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Katrina Stone #1
The Vesuvius Isotope
When her Nobel laureate husband is murdered, biologist Katrina Stone can no longer ignore the secrecy that increasingly pervaded his behavior in recent weeks. Her search for answers leads to a two-thousand-year-old medical mystery and the esoteric life of one of history’s most enigmatic women. Following the trail forged by her late husband, Katrina must separate truth from legend as she chases medicine from ancient Italy and Egypt to a clandestine modern-day war. Her quest will reveal a legacy of greed and murder and resurrect an ancient plague, introducing it into the twenty-first century.
422 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2013
91 people are currently reading
1064 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Elise
4 books80 followersKristen Elise, Ph.D. was born a scientist and decided at an early age to earn a living as one. A professional drug discovery biologist and life-long travel addict, Kris takes the inspiration for her novels from discoveries made both in and out of the laboratory.
Kris' work as a cancer drug hunter converged with a research trip through Italy to spark her debut novel. Once ignited, The Vesuvius Isotope erupted like the volcano itself - sending Kristen Elise and her readers on a global quest to investigate several non-fictional mysteries that have endured for more than two thousand years. More historical thriller than science thriller, The Vesuvius Isotope blurs the lines between fact and fiction, medicine and magic, science and superstition, history and legend.
Kristen Elise lives in San Diego, California with her husband, stepson, and three canine children. When not investigating historical mysteries, she continues to hunt for drugs and the stories they tell.
Kris' work as a cancer drug hunter converged with a research trip through Italy to spark her debut novel. Once ignited, The Vesuvius Isotope erupted like the volcano itself - sending Kristen Elise and her readers on a global quest to investigate several non-fictional mysteries that have endured for more than two thousand years. More historical thriller than science thriller, The Vesuvius Isotope blurs the lines between fact and fiction, medicine and magic, science and superstition, history and legend.
Kristen Elise lives in San Diego, California with her husband, stepson, and three canine children. When not investigating historical mysteries, she continues to hunt for drugs and the stories they tell.
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August 13, 2013
"Gripping. Fascinating. Entrancing. The Vesuvius Isotope is 2013's Top Thriller!"
-Carolyn Hart, author of Escape from Paris
Fool! Don’t you see now that I could have poisoned you a hundred times had I been able to live without you?
-Cleopatra (69–30 BCE)
From the ancient ruins beneath Mount Vesuvius, a two-thousand-year-old document has emerged. It is the only text ever attributed to the ambitious, inquisitive, and secretive last pharaoh of Egypt.
Cleopatra was busied in making a collection of all varieties of poisonous drugs . . . she had them tried upon prisoners condemned to die . . .
-Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans
Plutarch (ca. 46–120 CE)
Is it magic, as believed by the ancients? As a scientist in 2023, I have a more logical hypothesis. But when it comes to murder of the strictly mortal variety, I must admit, empirically I know for certain of only one. My husband, Jeff.
Some relate that an asp was brought in amongst those figs . . . But what really took place is known to no one . . . there was not so much as a spot found . . . nor was the asp seen . . .
-Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans
Plutarch (ca. 46–120 CE)
It was seven days ago that I placed my trust and my husband’s corpse, only weakly insured by a million dollar bribe, in the hands of a total stranger. Now, as I feel myself slipping beneath the surface, I am out of time to find Jeff’s killer because the authorities have just found his body.
She took one earring off, and dropped the pearl in the vinegar, and when it was wasted away, swallowed it.
-Natural History
Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE)
Thousands of lives are now fated in the queen’s last riddle.
More historical thriller than science thriller, The Vesuvius Isotope blurs the lines between fact and fiction, medicine and magic, science and superstition, history and legend. It also sends readers on a fast-paced quest through some of the lesser-known sites of Italy and Egypt. Recommended for readers who like Dan Brown-y books.
-Carolyn Hart, author of Escape from Paris
Fool! Don’t you see now that I could have poisoned you a hundred times had I been able to live without you?
-Cleopatra (69–30 BCE)
From the ancient ruins beneath Mount Vesuvius, a two-thousand-year-old document has emerged. It is the only text ever attributed to the ambitious, inquisitive, and secretive last pharaoh of Egypt.
Cleopatra was busied in making a collection of all varieties of poisonous drugs . . . she had them tried upon prisoners condemned to die . . .
-Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans
Plutarch (ca. 46–120 CE)
Is it magic, as believed by the ancients? As a scientist in 2023, I have a more logical hypothesis. But when it comes to murder of the strictly mortal variety, I must admit, empirically I know for certain of only one. My husband, Jeff.
Some relate that an asp was brought in amongst those figs . . . But what really took place is known to no one . . . there was not so much as a spot found . . . nor was the asp seen . . .
-Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans
Plutarch (ca. 46–120 CE)
It was seven days ago that I placed my trust and my husband’s corpse, only weakly insured by a million dollar bribe, in the hands of a total stranger. Now, as I feel myself slipping beneath the surface, I am out of time to find Jeff’s killer because the authorities have just found his body.
She took one earring off, and dropped the pearl in the vinegar, and when it was wasted away, swallowed it.
-Natural History
Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE)
Thousands of lives are now fated in the queen’s last riddle.
More historical thriller than science thriller, The Vesuvius Isotope blurs the lines between fact and fiction, medicine and magic, science and superstition, history and legend. It also sends readers on a fast-paced quest through some of the lesser-known sites of Italy and Egypt. Recommended for readers who like Dan Brown-y books.
August 23, 2015
Science thrillers tend to fall into one of two categories: mostly science, or mostly thriller. Michael Crichton’s early works tended to straddle the line fairly well, and I hear Andy Weir’s
The Martian
does, as well (it’s in my to-read pile). Debut author Kristen Elise delivers a pretty good science/thrills balance in The Vesuvius Isotope, an intriguing Dan Brownish trek through history in the service of solving a murder.
Katrina Stone, Our Heroine, is a Ph.D. biologist who runs a San Diego biotech firm along with her Nobel-prizewinning-chemist husband Jeff Wilson. When Katrina finds Jeff shot dead at home by her own pistol shortly after she begins to suspect him of having an affair, she does the only natural thing: covers up his death and flies off to Naples (Italy, not Florida) to confront what she believes is the other woman. It shouldn’t be a surprise that hardly anything is as it seems.
In that the author happens to be a Ph.D. biologist, you’d be right to assume that she knows what she’s talking about when she gets to the book’s central conceit (conflict over a drug based on ancient wisdom that appears to cure a particularly aggressive form of cancer). Katrina’s unraveling of the mystery drags her through central Italy and a fair chunk of Egypt, but it revolves around two loci: (1) that the drug was inspired by a scroll unearthed from Herculaneum’s Villa dei Papiri, and (2) the IP behind the scroll originated with none other than Cleopatra, who, in addition to being an adept at sexual and power politics, was supposed to be quite the scholar and proto-scientist. Needless to say, there’s a ton of history and science that needs to come out to validate these ideas. The author generally succeeds in cutting off the info-dumping before it gets too thick, but be warned.
The settings are clearly described, with enough mention of the sounds and smells to make this more than a National Geographic TV travelogue. Some of the scenes – Katrina navigating the chaos of central Cairo, or wrestling with a galabia and niqab – are clearly based on personal experience. The things Our Heroine does when she stops investigating her husband and starts investigating the disputed drug seem to come from the knowledge of someone who investigates drugs for a living. As a result, this isn’t one of those thrillers that subtracts brain cells while you read it.
The plot clicks along at a brisk pace, regularly throwing Our Heroine into peril that’s enough to be threatening but not so deadly that her escapes stretch credulity. The author wisely avoids the common pitfall of turning Katrina into Indiana Jane. She’s usually some combination of hungry, tired, sick, confused, or bereft. She does more than one really dumb thing along the way. She’s way too trusting of Dante, the preternaturally helpful young Neapolitan who repeatedly takes her under his wing. In this way, she reminds me of the two protagonists of Steve Berry’s The Amber Room – fairly normal people thrust into a highly abnormal situation.
For all this general goodness, the novel has two common newbie-writer issues that made me work harder at liking it than I generally appreciate.
Katrina narrates her own story. Usually first-person viewpoint fosters an immediate intimacy with the character, but Katrina’s voice is distant and a bit chilly. Even when she’s having an episode, it feels like it’s happening at arm’s length. Third-person might’ve been a better choice here. The dialog is over-careful; there are a lot of correctly-formed, articulate sentences coming out of characters’ mouths. I eventually got used to it and provided my own editing, but the adjustment period was longer than I liked.
While the author avoided making Katrina into Lara Croft, she fell into the common trap of giving Our Heroine a life situation that’s hard to cozy up to. She’s beautiful (as described by other characters), brilliant, and fabulously wealthy. So was the husband. They live in a seaside mansion in La Jolla and own a yacht. Yes, okay, the husband gets killed, but still. Add this to the emotional distance in Katrina’s narrative and you may have a problem connecting with her rather than the story. The pre-Jeff, Katrina V1.0 she describes – semi-starving doctoral candidate, single mom, living in a hovel – would be far easier to identify with and root for. That’s the Katrina who stars in The Death Row Complex , this novel’s prequel (now on the market), and I suspect she’ll be more sympathetic.
The Vesuvius Isotope flirts with both Crichton and Dan Brown without falling hard for either. That can be a tough needle to thread, and succeeding is an accomplishment for a first-time author. Unfortunately, the two major beefs I mentioned knocked down the final score. If we had fractional stars to give (please, please), I’d put this somewhere in the 3.6 neighborhood; we don’t, so I’ll round up to four stars and hope to see the author blossom in the next book.
Katrina Stone, Our Heroine, is a Ph.D. biologist who runs a San Diego biotech firm along with her Nobel-prizewinning-chemist husband Jeff Wilson. When Katrina finds Jeff shot dead at home by her own pistol shortly after she begins to suspect him of having an affair, she does the only natural thing: covers up his death and flies off to Naples (Italy, not Florida) to confront what she believes is the other woman. It shouldn’t be a surprise that hardly anything is as it seems.
In that the author happens to be a Ph.D. biologist, you’d be right to assume that she knows what she’s talking about when she gets to the book’s central conceit (conflict over a drug based on ancient wisdom that appears to cure a particularly aggressive form of cancer). Katrina’s unraveling of the mystery drags her through central Italy and a fair chunk of Egypt, but it revolves around two loci: (1) that the drug was inspired by a scroll unearthed from Herculaneum’s Villa dei Papiri, and (2) the IP behind the scroll originated with none other than Cleopatra, who, in addition to being an adept at sexual and power politics, was supposed to be quite the scholar and proto-scientist. Needless to say, there’s a ton of history and science that needs to come out to validate these ideas. The author generally succeeds in cutting off the info-dumping before it gets too thick, but be warned.
The settings are clearly described, with enough mention of the sounds and smells to make this more than a National Geographic TV travelogue. Some of the scenes – Katrina navigating the chaos of central Cairo, or wrestling with a galabia and niqab – are clearly based on personal experience. The things Our Heroine does when she stops investigating her husband and starts investigating the disputed drug seem to come from the knowledge of someone who investigates drugs for a living. As a result, this isn’t one of those thrillers that subtracts brain cells while you read it.
The plot clicks along at a brisk pace, regularly throwing Our Heroine into peril that’s enough to be threatening but not so deadly that her escapes stretch credulity. The author wisely avoids the common pitfall of turning Katrina into Indiana Jane. She’s usually some combination of hungry, tired, sick, confused, or bereft. She does more than one really dumb thing along the way. She’s way too trusting of Dante, the preternaturally helpful young Neapolitan who repeatedly takes her under his wing. In this way, she reminds me of the two protagonists of Steve Berry’s The Amber Room – fairly normal people thrust into a highly abnormal situation.
For all this general goodness, the novel has two common newbie-writer issues that made me work harder at liking it than I generally appreciate.
Katrina narrates her own story. Usually first-person viewpoint fosters an immediate intimacy with the character, but Katrina’s voice is distant and a bit chilly. Even when she’s having an episode, it feels like it’s happening at arm’s length. Third-person might’ve been a better choice here. The dialog is over-careful; there are a lot of correctly-formed, articulate sentences coming out of characters’ mouths. I eventually got used to it and provided my own editing, but the adjustment period was longer than I liked.
While the author avoided making Katrina into Lara Croft, she fell into the common trap of giving Our Heroine a life situation that’s hard to cozy up to. She’s beautiful (as described by other characters), brilliant, and fabulously wealthy. So was the husband. They live in a seaside mansion in La Jolla and own a yacht. Yes, okay, the husband gets killed, but still. Add this to the emotional distance in Katrina’s narrative and you may have a problem connecting with her rather than the story. The pre-Jeff, Katrina V1.0 she describes – semi-starving doctoral candidate, single mom, living in a hovel – would be far easier to identify with and root for. That’s the Katrina who stars in The Death Row Complex , this novel’s prequel (now on the market), and I suspect she’ll be more sympathetic.
The Vesuvius Isotope flirts with both Crichton and Dan Brown without falling hard for either. That can be a tough needle to thread, and succeeding is an accomplishment for a first-time author. Unfortunately, the two major beefs I mentioned knocked down the final score. If we had fractional stars to give (please, please), I’d put this somewhere in the 3.6 neighborhood; we don’t, so I’ll round up to four stars and hope to see the author blossom in the next book.
August 9, 2016
*3.5 stars*
I honestly can't remember how I came across this book recommendation - it might have been one of those Goodreads sidebar thingy. Anyway I've always been fascinated with this sub-genre ever since I've read Da Vinci Code. Moreover this book is available on Kindle Unlimited so I decided to give it a shot.
The Vesuvius Isotope, as the title alludes to, is a scientific thriller with historical linkages to the Greco-Roman period (yeah, Vesuvius here does literally refer to Mount Vesuvius of the horrific and tragic catastrophe of Pompeii). The story was fascinating and the author clearly did a whole lot of research into the significance that the ancient wisdom of this period had on the field of medicine.
Magic is effective together with medicine.
Medicine is effective together with magic.
- The Ebers Papyrus, ca. 1500 BCE
Being a doctor herself also lent the author credence and injected realism to the more scientific narratives of the story.
While I like the book enough, it suffered from uneven pacing and sometimes lengthy sections of history 'lessons' as the main character was a biologist and ancient empires were not her expertise. With that, quite a fair bit of info-dump was required to guide our brilliant Dr Stone to solve the mystery. And oh, of course, our brilliant doctor was also beautiful to boot, and had a gorgeous, charming and also utterly brilliant husband. But that's just a minor gripe.
Still it was engaging enough to be a good book and I do recommend it for those who enjoy history-based modern thrillers.
I honestly can't remember how I came across this book recommendation - it might have been one of those Goodreads sidebar thingy. Anyway I've always been fascinated with this sub-genre ever since I've read Da Vinci Code. Moreover this book is available on Kindle Unlimited so I decided to give it a shot.
The Vesuvius Isotope, as the title alludes to, is a scientific thriller with historical linkages to the Greco-Roman period (yeah, Vesuvius here does literally refer to Mount Vesuvius of the horrific and tragic catastrophe of Pompeii). The story was fascinating and the author clearly did a whole lot of research into the significance that the ancient wisdom of this period had on the field of medicine.
Magic is effective together with medicine.
Medicine is effective together with magic.
- The Ebers Papyrus, ca. 1500 BCE
Being a doctor herself also lent the author credence and injected realism to the more scientific narratives of the story.
While I like the book enough, it suffered from uneven pacing and sometimes lengthy sections of history 'lessons' as the main character was a biologist and ancient empires were not her expertise. With that, quite a fair bit of info-dump was required to guide our brilliant Dr Stone to solve the mystery. And oh, of course, our brilliant doctor was also beautiful to boot, and had a gorgeous, charming and also utterly brilliant husband. But that's just a minor gripe.
Still it was engaging enough to be a good book and I do recommend it for those who enjoy history-based modern thrillers.
June 28, 2016
The Vesuvius Isotope is nothing if not a piece of work. Now, I admit I may have used that exact phrase recently in a review of a strange object purporting to be a worthwhile book that was something else entirely. I use the phrase in a very different sense today.
What strikes me most about Elise's writing is the seemingly effortless (to read and one would almost imagine to write) intricacy of her craft. This book is an intellectual banquet, but it's not too filling. The text is unquestionably dense, but strangely this type of density doesn't prevent the reader from moving along at a constant and comfortable pace. It's carefully crafted, but it isn't cumbersome -- you don't have to be a rigorous reader at all. I'm not getting any closer to giving you a clear idea of what I mean, am I?
OK, well, that's the impression I have of this work that has yielded the five stars above and my most hearty recommendation of this book to any readers who think the plot sounds potentially interesting.
But before I finish this piece of work I imagine I ought to unpack what I was trying to articulate above with some description of how Elise's hard work shows itself to advantage in the book itself. First of all the whole plot is interwoven with historical and scientific mysteries. Elise focuses on the adventure and mystery and not on esoteric details that might confuse a lay reader or distract from the action.
Moreover, the first person narration and the constant inclusion of dialogue between the characters throughout each part of the book ensure that the reader once hooked, stays hooked. There are no long third-person narrations about symbolic external elements, landscapes, elaborate intricacies of character psychology, moral or thematic summation, or anything like you'd see in say...George Eliot, James Joyce (at best) or even Don DeLillo or Cormac McCarthy at times (not sure those guys always carry the heft so well as the Greats).
So what's so heavy about the novel that might cause it to be overwhelming if a few things were different?
1) The sheer amount of action in the plot and the amount of detailed knowledge that underlies the twists and turns around the world and down historical and scientific alleyways in manners that are exciting and carefully translated for her audience's interest. You can see Elise's deft hand in this effective craftsmanship using her tools as a scholar and a storyteller together.
2) The easy hand with which Elise incorporates, on the left side page when each of the chapters commences on the right page opposing, a wide range of historical contextual information through the liberal use of quotations (which always apply to the portion of the novel on a variety of levels, naturally). I think it's brilliant that Elise can take you as deep and historically contextualized as you want to get; she offers a close reader a lot to sink her teeth into here. But, if you just want a good story, don't worry too much about the Plutarch on the left and enjoy this intriguing mystery!
Sorry for being too verbose and inarticulate here; I'm not that great a writer myself, and it's late. Oh yeah, I got my copy through the First Reads program on GoodReads.
What strikes me most about Elise's writing is the seemingly effortless (to read and one would almost imagine to write) intricacy of her craft. This book is an intellectual banquet, but it's not too filling. The text is unquestionably dense, but strangely this type of density doesn't prevent the reader from moving along at a constant and comfortable pace. It's carefully crafted, but it isn't cumbersome -- you don't have to be a rigorous reader at all. I'm not getting any closer to giving you a clear idea of what I mean, am I?
OK, well, that's the impression I have of this work that has yielded the five stars above and my most hearty recommendation of this book to any readers who think the plot sounds potentially interesting.
But before I finish this piece of work I imagine I ought to unpack what I was trying to articulate above with some description of how Elise's hard work shows itself to advantage in the book itself. First of all the whole plot is interwoven with historical and scientific mysteries. Elise focuses on the adventure and mystery and not on esoteric details that might confuse a lay reader or distract from the action.
Moreover, the first person narration and the constant inclusion of dialogue between the characters throughout each part of the book ensure that the reader once hooked, stays hooked. There are no long third-person narrations about symbolic external elements, landscapes, elaborate intricacies of character psychology, moral or thematic summation, or anything like you'd see in say...George Eliot, James Joyce (at best) or even Don DeLillo or Cormac McCarthy at times (not sure those guys always carry the heft so well as the Greats).
So what's so heavy about the novel that might cause it to be overwhelming if a few things were different?
1) The sheer amount of action in the plot and the amount of detailed knowledge that underlies the twists and turns around the world and down historical and scientific alleyways in manners that are exciting and carefully translated for her audience's interest. You can see Elise's deft hand in this effective craftsmanship using her tools as a scholar and a storyteller together.
2) The easy hand with which Elise incorporates, on the left side page when each of the chapters commences on the right page opposing, a wide range of historical contextual information through the liberal use of quotations (which always apply to the portion of the novel on a variety of levels, naturally). I think it's brilliant that Elise can take you as deep and historically contextualized as you want to get; she offers a close reader a lot to sink her teeth into here. But, if you just want a good story, don't worry too much about the Plutarch on the left and enjoy this intriguing mystery!
Sorry for being too verbose and inarticulate here; I'm not that great a writer myself, and it's late. Oh yeah, I got my copy through the First Reads program on GoodReads.
July 1, 2013
Slight conflict of interest alert, I know the author. Having said that, I was completely surprised when I learnt that a colleague and friends had written a book. I approached this with interest and caution. Would it be good? Would I like it? Would I have to lie to my friend about her talent? The answers are "yes", "yes", and "no".
It is a great romp from Southern California to Naples, to Egypt and back. The story starts off with a bang, and our heroine leads us, with her, on a trail to discover who killed her husband and why (no spoilers here, he dies in the first paragraph, and the author states as much in her acknowledgments).
The tale weaves elements of science and history into a fabric sown together with a crime thriller thread. There is something here for everyone. The protagonist is realistically written and sympathetic, the clues are delivered fairly, with no red herrings that I could see or taste. The locations are lovingly described, and there is a "da vinci code" vibe permeating the entire book.
This is a great first novel, and sets us up hoping for more from this heroine.
Four stars from me. Recommended for anyone who likes a tale told well.
It is a great romp from Southern California to Naples, to Egypt and back. The story starts off with a bang, and our heroine leads us, with her, on a trail to discover who killed her husband and why (no spoilers here, he dies in the first paragraph, and the author states as much in her acknowledgments).
The tale weaves elements of science and history into a fabric sown together with a crime thriller thread. There is something here for everyone. The protagonist is realistically written and sympathetic, the clues are delivered fairly, with no red herrings that I could see or taste. The locations are lovingly described, and there is a "da vinci code" vibe permeating the entire book.
This is a great first novel, and sets us up hoping for more from this heroine.
Four stars from me. Recommended for anyone who likes a tale told well.
July 12, 2013
I was packing for a beach vacation last week and couldn't put this book down long enough to pack. Finally I had to pack the book in my suitcase in order to prevent myself from finishing it before the vacation. This is a fast paced, educational thriller filled with historical intrigue and a modern day murder that makes you say, "It sucks to be Katrina Stone." I love reading a thriller where I actually learn things. If you're planning a trip to Italy or Egypt, then this is a must read as you may change your travel itinerary to incorporate scuba diving through underwater Roman palace ruins near Naples (yes, they really exist), and story-telling Egyptian tombs across the river from Luxor, Egypt. The most interesting thing I learned in this book: The fact that crocodiles were mummified and used to store ancient Egyptian scrolls. To me, that is awesome!
July 23, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this fun & fast read -- a great first effort by author Kristen Elise. It reminded me a great deal of books like The Da Vinci Code, and nearly everything by
Anne Rice, with its artful weaving of fiction and historical details and accuracy. As I read the book, I couldn't help but wonder where the fictional Katrina's story left-off and the facts kicked-in. Having finished the book weeks ago, I'm still wondering! You really want to believe that...[spoiler info omitted -- you'll just have to read it for yourself!].
I highly recommend this exciting page turner. You won't want to put it down. I didn't.
Can't wait for the prequel!
Anne Rice, with its artful weaving of fiction and historical details and accuracy. As I read the book, I couldn't help but wonder where the fictional Katrina's story left-off and the facts kicked-in. Having finished the book weeks ago, I'm still wondering! You really want to believe that...[spoiler info omitted -- you'll just have to read it for yourself!].
I highly recommend this exciting page turner. You won't want to put it down. I didn't.
Can't wait for the prequel!
November 5, 2013
An impeccably researched first-class murder mystery, The Vesuvius Isotope is next to impossible to put down.
June 28, 2013
An impeccably researched first-class murder mystery, The Vesuvius Isotope is next to impossible to put down.
January 14, 2014
"I was exactly in my element.
I had spent a lifetime accruing an encyclopedic knowledge of biology and had rigorously educated myself in the fields of cancer research and drug discovery. I had the insatiable inquisitiveness of a lifelong researcher and the critical eye of a highly trained scientist. I was following the trail of the man I loved more than anything and whom I knew better than anyone else in the world. My memory was as sharp as a razor. And I would stop at nothing. If I could not solve this puzzle, it could not be solved." Quote from the book.
Katrina stone's husband - Jeff has been murdered then a phone call comes through on her husbands phone from a woman in Naples, Italy. So the race is on to find out what her husband was up to and stay a step ahead of the people who are after her. Alyssa (of Naples) found an ancient text that talks of a cure for cancer and enrolled the help of Jeff to help find the Nardo - a medicinal plant. The problem is the text doesn't say what the plant is.
Katrina has a dangerous challenge ahead of her, she will find it hard to know who to trust as she searches Naples and Egypt for the mysterious plant. She will learn a lot about Cleopatra as she searches the ancient ruins sometimes with help and sometimes on her own.
I enjoyed this book it is fast paced and full of interesting facts about Cleopatra and ancient Egypt.
This is a murder medical mystery. As the book moves along we get to find out about how Katrina and Jeff met and married. It is easy to read and you learn some things along the way.
I had spent a lifetime accruing an encyclopedic knowledge of biology and had rigorously educated myself in the fields of cancer research and drug discovery. I had the insatiable inquisitiveness of a lifelong researcher and the critical eye of a highly trained scientist. I was following the trail of the man I loved more than anything and whom I knew better than anyone else in the world. My memory was as sharp as a razor. And I would stop at nothing. If I could not solve this puzzle, it could not be solved." Quote from the book.
Katrina stone's husband - Jeff has been murdered then a phone call comes through on her husbands phone from a woman in Naples, Italy. So the race is on to find out what her husband was up to and stay a step ahead of the people who are after her. Alyssa (of Naples) found an ancient text that talks of a cure for cancer and enrolled the help of Jeff to help find the Nardo - a medicinal plant. The problem is the text doesn't say what the plant is.
Katrina has a dangerous challenge ahead of her, she will find it hard to know who to trust as she searches Naples and Egypt for the mysterious plant. She will learn a lot about Cleopatra as she searches the ancient ruins sometimes with help and sometimes on her own.
I enjoyed this book it is fast paced and full of interesting facts about Cleopatra and ancient Egypt.
This is a murder medical mystery. As the book moves along we get to find out about how Katrina and Jeff met and married. It is easy to read and you learn some things along the way.
August 24, 2013
First of all I would like to thank the Author and Goodreads for giving me the book as Firstread and I would say that the book is simply superb
I started reading this one, and abandoned the rest I had been reading along with just to finish this.
The book starts on an investigation note and as Katrina(Main character) progresses further in her story and her search for the Life-saver, along with to get justice to her husband, U are able to connect with her amazingly.
When she talks about history, you may or may not be interested in, you will feel as if you are watching a movie.
All in all a great read and for those who like investigation and happy endings :)
I started reading this one, and abandoned the rest I had been reading along with just to finish this.
The book starts on an investigation note and as Katrina(Main character) progresses further in her story and her search for the Life-saver, along with to get justice to her husband, U are able to connect with her amazingly.
When she talks about history, you may or may not be interested in, you will feel as if you are watching a movie.
All in all a great read and for those who like investigation and happy endings :)
December 4, 2013
Excellent first book in the series. Roll on book 2.
Katrina Stone is on the hunt to solve her husbands murder. She is taken on a journey to Italy where to find the answers she needs she has to solve an ancient puzzle. With death threats and cryptic messages Katrina doesn't know who to trust for one wrong move could be the death of her or thousands of others!
Katrina Stone is on the hunt to solve her husbands murder. She is taken on a journey to Italy where to find the answers she needs she has to solve an ancient puzzle. With death threats and cryptic messages Katrina doesn't know who to trust for one wrong move could be the death of her or thousands of others!
July 28, 2013
This is a book that is impossible to put down! It captures your attention on the first page and just gets better and better. A combination of historical events, science, beautifully described locales and romance. I can't wait for the sequel!
Luan Lissner
Luan Lissner
July 24, 2013
Great summer read, mystery, adventure, science , history, kept me on the edge until the end, highly recommend!
September 4, 2013
The Vesuvius Isotope by Kristen Elise.
The author herself was so generous to send me a copy, and it was my first signed book :)
The Vesuvius Isotope is the first book published by Kristen Elise. I’ve requested this book for review for two reasons: Firstly, I loved the description of the book and secondly, the cover – it is beautiful. The story plays off in the near future (year 2023).
Katrina finds her husband dead in their house. Doing a little research, she finds out that he was hiding venomous secrets. She heads off to Naples thinking the murderer would be his mistress where she discovers that it's more than an affair. The life of her daughter and other people was at sake, and the discovery of an ancient document would actually save them (that was afterall her husband's goal). Her journey begins in order to complete what her husband had started, several turns that made her realise that her persuit won't be easy. She travels through Itally not knowing who to trust discovering pieces from the puzzle that turn's out to be two thousand years old leading her to Egypt.
The story sounds exactly what I wanted to read at the time I started the book: a journey through history where science meets magic. The story starts off a bit odd!! Kristen's reaction (hiding her husband's body) .The language was difficult for me at first (english being my third language) until I reached the middle of the book, where the story became haunting. The flashbacks gave it a nice touch. It somehow reminds me of Dan Brown's books.
The story has a few interesting elements: Katrina finding an other side of Jeff , the affair, the drug addiction ( she find's out none of her conclusions had been correct later in the book). The Nardo Document and the Italian Mafia's involvement in it which seems to be a conflict as old as the Roman Empire. An other side of Cleopatra, the version of the brilliant scientist seeking for knowledge and using it to create the godess image amongst her people and the powerful sorceress queen myth to scare her enemies.
I think this book is a perfect beach read with a little bit of mystery, adventure and a lot of suspense. It feels like a travelogue. If you enjoy stories about travel, history, libraries, archives and especially ancient Egypt, then you will surely enjoy this.
The author herself was so generous to send me a copy, and it was my first signed book :)
The Vesuvius Isotope is the first book published by Kristen Elise. I’ve requested this book for review for two reasons: Firstly, I loved the description of the book and secondly, the cover – it is beautiful. The story plays off in the near future (year 2023).
Katrina finds her husband dead in their house. Doing a little research, she finds out that he was hiding venomous secrets. She heads off to Naples thinking the murderer would be his mistress where she discovers that it's more than an affair. The life of her daughter and other people was at sake, and the discovery of an ancient document would actually save them (that was afterall her husband's goal). Her journey begins in order to complete what her husband had started, several turns that made her realise that her persuit won't be easy. She travels through Itally not knowing who to trust discovering pieces from the puzzle that turn's out to be two thousand years old leading her to Egypt.
The story sounds exactly what I wanted to read at the time I started the book: a journey through history where science meets magic. The story starts off a bit odd!! Kristen's reaction (hiding her husband's body) .The language was difficult for me at first (english being my third language) until I reached the middle of the book, where the story became haunting. The flashbacks gave it a nice touch. It somehow reminds me of Dan Brown's books.
The story has a few interesting elements: Katrina finding an other side of Jeff , the affair, the drug addiction ( she find's out none of her conclusions had been correct later in the book). The Nardo Document and the Italian Mafia's involvement in it which seems to be a conflict as old as the Roman Empire. An other side of Cleopatra, the version of the brilliant scientist seeking for knowledge and using it to create the godess image amongst her people and the powerful sorceress queen myth to scare her enemies.
I think this book is a perfect beach read with a little bit of mystery, adventure and a lot of suspense. It feels like a travelogue. If you enjoy stories about travel, history, libraries, archives and especially ancient Egypt, then you will surely enjoy this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2013
The Vesuvius Isotope is a rich, well-researched novel. I say this from the point of view of someone well educated in the field of Mediterranean and Near Eastern archaeology. I geeked out on the trail of ancient documents and places as Katrina set about decoding her deceased husband’s research, retracing his footsteps to uncover the mystery of his death. It has a slow start, easing readers into the setting and backstory; during this prelude, I questioned Katrina’s decisions and motivations, but the pace really starts to pick up once she leaves the country. I love that the author shares her profession as a drug discovery biologist with her MC. I really wish she had divulged more of that world; I would have loved to learn more about it. It felt like Katrina’s supposed expertise was set more as backstory. It was shuffled aside in favor of discovering the archaeological mysteries of Italy and Egypt along with the MC. The archaeology is fun but a little heavy handed. I would have liked more hard science, but maybe that’s just because I don’t have the “awe blinders” of most readers that haven’t already been educated in the nuances and mysteries of the ancient world. Still, a really solid piece of work. I admire the author greatly for this accomplishment–it could be considered nothing less.
December 2, 2013
I really enjoy books of this genre and Kristen has done a fantastic job with this one . I eagerly await the next one and to see how her writing skills grow . There is a lot of History references and judging by her Bibliography there was an incredible amount of research devoted to this book . Kudos it was a thoroughly enjoyable read .
Author E.E.Borton is doing some similarly interesting work .
Without
Suffer
Abomination
E.E. Borton
Author E.E.Borton is doing some similarly interesting work .
Without
Suffer
AbominationE.E. Borton
February 22, 2014
Beautifully written story that combines mystery, science (biology, chemistry), history, and thriller. Better than The Da Vinci Code!
Katrina Stone, intelligent, successful, biotech principal embarks on a journey to solve the mystery of her husband's death. I love the theme of successful, intelligent, brave - yet human - women.
I love to learn things: I learned about her research, her company and product (being a PhD in the sciences myself.... this was really inspiring!), I learned about history and mythology (Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Cleopatra, and history of medicine)
I love that I could "travel" with Katrina and experience the taxi rides, the heat, the people, the difficulty in traveling in a foreign land.
This book inspires me to visit Naples, Pompeii, Luxor, etc, just to see the scenery or architecture that she describes.
The reason that I say this book is better than The DaVinci Code: the author's premise about Cleopatra's history and successes based on historical documents is a lot more believable than Mary Magdalene's history in The DVC.
The author must have done a lot of meticulous research for this book, and it paid off. Very well done and well written.
Katrina Stone, intelligent, successful, biotech principal embarks on a journey to solve the mystery of her husband's death. I love the theme of successful, intelligent, brave - yet human - women.
I love to learn things: I learned about her research, her company and product (being a PhD in the sciences myself.... this was really inspiring!), I learned about history and mythology (Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Cleopatra, and history of medicine)
I love that I could "travel" with Katrina and experience the taxi rides, the heat, the people, the difficulty in traveling in a foreign land.
This book inspires me to visit Naples, Pompeii, Luxor, etc, just to see the scenery or architecture that she describes.
The reason that I say this book is better than The DaVinci Code: the author's premise about Cleopatra's history and successes based on historical documents is a lot more believable than Mary Magdalene's history in The DVC.
The author must have done a lot of meticulous research for this book, and it paid off. Very well done and well written.
January 17, 2025
I won a free signed copy of The Vesuvius Isotope in goodreads giveaway. When my prize arrived, I actually worried if I had to lie to the author about whether I liked the book or not because I had been chatting with her for about 3months before I receive my copy. But now that I've finished reading it, I feel so lucky to be the one of the 20 winners of the signed copy of the book. I honestly liked it!
I felt like I was part of the setting where the scenes were happening. And every page gets more and more exciting.
I recommend this exciting page turner! Just be sure that you have a lot of time when start reading this, you wouldn't want to put this down. I'm excited to read the next book!
Mrs. Elise wrote "I hope it's worth the wait. enjoy!" in my copy. Yes, it is really worth the wait! ;)
I felt like I was part of the setting where the scenes were happening. And every page gets more and more exciting.
I recommend this exciting page turner! Just be sure that you have a lot of time when start reading this, you wouldn't want to put this down. I'm excited to read the next book!
Mrs. Elise wrote "I hope it's worth the wait. enjoy!" in my copy. Yes, it is really worth the wait! ;)
August 27, 2013
Disclaimer: I received this book from a first-read giveaway.
Holy crap. So... I love it when authors do research, even when they're writing fiction, and it's evident, from the very first chapter, that Kristen Elise did just that. The Vesuvius Isotope was a gripping adventure through the Mediterranean as well as through time. In all honesty, though, what I enjoyed most was being given a subtle nudge to learn about Cleopatra as well as cancer proteins (yay, Wikipedia!). :)
Holy crap. So... I love it when authors do research, even when they're writing fiction, and it's evident, from the very first chapter, that Kristen Elise did just that. The Vesuvius Isotope was a gripping adventure through the Mediterranean as well as through time. In all honesty, though, what I enjoyed most was being given a subtle nudge to learn about Cleopatra as well as cancer proteins (yay, Wikipedia!). :)
October 22, 2013
'The Vesuvius Isotope' was a good read indeed!The story is quite fast paced and is full of history ,modern science and a good deal of ancient mysteries.It is about a desperate wife finding a way to prove her innocence in the murder of her husband (also partner in research) and in turn how she manages to decrypt a two thousand year old medical mystery.The author has evidently put very good effort into the research for the story .The style of writing is pleasant and narration is non linear at times, making the storyline even better. Keep up the good work (and thanks for the giveaway).
August 26, 2013
I liked this a lot. I'm really interested in Egyptian and Roman history, so I was immediately drawn into the story. For some reason I couldn't connect with Katrina Stone at all; it took me a while to get over not liking her. The descriptions of the cities are dead on and make you feel like you're there! The flashbacks got a little confusing at times because I didn't see the connection between the plot and background, but it all tied together nicely in the end. I can't wait for the prequel!
December 28, 2014
This novel is an absolute pleasure to read, its fast pace action combined with history and science liken it to Indiana Jones! With twist and turns whilst our heroine travels the globe for answers will keep you guessing. An amazing book which I will be recommending to my friends; I can't wait for the next one.
August 17, 2013
This was my 69th book of the year and my favorite so far. Set in San Diego (my hometown), Italy and Egypt, the story is rich in history and kept me enthralled throughout the entire book. Kristen Elise has written a smart, intellectually stimulating, medical mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat.This is a book I highly recommend. I am eagerly awaiting her next book.
August 20, 2013
I’m not very good at this but I am going to give a review a try. Kristen created characters with many layers who weren’t always what they seemed. I felt like I was really walking the streets of Italy and Egypt. She didn’t use too much tech-talk so I was able to understand the science. Thank you Kristen, I am looking forward to your next book. I’m a forever fan.
September 25, 2013
I really enjoyed this medical thriller from Kristen Elise. I was drawn into the story immediately and it kept me going all the way through. I love the science and history that are woven in throughout the story, and I sometimes felt myself (as a fellow scientist) wishing that there were even more to help explain the unique premise of the book. Definitely looking forward to the next one!
Read
July 12, 2016I have never before read a book that made me feel so much like I was right there with the character(s) in any given situation - when they ran, I ran; when they hid, I hid; I was admiring the ancients with them - how exciting is that?! I truly enjoyed the historical value that was featured in this novel. The research involved is greatly appreciated.
August 13, 2016
I received a copy of this book in a good reads giveaway. I really enjoyed this book and I am grateful for the chance to have this book in my hands. Kristen has done a fantastic job with "The Vesuvius Isotope". I recommend others to read this book too.
August 25, 2013
I received a copy of this book in a goodreads giveaway and was instantly intrigued. This book captures you from the very beginning. It is filled with murder, mystery, magic, medicine and history. The author delivers the story in a unique and page turning way. I enjoyed every minute of it.
August 29, 2013
So good! I'm already hooked for the next book coming out next year! Great mystery that spans hundreds of years. Intelligent writing and thorough research really stands out. I highly recommend this book.
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