting the site, Nel has to figure out a way to keep everyone safe. And that involves working with the people who, like she, are interested to find out more about the surprising finds they make – none of which seem to make sense.

If you like stories with lots of mystery that is only slowly revealed, if a woman determined to find “the truth” sounds like an interesting character, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful read with lots of surprises, a touch of romance, and a whole lot of promise for more details in at least one sequel, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. I can’t wait for the next installment of Nel Bently’s adventures.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 255 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	27-February-2016
Price	$0.99 ebok, $8.99 paperback
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/Travelers-Nel-Bently-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01C4TZ4IW