When we last left veterinarian turned accidental archaeologist Tom Broadbent, he was swinging through the dangerous jungles of Honduras with his brothers, searching for dad’s hidden treasure, in last summer’s fun read THE CODEX. Now millions of dollars richer, Broadbent finds things aren’t necessarily quiet at home in TYRANNOSAUR CANYON. It was one of the five fall books we spotlighted as those we most looked forward to, and for damn good reason, as it turns out.

After a brief prologue involving Apollo 17 astronauts and a discovery on the moon (a thread revisited and tied up late in the book), Douglas Preston’s novel opens with a prospector being murdered by an unknown assailant in a maze of New Mexico canyons. Before the killer can get to it, Broadbent stumbles upon the dying body, only to have a notebook forced into his hands. The pages contain seemingly random numbers, perhaps a code; regardless, it’s obvious that someone is willing to kill for it, and already has.

Having promised to deliver the book to the man’s daughter, Broadbent withholds the evidence from the police, which becomes a mistake as he and his wife plunge deeper into mortal danger. As Broadbent investigates the meaning behind the notebook – enlisting the help of an ex-CIA cryptanalyst in a monastery – his wife is abducted and the police start to finger him as the murder suspect. The bodies pile up, the stakes are raised and the mystery reveals secrets buried 65 million years ago.

Preston writes solo as he does with usual partner Lincoln Child (whose DEATH MATCH makes a cameo): awesome. Instantly engrossing, TYRANNOSAUR CANYON does a remarkable job of running full-cylinder while juggling about half a dozen subplots, each of which prove equally riveting. Though I have no problems with THE CODEX, I’m pleased to report this follow-up is much better. No mere thrill ride (though it excels at just that), Preston piles on Crichton-esque touches of real-life science to heighten both the plausability and suspense. He also deserves commendation for not taking the easy route and simply remaking THE CODEX; so many series are derivative copycats, but he wisely plunks his character into an entirely different situation to keep things fresh and unpredictable.

Though the epilogue struck me as a little cheesy and unnecessary, it did little to damper my enthusiasm for this book, which ends with an intriguing setup for another Broadbent adventure. Should Preston choose to pursue that avenue, I’ll certainly be there.