The Fossil Hunter

By: Tea Cooper

Narrated by: Sophie Loughran

Buried secrets. An ancient fossil. And one woman's determination to unravel a nineteenth-century mystery.

Australia, 1847. The last thing Mellie Vale remembers before the fever takes her is sprinting through the bush with a monster at her heels—but no one believes her. In a bid to curb Mellie's overactive imagination, her benefactors send her to visit a family friend, Anthea Winstanley. Anthea is an amateur paleontologist who is convinced she will one day find proof that great sea dragons swam in the vast inland sea that covered her property millions of years ago. Mellie is instantly swept up in the dream.

Australia, 1919. Penelope Jane "PJ" Martindale arrives home from the battlefields of World War I intent on making peace with her father and commemorating the deaths of her two younger brothers in the trenches. Her reception is disappointing. Desperate for a distraction, she finds a connection between a fossil at London's Natural History Museum and her brothers' favorite camping spot. But the gorge has a sinister reputation: seventy years ago, several girls disappeared from the area. When PJ uncovers some unexpected remains, she's determined to find answers about what happened all those years ago ... and perhaps some closure on the loss of her brothers.

Weaving together these two timelines, The Fossil Keeper offers everything you love: history, mystery, suspense, romance, and startling discoveries that will keep the pages turning.

Praise for The Fossil Hunter:

"This elegant dual narrative historical from Cooper follows a young woman as she pieces together the fate of a 19th-century paleontologist ... Cooper's confident prose and deep empathy for her characters will keep readers hooked as she unspools her intrigue-filled mystery. Historical fans will want to dig this one up." — Publishers Weekly

• Tea Cooper is a USA TODAY?bestselling and Daphne du Maurier award-winning author
• Full-length historical mystery
• Stand-alone novel

Critic reviews

'Beautiful writing makes way for a beautiful story in The Fossil Hunter by Tea Cooper. With the same care a paleontologist unearths a fossil, Cooper has crafted a historical mystery that reveals itself layer by layer, piece by piece, and secret by secret. Highly entertaining and much recommended!'

'Inspired by real Victorian female fossil hunters, Cooper fills the page with strong and intriguing female characters. There's a soupand ccedil;on of romance, but the real focus is on these trailblazing women. Highly recommended for all libraries.'

'This elegant dual narrative historical from Cooper (The Cartographer's Secret) follows a young woman as she pieces together the fate of a 19th-century paleontologist . . . Cooper's confident prose and deep empathy for her characters will keep readers hooked as she unspools her intrigue-filled mystery. Historical fans will want to dig this one up.'

Cooper is an accomplished storyteller, employing the dual-timeline device to foster tension and suspense about the fate of Anthea and the girls. The result is an absorbing tale with a strong mystery element and feminist bent, with special appeal for those interested in the history of dinosaur hunters.

tedious teen angst

Girl in the Painting, also by Cooper, is an interesting story, well read. But it's tedious teen angst dragged heavily on the story, especially early on. Of course, character development is important, But Cooper provide endless detail about the girls travails, many trivial. So, after an hour or so of Fossil Hunter, I could not longer stand the tedium and gave it up. I good tough editor could significantly improve this book. Or classify it for teens.

A pretty good listen (3 stares).

I had some difficulty feeling involved with this story, but I liked the premiss and stuck with it. It was past halfway before things got more interesting. The ending didn't wow me and I wasn't sure how I felt about listening to the whole story.

Satisfying

The story told in this novel is perhaps too predictable but ultimately satisfying. The historical context certainly adds to the interest.

Another amazing story!

I have listened to more than one book from this author and am totally hooked. The narrator is awesome and brings each character to life!

YA

Seemed to be written for a YA/teen audience rather than for adult readers. Interesting story concept, but the character of the young woman who delves into the mystery surrounding fossil deposits in Australia reminded me of a character on the level of Nancy Drew.