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Old Earth

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“Sweeps the reader away with history, intrigue, espionage, engaging characters, and an intelligent conclusion—all elements of the perfect thriller!" —Steve Berry, New York Times-bestselling author of The Warsaw Protocol In the summer of 1601, Galileo Galilei made a startling discovery in the mountains of Eastern Italy that, if made public, could shatter faith in religion, bring down governments and lead to worldwide turmoil. For more than four hundred years, the secret has been guarded by a small group of people willing to do everything in their power to keep these discoveries from being made. But now, a university dig in Montana headed by paleontologists Quinn McCauley and Katrina Alpert threatens to expose the secret Galileo unearthed, the event that caused him to turn his study to the stars, and the hidden reason the scientist was convicted of heresy by the Inquisition… The author of the wildly popular Executive series digs into the history of the Earth to find the secrets people are willing to kill to keep buried—weighing age-old arguments between science and religion in a tense thriller that spans time and questions recorded history. "A high energy combination of history and intrigue, and last but not least, a great book to bring along the next time you travel." —Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor “Old Earth’s richly detailed and unique premise will delight fans of Dan Brown and Michael Crichton.” —CJ Lyons, New York Times-bestselling author of Snake Skin "A high energy combination of history and intrigue, and last but not least, a great book to bring along the next time you travel." —Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor "OLD EARTH's richly detailed and unique premise will delight fans of Dan Brown and Michael Crichton." —CJ Lyons, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author 

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2015

1062 people are currently reading
585 people want to read

About the author

Gary Grossman

18 books61 followers
Gary Grossman, author of EXECUTIVE ACTIONS, EXECUTIVE TREASON, and EXECUTIVE COMMAND, is a print and television journalist, an Emmy Award-winning network television producer, and a film and TV historian.

His career has included stints producing for NBC News, ABC, CBS NBC, Fox, PBS, and more than 27 cable networks.

Grossman is partner with Robb Weller in Weller/Grossman Productions, a prolific documentary and service and information television production company. Together, they have produced more than 6,000 programs and earned numerous awards including the prestigious Governor's Emmy Award for their 1996 USA Network special, "Healing the Hate," and an Emmy for Best Informational series with the 2002 production of "Wolfgang Puck" for Food Network.

The company's widely recognized series and specials have aired on NBC, Fox News, CNBC, History Channel, A&E, Discovery Channel, Food Network, Discovery Health, National Geographic Channel, HGTV, Fine Living, Do It Yourself, The Learning Channel, USA Network, and Sci Fi Channel, among other channels.

Grossman earned a Bachelors Degree in Communications from Emerson College in Boston and a Master's Degree in Urban Affairs from Boston University.

He began his career at 15 as a disc jockey at WHUC, his local radio station in Hudson, New York. He went on to work at Boston television station, WBZ; joined The Boston Globe as a special contributor, and then became a full-time television critic and columnist at The Boston Herald American, before moving to Los Angeles. His articles have also appeared in The New York Times and numerous magazines. He has taught journalism and media classes at Emerson College, Boston University, and USC. Grossman's two previous acclaimed non-fiction books, Superman: Serial to Cereal and Saturday Morning TV, cover television history.


Grossman lives in Los Angeles with his wife, writer Helene Seifer, and their children Sasha, Zachary, and Jacob. He serves on the Emerson College Board of Trustees and the Boston University Metropolitan Advisory Board. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers Association.

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5 stars
591 (37%)
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568 (36%)
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307 (19%)
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70 (4%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
Profile Image for Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede.
2,058 reviews886 followers
April 11, 2016
Galileo Galilei makes in 1601 a discovery in the mountains of eastern Italy that could cause turmoil in the world; that could bring down governments and shatter people's faith in religions.

In the present time, a group of people on a university dig in Montana headed by paleontologist Quinn McCauley stumbles over a discovery that a secret group of people for over 400 years has done everything to keep a secret and the secret group will do anything to stop the discovery to be revealed. They stopped Galilei and they have stopped everyone else that has been close to discovering the secret during the centuries. McCauley and fellow paleontologist Katrina Alpert tries to understand what they have found in the mountains at the same time is running out for them...the group will stop at nothing to keep the secret from getting out.


Wow! If I would summarize this book would wow be the right word. I have a weakness for adventures books with secret societies and wild chases across the world. Hell, books like this are probably the only genre that over the top is a good thing. In an adventure's thriller the story should be over the top, the characters should be thrown into impossible situations and I don't even mind if the main characters get a bit close together in the heat of the moment, well as long as they don't decide to do it in a situation when they should think more about running and not smooching. But in this book they didn't act that stupid and I quite enjoyed McCauley and Alpert working together.

This book was fabulous to read and since I have had for years a fascination with dinosaurs was I intrigued by the story from the beginning. But I never imaged that it would be so good, so different from other adventures thrillers I have read and I liked the fact that it wasn't a "religious" hunt, no holy grail or some lost book of Jesus to find. The discovery that Galileo Galilei made was interesting and it was the very discovery that made me, in the end, give it five stars. It was so fantastic, so mind boggling and it was that kind of discovery that stayed with me after I read the last page. I'm still a bit amazed by it and it has been days since I read the book.

I received a copy from the publisher and Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours in return for an honest review!
Profile Image for Viking Jam.
1,361 reviews23 followers
February 20, 2015
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/02/2...

Publisher: Diversion

Publishing Date: March 2015

ISBN: 9781626816336

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Rating: 2.5/5

Publisher Description:In the summer of 1601, Galileo Galilei made a startling discovery in the mountains of Eastern Italy that, if made public, could shatter faith in religion, bring down governments and lead to worldwide turmoil.

Review: For some reason the characters were rendered a little flat for me. Not sure if it was all the hot Phd.’s running around or Dr. Smugly Douchebag aka Quinn McCauley , breaker of hearts, womanizer, throwing arm of a God, Yale professor (not tenured) by way of Harvard, Boston Red Sox draftee, that put me off. Usually the movement is a great vehicle to develop characters, and to be honest, Quinn did develop out of his juvenile narcissistic tendencies. The characters were rendered a little flat due to the uninteresting story line and constant halt in the movement.

So the Mighty Quinn and his hot and filthy rich GF Dr. Katrina Alpert, by way of Cambridge, dig around and find a wall that isn’t a wall and this secret society that wants to protect this “secret” by destroying the entrances to these places all around the world since the 1600’s. Turns out that all the killing to keep these places secret is based on a principle idea that society is not ready for THE TRUTH and if known, would rip it to shreds with billions of lives lost in the process. Um kay.

This reads like a Dan Brown novel went to the methadone clinic and while puking in the gutter had a revelatory recipe that included; Dr. Paleo Super Pants, Dr. Girl Friend, Galileo (Leonardo was busy that day) and the Catholic church (because genuflecting is not exclusive). While the writing is pretty good, there is nothing that is new. It follows a standard Dan Brown recipe with a kind of twist at the end, that while faintly interesting, does not summon the latent conspiracy theorist that resides within. The premise that some super secret would rip society asunder is, well, weak.

Read it if you’re riding in coach to Hawaii with a fussy lady in the seat next to you that smells of perfumed talcum powder and baked beans.
Profile Image for Cherei.
557 reviews67 followers
February 6, 2015
Truly a mind boggling adventure! If you love thrillers.. 'Old Earth' by Gary Grossman is a MUST READ in 2015!

If you love adventure, dinosaur digs, and Vatican mysteries, secret organization, and Galileo! This book is for you! 'Old Earth' by Gary Grossman was very well written. I have never read the author before and was pleasantly surprised to find a new gem! The storyline is very believable. The characters are extremely well-developed and you come to root for the good guys and hope that the bad guys get what they have coming to them.

One follows along waiting to find out exactly what it is that the Professor and his seven students have unearthed while out digging for dinosaurs in Montana. An undiscovered cave with petroglyphs that leads them further and further down the path.. until they come upon something so surreal that they cannot grasp what they've found. But, unfortunately.. there is an age old group tasked with ensuring that the world will never hear of the find.
Profile Image for PunkRockLibrarian.
378 reviews15 followers
July 29, 2020
Started off super slow - like I almost gave up on it, but ended up going back and I’m so glad I did! Once the book picks up speed it’s def a whirlwind of an adventure!
Profile Image for Raymond White.
212 reviews12 followers
August 31, 2025
Fascinating read. Highly original and intriguing plot, characters that, while likeable, could be fleshed out better. Superb settings. What does a light absorbing wall discovered deep in a cave have to do with Atlantis, Lemuria and Mu? How does Galileo tie into the mystery? Why is a secret organization trying to hide the discovery and kill the discoverers? Read it and find out.

This may be book one in a series and if so I can't wait for book 2.
Profile Image for AJ.
14 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2018
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiite
Profile Image for John Purvis.
1,356 reviews23 followers
March 17, 2015
“Old Earth” was published in 2015 (March) and was written by Gary Grossman (http://www.garygrossman.com). This is Mr. Grossman’s fifth novel to be published.

I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there are instances of Violence and some Mature Language. This Thriller novel is set in contemporary times, but with flashbacks to the 1600’s.

Dr. Quinn McCauley is a Yale paleontologist who leads a small group of graduate students into Montana on a summer dig for fossils. Unexpectedly, their camp is visited by Dr. Katrina Alpert, who is there to assess McCauley. A few weeks into their dig, they come across a cave with a mysterious black wall.

Several flashbacks to Galileo Galilei in the 1600’s reveals that he had found a similar wall in an Italian cave. When the Catholic church hears of his discoveries and writings, Galileo is questioned and eventually put under house arrest.

Soon after McCauley and his students find the cave and they begin to investigate what they have found, McCauley realizes that they are now targets. As McCauley and Alpert try to find someone who can shed light on what they have found, they find themselves running for their lives.

The story did remind me a little of “The DaVinci Code”. I liked the concept of the story, and how it evolved. However, I was not fond of how the story ended. I give this novel a 3.7 (rounded up to 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
Profile Image for Les.
2,911 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2015
The book is like if Dan Brown and Michael Crichton collaborated on a story. You have 3 converging story lines; 2 set in modern day and one set in the 1600's.

Is there a secret society that controls the world? In Old Earth there is and they have fingers everywhere that can reach out and obscure the truth.

Like Dan Brown's protagonists everyone is a little to perfect and there are places where the story bogs down but overall it is an enjoyable and unique read.
Profile Image for Elisa.
4,270 reviews44 followers
May 21, 2017
Too slow to get started and way too much exposition for it to get going. I don't really need to know or care about the names of all the inquisitors who judged Galileo, and I certainly don't need several discussions about the age of the Earth (it's not something that affects my real life). It was still entertaining, even if the final secret was kind of lame.
Profile Image for Len.
51 reviews4 followers
July 28, 2017
Meh. Not good, not bad, just meh.
Profile Image for Kimbelle Pease.
Author 11 books25 followers
June 9, 2024
Unfortunately, a whole lot of words that did not matter to get to the words that were interesting and MOVED the tale along, and the climax was odd after having made such a big deal of the number 10 to have it be 24 and more things that did not add up to an exhale of relief for having read it. But the inclusion of Galileo, and the add of a wish of not destroying Alexandria though it was only a small part that nothing else led to other than winded tale of misdirection rather than the chance to go through the portals of time to other portals, and the not confirming that they all hold the same info? Left some points undone. So no, no exhale as if it were the end of an excellent adventure taken while not having to actually encounter snakes best left unencountered, it was interesting in its premise. And, perhaps, we are the reboot! Poor new earthers, after such consideration and detail about their beliefs, to be proven so wrong!
Profile Image for John.
952 reviews13 followers
June 30, 2020
3.5 stars for Old Earth. Pretty decent story melding together some Dan Brown conspiracy theory, dinosaurs, time hopping back and forth from Galileo to modern day, secret societies, ancient aliens, and some pithy romance. The entire story revolves around the discussion of "new earth" vs. "old earth" and some sort of mystery hidden beneath the earth. A group of scientists peel back the clues to the mystery, while a secret society tries to keep it hidden. I was supremely disappointed when the mystery was revealed to be some sort of weird planetarium.... no aliens, no Sasquatch, no nothing. It was just a bad ending to a rather fun (albeit nothing new) international thriller.
Profile Image for Ronald Weston.
200 reviews
March 13, 2024
I liked Old Earth quite a lot. I can see how some readers might dislike the info dumps, but I found them entertaining, informative, and an enhancement to the narrative. Grossman has created likeable characters, an interesting "secret society" and an engrossing story line. This historic, scientific thriller kept me reading several evenings well beyond what my tired eyes wanted but I was rewarded. I even felt the payoff was well done.
22 reviews
March 27, 2024
A thoughtful exploration of the relationship of science and religion, this book is informative in several areas including paleontology , geology, history of modern science, as well as research libraries. The result, however, is a slow moving plot that will lose many readers along the way. If you’ve always wanted to know more about such things , this book will satisfy at least some of your questions and raise others
2 reviews
May 16, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My go to genre is Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but I am not limited to those. This book hit all the right buttons for me... a little sci-fi, a little mystery and espionage and even some metaphysical theology. I blew through the book in short order, as I was immediately hooked. I also liked that it didn't leave me hanging at the end, giving just enough explanation to satisfy, while leaving enough room for personal interpretation. Good work, Gary. I'll be reading you.
Profile Image for Weezy.
56 reviews
September 1, 2025
Mysterious black wall found in cave. Scientists who found it are now being chased but some mysterious people. Also told from POV of said mysterious people.

It started off so promising! I loved everything about the first 75% of the book. The science VS religion, the dinosaur theories, Noah and the ark. But holy shit the ending was so underwhelming. Like wtf did I just read? Is that really all it was? I even googled spoilers cuz it didn’t make no damn sense to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Maggies Daisy.
438 reviews29 followers
October 17, 2025
Secerets

An interesting story that brings together how some academia dinosaur scientists out on a dig stumble upon a cave where they uncover something best left hidden. Our scientists look for answers in a roller coaster ride from the Badlands, California, to Rome and France with the help of some interesting characters. Well done, I especially like how the author wove in historical facts to bring the story some credibility.
44 reviews
November 16, 2025
Speed read worthy only

If this book was 50-100 pages it would be worth reading but most pages and chapters are filler, blah blah. Characters are uninspiring and simple. The plot is boring 90pct of the time. The dialogue couldn't be less interesting. It barely makes two stars but if speed read in a couple hours justifies second star. Not sure why anyone would rate it higher but maybe most people don't read good books.
Profile Image for Chuck Woodbury.
375 reviews
November 20, 2025
A slow burn, but interesting story.

As a geologist, ancient earth always fascinated me. Humans have progressed a long way in a very short amount of time. Who’s to say it hasn’t happened before, or even many times before. As the author quotes ‘the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.’ Lots of twists and turns but entertaining indeed.
11 reviews
November 22, 2025
Great mystery yarn!

Almost too believable. Mystery fiction that makes you want to pause and google some of the maybe historical references. Some pan out, others . . .

Keeps the action going, no slow parts. You have to pause to take a breath, and dive right back in. Don’t start it on a work night.
6 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2017
Old Earth was terrific. Not as deep as a Dan Brown novel, but more complex than a Steve Berry novel. Great story line and I love how the plot shifted between the Inquisition and Galileo and modern times. Recommended summer read.
Profile Image for Jeff Waters.
175 reviews2 followers
February 17, 2018
A lot of fun. If you like Dan Brown, you'll enjoy this. One of the characters even throws some humorous shade Brown's way. Ending was a little abrupt and not quite as spectacular as I would have liked, but still pretty good. Audio narration was phenomenal!
Profile Image for Jodie Scales.
290 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2020
I am sure many others would rate this book higher. The writing is fine, the story itself is just more about the chase than it is the mystery found and that isn't what I enjoy personally. I did love the caves across the world stuff.
Profile Image for Angela Michelle .
352 reviews1 follower
August 5, 2021
This book took forever to get started and has a whole lot irrelevant parts. It jumps around between people and time and it's really quite annoying. How this book can be called "thrilling" is beyond me as I fell asleep many times while reading it - no thrill whatsoever! I'd like a time-refund.
2 reviews
October 2, 2024
Spoiler alert: so here is where we were at 70% of the way through this book when I stopped reading it: a secret organization that appears to be associated with the Vatican is trying to kill people to protect an ancient secret. Now there's a new idea.... not!!!
Profile Image for Meghan.
2 reviews3 followers
September 12, 2025
Characters are very flat/wooden. Stuck with it bc the mystery/suspense was good, but it all took too long and ending was a big disappointment. I don’t see how what was discovered would upend *everything*.
12 reviews
September 27, 2025
Fun trip

Story telling and plotting are good. I can't say I felt any of the characters had much reality
about them for me. The wall/history depository was the best thing in the book. What an idea!
Profile Image for Teresa.
16 reviews1 follower
September 28, 2025
Fast paced

A great story. Fast paced. Kept my mind engaged. The misspelling and missing or misuse of words detracted and distracted from the other wise nice story. If you're going to write a book invest in a good proof reader.
20 reviews2 followers
November 19, 2025
Fantastic read! “Old Earth “

I love the Lord and I loved this book.
I had know idea throughout this book and its convergence with history.
Highly recommend it! For you fast readers my advice is to take a breath each page, slow down and take it in.
Thanks Gary Grossman.

Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews

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