The Ark: A Novel (Tyler Locke series Book 1) Kindle Edition

Archeologist Dilara Kenner has rushed back to the States at the behest of Sam Watson, an old family friend. Sam meets her flight at LAX and explains, "Three days ago, I made a startling discovery at work. It has to do with Hasad." Hasad, Dilara's father, has been missing for three years. Just as Sam begins to tie Hasad's disappearance to a plot to "kill millions, maybe billions" that will culminate eight days hence, the old man collapses, the apparent victim of a very suspiciously-timed heart attack. His final words "Listen! Tyler Locke. Gordian Engineering. Get... his help. He knows... Coleman. Your father's research... started everything. You must... find the Ark."(I know, I know, we've all seen exactly this sort of opening to any number of thrillers. There are always some adventurers off in search of some holy grail or other, and who also have to save the world along the way. Yes, we've seen these types of stories before, but the thing is, when they're well done, they're entertaining as hell. And folks, this one is REALLY well done. No plot description or talk of well-developed characters will ever give you a sense of why this book stands out so well against the pack of clichéd thrillers. At some point the reader must take a leap of faith and give a new novelist a try. I'm telling you right now, THIS is the one to give a try.)The eponymous Ark is Noah's, of course. Dilara's father has been hunting it for decades and she's been as dismissive of his work as the rest of the world--but apparently someone was paying attention. First, however, Dilara needs to stay alive long enough to find out who Tyler Locke is. From the moment she leaves LAX, the attempts on her life come fast and furious. She quickly discovers that Locke is an engineer, currently working on a remote oil rig, and figures that may well be the safest place for her. She's wrong. At least Dilara and Tyler have connected, but he's as mystified by Sam's final words as she is. Still, there's no denying that something very suspect is going on, and Tyler is quickly sucked into Dilara's drama.It is Tyler Locke that debut novelist Boyd Morrison is setting up to be the recurring hero of a series. And if this first adventure is any indication, Locke is up to the task. While he owes a debt to action heroes like Dirk Pitt and Philip Mercer, there's something a bit softer about Tyler. He comes by his "kick-ass" side quite believably, having served as a combat engineer in Desert Storm, but he's as likely to pull a Leatherman tool on you as a gun. Now in his 30's, he's a young widower trying to come to terms with loss. And he has a bit of an egghead side, too--approaching each challenge as an engineering problem. It's more interesting than you might, at first glance, think. Here, for instance, are some thoughts on the conundrum of Noah's Ark:"From an engineering standpoint, a purely wooden ship bigger than that is untenable. Without the iron frames and internal bracketing that 19th century ships had, a ship the size of Noah's Ark would flex like a rubber band. It would have sprung leaks in a thousand places. Not to mention that in a raging storm like the Flood, wave oscillations would have snapped the frame like a twig. The Ark would have sunk in minutes. Good-bye human race." From there, Tyler analyzes the lifespan of wooden artifacts, the storage capacity of the Ark, and the amount of water it would have taken to cover the earth. This is a man whom likes to throw logic at a problem.Once Tyler and Dilara have teamed up, however, there is little time for academic discussions. Sam's cryptic words take on horrifying meaning as unfolding events capture the entire world's attention. The events described thus far happen within the novel's first few chapters. Throw in some monster trucks, mysteriously melting movie stars, and megalomaniacs and you've barely brushed the surface of what lies ahead. Boyd Morrison has plotted a wild ride that is guaranteed to keep readers turning pages deep into the night. The Ark is not only intricately plotted, it's smart. Morrison gives his readers credit that they'll be able to follow along, and it's a pleasure to read an author not catering to the lowest common denominator.I can't claim that this release is my introduction to Morrison's work. The truly cognoscenti have been fans since long before Simon & Schuster came into the picture. But, it's exciting to finally let the rest of you in on this find. I can't wait for the sequel!

I was surprised at how this book swept me along. The plot was fantastically swift; I classify it as Indiana Jones meets Dirk Pitt. I appreciated how the characters were real throughout the book, making jokes and being concerned for each others' safety in a realistic way, more so than other books I've read with a crazed, going-to-wipe-out-humanity antagonist. I also enjoyed how things weren't too easy for the good guys. They didn't get any breaks or just happen to 'get lucky.' They had to strategize to get out of sticky situations.The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I would have hoped for more character development of the leading lady. However, the suspense and the excitement of the plot and the novel situations the characters find themselves in make this an easy 4 star review. I look forward to reading more of Boyd Morrison's work!

You can usually find a great number of novels about any given subject, especially a lost treasure. But sometimes a story comes along that emerges as the definitive work on a particular topic. A few examples off the top of my head would be Raiders of the Lost Ark (it would take a dramatically new and skillful interpretation to top Indiana Jones, likely never happen, this was about the Ark of the Covenant NOT Noah's Ark) and The Loch by Steve Alten (a great story and theory about the Loch Ness Monster). After reading and seeing these stories, the chapter seemed to be closed for me on these topics. I now feel the same about Noah's Ark. Boyd Morrison's interpretation is so good that there's little hope of topping it.I could throw out some zippy one-liner comments here like "it's a thrill-a-minute rollercoaster ride that grabs you from the first page and never lets go," but we hear that about every new thriller. The best way for me to describe The Ark is that it's one of the best books I've read in a long time and possibly ever. It's a magical blend of action, adventure, interesting new insights, and fun. And it contains a quality that I feel is hard to come by: a true sense of adventure. A couple of examples as a point of reference: Raiders of the Lost Ark=true sense of adventure, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull=lacking that sense - Orginal Star Wars Trilogy=adventure, Star Wars Prequels=lacking...I'm sure you get the idea.Another great thing about The Ark is that, from a Christian perspective, it manages to provide a new interpretation of a famous and established biblical event without demeaning or degrading the foundations of the Christian (and Jewish, for that matter) faiths. It simply provides a slightly different interpretation that if found to be true could actually have the opposite effect. The easiest illustration is that if The Da Vinci Code or The Templar Legacy were found to be true, it would rock the religious world and make individuals the world over question their faith and their belief in God altogether. If The Ark were found to be an accurate story, I think it would actually give credence to the faith of many and make many others give greater consideration to the Bible. Although I'm a Christian, I can still enjoy a good story that contradicts something in which I believe. My beliefs aren't shaky enough that a fictional thriller is going to offend me, but it's nice to find a story that can provide a new interpretation without diminishing the original. And no matter how good the book, a story that claims that Moses was a transvestite is never going to be a favorite among the 2-3 billion Christians in the world. This isn't the case with Boyd Morrison's The Ark.Another interesting tidbit is that the author's bio reads like a work of fiction. If a novelist created a character in a story that had done everything that Boyd Morrison has, readers would find that character's back story far too unbelievable. I won't go into detail here, but check out his website for more information. Also, you can find a great story about Boyd's road to publication on Joe Konrath's blog.The Ark is a great book that I highly recommend to any action adventure fan, and Boyd Morrison is well on his way to being one of the top thriller writer's in the world. My only concern: how is the sequel going to live up to the original?

Action packed. Highly entertaining story that grabs you from the first page.I first discovered the writer as a co-author on some Clive cussler novels and decided to try one of his own books. I was not disappointed!

A well written story, good plot and excellent pace. You will not find here any scientific background. It is only a story written by someone with huge imagination. The characters are well set. This book will not change your life but it worths the time and the money. Five stars.

a truly great read,by a very good author this book was a very enjoyable read,and a fantastic buy also from amazon,cheers guys ur the best.

Kind of like a Dan Brown novel but with even more action. Good character development and a well though out plot.

Well read passable story though seemed to me more like a short adventure story, aimed at teens, with padded extension added to the begining of the book. Vastly overpriced at £30.88 RRP.