A Dangerous Fossil - John J. Delaney

This book really does have it all; mystery, drama, twists and turns - and dinosaurs, so I was hooked from the start. The story unfolds as ‘Jurassic’ Jemma discovers the largest plesiosaur that has been found on the Dorset coast. She battles the tide, joined by a team of helpers led by her young nephew Billy, to excavate every last piece. This exciting discovery is a catalyst for a series of events that make you question which characters you can really trust, what their genuine motivations are and how far they’ll go to get what they want.

The story is multi-layered as we learn about the struggle to keep the local Lulcombe museum open, fending off developers who want to transform the area building a hotel, spa and casino on the land. Alongside these visions of what a future Lulcombe could be like, Jemma is taken back to her past as an old flame arrives with a keen interest in purchasing the dinosaur and reigniting their romance. 

A Dangerous Fossil moves at a fast pace and is a real page turner that keeps you guessing until the end. We get to know Jemma who, like all great protagonists, has her flaws and weaknesses and takes us on her personal journey as she tries to make sense of everything unfolding around her and seek the source of these dangerous, sometimes fatal, circumstances.

I can highly recommend this book, which would be a particlaurly good holiday read - especially if you are spending time on the Jurassic coast this summer. I am hoping that there are more of Jemma’s adventures to come as I’m sure she has some more exciting discoveries ahead, with some equally intriguing subplots and characters interlaced.