Nothing New Under The Sun

A Carter Devereux Mystery Thriller, Volume 1

By: JC Ryan

Narrated by: David Panfilo

The more Carter Devereux, a professor of archeology, researches and studies the history of the human species, the more he becomes convinced that Solomon was onto something when he said, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it may be said, see, this is new? It hath been already of old time, which was before us. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come, with those that shall come after." Ecclesiastes 1:9 -11 (Circa BC 940).

Carter's research and exploration into this history take him to South America, India, and the Middle East, where he makes mind-boggling discoveries which challenge our entire view of human history. And before long, Carter finds himself with not only a large number of critics from across the world, but also a number of ardent followers.

Through the ages kings, rulers, power seekers, and governments, have been trying to secretly, and sometimes not so secretly, get their hands on artifacts believed to have immense power. Examples include the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant, Bachal Isu - the staff of Moses carried by David, and the King of Kings, Jesus Christ, the Spear of Destiny, the time machine, "the glock," created by the Germans during WWII, and ancient lost cities with hidden fortunes of gold, and artifacts with unimaginable powers.

There is a no shortage of unscrupulous, power hungry people who will do anything, including kill, to possess these relics - if they exist.

Most frightening of them all, are the ancient texts that speak of earth's destruction by nuclear weapons, thousands of years ago.

Do those nuclear weapons still exist?

If so, where are they?

Can Carter Devereux discover them, before anyone else can?

©2015 JC Ryan (P)2017 JC Ryan

No thrill. Build up for book 2.

I received this book for free from the author / narrator / publisher, in exchange for an unbiased review.

The premise of the book sounded awesome. It takes the story to India and other neighboring countries, so I really wanted to listen to this story and like it. India has some ancient scriptures where things described sound similar to modern technical achievements; like airplanes and nuclear weapons. So, I was hoping that the author will expand on that and give us some actual facts and base the story on that. Instead, the book took all these and other folklore to their extreme, ignoring the fact that some of those were already debunked.

Anyway, this is a fiction book. So, I'm not here to debate the authenticity. This is supposed to be a thriller book, but for most of the book, I wasn't thrilled. There's no conflict, whatsoever and I didn't feel invested in the progress of the story. Yet I kept listening to it only because of the promise of the premise, to see what happens in the end. And I was disappointed there. The book doesn't conclude anything. Turns out, this book was a build-up for the second book of the series. It feels like I wasted my time with it.

Archaeological alternate history thriller

The book was interesting (some Indiana Jones(ish) aspects, set to a modern tone), it might have needed a bit more tweaking before it's release though as some of the wording seemed a bit off and others a bit repetitive. Over all, it was worth a listen to.

This book had been on my "plate" to listen to/read, but the hurricane Harvey took out my apartment and most everything I owned, so it took a bit to get everything back on track and stable again so that I have some free time again.

Note: I received a free review copy of this audiobook and this is my unbiased review of Nothing New Under The Sun.

I couldn’t finish it

I skipped to the end to see if this story had a point. I still couldn’t finish it! I don’t think there is a reason for this book. Is return it, if I could figure out how....

Interesting premise, but needs work

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I would say that this book was a frustrating experience. I enjoy the exploration of radical theories of the past. The author seemed to go from the angle that every far-fetched theory of prehistoric man was in fact true. I'm fine with that. It makes for more interesting content. However, the delivery was really tough. The book started out pretty well and I was into the story and then it just became a slog. Then, it turns out that the whole book is just a long set-up for the next book.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect of the story is the imaginative look at what happened in the distant past. In the first 1/3 of the book, some really neat discoveries and interactions with Peru took place and that was really entertaining.
The least interesting was the dialogue. It was really tough to hear. Nothing was implied. All was spelled out. The interactions between the characters were well... Corny. And when discussing topics at hand, the conversation wasn't normal. It was a lecture disguised as dialogue. I have never heard people talk with each other in that way.

What does David Panfilo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think that David Panfilo did a solid job narrating. He differentiated between the characters and lent enthusiasm to the story. But, ultimately, he was trapped by the dialogue.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Probably not.

Any additional comments?

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

unusual story

This is the first book I've listened to by JC Ryan and it was an interesting and unusual story. It's obvious that the author put a lot of research into writing this book. This book was intense and I'm anxious to see where this story is going to go but have to pick up volume 2 to find out. I really enjoyed the narration, the narrator did a great job with this book.

Mix of fantasy, history and romance

I liked the plot of this book. The narrator was good. I think that it was too long and may do well with some editing of the unneeded details. Also in need of editing for the audiobook is the repetition of phrases. I suppose because I'm not a fan of romance literature, that part of the book did not interest me. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Global intrigue

Where does Nothing New Under The Sun rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the middle.

Would you be willing to try another book from JC Ryan? Why or why not?

Yes, he knows how to weave the characters well.

What three words best describe David Panfilo’s performance?

knows his characters

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

In search of history

Any additional comments?

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review”.

Good book

This was an enjoyable listen. It was very interesting right from the beginning and it's clear the author did his research. The narrator did a great job with all the different voices.
I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great story read by a lackluster narrator

I started enjoying the storyline almost from the beginning and am glad the author gave a brief history on the two main characters. Their basic backstory got me invested in them early on, which carried the story when the narrator fumbled.

Honestly, if I didn't like JC Ryan's writing as much as I did, the narrator's performance would have caused me to stop the audiobook after the 2nd chapter. The narrator more often than not sounds like he is reading a script for the first time. Additionally, I did not care for the majority of character voices he used.

Putting that aside, I finished my first JC Ryan audiobook and couldn't believe it had just ended. I was so involved that when the end came, it was a total surprise. There is no easing into it, and thankfully the series continues with book 2. This reader was left with an unfinished feeling and eager to continue the story. It will only get better if the author changes narrators.

I received a free review copy of this audiobook and this is my unbiased review of Nothing New Under The Sun.

Disappointed, Not really a thriller or a mystery

Not really a thriller, not really a mystery just a story. I usually enjoy archeology and history based thriller, but it just did not meet my expectations. This is the first in a series and I would hope that J. C Ryan will flesh out the stories going forward. It just read/listened like a recitation of facts and circumstances. The author can and has done much better.
The narration was good, but could not overcome the story.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
Note: When selecting books to read or listen to for reviews I try and select authors and stories that interest me. Sometimes I am fortunate and other times not so fortunate. Either way, I try to review the books with integrity