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In this debut thriller, a billionaire offers antiquities expert Jack Hawthorne the chance to look for the bones of the prophet Elisha. Although cynical about this mission, Jack soon learns much more is at stake when he uncovers a clandestine society that will go to any lengths to protect its secrets.
An acclaimed archeologist has left the exciting life of active excavations and digs, and is living the dull but safe life of a college professor. Then he gets a call from one of the richest men in the world, and is asked to undertake a little project -- find the bones of the prophet Elisha, which are reported to resurrect the dead. The task takes him on a fast-paced globetrotting trip, uncovering a centuries-old trail and unearthing some dangerous people who will stop at nothing to keep him from his goal. <BR/><BR/>I really enjoyed this book! It reads like a cross between Indiana Jones and Robert Ludlum, a formula for sure-fire excitement. I don't know if the author really as been to all those exotic places, but he writes like he's intimately familiar with them. And this is his debut novel! I'm going to keep my eye out for Don Hoesel's future books.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.While this book was very interesting and exciting in some ways, it was a little slow paced for me and it was hard for me not to allow my interest to wane. I feel the plot was good but the action was slow and there wasn't enough content there to really keep me addicted.
I had a hard time with this one, while I enjoy Indiana Jones type stories at times there was something about this one that just didn't get my blood pumping.
I do have to admit that this genre is not one of my top choices so that could be the reason why I didn't become as riveted as with some novels. However, I would recommend it to those that have a true love of the genre and especially those that enjoyed books such as "Angels and Demons" & "The Davinci Code" by Dan Brown. There is an underlying religious subtext to it that is very interesting and would likely capture readers of this genre in its grip.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ChristysBookBlog
Posted April 22, 2009
Elisha's Bones by Don Hoesel is a pulse-pounding action filled thriller in the vein of The DaVinci Code, but written well! Jack Hawthorne gave up working in the field as an archaeologist to work as a college professor after the mysterious death of his brother. He's lured back into one of his old digs in Venezuela when a reclusive billionaire hires him to find the biblical prophet Elisha's bones which are rumored to have the power to resurrect the dead. Hawthorne reconnects with his old fiance (and she reconnects her fist with his face), Espy, who is a language expert. But every time Jack and Espy make a discovery, someone dies, and they are on the run for their lives, especially when he learns that this quest is connected to his brother's death. Hoesel has created a humorous self-deprecating character who has a lot to learn about himself and relationships. Espy is more than just his female foil, she's smart with a lot of heart and wants very much to share her new faith with Jack, but he's not quite ready yet. I fully intended to go to bed at a reasonable hour Monday night, but I because so caught up in the story, I didn't get to sleep until I finished it, after 1:30 am. So this book comes with a reader's warning: Don't pick it up unless you have the time to finish it, because it's too good to put down!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 18, 2012
Based on the mixed reviews, I wasn't sure if I would like this or not. I' m glad I took a chance. I thought it wass interesting, action packed and captivating. I liked the voice of the first person narrator. A smart, well written book. I don't give four stars lightly. Five stars are reserved for a few books I love beyond compare. So I really enjoyed this.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 19, 2011
This book held my attention from start to finish. I recommend it to anyone who likes archeological adventure stories.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I was surprised that I actually wanted to finish the book. And I attribute that to the unique premise of the plot. While I expected more from the ending than it delivered, overall what disappointed me the most was the lack of transitions in the action. It read as a very jerky series of scenes that did not connect well to each other. And I attribute that to the writing style of the author. I expect that with more books under his belt that Hoesel will turn into a polished writer, but the mechanics of scene transitions were seriously lacking. The connective tissue (as in character development, glimpses into the minds of the actants, narrative explanations, etc...) that would have caused the action scenes to hang together into a cohensive whole was just MIA. Also, the first person narrative added to the jerky feeling of the action. It just got irritating after the first 10, no first 2 pages.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 8, 2012
This book has a lot of turns and twists and danger. A lot of fun to read you can't guess the ending.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 6, 2012
This was an interesting concept and held my interest. I really enjoyed reading this book.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This. Book was a fun book to read. Holds your interest. Reminds me of Indianna Jones. Very quick read that keeps you interested.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 31, 2012
Not free, tries to charge credit card, WARNING!!!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 12, 2012
Really love the plot and characters, just not a fan of the present- tense, first person viewpoint for this kind of story. Because of the way it was written like that, the story seemed to just drag on in s few places. Other than that, it was an interesting, good read : )
- kayc
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 5, 2012
I don't know about anyone else, but I really can't stand most novels written in the present tense. It seems to take a truly great writer to pull it off, and Hoesel, alas, is not up to the challenge. The tone that results is that of a person telling a dream that he had, something not real, not shaped, not believable. And that's a shame, because he has a story to tell.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 18, 2012
To be frank, I do not usually read books written in the first person. I find them extremely irritating. This book did not run smoothly. It seemed to jerk and die, then run smoothly for a while, much like a clutch car with an inexperienced driver. But after a while the author seemed to get the hang of it and from then on I could not put the book down. This was an action filled book and it left me filled a sense of exhileration. I enjoyed it immensly. I wish there had not been so much death involved in the story and the end could have pumped up a bit, but over all it was very good.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 3, 2012
Great book!
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 24, 2012
The title says it. It just wasn't as good as most. Don't bother.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 20, 2012
This book was okay I did not like the way there were always more people ending up dead
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 13, 2011
This was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 29, 2011
Really good book. Loved the adventure and storyline.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 24, 2011
The story idea was good and sometimes the story was engaging but other times slow. Try your luck.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 22, 2011
It was a very good book. There were some parts where I couldn't put it down! I really liked it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Billionaire Gordon Reese thinks he knows where the bones of the prophet Elisha are--bones that in the Old Testament brought the dead back to life. A born skeptic, Jack ...