Fossil Thief: A Henrietta Ballantine Adventure

by Sharon Lyon

Frozen landscapes, hidden truths... In a world of isolation and deception, fossils reveal untold stories.In the second adventure of the Fossil Woman series, Henrietta Ballantine has her future all figured out. With her Ph.D. in hand, she's ready to embark on explorations and digs alongside her new husband, geologist Frank Bailey. However, she quickly discovers that marriage comes with unexpected compromises. When Frank’s company sends him to the remote town of Mammoth, North Dakota, Henrietta’s carefully constructed future begins to shatter.Struggling to find employment in the male-dominated science field of the 1960s and feeling increasingly isolated in their snow-shrouded bungalow, Henrietta grapples with her new reality. Amidst internal struggle about starting a family, her one solace comes from a growing friendship with an enigmatic local Native American woman.As winter's chill sets in and Henrietta's frustration peaks, a chance encounter reopens the doors to paleontology, propelling Henrietta to a dinosaur dig in the badlands. But all is not what it seems on the dig and suspicion looms as she's shut out by her male colleagues. With unwavering resolve, Henrietta conducts her own research in this barren and sacred land.As a sinister plot emerges, Henrietta must use her wits and determination to uncover unsettling truths buried within the Hell Creek formation. Fossil Thief is a tale of resilience, unearthing the strength to overcome adversity, and the power of unexpected allies in the most trying times.

Genres: Fiction

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 15, 2024

About the author

Sharon Lyon is a geologist and science educator. Her first novel, Fossil Woman, launched as a #1 Amazon Best-seller. The audiobook won an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Best Audiobook: Fiction, for 2023. Ms. Lyon has worked as a paleontologist, a petroleum geologist, and environmental scientist. However, her true passion is teaching and as a geology professor she shares her love of the earth with her students. Ms. Lyon earned a B.S. in geology from The College of William and Mary, and a M.S. in geology from The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. She resides in Virginia.

Reviews

[Joy Poole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book . Scene Africa. 2 nd book. Hunting fish fossils with Mary Leakey.

[dorothy luquette · Rating 5 out of 5]

a wonderful way to learn paleontology!

This was a good read. Ms. Lyon researched the science and the setting of the story meticulously. Added characters filled out the story as well as Henrietta’s personality, making this engaging. Was the bison a spirit guide.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Henrietta adventure and another winning novel! It's not often that armchair geology and paleontology geeks like me find fiction books like this. In this second book, Henrietta doesn't go on another dig in Africa with the Leakys but to the bleak landscape of North Dakota. She now has her hard-won doctorate in paleobotany and is a newlywed. There are so many threads running through this story. On the surface is Henrietta's struggle to work in her chosen field which is dominated by men and fiercely patriarchal. Then there are the issues all women face once they are married such as having to take a backseat to her husband's career. With this book being set in the mid-60s, America's social upheavals also weave through the plot...Civil Rights, Vietnam, equal rights for women, and the British Invasion in music. (I felt Henrietta's pain when the only music on the radio locally in North Dakota was polka music.) Due to the location, Henrietta is also faced with the bigotry against Native Americans as well as their concerns of removing indigenous artifacts for museums. See what I mean? This is a multi-leveled novel and should appeal to a wide audience. (You may have figured out that since the setting is the North Dakota badlands, tyrannosaurus rex might make an appearance.) I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope there will be another one soon, maybe in Louisiana?

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this equally good follow-up to Fossil Woman, Henrietta Ballantine has a new wedding ring and a new doctorate, but no idea what to do with either. As a trailing spouse with no job and no aptitude for homemaking, Henrietta's curiosity and determination to apply her science will get her into some well-imagined trouble. Somewhere between I Love Lucy and Jane Goodall, Henrietta is endearing, infuriating, and someone I would like to know.

[Sharon Pago · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Henrietta Ballantine is at it again! I just finished reading Fossil Thief, Book 2 of Sharon Lyon’s Fossil series and found it just as intriguing as Book 1, Fossil Woman. If you have not read them, take the time to journey with Dr. Ballantine to North Dakota as she takes on another paleontology dig and everything that comes along with it…and some things that don’t🦖🦴❄️

[Janice Colebrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the detail about palaeontology and geology as they give the story an authenticity. I can sympathise with Henrietta’s feelings of boredom and lack of direction once she and Frank move to Mammoth. But a good half of the book is a build up to the actual encounter with the fossil thief which, to my mind, means the title is misleading to a degree. Nonetheless I enjoyed the story over all.

[Jan Chiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Have read her first book in the series and it was actually better than this one. This one was pretty slow reading and a bit choppy in some areas.