[1][2] A historical fiction forerunner to Jurassic Park, the novel is set in the American West in 1876 during the Bone Wars, a period of fervent competition for fossil hunting between two real-life paleontologists noted for their intense rivalry, Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope.

The plot follows the fictional protagonist William Johnson, a Yale student who works during the summer alternately for the two paleontologists.

Reckless and risk-taking, he makes a bet with his rival, a student named Marlin, that he will go west the following summer.

However, upon learning of Johnson's Philadelphia background, Marsh begins to suspect that he is a spy for Edward Drinker Cope, a rival paleontologist.

They are finally forced to stop in Fort Benton, when news of Custer's defeat at the hands of Sitting Bull causes a ban on travel into Montana.

He offers half of his bones to Wyatt and Morgan Earp in exchange for guarding the coach on its journey, as he suspects that Dick Curry will try to rob it on the way to Laramie.

It will be adapted by Graham Yost and Bruce C. McKenna and will follow the notorious rivalry between real-life paleontologists Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh during a time of intense fossil speculation and discovery.

[4][5] Don Oldenburg of USA Today gave the novel four stars, describing the book as "Plain and simple, it's Crichton fiction — a fun, suspenseful, entertaining, well-told tale filled with plot twists, false leads and lurking danger in every cliffhanging chapter.

"[2] Kirkus Reviews praised the book as a "fun read," but stated that it fell short of Crichton's previous works.