Disturbing the Bones - by Andrew Davis & Jeff Biggers (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A propulsive debut political thriller set in the aftermath of a global nuclear weapons crisis -- from the acclaimed filmmaker of The Fugitive and an award-winning journalist. A plot to disrupt a global peace summit in Chicago collides with a civil rights case breakthrough at a mysterious archaeological site "Andrew Davis is a cinematic master, and Jeff Biggers is a brilliant scribe of wild places. Together, they have created a thriller that will keep you up all night." --Luis Urrea, NY Times bestselling author of Good Night, Irene. Chicago detective Randall Jenkins has not been back home to the historic Civil Rights hotspot of Cairo, Illinois since the disappearance of his mother, a well-known journalist, several decades ago. That all changes the day Dr. Molly Moore, an ambitious young archaeologist in the national spotlight for her groundbreaking high-tech discoveries, uncovers a set of strange bones at a huge 12,000-year-old site at a highway construction project. With retired military general and contractor William Alexander breathing down her neck to cover up the dig, Molly and Randall soon find themselves in the middle of a wild military conspiracy. The detective and archaeologist's entwined family mysteries suddenly thrust them into the central position as the only people who can ensure the safety of the ongoing Chicago global peace summit. They must take on the rogue general who views any disarmament agreement as a clear and present danger to the United States. The fate of global peace and the lives of Molly and Randall hang in the balance"--

Book Synopsis

A propulsive debut political thriller set in the aftermath of a global nuclear weapons crisis--from the acclaimed filmmaker of The Fugitive and an award-winning journalist . . .

"A knife-edged investigation that morphs into a political thriller about a world on the brink. An ingenious page turner." --Michael Mann

A plot to disrupt a global peace summit in Chicago collides with a civil rights case breakthrough at a mysterious archaeological site . . .

Chicago detective Randall Jenkins has not been back home to the historic Civil Rights hotspot of Cairo, Illinois since the disappearance of his mother, a well-known journalist, several decades ago.

That all changes the day Dr. Molly Moore, an ambitious young archaeologist in the national spotlight for her groundbreaking high-tech discoveries, uncovers a set of strange bones at a huge 12,000-year-old site at a highway construction project. With retired military general and contractor William Alexander breathing down her neck to cover up the dig, Molly and Randall soon find themselves in the middle of a wild military conspiracy.

The detective and archaeologist's entwined family mysteries suddenly thrust them into the central position as the only people who can ensure the safety of the ongoing Chicago global peace summit. They must take on the rogue general who views any disarmament agreement as a clear and present danger to the United States. The fate of global peace and the lives of Molly and Randall hang in the balance.

Review Quotes

"...there has been much advance excitement and praise for the book, such as this from our own master of crime fiction, Sara Paretsky...it features many compelling characters."--Chicago Tribune

"...a tale of local, national and international intrigue."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"From a Mississippi riverside archaeological dig revealing an unexpected atrocity to the back streets of Chicago, a knife-edged investigation that morphs into a political thriller about a world on the brink. An ingenious page turner."--Michael Mann, film director and New York Times bestselling author of Heat 2

"With echoes of current domestic political intrigue, the tale hooks the reader from the beginning and never lets up until the very end."--Ron Stallworth, New York Times bestselling author of Black Klansman

"...a complex weaving together of personal drama and global politics...the wealth of detail accumulates from page one and never lets up."--IndieWIre

"Suspenseful and action-packed...with the thoughtful perspective and insights that can only be found in a novel."--Louis Sachar, New York Times bestselling author of Holes


"Fans will find everything in this story they expect from the creator of The Fugitive--a high-voltage thriller, an amazing range of characters, and an astonishing conclusion."--Sara Paretsky, New York Times bestselling author of the V. I. Warshawski novels


"An ingenious thriller that doesn't miss a beat."--Robert Baer, New York Times bestselling author

"By the time the breathless denouement rolls around, readers may find they've been up all night."--Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"Andrew Davis is a cinematic master, and Jeff Biggers is a brilliant scribe of wild places. Together, they have created a thriller that will keep you up all night."--Luis Urrea, New York Times bestselling author of Good Night, Irene

"Disturbing the Bones is a great thriller, but also a beautiful evocation of why one human--a complicated set of bones--is worth as much as all humans, in the world of loyalty and honor."--Susan Straight, bestselling author of Mecca and In the Country of Women

"A timely thriller that confronts social injustices, historical traumas, and the ethical burdens we carry forward."--Culture Buzz, Medium

"[Davis] mounts characters, themes and sequences so complex they practically demand to leap from page to screen."--Chicago Film

"Davis return[s] to what he does best--telling stories of mystery, intrigue, conflict, and thrill in his hometown."--Film International

About the Author

Andrew Davis, raised on the southside of Chicago, is the acclaimed director and screenwriter of numerous films, including Holes, Under Siege, Code of Silence, A Perfect Murder, and The Guardian, and whose landmark film, The Fugitive, chosen in 2020 by Los Angeles Times readers as the ultimate summer film, was nominated for seven Academy awards including Best Picture.

Jeff Biggers is the American Book Award-winning author of many works of investigative journalism, history and theatre, including Reckoning at Eagle Creek, winner of the Delta Prize for Literature and the Brower Award for Environmental Reporting, and the recent In Sardinia. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, and on NPR.