'The Anomaly' slowly simmers as story groundwork is set up

"The Anomaly: a Novel" (Grand Central Publishing), by Michael Rutger

Rumors have swirled that early in the 20th century an explorer on the Colorado River discovered a cavern high up in the rocks of the Grand Canyon. The stories of what he found are fantastic and hard to believe, which is perfect for Nolan Moore, an archaeologist who hosts a conspiracy theory show that explores historical mysteries without actually solving anything. With his team of cameramen and experts for the region, Nolan decides to see if they can find this strange cave and prove the wild claims from that earlier time.

The trip starts off uneventfully for the team of men and women, but when they spot what might be the cave they are seeking, they immediately see the possibility of fame and fortune. For Moore, it's a chance to finally be successful in proving one of the conspiracy theories that his show promotes. What they discover at first seems a bit odd, as the things they see differ from the historical account. The more they explore, the more mysterious it gets. From all appearances, someone tried to conceal the cave. While they discover the truth behind the cave, they will wish they had never found it.

Michael Rutger's "The Anomaly" slowly simmers as the groundwork is set up. The exploration is also a bit slow going as well to keep the reader guessing as to what is honestly going on inside this cave. When the big reveal happens, it comes with a dose of horror, violence and complex science. Rutger has crafted an intriguing and, at times, somewhat graphic tale that's never predictable and will appeal to fans of exploration and survival along with "The X-Files" crowd.