I was pretty excited by the premise of this book and the opening chapters. However, that excitement quickly dwindled to confusion and frustration as it was never really clear what exactly Ethan's quest was (solving a murder? locating giants? avoiding capture?) and the pages and pages of non-fiction excerpts took me out of the story and the action. I think this book had a lot of potential but was ultimately not for me.

Ethan McCloud is summoned by his father and given a box. His father drops dead and Ethan, believing
his father was murdered, begins the quest that the box dictates. Accompanied by his ex-girlfriend, Shannon, he pursues a six-fingered man, the Council of David and Giants who have roamed the earth for thousands of years. Everyone they meet on their journey seems to want to kill them or is eventually killed in front of them. When he confronts an actual Giant, he experiences “giant awe,” a physical reaction to seeing such a creature. Unfortunately, I do not share in this awe. From start to finish, I was confused as to the purpose and the results of his quest. Weston Ochse provides chapter prequels revealing various references to giant-lIke creatures throughout history. They did not interest me; they became redundant. There is an audience for this novel, but I am not a member.

People love a good adventure story and Weston Ochse does his best to serve one up here. The main point of the story - are/were giants real - is enough of an attention-grabber to make people pick this up. However, only the most diehard readers and fans of the action-adventure genre will likely stick it out. There is a lot of dry technical detailing here, which sometimes overwhelms the juicy descriptive action of the characters.

Fans of Clive Cussler, Steve Berry, and even James Rollins will find this appealing.

Thank You NetGally/Publisher & Author for this gifted e-ARC!

Summary-- From Goodreads---
In true The Da Vinci Code fashion, a taut thriller filled with rival factions vying for control of the truth in a giant global conspiracy.

There were giants on the earth in those days—at least that’s what the Bible says. But, where are they? Did they ever really exist at all?

When out-of-work math teacher Ethan McCloud is sent a mysterious box, he and his ex-girlfriend begin to unravel a mystery 10,000 years in the making—and he is the last hope to discovering the world’s greatest conspiracy. Chased by both the Six-Fingered Man and the Council of David, Ethan must survive the chase—and find the truth.

Review--
To be honest this isn't normally my cup of book..... but I stuck it out. It was very interesting to say the least.
It was a fun - wild read.
But not one that I would purchase.
I didn't hold my attention like I was hoping it would. I think because I thought this was mainly a thriller.

Rating-- 3/4

I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy of Bone Chase by Weston Ochse through NetGalley.com.

After his father’s sudden death, Ethan McCloud and a love interest embark on a search to find proof of the existence of modern day giants. Yes, giants. Along the way, they encounter a six-fingered man, a secret cabal, alien hunters and the rarest of the rare, a Motley Crue fan.

Initially compared to a Dan Brown book, this has more a feel of James Rollins or Matthew Reilly. Fast paced and action packed, this is an over the top yet entertaining thriller. The two main characters are appealing and the villain is one easy to hate.

We’ll give this one 4 stars, it’s a fun read.

* An ebook copy of this book was the only compensation received in exchange for this review. *

An unusual tale that is both complex and stirring. Supported by facts which you can choose to believe or not. You will find your self going through twists and turns as you read this book.

Harkening to older Crichton and Max Brooks, Weston Ochse’s Bone Chase is one of those books that leaves you sated but curious and inquisitive. Following former math teacher Ethan as he dives into the mystery behind giants (do they exist, what does their existence mean), Ochse shows his skill at action and suspense. His scenes never feel scripted or on rails, with the decisions of the protagonists driving the events of the story forward. The scientific bits that start each chapter help flesh out the story, lending that Brooks and Crichton flavor of “is it science fiction or non-fiction”. All in all, Bone Chase is a fun read, with just enough wonder left in to keep you asking questions.

BONE CHASE – Weston Ochse
Saga Press
ISBN-10: 1534450092
ISBN-13: 978-153445907
December 2020
Mystery Thriller

Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Finland, Sweden, and Malta – the Present,

Ethan McCloud’s mother unexpectedly calls him. She wants him to come home. His father is acting weird, and she needs Ethan’s help. As he has been laid off from his job as a math teacher, Ethan drives from Nebraska to Denver and gets there in the early morning.

He has a brief talk with his father. His father tells him a six-fingered man haunts his dreams. Matt, his father’s Vietnam war-time buddy, sent him a box, which he sent on to Ethan. Matt was killed in a hit-and-run accident the day Ethan’s father received the box. It seems whoever has the box is destined to die. Shortly after his father goes to take a shower, his mother screams. His father is dead, supposedly from a brain aneurysm, but Ethan believes the six-fingered man killed his father. Ethan is determined to find this man and kill him. He discovers his father left him a laptop computer with a message from him, which also tells Ethan of a debit card with ten-grand in cash on it. He wants Ethan to solve the problem Matt presented. The screen saver on the laptop is a Sumerian statue of a six-fingered giant. It’s clear he will be taking a journey, so he inveigles his girlfriend, former soldier, Shannon Witherspoon, to join him.

From the notes his father left him, Ethan learns of many legends about giants. Mentions of giants are found in the Bible, and other historical references claim giant skeletal remains were found not only in Europe and the Middle East but also in Native American sites. Those skeletons, of course, have disappeared. It seems two opposing groups are trying to discover the truth or prevent the truth about giants from being known. One group is the Council of David which wants to wipe giants from existence, and the other is the Six-Fingered Mafia who wants to protect those hunting for the truth (bone chasers), or perhaps they each have other goals. Both groups are willing to kill anyone interfering with their goals. Within minutes of typing some of this information on a library computer, Ethan finds himself being hunted, supposedly by police.

What ensues is a long hunt for facts and truth. Along the way Ethan and Shannon become separated, making Ethan even more determined to finish his father’s request and find Shannon. Are giants just legends? Have they ever existed? Are there giants living now? All questions explored in BONE CHASE.

Robin Lee

The basic premise, characters, and writing was all good. I had a hard time getting past the idea that this was about a guy whose father was killed by the six fingered man who he vows to track down and kill. I was waiting for something to tell me the story would credit the princess bride with the lifting of that plot line and was disappointed. That distracted me and kept me from truly getting into the story for quite some time, this definitely had a DiVinci code feel and was quite the adventure. The premise of giants walking among us was interesting and the biblical ties and other research was interesting.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I initially requested it based on the cover and description—I was so excited to dive in. Although it was a fast paced book, it often lost me with its technical descriptions and academic language. It was just too much. I had to try too hard to understand some it, and the re-reading eventually lost me. I went ahead and gave it 3 stars because maybe it’s just me and this genre isn’t for me—it did, after all, have some fast-paced action mixed in.

I like the way this one started. It seemed promising - a somewhat familiar formula was developing, sure. but the concept was different enough from others I've read to keep me interested. For a while. But the random sprinklings of mathematical theories and in-depth biblical recitations and analysis blended with the casual and repeated improbabilities in the plot line - and the characters' inexplicable ability to stay one step ahead of everyone who is following them - left me shaking my head more often than not. Ultimately, this one didn't work for me...

Not many people know this about me, but when I was a little girl, I was terrified of giants. I dreamed about them storming into my city, bigger than skyscrapers, stomping on cars and coming directly for me. Maybe it was those old Mickey cartoons where they climb the beanstalk, or maybe I've always had an overactive imagination, whatever the case, I was intrigued to read Bone Chase on the premise and fun cover, and was soon lost in a world where giants might've walked the earth.

Ethan is an unemployed math teacher called back to his home town when his father starts ranting about a six-fingered man. After he suddenly dies, he finds a box and a mystery, joins with Shanny, an old girlfriend, and together, they embark on a quest to prove the existence of giants.

In truth, I was wary to continue this after the first few chapters. Mysteries were handed to us rather than given rationale or reason. Ethan, a learned educator and man of facts, accepts things because his father left cryptic messages in a box. Without actually knowing anything about said box, he automatically makes wild assumptions and just seems to "know" what he's supposed to do. And the relationship with his ex goes from estranged to I love you in exactly three seconds. But the premise was interesting and I wanted to see where the mystery, even if it was ill-explained and a little outrageously executed, was leading.

I'm glad I stuck with it. This was a fun, mindless read that asks a lot of questions without being preachy or dismissive. The inclusion of various texts was interesting, and I especially appreciated Ochse's handling of the translations. As a lifelong English major, I find etymology and translational discrepancies fascinating, and so much of this chase hinged on how words shifted meaning throughout generations, taking into account the people who were writing the texts and their motivations to do so. Ethan's journey makes more sense the deeper into his "mission" he goes, and along the way, we get some pretty insightful discourse on mathematical theory, global religions, PTSD, and friendship. Once I got over my initial disbelief of their relationship, Ethan and Shanny made a pretty good team, and I liked seeing the shifting power dynamics meeting the needs of their current task.

Overall, Bone Chase is a fast-paced, fun, lose-yourself read with no short supply of wacky characters and humor to lighten the more serious moments. If I had to make comp titles, I'd say this is Da Vinci Code with a heaping of National Treasure. I'd recommend to anyone who loves mythologically or historically driven mysteries, or anyone who's looking for an escapist text with overarching theological questions.

Thank you to Gallery/Saga and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

I love Dan Brown. I was so excited to dive into this one after so many reviewers said Dan Brown fans would enjoy it. While I made it through the book, it was not easy at all nor super enjoyable. The technical details, archaeology "logs" and high brown academic writing inserted made this so much less readable for me, and it deterred from my immersion into the story itself. Each time I found myself perking up thinking I was getting somewhere, insert yet another "excerpt" from an ancient log that I had to read three times to understand. I think it would have been far more enjoyable with a more balanced approach, however, I did enjoy the premise overall. Thank you for the ARC!

When a mysterious box is sent to Ethan, an unemployed Math teacher, he sets his search to solve the mystery. The story is set to unveil a conspiracy theory of giants roaming in our world, bone findings and cryptic symbol that could date back to 10,000 years in the past. Reading through the mysteries, reminded me more of Indiana Jones, with a touch of SciFi elements. The plot is movietastic, interesting and I loved Ethan, a grounded and of course a good decryptor. The writing itself was easy to follow and captivating, but at some places I felt that the author wanted to be descriptive, but over explained instead. The story really fed my conspiracy theory loving brain!!
3.75/5
Thank you Netgalley, Gallery books and Weston Ochse for the ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy. An interesting mix of archaeology and mystery, Bone Chase would be a good choice for readers looking for a story in the same vein as Dan Brown.

This is a fast, exciting story, very reminiscent of Indiana Jones and The Da Vinci Code. This had everything you would want in a thriller, giants, bones, secret societies, hidden history, gun chases and explosions.
The story begins with Ethan getting a box full of notes claiming giants exist. He is thrust into a search for the truth that could cost him his life. He is chased by two groups, the mysterious Six-Fingered Man and the Council of David. These groups are willing to do whatever it takes to stop people from finding out the truth.
There are numerous mentions of giants throughout history including the Bible in this book. I was intrigued about the messages and historical cover-ups. I wrote them down to look up when I finished the book and they took me down a rabbit hole.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to more from this author.

Conspiracy theory? Sure, why not! An excellent read by Weston Ochse. Unemployed math teacher Ethan McCloud is sent a mysterious box, and the chase is on. Searching for giants that may or may not exist, with danger at his heels the entire time. Many thrilling twists and turns occur in Ethan’s search for the truth. Don’t want to give away the ending, so suffice it to say, if you enjoyed The DaVinci Code with some sci-fi thrown in, you will want to read this book. I didn’t know what to think when I began reading, but the characters and plot were clear and concise,, and the more I read, the more I was intrigued. Had a hard time putting this down until I was finished. Reminded me of the search for mermaids/are they real stories. Very, very interesting book, and I highly recommend if this genre interests you.
Thank you to the author (thank you for your service, sir), Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

A six-fingered man, an archeological treasure, and giants all play a part in this unusual novel. Fans of Indiana Jones and the thrillers by Dan Brown might enjoy this thriller.