Gem Hunter: A Novella

by Janice Boekhoff

The only thing more dangerous than what she found is what he plans to do with it. Gem hunter Alyna Elkins is determined to prove her beloved father didn’t waste his life on a fruitless dream. Only days away from running out of the money needed to continue her father’s archeological research, Alyna’s prayers are seemingly answered when she discovers a buried box of rare gemstones valuable enough to fund her work for an entire year. But Alyna soon finds out there are others on Mt. Pasaqua—with darker motivations—hunting for her treasure. After running an illegal errand for his brother, Ruger Westmoreland spent four years in prison. When Ruger realizes his brother has committed a far worse crime than he ever imagined, he races to uncover the truth buried on Mt. Pasaqua before his brother can destroy the proof of what really happened to their mother. But Ruger didn’t count on fiery Alyna finding the gems first. Refusing to let the handsome stranger steal the treasure, Alyna stands her ground until Ruger finally convinces her the gems are evidence of a terrible secret. But when she demands they contact the sheriff, Ruger kidnaps her, forcing Alyna to ask a grim question that could have deadly consequences—which brother is more dangerous?

168 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2017

About the author

Christy and Carol Award finalist Janice Boekhoff (pronounced Beau-cough) is a former Research Geologist turned Author. Although she’s not nearly as tan anymore, she enjoys spending time in her office dreaming up ways to kill a dinosaur or bend the fabric of time while her Vizsla writing partner snores in his dog bed next to her. A Midwest native, she writes from Iowa where traffic is nonexistent and hogs outnumber people 7 to 1 (good thing they can’t drive).

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Foolish people behaving foolishly

I wanted to like this book but it is simply not possible. The characters are almost uniformly foolish people. The killer is given chance after chance because none of the characters have the good sense and courage to deal with him. Becoming a Christian is not to become an idiot. The commandment is against committing murder, not against all killing.

Incidentally, despite what is implied in this novel, the Veil of Veronica is not in the Bible. It is a legend which some accept as fact even though there is no Biblical basis for doing so. I conducted an unscientific, random questioning of church members. The only ones who knew anything about Veronica's Veil were two of the Catholics. None of the Methodists, Wesleyans or Baptists had heard of it. I suppose that result makes sense as the cloth said to be the veil was in the keeping of the Catholic Church before it disappeared. Some say that the Church still has it hidden away.

[Daniel P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!

I loved this story. The plot is full of unexpected twists and turns. The strong female lead character is a wonderful example of strength and bravery. I could not stop reading this story once I started...that to me is the sign of an amazing book. The story has strong characters, exciting plots, and rustic natural settings, along with beautiful messages of hope and redemption.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great suspense and real human stories!

She does a great job of creating real people with messy stories who aren’t perfect but who find a way to move through them with God’s helps and other people! Also, not typical subject matter and story lines! I learn something new every time I read a Janice Boekhoff book!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a good mystery story. I like the suspense & the characters. It held my attention to the very end. I think there is only a small amount of Christian influence in the story. I received a free copy by signing up for her email. This is my voluntary, honest review.

[Linda Rainey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspensful

I enjoyed this suspenseful novella about gem hunting and following your dreams.
It is recommended for those that enjoy Christian romantic suspense.

[juanita dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gem Hunter

Wanting to keep memories alive, unfulfilled dreams colliding on a mountaintop with strangers with danger and intrigue just around the corner.