Synopsis
A haunted paleontologist returns to the museum where his sister was abducted years earlier and is faced with a terrifying and murderous spirit in this chilling novel from the author of A History of Fear—perfect for fans of Simone St. James and Katy Hays.
Curator of paleontology Dr. Simon Nealy never expected to return to his Pennsylvania hometown, let alone the Hawthorne Museum of Natural History. He was just a boy when his six-year-old sister, Morgan, was abducted from the museum under his watch, and the guilt has haunted Simon ever since. After a recent break-up and the death of the aunt who raised him, Simon feels drawn back to the place where Morgan vanished, in search of the bones they never found.
But from the moment he arrives, things aren’t what he expected. The Hawthorne is a crumbling ruin, still closed amid the ongoing pandemic, and plummeting toward financial catastrophe. Worse, Simon begins seeing and hearing things he can’t explain. Strange animal sounds. Bloody footprints that no living creature could have left. A prehistoric killer looming in the shadows of the museum. Terrified he’s losing his grasp on reality, Simon turns to the handwritten research diaries of his predecessor and uncovers a blood-soaked mystery 150 million years in the making that could be the answer to everything.
Are these the ravings of a madman? Or is there something supernatural at play? And what does this have to do with Morgan’s disappearance?
Another atmospheric mystery from Luke Dumas, The Paleontologist is a ghost story unlike any other that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.
Review
To be quite frank, I did not have “reading a book about ghost dinosaurs will make me cry” on my bingo card for 2023. Alas, here we are. This is simply because Luke Dumas’ novel, The Paleontologist, is about so much more than prehistoric apparitions (although that’s a damn good selling point).
Dr. Simon Nealy takes a job at the Hawthorne Museum of Natural History, the same place his younger sister, Morgan, disappeared from at a young age under his supervision. Simon’s childhood is marked by traumatic experiences from his mother’s continual substance abuse, Morgan’s alleged abduction, and their mother’s eventual mental health issues. Because of this, Simon spent the latter part of his childhood being raised by his aunt who recently passed away due to COVID. On top of all this, Simon’s relationship with his long-term boyfriend has dissolved. As if these instances aren’t enough, Simon discovers the dismal conditions his new position at the museum has been left in following the apparent psychotic break of his predecessor, Dr. Albert Mueller. Oh yeah, then there’s the weird noises that he starts to hear in the museum at night.
I’ll be perfectly honest and say that it took me a while to get into this book; Dumas takes no shortcuts and fully immerses you in Simon’s perspective and his love of the job. He views the world in terms of his knowledge of dinosaurs, and his dialogue is enriched with metaphors of prehistoric species and facts. This frame of reference does take a minute to adjust to, but it is truly for the best to understand Simon’s character to the fullest. In fact, one of the most compelling parts of this story is Simon’s personal struggles and the guilt he experiences related to Morgan’s disappearance. This is, at its core, the true motivation behind his decision to take the position at The Hawthorne, a place full of ominous secrets.
Dumas builds an incredibly rich setting within The Hawthorne through numerous channels; there’s a unique cast of characters who work there that bring what could be classified as a place to life as a character of its own. Namely, the characters of Fran, Maurice, and Evie are the ones I hold nearest and dearest to my heart. While their initial time with Simon may start off rocky, the events of the novel reveal their true nature becoming characters I can’t help but adore. Moreover, Simon was incredibly captivating to observe throughout the course of this story undergoing a journey, not only to find Morgan but also to find parts of himself. The Simon we meet at the beginning of the novel is not the Simon we know at the end which demonstrates a markedly endearing character arc.
What about the ghost dinosaurs, you may ask? Worry not, the creative twists that Dumas injects into his plot of prehistoric creatures coming to life are nothing short of magnificent. We view this storyline through the eyes of Theo, a set of dino remains that Simon oversees “restoring” for the museum. Through Simon’s work, both as a paleontologist and as a brother searching for his lost sister, we begin to learn more about Theo’s own story from millions of years ago. In a way, Simon and Theo serve as mirrors for one another, a concept that may seem preposterous given the differences between dinosaurs and man. However, this is where Dumas excels in demonstrating profound humanity. Cue the waterworks.
“‘It’s strange, isn’t it?’ he said.
‘Hm?’ Evie said. ‘What’s that?’
‘How one act of violence can impact so many. One moment of evil or desperation. How even the simplest, most innocent act of survival—to eat, or defend oneself, or soothe one’s pain—makes waves. Ripples across the planet, and millions of years.’
‘Like a pebble dropped in a pond,’ Evie agreed.
‘Or an asteroid smashing into the Yucatan Peninsula.’
‘That’s the cruelty of life. But also its mercy,’ she said. ‘It’s the waves that wash back on us that steady our rocking.”
The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas is a lot of things; it’s a mystery novel, a horror novel, and an emotional tale of humanity all wrapped in one. Most importantly, it is a story of love, growth, and healing. While Simon’s journey is filled with strife, his conclusion is one of hope that is born out of love for his sister and his passion for uncovering the mysteries of the past. Ending on a note of optimism, The Paleontologist packs an emotional punch, ghost dinosaurs and all.
Leave a Reply