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.

Really enjoyed this book. I had only a vague notion about giants in ancient texts. I found it incredibly interesting and I would recommend the book to my friends.

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.

Mythology is full of stories of giants that lived in the distant past. From the story of David killing Goliath to the children’s story of Jack and the Beanstalk, giants have always fascinated humanity. But what if the stories were true? This is what Ethan McCloud wonders when he receives a mysterious package and finds himself on the run from not one but two secretive groups with different agendas in regards to the truth about the existence of giants.

Bone Chase by Weston Ochse was billed as a DaVinci Code-type thriller. While the premise was certainly fascinating, this book fell short in some key areas. To begin with, Ochse never really defines the two groups that are chasing the central character. There is also never an explanation of what their agendas are or why it is so important to keep the truth about giants from the world at large. As I read the book, I kept waiting for the big climatic moment which simply wasn’t there. While Ochse is an accomplished author in the horror genre, he was not successful with Bone Chase. I cannot strongly recommend this book and give it 2/5 stars.

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

I went in expecting something similar to The DaVinci Code: A Quest for Answers, and I definitely think this book has the potential to rivet the same audience, but I struggled to slog through many of the ancient logs and artifacts included in the story. There is a lot of technical terminology, and just as I felt I was sinking into the story again, another info dump was inserted, and I was lost again. Overall, lots of potential, but the execution just didn't work for me.

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.

In this book we follow ex math teacher, Ethan McCloud on a journey through history and an ages old mystery that all starts when his father begins acting strangely and sends him a mysterious box. When Ethan's father tragically dies Ethan is left with two options, solve the mystery or die trying. When his old college flame, Shannon, just recently back from Afghanistan calls with condolences, the two decide to meet for coffee and Shannon is inevitably wrapped up in the mystery. With no where confirmed safe and no idea who is their enemy, they can only trust each other while they unravel the mystery of the box and his father's death together.

This was a really interesting and wild ride. I'm not really one for biblical based works of fiction, but I was absolutely fascinated with the plot of this book. There were so many tidbits and things to keep in mind and keep track of while reading this book that I would highly recommend annotations if you can. The writing is strong but the sift through information is definitely dry. Turns out I'm not really a Dan Brown fan, who knew. However this is a very well constructed thriller and overall I really enjoyed the read.

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. With many roaming in our world findings of bone artifacts, and cryptic symbols could date back to 10,000 years in the past. Reading through the mysteries, reminded me of an adventure, with a hint of SciFi. I loved Ethan, and his character development, even under stress he was smart and stable. The story was captivating, and loved all the conspiracy juiciness!


Thank you Netgalley, Gallery books and Weston Ochse for this oppurtunity.

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.