I read this back at the end of high school. I was drawn to it by the skull on the cover, and because Discover magazine, which I was obsessed with at the time, had run article after article on human evolution.The book is based on the premise that Neanderthals still exist, and an enclave is discovered. Moreover, the reason that humans defeated them is that they are peace-loving animals, and they are peace loving because they have telepathic powers that basically create a sense of empathy that make...

Thrillers tend to not age well, but this was pretty bad right from the get go. Published in 1996, Neanderthal had an interesting premise, but the cardboard, stereotyped characters, lackluster plot and cheesy ending did not make for a very good read; I am surprised I finished it and almost DNF several times. The story centers on two MCs-- both paleontologists, who specialize in neanderthals in their 30s, who were also classmates and lovers at Harvard during their graduate studies. Their mentor, a...

4.5 StarsMany of you know that I am an avid history buff with an affinity for the prehistoric so when I accidentally stumbled upon a link to this book I was so excited to read it I put it on hold at the library right away. I thought the story was unique and pretty damn near perfect. It's about Matt, Susan and their mentor Kellicut who discover two lost tribes of neanderthals living in a remote part of Asia. What I really liked about the book was all the adventure that was packed into the 368 pa

This novel is about neanderthals, set in the remote mountains of Tajikistan. Not much is written about Tajik people, their life or their culture, which was something I was looking forward to. The informative parts of the novel about Neanderthals, both fact and fiction, were interesting. The interaction between humans and Neanderthals in the book was something I was looking forward to and when it came to that part of the story it didn't really live upto my expectations. The book cover compares th...

People from all different walks of life are disappearing in the wildly remote, Pamir Mountains. When a shady American government agency hears local lore that strange, humanoid creatures have been taking people for hundreds of years, they launch an endeavor shrouded in deceit and exploitation.Commandeering [Harvard] Professor Kellicut ( for the government's nefarious purposes) and given superficial revelations only, Kellicut begins an expedition which he soon discovers that keeping any findings s...

Neanderthals are out there? Still alive? Hell, I could have told you that! I’ve worked with a few. They are all in middle management! And I think someone actually made a TV movie out of this book. It must have been as bad. The idea is good and the book starts out like any typical anthropological thriller. The characters are made from discarded plastic and once past the mumble-science the story has no where to go except to start killing off either the subjects or protagonists (not a bad idea for

Plot holes, flat characters, cliched twists, poor research, logical flaws, and a horrifyingly unsatisfactory ending that uses Bruce Springsteen to terrorize primitive man. What's not to like?This is the kind of book that lovers of prehistoric fiction, or lovers of techno-thriller (read: Crichton and imitators) should love. Being both, I must report painfully otherwise. Why? Just plain sloppiness. Understand that I don't have a problem with dumb: give me a simple plot and a juicy payoff and I can...

I gave the story 1 star, that's being generous, and I'm a fan of the genre. Worst story I've read in a long time.

This is quite possibly one of the worst books I've ever read. It was so bad that just looking at the cover now made me laugh as I remembered how truly dreadful it was.Fantastic elements like a hidden, lost world in Asia where psychic Neanderthals continue to live in isolation are one thing. The atrocious writing, utter disregard of even the most cursory of research on what sort of technology Neanderthals had, and the pulpy obsession with sex made it seem like a book from another time. The fact t...

I liked the idea behind the story; the actual story, not so much. The boik kept bogging itself down. I finally decided that if I want to read about Neanderthals I'll go back to Clan of the Cave Bear.

A pretty good story that incorporates elements of and extends beyond the sci-fi, adventure, and thriller genres. The writing was solid and the characters were not bad. The plot was interesting and the concepts were thought provoking. I found certain elements to be a bit silly or unbelievable but as a whole, I found the narrative to be cohesive. The scientific jargon is fairly accessible although it does get redundant after a while and slows the pacing of the novel. The ability of the Neanderthal...

Darnton uses his first novel to open up a long disputed issue; the decline of the Neanderthal. While I read the book, I became convinced that Darnton is an archeologist, wanting to implant his own ideas to the reader in a fiction-based setting. I was shocked to see that his CV includes a great deal of media experience, but nothing scholastic related to the subject. Darnton not only takes the reader to the centre of the debate, but also posits numerous theories and backs them up in such a way tha...

This should have been called, Meanderthal.This book came out in 1996. That is 6 years after Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and 16 years after another of his novels, Congo. They are both sources of concept and execution for this novel. In fact, the opening reads just like start of the Jurassic Park movie where scientists are recruited from an archeology dig. I am surprised there was no lawsuit!It may have been fresh 25 years ago, but this book was tough to finish. Not only because of it being d...

Book #31 for 2013Want to read something that makes Deception Point look like great literature? This is it. It's like the author vaguely remembered something from the Anthropology 101 he took 20-some-odd years ago, thought it might make a neat premise for a story, and then, without doing any further research, whipped out this peurile tale of horny archaeologists and modern-day cavemen. Seriously, I've seen better plotting, character development, and attention to detail in Geico commercials.

Scientists go in search of discovery of neanderthal life following a growing number of unexplained disappearances in the mountains of Tajikistan.Archaeological philosophy is the main feature of discussion. What caused the neanderthals to become extinct? Or did the blood lines mix and form a new species? The story is well-researched and covers a storyline based on known prehistoric traditions and rituals as well as adding an element of modern curiosity and debate.The characters are quite basic an...

Part 1 was interesting. Susan and Matt discover a tribe of Neanderthals in the mountains of Turkmenistan! They aren't extinct after all!! And then this book starts to drag ass like no other book I have ever read. They're captured! Then they escape! Then...they are captured! And then...they escape! And on and on and on. Christ! I definitely do not recommend this book unless you’re into Anthropology.

A B-rate Michael Crichton wannabe thriller. I'm used to Crichton's books being filled with information, but he usually has a way of integrating that information with the action so it doesn't seem boring. John Darnton doesn't have them same skill. The information on the subject, which is critical to the story, is presented as someone asking simple questions, or in another simple, boring manner, and if I wasn't interested in the sheer learning aspect, I'd have been bored.Events unfold either too f...

Although this book came out more than a decade ago, it's still a fascinating read. Starting from how a group could potentially survive (Yeti, anyone?) to how they would communicate and what kind of social dynamics they would have. Also, the question of what we should do if we encountered a creature like that. Do nothing, right? But what if lives were on the line? This is a book I would read over and over every several years. It's really close to 5 stars, but it just won't measure up to Les Miser...

When researchers are 'sent for' by a former colleague who is currently looking for existing neanderthals, there's a thrill of discovery that keeps the pages turning. Almost too much like Jurassic Park at times- but still quite a good story. The beginning (the mystery, the wonderment, unanswered questions...) is much better than the end (post-discovery)- but it's a quick read and it's decent. A thought-provoking look into the past...and maybe the future.

My Original Notes (1996):Should make a great movie! I had a little trouble getting into the book, but stuck with it. The last third was the most interesting and suspenseful. Reminded me a bit of Jurassic Park.My Current Thoughts:I only have a very vague recollection of this thriller, and since I no longer own a copy and it's not a title we carry in the store, I won't be able to thumb through it to refresh my memory.