The Anomaly

by Michael Rutger

Overview

A rogue archaeologist is trapped in a Grand Canyon cave as a conspiracy theory comes to life in this "take no prisoners" survival thriller that puts our hero up against impossible odds (Preston & Child).

Not all secrets are meant to be found.
Nolan Moore is a rogue archaeologist hosting a documentary series derisively dismissed by the "real" experts, but beloved of conspiracy theorists.

Nolan sets out to retrace the steps of an explorer from 1909 who claimed to have discovered a mysterious cavern high up in the ancient rock of the Grand Canyon. And, for once, he may have actually found what he seeks. Then the trip takes a nasty turn, and the cave begins turning against them in mysterious ways.

Nolan's story becomes one of survival against seemingly impossible odds. The only way out is to answer a series of intriguing questions: What is this strange cave? How has it remained hidden for so long? And what secret does it conceal that made its last visitors attempt to seal it forever?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538761854
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	06/19/2018
Series:	Anomaly Files Series , #1
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	560,762
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Michael Rutger is an acclaimed short story writer whose work has been optioned by major Hollywood studios. He lives in California with his wife, son, and two cats.

Editorial Reviews

★ 04/23/2018
Fans of the paranormal thrillers of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child will relish this superior debut from screenwriter Rutger, who makes the fantastic seem less so by dint of his self-aware, flawed lead and his ability to inject gallows humor into tense situations. Nolan Moore hosts The Anomaly Files, a YouTube show dedicated to exploring unexplained phenomena, but he and his team hope for bigger things after the Palinhem Foundation—whose mission is truth, according to a foundation representative who goes by the name Feather—sponsors an expedition that could land the show a cable deal. Nolan and his colleagues, accompanied by Feather, travel from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon to attempt to locate a cavern allegedly found by an early-20th-century expedition sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, which later suppressed the expedition’s discovery of “evidence that North America was visited in eldritch times by another culture.” Nolan and gang succeed in finding the cavern, only to encounter incredible—and terrifying—objects that place their lives in jeopardy. Rutger milks every ounce of suspense from his plot. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM Partners. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Make no mistake: THE ANOMALY is the real deal."—Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, #1 New York Times bestselling authors of the Pendergast series

"THE ANOMALY simmers... Intriguing [and] never predictable.... will appeal to fans of exploration and survival along with 'The X-Files' crowd."—Associated Press

"Fans of the paranormal thrillers of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child will relish this superior debut from screenwriter Rutger, who makes the fantastic seem less so by dint of his self-aware, flawed lead and his ability to inject gallows humor into tense situations. Rutger milks every ounce of suspense from his plot."—Publishers Weekly (starred, boxed review)

"This is my kind of book. The suspense mounts slowly... slowly... Then the horror lingers for a long, long time."—R. L. Stine, New York Times bestselling author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series

"THE ANOMALY crackles with claustrophobic tension that had me holding my breath. I couldn't sleep until I'd finished reading, and then I couldn't sleep just thinking about it. I loved it. Michael Rutger is here to stay."—Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of BEHIND HER EYES

"Mixing a brisk and engaging narrative with strongly developed characters, Rutger deftly depicts the claustrophobic depths explored by the endangered expedition. The Anomaly should appeal to fans of The X-Files or Fringe as well as anyone looking for an enjoyable tale."—Booklist

"Gripping, exciting, page-turning fun."—John Connolly, #1 internationally bestselling author

"THE ANOMALY is my type of story — terrific writing from a confident storyteller. What more could you want? Sure to be in the mix with the best thrillers of the year, it's a thrilling and haunting read from first page to last."—Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of HOW IT HAPPENED and THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD

"With witty writing, sharp characterizations and a killer premise, THE ANOMALY is escapist fun perfectly tuned to our age of conspiracy theories and alternative facts."—Thomas Mullen, author of DARKTOWN

From the Publisher

2018-04-03
An online reality show goes looking for a long-rumored cave in the Grand Canyon, with horrific consequences.Nolan Moore is the host of a show in which he and his crew investigate phenomena and tall tales respectable archaeologists have long since dismissed. For their latest outing, the group is joined by a flaky representative of the foundation underwriting their work (the character's name is actually Feather) and an investigative journalist determined to expose Nolan as a charlatan. Their source is a newspaper account from more than 100 years ago claiming discovery of a cave high up in the walls of the Grand Canyon containing artifacts that suggest a lost civilization. The team has no trouble finding the cave—and anyone who's been to a horror movie in, say, the past 40 years will know that that's only the beginning of their troubles. What follows is a mishmash of Indiana Jones, hoo-hah about the unearthing of long-buried secrets, and the type of horror movies (The Descent and Bone Tomahawk are recent examples) in which a small band of characters are picked off one by one by at-first-unseen adversaries. There are betrayals, feats of sacrificial courage, and survivors who emerge with Secret Knowledge Which Cannot Be Spoken Of. It's mildly engrossing, appropriately icky, very familiar, and wholly ludicrous.Readers will see so much of the action coming that they'll wonder why the characters can't.

Kirkus Reviews

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