Prophet of Bones A Novel

A relentlessly suspenseful high-concept thriller set in a world where science has run amuck and the key to unlocking a terrifying secret lies in the hands of one man Paul Carlson, a brilliant young scientist in Baltimore, is summoned from his laboratory job to the remote Indonesian island of Flores to collect DNA samples from the ancient bones of a strange, new species of tool user unearthed by an archaeological dig. The questions the find raises seem to cast doubt on the very foundations of modern science, but before Paul can fully grapple with them, the dig is violently shut down by paramilitaries. Paul flees with two of his friends, but within days one has vanished and the other is murdered in an attack that costs Paul an eye, and very nearly his life. Apprehended by Indonesian authorities and deported back to America, Paul tries to resume the comfortable life he left behind, but he can't cast the questions raised by the skeletons on Flores from his mind. Searching for answers, Paul begins to piece together a puzzle which seems to threaten the very fabric of society, but the status quo, in the form of the world's governments and Martial Johnston, the eccentric billionaire who finance Paul's dig, will stop at nothing to silence him.

Ted Kosmatka is the author of one previous novel, The Games. His short fiction has been nominated for both the Nebula Award and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and appeared in numerous Year’s Best collections.