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Iron City #1
The Bone Field: A Harry Przewalski Novel, Book 1
New hard-boiled detective series mixes bones, murder and history!
Paleontologist turned private investigator Harry Przewalski excavates the dirty underbelly of people’s lives, unearthing sexual betrayals, treachery, fraud, and murder buried beneath the science of petrified shards, skin, and bones. Ultimately, he must face a brutal killing in his own past, when he fled to a desert war and came back with a gun and a license to detect.
In his first case, The Bone Field, Przewalski chases a missing paleontologist across 80 million years of intrigue and death, from a Wyoming bone field of petrified skeletons to the bone rooms of the museum.
World-renowned museum paleontologist Peter Marchand vanishes while leading a dinosaur dig in the sweltering, desert badlands of Wyoming. He has made enemies from his serial womanizing, ruthless dealings, religious blasphemy, and unorthodox theories. Hired to find him, Pittsburgh private detective Harry Przewalski uncovers a tangle of sexual deceit, betrayal, and scientific fraud. Ultimately, he must excavate the nightmares in his own extinct past to keep from being killed.
The first installment in the Harry Przewalski series. The second and third are Death Spoke and The Camel Driver.
Paleontologist turned private investigator Harry Przewalski excavates the dirty underbelly of people’s lives, unearthing sexual betrayals, treachery, fraud, and murder buried beneath the science of petrified shards, skin, and bones. Ultimately, he must face a brutal killing in his own past, when he fled to a desert war and came back with a gun and a license to detect.
In his first case, The Bone Field, Przewalski chases a missing paleontologist across 80 million years of intrigue and death, from a Wyoming bone field of petrified skeletons to the bone rooms of the museum.
World-renowned museum paleontologist Peter Marchand vanishes while leading a dinosaur dig in the sweltering, desert badlands of Wyoming. He has made enemies from his serial womanizing, ruthless dealings, religious blasphemy, and unorthodox theories. Hired to find him, Pittsburgh private detective Harry Przewalski uncovers a tangle of sexual deceit, betrayal, and scientific fraud. Ultimately, he must excavate the nightmares in his own extinct past to keep from being killed.
The first installment in the Harry Przewalski series. The second and third are Death Spoke and The Camel Driver.
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First published May 1, 2018
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About the author
Leonard Krishtalka
13 books32 followers Leonard Krishtalka has enjoyed two parallel careers––professional paleontologist, and author/novelist. As a paleontologist he has led and worked on expeditions throughout the fossil-rich badlands of western Canada and the US, Patagonia, Europe, China, Kenya and Ethiopia, excavating and studying the past life and cultures of the planet. He has held academic posts at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the University of Pittsburgh, the National Science Foundation, Washington, DC, and The University of Kansas, Lawrence.
As a novelist, Krishtalka uses the mystery genre to explore the human condition. He is the author of the award-winning Harry Przewalski novels: The Bone Field, Death Spoke, The Camel Driver, and the forthcoming Native Blood (Dec. 6, 2023). His fifth novel, The Body on the Bed, is historical fiction that investigates a murder and sensational trial in 1871 amid the social upheaval of post-Civil War Lawrence, Kansas.
Krishtalka is also an op-ed contributor to the Lawrence Journal-World, a past columnist for Carnegie Magazine, and author of the acclaimed book, Dinosaur Plots.
As a novelist, Krishtalka uses the mystery genre to explore the human condition. He is the author of the award-winning Harry Przewalski novels: The Bone Field, Death Spoke, The Camel Driver, and the forthcoming Native Blood (Dec. 6, 2023). His fifth novel, The Body on the Bed, is historical fiction that investigates a murder and sensational trial in 1871 amid the social upheaval of post-Civil War Lawrence, Kansas.
Krishtalka is also an op-ed contributor to the Lawrence Journal-World, a past columnist for Carnegie Magazine, and author of the acclaimed book, Dinosaur Plots.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 12, 2020
Krishtalka takes his private eye with the difficult to pronounce name - Harry Przewalski - and sets up his shop, not in New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles, but in Pittsburgh, a forgotten Midwestern city where the name Carnegie still looms large. Looms large as in the universities and the dinosaur museums built bone by bone from the finds unearthed in the great Wyoming bone fields.
And this is important because this is a version of the old murder mystery in the deserted Catskills hotel with only a handful of suspects, each overflowing with motive. The museum’s chief paleontologist has disappeared on a dig in the fields. He appears to have walked off on foot in the early morning and no one knows if he’s alive or dead. Harry, who once was a budding paleontologist himself before his heart was ripped open and his world turned upside down returns to his old haunts in cowboy country to find the remaining diggers surly mean and hating on dear lost Marchand. One is his his old flame and co-researcher. One is his latest flame, unceremoniously used and dumped when Marchand got bored. One is a professor at another university accusing Marchand of intellectual theft. One has been caught selling off bones to European collectors. One is an anti-evolutionist who simply doesn’t fit in with this bunch. And this is before we ever get to the rancher’s wife or the jilted rancher with a shotgun. Wait till they are all gathered together for the denouement.
Krishtalka’s writing style is quick, economical, and utterly absorbing. There are several more books on this series and, if this one’s a representative sample, they are definitely worth reading.
And this is important because this is a version of the old murder mystery in the deserted Catskills hotel with only a handful of suspects, each overflowing with motive. The museum’s chief paleontologist has disappeared on a dig in the fields. He appears to have walked off on foot in the early morning and no one knows if he’s alive or dead. Harry, who once was a budding paleontologist himself before his heart was ripped open and his world turned upside down returns to his old haunts in cowboy country to find the remaining diggers surly mean and hating on dear lost Marchand. One is his his old flame and co-researcher. One is his latest flame, unceremoniously used and dumped when Marchand got bored. One is a professor at another university accusing Marchand of intellectual theft. One has been caught selling off bones to European collectors. One is an anti-evolutionist who simply doesn’t fit in with this bunch. And this is before we ever get to the rancher’s wife or the jilted rancher with a shotgun. Wait till they are all gathered together for the denouement.
Krishtalka’s writing style is quick, economical, and utterly absorbing. There are several more books on this series and, if this one’s a representative sample, they are definitely worth reading.
September 15, 2020
So rewarding to stumble across a new crime series and find an author whose writing appeals as much as to characters they fashion.
Harry is a PI in Pittsburgh, a refreshing original guy not the traditional gumshoe detective.
He is hired by the Carnegie Museum of National History to found one of their best palaeontologists who has gone missing on an archeological dig in Wyoming. Peter Marchand has a history of taking off for a few days, they want him found and a scandal avoided. Harry goes to the camp in situ and interviews those students and academics still reviving dinosaur bones from this unique landscape.
This is an old fashioned crime mystery, with a limited number of suspects, everyone Harry speaks to seemingly has a reason for wanting Marchand to disappear.
I have no real interest in fossils and bones but I did find the science shared and the history introduced both educational and entertaining. It added to my enjoyment of the story and kept me riveted in the novel.
There is a great sense of place. From the vast expanse of the bad lands and it’s towns harking back to more prosperous times. To the busy street of Pittsburgh and the dusty maze of rooms and forgotten exhibits in the Museum.
Harry is a great character; able to hold his own in any company but it seems prone to female attention, a weakness for tobacco and alcohol and an unresolved past.
He is finely drawn without being fleshed out completely. Original and a easy going, quiet approach to his work. He is ignored or dismissed at you peril.
Bolder brush strokes are used to convey rural Wyoming. The authentic language and attitude of its citizens from Sheriff to prospective Governor. This resonates, is always colourful and gives a honest feel. The historical references and details give the wider canvas a sense of depth and realism many novels miss or edit away.
EXAMPLES:
“Harry ...... slowly headed east out of Shoshoni. There was a large church sign near the edge of town, warning that the road to hell was washed in alcohol. The railroad had built Shoshoni in 1904. By 1906, it had 2,000 people and twenty-three saloons. Now it had shriveled to one bar and 487 people, too late and too few souls for a new temperance movement.”
“Harry hit Cody at eight o’clock.. ........ William “Buffalo Bill” Cody founded the town in 1896, built the Irma Hotel, named it for his daughter, and moved in. It was now a thriving anachronism, feeding tourists his gun-slinging lore. The Irma Hotel staged an old west gunfight every evening, Monday through Saturday, June through August. After sixty years, Harry thought, it was the longest running play off Broadway, a one-act fable of swagger and bravado, giving the crowd the old west it wanted.”
“He took Forbes Avenue east out of downtown through the Hill District, a tough, low-income neighborhood that had inspired the television cop show Hill Street Blues.”
This is a gem of a book, for me a new and interesting author. I can’t wait to start on ‘Death Spoke’.
Harry is a PI in Pittsburgh, a refreshing original guy not the traditional gumshoe detective.
He is hired by the Carnegie Museum of National History to found one of their best palaeontologists who has gone missing on an archeological dig in Wyoming. Peter Marchand has a history of taking off for a few days, they want him found and a scandal avoided. Harry goes to the camp in situ and interviews those students and academics still reviving dinosaur bones from this unique landscape.
This is an old fashioned crime mystery, with a limited number of suspects, everyone Harry speaks to seemingly has a reason for wanting Marchand to disappear.
I have no real interest in fossils and bones but I did find the science shared and the history introduced both educational and entertaining. It added to my enjoyment of the story and kept me riveted in the novel.
There is a great sense of place. From the vast expanse of the bad lands and it’s towns harking back to more prosperous times. To the busy street of Pittsburgh and the dusty maze of rooms and forgotten exhibits in the Museum.
Harry is a great character; able to hold his own in any company but it seems prone to female attention, a weakness for tobacco and alcohol and an unresolved past.
He is finely drawn without being fleshed out completely. Original and a easy going, quiet approach to his work. He is ignored or dismissed at you peril.
Bolder brush strokes are used to convey rural Wyoming. The authentic language and attitude of its citizens from Sheriff to prospective Governor. This resonates, is always colourful and gives a honest feel. The historical references and details give the wider canvas a sense of depth and realism many novels miss or edit away.
EXAMPLES:
“Harry ...... slowly headed east out of Shoshoni. There was a large church sign near the edge of town, warning that the road to hell was washed in alcohol. The railroad had built Shoshoni in 1904. By 1906, it had 2,000 people and twenty-three saloons. Now it had shriveled to one bar and 487 people, too late and too few souls for a new temperance movement.”
“Harry hit Cody at eight o’clock.. ........ William “Buffalo Bill” Cody founded the town in 1896, built the Irma Hotel, named it for his daughter, and moved in. It was now a thriving anachronism, feeding tourists his gun-slinging lore. The Irma Hotel staged an old west gunfight every evening, Monday through Saturday, June through August. After sixty years, Harry thought, it was the longest running play off Broadway, a one-act fable of swagger and bravado, giving the crowd the old west it wanted.”
“He took Forbes Avenue east out of downtown through the Hill District, a tough, low-income neighborhood that had inspired the television cop show Hill Street Blues.”
This is a gem of a book, for me a new and interesting author. I can’t wait to start on ‘Death Spoke’.
June 28, 2020
4.75 Stars - A gritty PD novel, reminiscent of a bygone era & characteristics of a cocktail of Noir/IQ/CB.Strike which works on so many levels.
The story is centred around a paleontologist-come-private detective & throughout has a grounding theme of loyalty and betrayal or moreover the deeply rich & intricate layers that lie between them.
There is a reason that as I stormed through this ironically laconic yet tense detective story, I was filled with a little bit of outrage-laden-rage for the writing here is so far superior to a number of ‘popular’ Crime-Fiction, which of course is surprise.. But what is surprising is that a nice as story driven that has true character-complexity yet doesn't follow the path oft-taken, but instead rises up to bewhat the author intended it to be - A rousing & rewarding reading experience indeed!
The story is centred around a paleontologist-come-private detective & throughout has a grounding theme of loyalty and betrayal or moreover the deeply rich & intricate layers that lie between them.
There is a reason that as I stormed through this ironically laconic yet tense detective story, I was filled with a little bit of outrage-laden-rage for the writing here is so far superior to a number of ‘popular’ Crime-Fiction, which of course is surprise.. But what is surprising is that a nice as story driven that has true character-complexity yet doesn't follow the path oft-taken, but instead rises up to bewhat the author intended it to be - A rousing & rewarding reading experience indeed!
July 3, 2018
When Carnegie Museum paleontologist Peter Marchand disappears from a Wyoming dig site, the Museum calls in former-paleontology-student-turned-private-detective Harry Przewalski to unravel the mystery. Krishtalka's masterful prose and implicit knowledge of his subject matter conspire to weave an unforgettable whodunit that will keep you guessing to the very end. His lyric descriptions of Wyoming's breathtaking landscapes and colorful characters (both local and academic) resonate with the authenticity of someone who's walked the walk. If you prefer well-researched mysteries with a dash of literary flare, this one's for you.
September 29, 2020
the setting - a bone dig, if it's not clear by the title - was the allure of this book for me; i downloaded it on a whim while browsing the read now section of netgalley. and the while introduction is nice, the story quickly becomes a mess of characters with indistinguishable voices, tangled together so thoroughly that i'm still not sure who is who. the dialogue is cliche, with infodumps making up most of it, and the "investigation" throughout is boring; harry is really useless, yet somehow manages to come out on top, breaking the case despite seeming to do very little. all the players involved are stereotypes of stereotypes, the women little more than props to be used for their sexuality, afforded no characterization beyond their relationships with men; the two gay men are subject constantly to homophobia, which is rarely challenged and condemned. (i don't believe in the excuse of "it's appropriate for the era", and anyway this book is set in like 2000, so it's not really that far in the past, despite how it may feel.)
i just don't really believe in any of the characters nor the plot, everything was very surface-level, despite seeming to attempt to appear philosophical and introspective; it's just flat and meaningless, a rushed ending, boring and frustrating and honestly offensive in the shallow carelessness with which every woman is handled. it's hard to read. i was incredibly bored when i wasn't annoyed. getting through the last 60% was a herculean feat.
i just don't really believe in any of the characters nor the plot, everything was very surface-level, despite seeming to attempt to appear philosophical and introspective; it's just flat and meaningless, a rushed ending, boring and frustrating and honestly offensive in the shallow carelessness with which every woman is handled. it's hard to read. i was incredibly bored when i wasn't annoyed. getting through the last 60% was a herculean feat.
January 2, 2019
This intriguing, readable story commands attention from start to finish. The mystery becomes even more gripping as it is artfully woven around the messiness of human relationships, unresolved traumas, and professional power dynamics. My only reservation is the sometimes gratuitously inside information about the culture of academia, which may turn off or simply bore potential readers from outside of academia. Nonetheless an enjoyable read.
June 14, 2018
This is a great read, a page turner and chapter burner, with a well described place, interesting characters, and good wit!
It is not often I get to read a book by someone I actually know from my professional life. In fact, this is the first time! And I never knew that the author, Kris, either liked mysteries or wanted to write one. I knew he is a serious bike rider (a habit of the detective), and that he (Kris) write well, often in explaining science to the general public. In fact, had Kris not send a relative simple question about Goodreads, I would not have known (for a while at least, if ever) that he has also added writing great mysteries to his list of accomplishments.
The protagonist in the story is the detective Harry Przewalski, “like the Mongolian wild horse” (page 6), named after “Nikolai Przewalski, the Russian colonel whose 1881 expedition encountered the short, stocky hour on the Mongolian steppes” (page 21). He is hired by the Carnegie Institute (Pittsburgh) to find a paleontologist, Peter Marchand, who is missing from a paleontological dig in Wyoming.
Harry is what one would call a “hard boiled” private investigator, one who does not give up in trying to find the truth, and goes where ever his questions, and some answers and non-answers, lead him.
The novel is set primarily in Wyoming, although does finish (and start) in Pittsburgh. As noted by Eudora Welty, "Place in Fiction", The Eye of the Story, “fiction depends for its life on place" (from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~gjdemko/geo...). I have also commented in other reviews that the books (mysteries, espionage) I especially like give a good sense of place. In this book we get a good sense of place, in Wyoming, with heat, huge panorama’s, extreme temperature shifts, and unique geology.
Upon arriving at the “dig” in Wyoming, Harry inserts himself into the team of researchers, and an embedded reporter, at the site. As in many British mysteries, it seems everyone has a reason to want Peter Marchand gone. Thus, missing might be more than gone for a few days – it might be permanent.
There are also other characters that intersect Harry’s efforts to find about what happened to Peter. Those from Wyoming are particularly interesting, perhaps reflecting a non East-coast perspective, or better put, a product of the Wyoming landscape.
In addition, there are insights into (an extremely antagonistic) scientific group dynamic, with petty rivalries, vying for attention and affection of the leader, and desire to have the “big find” even at the expense of plagiarizing other’s work. And the conflict intensifies throughout the book!
As noted in a Kirkus review, the author also has some very good insights about science and life, and I would add much wit as well, sprinkled in the dialog. The example given (page 71), is “We’re alike ... journalist … paleontologist … detectives. We dig up what history tires to bury.”
A well written (not a lot of wasted words), compelling story. The chapters are brief (thus a chapter burner), and I can attest that this book that kept me up quite late at night.
Congratulations, Kris! Looking forward to reading more books in the series.
It is not often I get to read a book by someone I actually know from my professional life. In fact, this is the first time! And I never knew that the author, Kris, either liked mysteries or wanted to write one. I knew he is a serious bike rider (a habit of the detective), and that he (Kris) write well, often in explaining science to the general public. In fact, had Kris not send a relative simple question about Goodreads, I would not have known (for a while at least, if ever) that he has also added writing great mysteries to his list of accomplishments.
The protagonist in the story is the detective Harry Przewalski, “like the Mongolian wild horse” (page 6), named after “Nikolai Przewalski, the Russian colonel whose 1881 expedition encountered the short, stocky hour on the Mongolian steppes” (page 21). He is hired by the Carnegie Institute (Pittsburgh) to find a paleontologist, Peter Marchand, who is missing from a paleontological dig in Wyoming.
Harry is what one would call a “hard boiled” private investigator, one who does not give up in trying to find the truth, and goes where ever his questions, and some answers and non-answers, lead him.
The novel is set primarily in Wyoming, although does finish (and start) in Pittsburgh. As noted by Eudora Welty, "Place in Fiction", The Eye of the Story, “fiction depends for its life on place" (from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~gjdemko/geo...). I have also commented in other reviews that the books (mysteries, espionage) I especially like give a good sense of place. In this book we get a good sense of place, in Wyoming, with heat, huge panorama’s, extreme temperature shifts, and unique geology.
Upon arriving at the “dig” in Wyoming, Harry inserts himself into the team of researchers, and an embedded reporter, at the site. As in many British mysteries, it seems everyone has a reason to want Peter Marchand gone. Thus, missing might be more than gone for a few days – it might be permanent.
There are also other characters that intersect Harry’s efforts to find about what happened to Peter. Those from Wyoming are particularly interesting, perhaps reflecting a non East-coast perspective, or better put, a product of the Wyoming landscape.
In addition, there are insights into (an extremely antagonistic) scientific group dynamic, with petty rivalries, vying for attention and affection of the leader, and desire to have the “big find” even at the expense of plagiarizing other’s work. And the conflict intensifies throughout the book!
As noted in a Kirkus review, the author also has some very good insights about science and life, and I would add much wit as well, sprinkled in the dialog. The example given (page 71), is “We’re alike ... journalist … paleontologist … detectives. We dig up what history tires to bury.”
A well written (not a lot of wasted words), compelling story. The chapters are brief (thus a chapter burner), and I can attest that this book that kept me up quite late at night.
Congratulations, Kris! Looking forward to reading more books in the series.
August 13, 2020
When the star paleontologist of the Pittsburgh Carnegie Institute goes missing while on a dinosaur dig in the Wyoming Badlands, PI Harry Przewalski is hired to find him. But whenHarry, once a student of paleontology himself, arrives at the site, no one seems particularly worried. The man was known as a notorious womanizer and everybody, including the local sheriff, seems to think he just ran off with his latest conquest. However, as Harry gets to know everyone at the dig, he begins to suspect there may be more to the disappearance than anyone is saying. Everyone seems to have a reason for wanting the man gone. But, although motives are plentiful, clues are not and as the scientists prepare to pack it in, he is no closer to an answer. But Harry is not one to give up easily despite the lack of cooperation of both the dig crew and the townsfolk and even after he takes a dangerous fall that may or may not have been an accident.
Okay, I've got to admit when I started The Bone Field (A Harry Przewalski Novel Book 1) by Leonard Kristalka, I liked the idea of a noir set at a dinosaur dig but I wasn't really expecting a whole lot - frankly, I would be satisfied with a solid 3 star mystery. It definitely exceeded my expectations. In fact, I can honestly say it's one of my favourite novels so far this year. It is a real page turner and not just because of the mystery which, as intriguing as it was, ended up taking second place to the vivid descriptions of the Badlands, the in-fighting of the scientists, the history of the area, but most of all, the dinosaur facts Krishtalka, a paleontologist himself blends into the novel. This is one smart, highly compelling mystery debut and I recommend it to anyone who likes their mysteries with a bit of science mixed with a great noir detective and a solution that kept me guessing right until the ending. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Anamcara Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
Okay, I've got to admit when I started The Bone Field (A Harry Przewalski Novel Book 1) by Leonard Kristalka, I liked the idea of a noir set at a dinosaur dig but I wasn't really expecting a whole lot - frankly, I would be satisfied with a solid 3 star mystery. It definitely exceeded my expectations. In fact, I can honestly say it's one of my favourite novels so far this year. It is a real page turner and not just because of the mystery which, as intriguing as it was, ended up taking second place to the vivid descriptions of the Badlands, the in-fighting of the scientists, the history of the area, but most of all, the dinosaur facts Krishtalka, a paleontologist himself blends into the novel. This is one smart, highly compelling mystery debut and I recommend it to anyone who likes their mysteries with a bit of science mixed with a great noir detective and a solution that kept me guessing right until the ending. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Anamcara Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
February 9, 2024
A well written page turner
Who knew paleontology could be so dangerous, sexy, beautiful, and witty? Harry Przewalski did. The paleontologist turned detective almost got killed himself, but turned a disappearance of a former mentor, into a page turning murder mystery. Excellent debut.
Who knew paleontology could be so dangerous, sexy, beautiful, and witty? Harry Przewalski did. The paleontologist turned detective almost got killed himself, but turned a disappearance of a former mentor, into a page turning murder mystery. Excellent debut.
July 23, 2020
An exciting, thrilling, mystery, with a plethora of archaeological details and historical background, THE BONE FIELD is a very engrossing and complex read. As much as I enjoyed the history, the archaeological expositions, and the various finely-delineated settings, from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museums to the Wyoming Badlands, once home to Dinosaurs on the Range, for me the heart of the book was the unfolding character of the protagonist, Harry Przewalski, former graduate student, veteran, now private investigator. Author Leonard Krishtalka performs an archaeological dig on his protagonist 's heart and character, much like Harry once did during his tenure as a Paleontology graduate student. Thankfully this is the first of a series, and I plan to devour them all.
January 4, 2021
Reviewers note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm going to start this review by saying, straight off the bat, I loved it. There are a million gritty, dark detective stories out there but I am willing to bet that this is the only one that features dinosaurs, well dinosaur hunters anyway. The story takes us on a tour of the badlands of Wyoming, where a team of bone hunters scour the land for the ossified remains of cretaceous creatures, then wings us back to Pittsburg, the Carnegie Museum and the world of academic intrigue.
Private Detective Harry Przewalski is hired by the Carnegie to find the team's missing leader. Harry is aa complex character who comes to life in a few short chapters. As he searches for Peter, much like paleontologist, he chips away at the remaining team, poking and prodding, picking at their weaknesses and uncovering their motivations.
Woven into the story is the world of academia, the infighting and the jealousy. The vanity and pettiness of the intellectual world laid bare. My favorite part of the story is Wyoming itself. Krishtalka paints a vivid portrait of the land, its topography and people. Intrigued I went on Google Earth to look at it, always a good sign!
The writing is sharp and well edited. The pace is quick and the dialogue spot on. The ending will surprise you. All in all it's a smart story, well told.
I want to thank the author, Leonard Krishtalka for sending me a copy of his book and I look forward to reading more in this series.
I'm going to start this review by saying, straight off the bat, I loved it. There are a million gritty, dark detective stories out there but I am willing to bet that this is the only one that features dinosaurs, well dinosaur hunters anyway. The story takes us on a tour of the badlands of Wyoming, where a team of bone hunters scour the land for the ossified remains of cretaceous creatures, then wings us back to Pittsburg, the Carnegie Museum and the world of academic intrigue.
Private Detective Harry Przewalski is hired by the Carnegie to find the team's missing leader. Harry is aa complex character who comes to life in a few short chapters. As he searches for Peter, much like paleontologist, he chips away at the remaining team, poking and prodding, picking at their weaknesses and uncovering their motivations.
Woven into the story is the world of academia, the infighting and the jealousy. The vanity and pettiness of the intellectual world laid bare. My favorite part of the story is Wyoming itself. Krishtalka paints a vivid portrait of the land, its topography and people. Intrigued I went on Google Earth to look at it, always a good sign!
The writing is sharp and well edited. The pace is quick and the dialogue spot on. The ending will surprise you. All in all it's a smart story, well told.
I want to thank the author, Leonard Krishtalka for sending me a copy of his book and I look forward to reading more in this series.
January 18, 2022
During an excavation Peter Marchand, Carnegie's Museum of Natural History star palaeontologist, goes missing. Harry Przewalski, a palaeontologist turned detective and one of Peter's ex-students, is called to find him before the news reaches the press. But with Peter nowhere to be found and a group of six people motivated enough to murder, the case leads him to darker paths than he might had ever suspected.
For the first half, I was disappointed. I expected a lot more action and intrigue, yet pretty much nothing happened. I almost gave up on the book. Now I thank myself for completing it. The second half included everything I anticipated. Drama, mystery, fights, and plot twists. The premise was great, and the characters appeared real. However, there were several characters to focus on and little time to form an emotional bond with any of them. The writing was great. The narrator was a master of his art, even though some parts felt longer or more detailed than they should. Every character had a distinct voice. In certain parts, the dialogue was unnatural, sometimes too rigid, sometimes too laidback. For me, the most significant downside was the description of some female characters. Overall, it is a book I would recommend to anyone who is into mystery and crime novels (and is a man of older "values".
I received an advance review copy for free by NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
For the first half, I was disappointed. I expected a lot more action and intrigue, yet pretty much nothing happened. I almost gave up on the book. Now I thank myself for completing it. The second half included everything I anticipated. Drama, mystery, fights, and plot twists. The premise was great, and the characters appeared real. However, there were several characters to focus on and little time to form an emotional bond with any of them. The writing was great. The narrator was a master of his art, even though some parts felt longer or more detailed than they should. Every character had a distinct voice. In certain parts, the dialogue was unnatural, sometimes too rigid, sometimes too laidback. For me, the most significant downside was the description of some female characters. Overall, it is a book I would recommend to anyone who is into mystery and crime novels (and is a man of older "values".
I received an advance review copy for free by NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 23, 2021
A bone to pick...
This is a fascinating book. The central character - the hero - witty enough, funny enough, sardonic enough but not super. I enjoyed it. It felt old-fashioned to me in a good way. It reminded me of reading the old Ellery Queen mysteries where there would be a page challenging the reader : you now have all the information - whodunit? It had the interesting subject of palaeontology - for a history/archaeology fan like me this is a winner. The subject is treated with knowledgeable reverence though. Like the Emma Lathen books used to make you feel the writer really understood the subject. He does - it was his job. So the old-fashioned style might be in my imagination but to be reminded of Ellery Queen, Emma Lathen and Dorothy L. Sayers (the geographical descriptions reminded me of The Nine Tailors and the flat fens - murder in a particular place : elegantly captured in prose) is no bad recommendation for a book at the beginning of a series and a writer that has dug up a very meaningful fossil. I will definitely buy the next in the series.
This is a fascinating book. The central character - the hero - witty enough, funny enough, sardonic enough but not super. I enjoyed it. It felt old-fashioned to me in a good way. It reminded me of reading the old Ellery Queen mysteries where there would be a page challenging the reader : you now have all the information - whodunit? It had the interesting subject of palaeontology - for a history/archaeology fan like me this is a winner. The subject is treated with knowledgeable reverence though. Like the Emma Lathen books used to make you feel the writer really understood the subject. He does - it was his job. So the old-fashioned style might be in my imagination but to be reminded of Ellery Queen, Emma Lathen and Dorothy L. Sayers (the geographical descriptions reminded me of The Nine Tailors and the flat fens - murder in a particular place : elegantly captured in prose) is no bad recommendation for a book at the beginning of a series and a writer that has dug up a very meaningful fossil. I will definitely buy the next in the series.
October 23, 2020
I read the second book in this series first and I was hooked. So I went back to the first and was just as impressed.
This narrative is just nota mystery to be solved, but I found it a learning experience too. In this case paleontology, a most worthwhile endeavor. Combining science with investigative skills makes for an interesting read.
I love the main character, a multi-leveled individual with deep scars and an interesting background. I look forward to learning more about him.
I encourage you to try this series. You won’t be disappointed.
This narrative is just nota mystery to be solved, but I found it a learning experience too. In this case paleontology, a most worthwhile endeavor. Combining science with investigative skills makes for an interesting read.
I love the main character, a multi-leveled individual with deep scars and an interesting background. I look forward to learning more about him.
I encourage you to try this series. You won’t be disappointed.
July 6, 2018
Campy beach read
February 2, 2021
Interesting story, interesting characters, good ending. The detective uncovers details and interconnections with each of the digging team. Any of the team could be responsible for or part of the disappearance of the head guy. The dinosaur dig adds to the overall story. The end has a good twist. A pretty good mystery in the wilds of Wyoming.
I read this book on NetGalley
I read this book on NetGalley
May 26, 2020
An interesting novel about a missing Paleontologist, Peter Marchand, in the bone fields of Wyoming. Harry Przwalski a private detective with a background in paleontology has been hired by the he Carnegie Institute to find him. Peter is a famous Paleontologist who is a terrible womanizer and has many enemies both within the field and in the surrounding community. Harry follows up on many theories before finally uncovering the antagonist. This was a fast paced mystery with interesting characters all of whom had reasons to murder Peter.
March 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Bone Field was an engaging and enjoyable read, filled with compelling characters and a story that kept me hooked from start to finish. The writing was immersive, and I loved the way it made me feel completely transported into its world!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Bone Field was an engaging and enjoyable read, filled with compelling characters and a story that kept me hooked from start to finish. The writing was immersive, and I loved the way it made me feel completely transported into its world!
October 29, 2018
It's not quite Dan Brown but otherwise similar. Since I used to bicycle with him I thought I should read the book.
June 2, 2021
3.83 stars
August 3, 2022
Only my fascination with paleontology got me through this book with its lurid plot, unbelievable characterization, sexism and homophobia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2023
Great start to the Harry Przewalski series! It’s exciting, interesting, and informative!
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