WINNER 2016 SHELF UNBOUND AWARD The adventure begins in the first Dan Kotler archaeological thriller! This edition has been revised to correct editing errors after an earlier draft was mistakenly uploaded. An ancient medallion is unearthed in Pueblo, Colorado, revealing a secret that will rewrite the history of North America—the Vikings somehow made it to the continent's interior, centuries before Columbus made landfall, and there they built a city of gold. But today the COELHO MEDALLION has been stolen, and a linguist and researcher has been abducted in connection with the crime. Could the abductors be after the fabled city of gold? Or do they have a more sinister plot in mind? DAN KOTLER is an independent researcher who often finds himself in more trouble than he was expecting. But when his colleague is abducted he finds himself being investigated by the FBI, he must use all of his brilliance and expertise to find her and absolve himself. ANWAR ADHAM has plans for a terrorist action on U.S. soil, and information from the Pueblo research site can give him everything he needs to put his plans in motion. Unless Adham is stopped, thousands and possibly millions will die. Whoever wins this contest of wits and wills will hold the fate of thousands in his hands, and will also lay claim to the fabled city of gold. It's an adventure that can redefine the history of America as we know it. Kotler finds himself facing off against both the FBI and Adham's terrorist network as he struggles to solve the mystery of Vikings in Colorado, to rescue Evelyn and stop Adham's plans before it's too late. “Kevin has crashed onto the action-thriller scene as only an action-thriller author with provocative plot lines, unforgettable characters, and enough adrenaline to keep you awake all night.” —Nick Thacker, author of 'The Enigma Strain' — HERE'S WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT KEVIN TUMLINSON'S ★★★★★ “[Kevin Tumlinson] is what every writer should be—entertaining and thought-provoking.” — Shana Tehan, Press Secretary, U.S. House of Representatives ★★★★★ “There was something so fascinating about [Citadel] and the cast of characters [Kevin Tumlinson] put together.” — Leah Petersen, Author of Fighting Gravity ★★★★★ "I discovered Kevin Tumlinson from The Creative Penn podcast and immediately got his novel, Evergreen. I read it in like 3 seconds. It's the most fast paced story I've encountered." —R.D. Holland, Independent Reviewer ★★★★★ "[Sawyer Jackson and the Long Land] was a great read! I love these style of books—magic, science fiction, alternate reality. I couldn't put it down." —S., Independent Reviewer
Kevin Tumlinson is a thriller and speculative fiction author traveling the U.S. with his wife, an RV, a chihuahua named Mini, and a fully-loaded laptop. He writes multi-million-dollar blockbusters that can be read for only a few bucks.
Kevin grew up in Wild Peach Texas—an actual village wedged between the Brazos and San Bernard Rivers, with a population of less than 2,500 people and seemingly not a peach tree within a hundred miles of the place. He has had an eclectic career that includes engineering, teaching, broadcasting and media, and marketing. He has also been the recipient of numerous awards for writing, public speaking, and his work in advertising and marketing.
At the moment, Kevin—along with his wife and his dog—are traveling full-time in an RV, exploring the US as Kevin writes and promotes his books. The inside joke is that they are going on the worlds most far-ranging house hunt. They're only half joking.
Learn more about Kevin and his work on his website, and get one of his best books for FREE when you join his mailing list at kevintumlinson.com
I know, I know! You have to suspend your disbelief to enjoy a story that is so fantastic! A story like The Coelho Medallion.
Mainstream scientists believe that the Vikings discovered America hundreds of years before the Spaniards or Columbus.
Guess what? This story believes they traveled all the way to the American mountains and mid-west to what is now Pueblo, Colorado.
And if you can suspend your disbelief, then you can believe that they traveled all the way from the Atlantic coast...by boat...through an underground river!
Despite my skepticism, which I couldn’t put away, I have to say that this book is still entertaining.
It greatly satisfied my love of a good thriller. My love of suspense, mystery and lots of action!
My sense of gratification when the bad guys are captured and beaten up. Violently!
And like all good thrillers that have a happy ending, a series is born.
So I’ll be returning for the next book in this series, and suspending my disbelief. 🙃
The Coelho Medallion (Dan Kotler #1) by Kevin Tumlinson Excellent thriller adventure! The kind I love too! The archeological kind where there is an object or objects that someone wants hidden or wants for themselves for wealth or power. Usually it changes history as we know it. This is like that. A medallion, caves, a river, and more. Kidnapping, murder, and theft from a museum. It's full of tension and suspense, historic what-ifs, and action! Loved it!
Reading The Coelho Medallion’s blurb had me hook, line, and sinker. Adding to that, being familiar with Pueblo, Colorado, I couldn’t resist wanting to read this one.
Interesting characters, interesting plot, a slight bit of drag... that being said, I overall enjoyed listening to the audio version, which also had an animated and believable narrator. Although the ending was all tidied up to a somewhat satisfying conclusion, I felt disappointment at the end for some reason. That is not due to a flaw or fault with the book’s author, but most likely due to my own expectations.
3.5 Stars
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an AAC of this publication in exchange for a my honest opinion.
This is my first read of Kevin Tumlinson and I'm happy I stumbled onto his work. I love archaeological thrillers, and Tumlinson's book, The Coelho Medallion, checked all of my boxes. It is interesting and creative- Vikings in North America before we became a nation? And then, to excite the plot, he brings in a terrorist plot! This is a thrills and spills book that held my interest from the first page to the last. Not doing my research, I started reading The Girl in the Mayan Tomb. There was a lot of information that cued me in to the fact I wasn't reading in the correct sequence, so I put it aside and purchased The Coelho Medallion, the first book in the Dan Kotler series, and glad I did. I will definitely continue the series and see what mischief Kotler finds himself in. A well-earned five-star read I highly recommend for adventure seekers like me!
Hmm, what did I think. I do believe Nick Thacker pointed this author in my direction to give me a new one to read.. A big thank you to all my authors whom do this for me, I go thru a lot of books as i believe i do not make time to read, there is always time to read.. I am only half way done with this wonderful exciting give nothing away as you read book. It has depth, history, research was done and very well written. I had not read Kevin's books before, but I will do as i always do when i find an author I love, I will read everything he has written.. If the other books are even half as good as this one is turning out to be, I know i will be thrilled at my choice of a new author, and in recommending him to all I know, in person and online. I do not tell about books plots, what I do is tell: is it worth your time to pick it up and read, will it be a great read from start to finish.. This is a big YES!! enjoy.. and if you like, please take the time to write reviews.. us readers want to know.. I will say that the main character DAN KOLTER is wonderful..
Dr. Eloi Coelho, a noted Portuguese archeologist, finds a medallion during a dig near Pueblo, Colorado. The strange medallion in named after him. The medallion is exhibited to the Viking-hungry crowds and it is stolen. Some of the translation of the runes on it speak of a city of gold. Days later, the linguist who translated the runes on the medallion was kidnapped.
Dr. Dan Kotler, a researcher and archeologist, is visited by the FBI and becomes a prime suspect in Dr. Evelyn Horelica's disappearance. Events prove Dan's innocence and he begins to work with the FBI to track and arrest the wrong do-ers.
The top suspect becomes Anwar Adham, a terrorist, who has his eye on the fabled city of gold cited in the translations to fund his private war against the United States. While Dan agrees that Adham is dangerous, he is not sure he would kidnap Evelyn.
Meanwhile a billionaire and his group of thugs take over the Pueblo dig site, refusing to allow anyone in and sending the current archeological team home.
Dan meets FBI Agent Roland Denzel and they become fast friends. Together, they run the gauntlet of n'er-do wells and assorted psychopaths. The book is action-filled and both exciting and entrancing to read. I really enjoyed it and very much look forward to reading the next in the series.
Nah. I can't handle young handsome heroes who have six PhDs, are also combat experts, and also have vast wealth and no character flaws. The plot was preposterous, and not in a good way - it felt like throwing in literally every possible element: Vikings in America, Arab terrorists with nukes, high-tech conspiracies. And the FBI guy (from Washington) is called Denzel.
I haven’t read many thriller novels before. About 20 years ago, I went through a period where I was reading as much Stephen King and Dean Koontz as I could, but that only lasted for a short while. Other than the books by those two, I don’t think I’ve read anything else that could be classified as a thriller.
That is until recently, when I read The Coelho Medallion by Kevin Tumlinson. It’s an action thriller that follows the adventures of Daniel Kotler. When his colleague and former girlfriend, Evelyn Horelica, is abducted, Kotler races against time to save her, facing down the FBI, terrorists, and an evil rich guy. Throw in a lost city of gold, gun fights, and ancient vikings in North America and you’ve got the makings of a good story.
“He had no weapon, and that was a problem.”
Including The Coelho Medallion, I’ve read three Tumlinson books so far. Common to all are strong characters that leave me wanting to know what’s next in store for them. Somar from Citadel: First Colony is probably my favorite, but Daniel Kotler is a close second. He’s a thinking man’s action hero, a modern day Indiana Jones. He fights to save Evelyn not to end up with the girl, because he doesn’t, but because it’s the right thing to do. Another strong character is FBI Agent Denzel. Kotler and Denzel are pseudo adversaries at the start of the book, but soon develop a mutual respect for each other and start working as a team. I really enjoyed the evolution of their relationship and hope that it continues in future books in the series.
There is a varied cast of bad guys as well. They are the standard types, but Tumlinson uses them well. Without giving anything away, I particularly liked the plans of the terrorist Anwar Adham. And Evelyn’s captor turns out to be a lot worse than I initially thought.
I rate The Coelho Medallion four stars. It was an entertaining book to return to the thriller genre with. I’m not likely to change my focus from science fiction and fantasy books, but I wouldn’t mind finding out what comes next for Dan Kotler, especially if it ends up in audiobook format.
An action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end
A medallion has been discovered that could rewrite American history and shock the research community to its core. While this is happening, a group of terrorists are also after the same artifacts that have been recently discovered and their reasoning is completely lost on everyone including the FBI. Dan Kotler is a researcher and a jack-of-all-trades looking into this recent change in historical fact when he stumbles across the real reason for the terrorists peaked interest in the Coelho Medallion.
The Coelho Medallion was narrated by Richard Rieman who does a great job. He allowed me to get completely immersed in the story which is pretty awesome considering I was driving to and from work when I was listening. His narration provides the perfect timing and "feel" to grab the user and keep them interested.
I love stories like this. I have no idea what genre they actually are, but the action-packed-treasure-hunting-with-lots-of-clues-and-intrigue genre I guess. But in all honestly, the way that Tumlinson set this story up really hooked me. It wasn't a slow burning book by any means. It lit a gas fire from the start and didn't burn out until the book was finished.
The main character Dan Kotler was really fun and easy to follow along. He was the perfect mix of egotistic and actual real and helpful kind of person that was needed for this role. The supporting roles around him were also well thought out and executed. Everyone in this book felt real and necessary.
Overall, The Coelho Medallion was an enjoyable action-packed ride from beginning to end. Tumlinson's writing was reminiscent of Dan Brown and Boyd Morrison.
You won't see me say this too often, but I really hope that I see more books from this series.
This book was gifted to me by Audiobook Boom!
If you want to see more reviews like it, check out Brian's Book Blog.
Best Thriller I've Read in a Long Time!!! Kevin Tumlinson did it successfully!! He wrote a thriller that will keep you engrossed from the beginning and leave you wanting more when your done. This thriller is written by an author who has never written one before. He is one of the best sci-fi writers out there. I've read a lot of them and they were all 5 star. It's amazing how he switched genres like he has been writing thrillers all along. And for it to be a 5 star all the way. I'm not going to go into the story line because to me that spoils the book for the next reader. But take it from me, Kevin will really surprise you with this one. You will think he has been at the top of the thriller list all along. Thank you Kevin for an amazing read. Please give us a series out of this success. I along with many others are waiting, not so patiently, for the next one. Congratulations on a job well done!!
When I read the description about modern day archeologists discovering evidence of Vikings in the U.S., I knew I had to read this novel.
I admit I was immediately smitten with Dr. Daniel Kotler. Not because he is independently wealthy, but because he's brilliant, with multiple PhDs. I was less interested in his relationship with Dr. Evelyn Horelica than with his brewing bromance with Agent Denzel.
With the FBI, DEA, terrorists, greedy and evil men, and, of course, the good guys, this is a good thriller story with a satisfying ending.
From an editor's standpoint: This book suffers from poor editing/proofreading that slowed the plot and distracted from what should have been edge-of-the-seat suspense.
Grammar and spelling mistakes, using an apostrophe to make a word plural, incorrect dialogue tags, frequent missing and multiple punctuation, and placing asterisks around words for emphasis instead of just italicizing them was frustrating to read.
The Coelho Medallion is the 10th of Kevin's books I've read, and I've enjoyed each and every one. He describes his characters well, so that the reader becomes involved emotionally with both the good and the bad ones, anxious to learn their fate. His plots and sub-plots guide the characters through the many twists and turns. I felt like I was being pulled along in the plot's currents.
Dan Kotler is the primary, well fleshed out character. His good friend, Dr. Eloi Coelho, finds a rare, unique and unusual artifact, named for him, which could change early American history. Dr. Kotler is involved in the dig site, too, for he will dig in the dirt, brush dirt off objects, and even crawl through caves to find treasures.
There are both good and bad characters, some of whom are very misleading and responsible for the thrilling action and mystery in this book. I think you will thoroughly enjoy reading it.
Out of the box and solo archeologist has is investigating the idea that the Vikings reached the American continent well before Columbus. Using clues from a medallion discovered in a Pueblo site he is advancing his theory. When the medallion is discovered stolen from a museum and his good friend and friend collaborator is kidnapped he sets out to find and rescue her only to become embroiled in several overlapping plots to discover "the city of gold" and to use a newly discovered underground river in an terrorist plot. On top of that there is a problem with the Director of the FBI to contend with. Action abounds in this thriller.
So many italics, I thought my vision was jarred or I was going cross-eyed.
It's a decent read but could use polishing with an editor. Bette than other thrillers I've attempted to muddle through, thus the two stars.
A broad and tight cast.
I wouldn't deter someone from reading this, but I would not recommend it.
I received the audiobook through audiobook boom and have to admit - it sounded better than when I read the book. The narrator saved the day- in a sense.
Painfully stupid. I'm currently at 81% but this book is so far removed from reality that it is a chore to continue. I'm trying my best to finish it but I don't know if I'll make it. Were I a 15 year old adolescent I would probably think this was a great book. I'm not and it's not.
Interessante Geschichte, schreibstil ist etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig Eher wenig Charakter Entwicklung Für ein thriller hat mir die Spannung gefehlt Das Ende war eher plump Kann man aber machen wenn man Indiana Jones cool findet, man wird in die Welt mitgenommen und kann ein bisschen den Alltag vergessen (aber El Dorado ist schon ziemlich ausgenudelt)
Read a few Dan Kotler books and this one like the rest didnt disappoint. Full of action and ppenty if figuring out complexities to do with theft and archeology. Very interesting to say the least.
The eponymous medallion, found in the Pueblo lands of North American Indians and displayed in a state of the art museum exhibition vanishes as if by magic. Then Dan Kotler's on-off girlfriend Dr Evelyn Horelica is kidnapped and forced to work on documents relating to the Medallion and the decryption of its inscriptions. Desperate to find her, Kotler is first accused of complicity in the theft of the Medallion and later in Evelyn's kidnap.
Who does Kotler work with to clear up the accusations against him? How is this person involved in the case? What second plot is uncovered by Kotler and his associates? What group of security operatives does Kotler encounter for the first time? What is the secret of the so-called City of Gold? What important part is played in the story by a river? How does Evelyn communicate with Kotler? How does she escape her captors? Who is the mole in the excavation team? What happens to this person once exposed?
A most exciting all-action adventure for Dan Kotler that shows him to advantage as a hero in the mould of Ethan Hunt, Jason Bourne and Dirk Pitt, The Coelho Medallion will keep you reading til the very end, this unputdownable winner for the excellent Kevin Tumlinson - don't miss it!
*I requested and was graciously granted a copy of this audio book for an honest review*
This was super cool! The adventure and science that went into the story of discovering new things and places kept me hooked. The characters were well written and made me care what happened to them (even in the cases I was really hoping for pain and suffering), and I wanted to read more about them. Seriously, all in all, this was really a great story, I really enjoyed it and would totally watch a movie about it.
The narrator was good, too! When he went into women's voices, it just sounded like part of the story instead of making me giggle, or at least pulling me out of the story, as often happens. That's always a major issue for me. The stress put on dialogue felt on point for the most part, and I enjoyed his voice. Well done!
Over all, I definitely recommend this for people who like adventure, intrigue, mystery, and basically Indiana Jones-esque tales.
This is the first book in the Dan Kotler series. I had a blast reading through this and found the book's central mystery ( Did Vikings reach North America?) to be fascinating. Despite that I did have a few issues which, while they didn't prevent me from enjoying the book, they did take me a little from the story. First, there were quite a few typos in this book. While this book was self-published and sometimes typos do get through, this book should have been proof-read and edited some more before being released. Secondly there is a lack of female characters in the book. The only female character spends almost the entirety of the plot kidnapped, which itself is a cliche, and she doesn't appear very often so we're not given much reason to care about her, other than her relationship with Dan Kotler. While this book is far from the only book which has this issue it simply cannot be ignored in this day and age. Finally the ending was a little abrupt although this wasn't a huge issue.
In spite of these issues this was still a thoroughly enjoyable read. The interaction between Kotler and Agent Denzel was fun, and the main character was a likeable interesting character. The plot moved at a good pace with a good balance between action and characterization. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!
Note: I read this one for the first time five years ago, but it has been re-edited and this is a new narrator as well. (I loved it then, too!)(and we are Norse) The plot centers around opposing forces who have focused everything on an artifact purporting to represent a deal made between Aztec, regional indigenous, and the Vikings and refers to a River Of Gold. Let the action begin! Good story complete with gunfights, hand-to-hand, chase scenes and lots more. The characters are well drawn and the whole of it is as believable as a 21st century Indiana Jones. Loved it! Joe Hempel is a great storyteller to listen to as he interprets the characters and plot. I requested and received a free temporary audiobook from OrangeSky Audio via NetGalley. Thank you!
I really, really wanted to not only like this book but I wanted to finish it. I couldn’t do it.
There were so many errors, it’s as though there was nobody to proofread before publishing.
On top of that, if the author had eliminated the redundant paragraphs, the book could’ve probably been cut in half, been paced better, and focused more in the archeology than having to explain the definitions n of a pun.
Seriously, “Puns were a play on words, turning a phrase that seemed to be taking the listener in one direction, but suddenly twisting to reveal a hidden and unexpected outcome—seemingly random, but actually very cleverly constructed”
I was about half way in and had to stop. I kept waiting for things to pick up but the pun thing was the deal breaker.
The story was a bit long, rambling and farfetched with a main character with 6 PhDs despite not being a child prodigy and just happens to know a language that is needed to help the good guys, even though it's not a language someone in his fields is really likely to know. So, be prepared to suspend your belief to enjoy the story.
I listened to the audio version given to me by Netgalley in exchange for my review. The narrator had a pleasant voice and reading style. He is not the sort of narrator to have a voice for each character. Though the difference was fairly slight for me, I think he had a different voice for Denzel than he did as Kotler/narrator. At times, I wished he infused a bit more excitement or other emotion in his reading.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
The basic storyline was interesting- mixing up the Vikings and Mayas, etc... but both the audio narration and the way the story unfolded was merely OK.
First the audio- the narrator had no range whatsoever and did not distinguish between the various characters, with the exception of a rare strange inflection.
This flat audio narration was not helped by a story with very little dialogue. Much of the story was told by either inner monologue or a 3rd person narration- which I do not find an appealing way to engage in a story.
Vikings in Colorado, terrorists with nuclear weapons, ancient tales of a city of gold
Fascinating characters with page-turning action as a large underground river with great ceiling clearance shows promise as the avenue for Viking ventures so far inland. Excavations at a site where access to the river had been blocked by landslides is a huge bonus to archeologists. Is the really a City of Gold? Every day at the site delivers a surprise. Excellent reading and well worth the time.
This is Kevin's first foray into the thriller genre and I hope it won't be his last. After the introduction of our protagonist in The Brass Hall, we find Dan being arrested by the FBI and then released to help them uncover what the bad guys are after, throw into this mix of archeology, Vikings, Native American Tribes, the DEA , a kidnapped friend and corrupt officials and some great chases and you have a sold gold winner A great start and looking forward to many more.
I really loved this and the alternate take on history. Very imaginative, well written, fleshed out characters & a few names pay homage to some amazing actors! I will definitely be looking for more by Kevin. Great narration too!
I was voluntarily provided this review copy at no charge by the author, publisher and or narrator
I felt like Indiana Jones time travelled to the 21st century. Characters were described well and the story line was easy to follow in spite of the spelling and grammatical errors. I am going on to read the next one in the series I bought. Thanks for the heads up on these books