Tyrannosaur Canyon

Date of Reading: 15/05/2007

Author: Douglas Preston

Publisher: Readers Digest (selected editions)

Place: Australia

Year: 2006

Summary:

          Tom Broadbent heard some gun shots on driving home and finds Stem Weathers near to death. He has discovered a treasure and his book with secret codes is given to Tom to be handed over to his daughter, Robbie. Jimson Weed Maddox, the killer, gets enraged at the absence of the notebook but finds an interesting rock sample from the body. Dr. Iain Corvus, Maddox's employer, convinces a lab assistant, Melodie Crookshank to examine the stone in secret.

          Meanwhile Tom approaches Ford Wyman, a former CIA cryptanalyst now turned monk. It is found out to be a sequence of ground-penetrating radar readings which when processed form the image of a fully intact Tyrannosaurus; this was the treasure. Tom goes to Arizona to find Robbie and Ford is after the treasure.

          In his desperation to get the book, Maddox kidnaps Tom's wife Sally. Melodie also unravels the truth from the rock sample, but her phone call to Corvus is intercepted by NSA. They initiate a black op led by J.G. Masago to cover up everything.

          Masago kills Corvus and collects the information;  Tom has saved Sally but they are pursued by Maddox and his rifle; Masago kills him too. To escape from the government assassins Tom, Sally and Ford gets into a cave where they finally encounter the Tyrannosaur relic. Ford's wise move kills Masago and they are saved.

          Melodie has put her research findings on the internet and government has ordered for further studies; the Tyrannosaur is christened 'Robbie'.

 Rating: Good