Book Summary

I chose this book because I went to school with the author. We had not seen each other since high school but stayed in touch over Facebook. I reached out to him to tell him about our book club and asked which of his books he would suggest for us. Knowing that we like thrillers, he recommended this one. He also agreed to meet with us if we traveled to Arizona which we were eager to do!

This book takes place in modern day but has roots dating back to 12,000 BC. The heroine is Mariska Stevenson, a paleontologist seeking to discover the history of human remains discovered in the La Brea Tar Pits. In the process, she discovers the truth of her own history and where she came from. This book is full of twists and turns, giving a lot to discuss and predict. Some of our predictions were good, others left us shook with twists we did not see coming.

We really appreciated that this book featured a strong, independent female character. She gets herself out of ridiculous predicaments and perseveres through a dangerous game where people are not who they seem.

The best part of this choice was the interaction with Charles throughout our reading. We sent a video of our first weeks discussion to him and he was excited to hear our thoughts. On week 2 we sent him a video of us doing shots for La Brea; we also Facetimed him and offered our ideas for a follow up book. We set a date for our meeting and booked our travel.

Celebrating the book included a first for us – a flight! It was the biggest trip we’d done so far. We got an Airbnb in Scottsdale that had a pool, hot tub and golf. We found an archaeological park, Pueblo Grande, which showcased ancient artifacts and cultural history of the Ancestral Soneran Desert People. It was a perfect way to tie in that aspect of the book. We also went hiking in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and re-enacted a scene from the book where Mariska is in heels and has to scale up the side of a ravine. Seeing Lisa walk a hiking trail in heels was a highlight! Charles and his husband came to our place for brunch and mimosas and to discuss all the intricacies of writing and publishing. It was their anniversary so we were extra honored that they took time out to spend with us. The rest of our time was spent discovering Scottsdale and finding unique bars and shops. Super Bowl LVII was coming to town so every place seemed extra festive. We also spent a lot of time at the house playing cards and doing an art project that perhaps we will disclose in our first major interview.