The Paleontologist: A Novel

Written by Luke Dumas

Narrated by Graham Halstead

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

A haunted paleontologist returns to the museum where his sister was abducted years earlier and is faced with a terrifying and murderous spirit in this chilling novel.

Curator of paleontology Dr. Simon Nealy never expected to return to his Pennsylvania hometown, let alone the Hawthorne Museum of Natural History. He was just a boy when his six-year-old sister, Morgan, was abducted from the museum under his watch, and the guilt has haunted Simon ever since. After a recent breakup and the death of the aunt who raised him, Simon feels drawn back to the place where Morgan vanished, in search of the bones they never found.

But from the moment he arrives, things aren’t what he expected. The Hawthorne is a crumbling ruin, still closed amid the ongoing pandemic, and plummeting toward financial catastrophe. Worse, Simon begins seeing and hearing things he can’t explain. Strange animal sounds. Bloody footprints that no living creature could have left. A prehistoric killer looming in the shadows of the museum. Terrified he’s losing his grasp on reality, Simon turns to the handwritten research diaries of his predecessor and uncovers a blood-soaked mystery 150 million years in the making that could be the answer to everything.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Oct 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9781797172729

Luke Dumas

Luke Dumas is the author of the novel A History of Fear. His nonfiction has appeared in Literary Hub, Hobart, Last Exit, Panorama: The Journal of Travel, Place, and Nature, and more. He received his master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Edinburgh and is a graduate of the University of Chicago. 

Reviews for The Paleontologist

[d d · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book. It definitely was worth it, great twist.

[jo.vasq1616 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sweet story, all in all. The climax felt a little anti-climactic, and the resolution felt a little drawn out, but I think it ended on a really good note.

[ncnurse09 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There were parts that were a slow, burning uphill battle of narrative. The very beginning alone would be enough to turn off some. But stick with it. Push through it. It is so worth it! I laughed, celebrated, and stayed up longer than I should have a couple of nights listening to it. I enjoyed this immensely!

[Misty Palmer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great read was stuck to my headphones until it ended!

[Cameron Brazee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic story that combines gut-wrenching mystery and scientific process.

[Katherine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So good! Great character development too. Would definitely recommend! ❤️

[Charles Jones · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one was so close to being a hit for me. I was admittedly first drawn to this novel by the title and cover art since I've been a dino-lover since I was young, and then drawn in by the lost sibling, haunting, mystery premise to the novel. I just feel that the story never really "took off" for me. The plot trudged along for a really long time and I felt that some of the issues presented by the story were not ever fully fleshed out. The resolution to the story, while partly satisfying because we finally found out the whole story, was super rushed and anti-climatic and I feel that this story just ended with a dud.

All that said, the story did still keep me entertained and I did become invested in Dr. Nealy and his pursuit of solving the mystery of his sister's disappearance, so this novel was not a huge miss.

[Mj Lawrence · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good twist ending, wasn’t expecting it! The book is a little slow moving at times, but worth the read!