Neanderthal (Airport Only) Darnton, John

A team of scientists stumbles onto evidence that a colony of Neanderthals might still be alive, hidden in the mountains of Tajikistan. What starts as speculative anthropology spirals into a pulse-pounding race as rival expeditions clash, ethical lines blur, and the question becomes: what happens when modern humans meet the cousins we thought we'd erased? John Darnton — a Pulitzer-winning journalist — brings a thriller writer's instinct to speculative science, blending evolutionary biology with Cold War-era intrigue. The premise alone is irresistible, and Darnton delivers on it with tension, moral ambiguity, and just enough scientific plausibility to make you wonder. For fans of Michael Crichton's high-concept adventure novels or anyone who's ever been fascinated by what humanity left behind.