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Aquifer
Dr. Thomas Clayton was born to an unwed teenage daughter of an Ozark share-cropper. He was adopted at birth without ever knowing the identity of his biological mother or of his backwoods roots. He now unwittingly arrives in the Ozark community of Eminence as part of an environmental research team studying the pollution affects of the logging industry. Clayton has nothing but contempt for the hillbillies of the area, while they in turn suspect that he is part of a Federal conspiracy to take over their land.
Shot down by the military, an alien spaceship crashes into the Ozark Mountains. The alien crew is killed, but the destruction of the spacecraft allows an aggressive alligator-sized amphibian to escape into the continental aquifer which extends from Canada to Mexico. The amphibians quickly multiply and begin devouring the livestock and ultimately the citizens of Eminence. A military unit from Ft. Leonard Wood attempts to eradicate the aliens only to be destroyed themselves by the aggressive creatures.
With the destruction of the military and the impending destruction of the citizenry, Clayton and the town folk join together to obliterate the creatures using only the resources available to a backwoods farming community. Failure would doom the entire nation as the amphibians could travel through the aquifer to wreck havoc throughout the country.
With the annihilation of humanity in the balance, Clayton discovers the key to destroying the aliens. But using it would require him to intentionally spread the pollution he has sworn to prevent. In an explosive pyrotechnic battle with the creatures, Clayton wrestles with the morality of blatantly destroying a new species or somehow capturing it for preservation before it destroys mankind. Does he prevent the spread of pollution or proliferate its spread to save the world? In the process, Clayton makes a stunning discovery that brings him full-circle to his Ozark roots and the family he never knew.
Shot down by the military, an alien spaceship crashes into the Ozark Mountains. The alien crew is killed, but the destruction of the spacecraft allows an aggressive alligator-sized amphibian to escape into the continental aquifer which extends from Canada to Mexico. The amphibians quickly multiply and begin devouring the livestock and ultimately the citizens of Eminence. A military unit from Ft. Leonard Wood attempts to eradicate the aliens only to be destroyed themselves by the aggressive creatures.
With the destruction of the military and the impending destruction of the citizenry, Clayton and the town folk join together to obliterate the creatures using only the resources available to a backwoods farming community. Failure would doom the entire nation as the amphibians could travel through the aquifer to wreck havoc throughout the country.
With the annihilation of humanity in the balance, Clayton discovers the key to destroying the aliens. But using it would require him to intentionally spread the pollution he has sworn to prevent. In an explosive pyrotechnic battle with the creatures, Clayton wrestles with the morality of blatantly destroying a new species or somehow capturing it for preservation before it destroys mankind. Does he prevent the spread of pollution or proliferate its spread to save the world? In the process, Clayton makes a stunning discovery that brings him full-circle to his Ozark roots and the family he never knew.
373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 17, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 23, 2018
I was looking for a Q for my reading challenge and this popped up. An alien alligator? Oh yeah.
In the Ozark Mountains, in the 1950s, in the hillbilly town of Ellington, Doc was enjoying the slow pace, after life in the busy city. Life is just what you would think, live off the land, uneducated people, no money, but they lived their life to the fullest.
Dr. Thomas Clayton came from there and was back as a herpetologist to do an ecological study. What are the ramifications of pollution on the frog population?
Amidst the croaks of the frogs and the song of the cicadas, a blinding flash, a sonic boom, and…we’re off.
Tina’s home life is comfy cozy, with all the characters sharing, eating, playing. I remember catching fireflies and putting them in a jar with holes punched in the top. Do you? It’s always fun to read a book that brings back pleasant memories. Makes the book seem real…sorta. If you believe in aliens and mutant creatures.
I love how two collegiate city slickers meet the Ozark hillbillies and learn they have more in common that they could have possibly believed.
I was freaking when tina and Larry were sitting n the rock at the lagoon.
The slow building suspense allowed me to get to know and love the characters. To get the feel of the terror that is coming, feel IT coming now…NOW? I do wonder how many of them will survive.
Of course, we gotta have one lizard lover. Don’t hurt ’em. Let’s coexist. Well, maybe they don’t want to. Maybe we are their breakfast, lunch and dinner. MMM…hungry.
I love these B type creature features.
Plenty of time was spent in world building and character development. It was great to watch them grow and change, as they spend more time together, learning from each other.
I knew the ending and loved it anyway. If you are looking for a great alien, creature feature, look no further. We have all the requirements here. All the gory, grisly deaths, mixed with loss, love and romance.
See more at fundinmental
In the Ozark Mountains, in the 1950s, in the hillbilly town of Ellington, Doc was enjoying the slow pace, after life in the busy city. Life is just what you would think, live off the land, uneducated people, no money, but they lived their life to the fullest.
Dr. Thomas Clayton came from there and was back as a herpetologist to do an ecological study. What are the ramifications of pollution on the frog population?
Amidst the croaks of the frogs and the song of the cicadas, a blinding flash, a sonic boom, and…we’re off.
Tina’s home life is comfy cozy, with all the characters sharing, eating, playing. I remember catching fireflies and putting them in a jar with holes punched in the top. Do you? It’s always fun to read a book that brings back pleasant memories. Makes the book seem real…sorta. If you believe in aliens and mutant creatures.
I love how two collegiate city slickers meet the Ozark hillbillies and learn they have more in common that they could have possibly believed.
I was freaking when tina and Larry were sitting n the rock at the lagoon.
The slow building suspense allowed me to get to know and love the characters. To get the feel of the terror that is coming, feel IT coming now…NOW? I do wonder how many of them will survive.
Of course, we gotta have one lizard lover. Don’t hurt ’em. Let’s coexist. Well, maybe they don’t want to. Maybe we are their breakfast, lunch and dinner. MMM…hungry.
I love these B type creature features.
Plenty of time was spent in world building and character development. It was great to watch them grow and change, as they spend more time together, learning from each other.
I knew the ending and loved it anyway. If you are looking for a great alien, creature feature, look no further. We have all the requirements here. All the gory, grisly deaths, mixed with loss, love and romance.
See more at fundinmental
October 6, 2020
Great Reading !
I love novels , because it has everything I love in books. A beginning that grabs your attention. A good story and ending in the one book ! I believe all books should be novels, not series ! Good for Mr. Barnes !
I love novels , because it has everything I love in books. A beginning that grabs your attention. A good story and ending in the one book ! I believe all books should be novels, not series ! Good for Mr. Barnes !
August 31, 2012
I just finished this book and really enjoyed it! I don't read novels often but this action-adventrue sci-fi was a treat.
What I Liked About the Book:
- I've been to many of the places where the story in the book takes place. I LOVED reading about Blue Spring, Johnson's Shut-Ins, Jacksfork and Current River, Alley Springs, Meramec Caverns, and Round Spring all in the beautiful countryside setting of the Ozark Mountains. The story used the settings magnificently and really captured the beauty, mystery, fun and adventure that I have experienced in those locations. Reading the story made me want to travel back to Missouri and camp on the Jacksfork River and do some cave exploring, fishing, canoeing, and relax a bit in the slower paced lifestyle of Eminence, Missouri - maybe get a chocolate malt at the old fashioned soda fountain in downtown Eminence. It was a great escape... even if it was just in my mind.
- It's apparent while reading the story that the author did his research. I loved the developing plot and how each detail in the story came full circle as the story unfolded. I don't know much about frogs, herpetology, or making homemade explosives... but after reading the book, I feel I know a bit more than before :)
- The story is appropriate for most ages - there is no sex, language, or drug use... If you can handle explosions, close calls with ferocious aliens, and some detailed, bone-crunching deaths caused by aliens, then you'll be okay (and you might really enjoy it like I did)
What I Didn't Care For in the Book:
- At times the author gets incredibly detailed in some of the minutiae of the plot. Perhaps this is just personal preference, but for me, there were one or two instances where the plot slowed somewhat because of this. However, for the most part, I really enjoyed the thorough descriptions of the characters, settings, and sciences in the plot - they only added to the story.
Overall, this was a great read! Just one question for the author though: When is Book 2?
What I Liked About the Book:
- I've been to many of the places where the story in the book takes place. I LOVED reading about Blue Spring, Johnson's Shut-Ins, Jacksfork and Current River, Alley Springs, Meramec Caverns, and Round Spring all in the beautiful countryside setting of the Ozark Mountains. The story used the settings magnificently and really captured the beauty, mystery, fun and adventure that I have experienced in those locations. Reading the story made me want to travel back to Missouri and camp on the Jacksfork River and do some cave exploring, fishing, canoeing, and relax a bit in the slower paced lifestyle of Eminence, Missouri - maybe get a chocolate malt at the old fashioned soda fountain in downtown Eminence. It was a great escape... even if it was just in my mind.
- It's apparent while reading the story that the author did his research. I loved the developing plot and how each detail in the story came full circle as the story unfolded. I don't know much about frogs, herpetology, or making homemade explosives... but after reading the book, I feel I know a bit more than before :)
- The story is appropriate for most ages - there is no sex, language, or drug use... If you can handle explosions, close calls with ferocious aliens, and some detailed, bone-crunching deaths caused by aliens, then you'll be okay (and you might really enjoy it like I did)
What I Didn't Care For in the Book:
- At times the author gets incredibly detailed in some of the minutiae of the plot. Perhaps this is just personal preference, but for me, there were one or two instances where the plot slowed somewhat because of this. However, for the most part, I really enjoyed the thorough descriptions of the characters, settings, and sciences in the plot - they only added to the story.
Overall, this was a great read! Just one question for the author though: When is Book 2?
October 17, 2012
This is a great read with a little bit of something for everyone. The author is extremely detailed in his descriptions of the beautiful Ozark Mountains, the waterways, and its people. His fondness for the setting of this novel is very apparent in his picturesque details. The author's illustrations paint a lovely picture, transporting the reader to the banks of the Jack's Fork River or immersing him/her into the crystal clear waters of Blue Springs. Granted, at times the descriptions occupy more of the book than is necessary, but you can definitely say you leave this book with a greater appreciation for the beauty of the places described. There is a lot of back-story which needs to be told in the beginning to set the ending up, but stick with it and you won't be disappointed!
My favorite parts of the story deal with the growing interpersonal relationships of the main characters. That part of the story shares a beautiful message of hope, healing, family, and love. Illustrated very well is the message that no matter who you are or what your background, the innate need to feel loved, valued, and connected to family is common to all mankind.
There's also a lot of action and adventure in the mid to later parts of the book. Vicious reptilian aliens preying on innocent country folk, a government/military coverup, homemade incendiary devices, and a race against time to save humanity are all part of this sci-fi adventure. This book definitely kept me reading late into the night on more than one occasion.
If you are looking for an enjoyable, well researched, informative, gripping, clean read from a new author, this might just be the book for you!
My favorite parts of the story deal with the growing interpersonal relationships of the main characters. That part of the story shares a beautiful message of hope, healing, family, and love. Illustrated very well is the message that no matter who you are or what your background, the innate need to feel loved, valued, and connected to family is common to all mankind.
There's also a lot of action and adventure in the mid to later parts of the book. Vicious reptilian aliens preying on innocent country folk, a government/military coverup, homemade incendiary devices, and a race against time to save humanity are all part of this sci-fi adventure. This book definitely kept me reading late into the night on more than one occasion.
If you are looking for an enjoyable, well researched, informative, gripping, clean read from a new author, this might just be the book for you!
February 5, 2013
I simply couldn't finish reading this story. Four chapters in and I'm ready to pull my hair out. It's a fine line between vivid descriptions and rambling distracting trivia. The author has achieved the latter. Examples can be found on pages 31-33 two full pages devoted to describing the various bugs found in the Ozarks. While the information about the Ozarks aquifer is interesting two full pages of the geo-history is too much.
I never managed to make it to the alien,end of the world excitement that was promised in the synopses but it will have to remain a mystery because I'm not willing to endure another page.
Needless to say I do not recommend this book.
I never managed to make it to the alien,end of the world excitement that was promised in the synopses but it will have to remain a mystery because I'm not willing to endure another page.
Needless to say I do not recommend this book.
February 11, 2013
I wanted to like this more than I did. Great promise that just didn't quite materialize. Alien monsters, inept military cover-up, small town people along with a scientist and his intern on a summer project. Unfortunately, the author didn't seem to be able to quite decide what kind of a book he was writing so it wasn't "quite" anything ... some action/adventure without enough action, a 'lost child'/old history backstory and a young couple romance.
Too much technical information in some places, not enough description/action in other places. I kept reading, thinking it would eventually focus on one storyline but it never quite made it.
Too much technical information in some places, not enough description/action in other places. I kept reading, thinking it would eventually focus on one storyline but it never quite made it.
June 25, 2014
Interesting tale. I found the whole hillbilly thing a bit stereo typical. I mean, come on, you'll, not all of us have missing teeth and no education...lol. This one wasn't that bad but he still played into the stereo types. The decision Thomas faced made for some interesting reading. I would like to have explored that more.
January 16, 2015
The copious research of a Michner novel, the horror & suspense of a Peter Benchley novel, the adventurous romp of a Edgar Rice Burroughs novel... what's not to like? The book could've used another trip by the editing desk though (or at least put out an APB on all the missing comas) :)
June 26, 2014
Loved It
Loved all the drama and creatures from space, was a good read and loved how there was no loose ends. Would by another book from this author.
Loved all the drama and creatures from space, was a good read and loved how there was no loose ends. Would by another book from this author.
September 8, 2014
Fantastic!
I almost didn't get this book. I'm so glad I did.It's a good story and kept my interest. I wish it were longer but I hope for a sequel.
I almost didn't get this book. I'm so glad I did.It's a good story and kept my interest. I wish it were longer but I hope for a sequel.
August 13, 2015
Aliens In The Ozarks
Amphibious aliens invade a small town in the Ozarks. It starts off with a Mayberry like feel before heading straight into the invasion.
Amphibious aliens invade a small town in the Ozarks. It starts off with a Mayberry like feel before heading straight into the invasion.
April 25, 2014
Unless you're into sci-fi, save yourself a lot of time.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews