Tyrannosaur Canyon

Douglas Preston's solo thriller starts with an irresistible hook: a dying prospector presses a notebook into a New Mexico vet's hands, and the numbers inside turn out to point to the most extraordinary T. rex skeleton ever found — one carrying a secret the government buried since the Apollo 17 mission. The New Mexico desert setting is evocative, the pacing is relentless, and Preston knows how to build Crichton-style science-thriller momentum. Publishers Weekly called it lively yet ridiculous, which is about right — the plot logic gets shakier as the stakes inflate, and the characters largely exist to serve the escalating situation. A monk subplot gives the story a mild, respectful faith presence. For readers who want a fast, fun paleontology-meets-conspiracy thriller and can forgive big logical leaps, this delivers as a summer-read page-turner.