Marcia C. reviewed Chasing the Thrill: Obsession, Death, and Glory in America's Most Extraordinary Treasure Hunt on + 625 more book reviews
A gripping story about the surprising subculture that grew up around a modern-day treasure hunt, launched by a rich former art dealer in the US Southwest. At first I was suspicious of the book because 1)it's written at a sixth-grade reading level, with a preponderance of short sentences, and 2)I wasn't sure the author, a reporter, should have gotten involved in the chase for the treasure. However, the book proceeds through excellent alternation of historical background on treasure hunting in general (which I found fascinating) and storytelling about the participants in the contemporary chase (which I found less interesting - kind of gossippy). And now I'm off to read "The Codex," a fictional thriller that Douglas Preston (mentioned in the book) wrote based on this very treasure hunt.
