The Artifact Hunter (The Artifact Hunter, #1)

by J.T. Lewis

[leahrosereads]

Received a free copy of this novel in exchange for a review.

3.5 stars

The Artifact Hunter follows Jesse Flanagan, an antique dealer, and his crazy adventure. Jesse discovers an old desk at an estate sale, and while that desk could make him a very rich man, he'd have to live long enough to be able to sell it. Easier said than done, because hidden in the old desk, Jesse comes across a document dated during the Revolutionary War.

And it's a document that some people are willing to kill for, much to Jesse's dismay as he gets caught up in the murder of a dear friend and is forced into a self defense situation to save himself.

Jesse runs from the cops, while trying to figure out what the heck is so important about an old document. Not an easy feat. Luckily for him, he made friends with Detective Gabby Kline at the first murder scene. Can he trust her? He's out of other options, so he really doesn't have a choice.

This is the first book I've given a 1/2 of a star to. I enjoyed The Artifact Hunter, but I didn't love it. My thoughts:

--Really decent plot. I was hooked the entire time wondering what was happening in both the present and past tense stories. I enjoyed seeing where the document came from that Jesse had acquired. The Colonial Document had such a rich history, and with half the story devoted to it, I thoroughly enjoyed finding out how it came to be in Jesse's possession.

--Disliked the insta-love. Normally I don't mind romance in novels, but I just felt that Lewis forced the relationship between Jesse and Detective Gabby Kline. Maybe it's because the book's only 200 pages. If there was more to the book, they're relationship could've developed a lot more naturally.

--Wanted to know more about the Secret Society. A lot more about it. I'm really hoping that other books will delve into it further.

All in all, I enjoyed the book, and I'd try another novel by the author as well. The Artifact Hunter kept me entertained, and that made me a very, very happy reader.