|
|
Click on the book image to buy your copy at amazon.com.
|
Tensleep
Hardback edition 1994, Otto Penzler Books, New York
Mass market paperback edition 1995, Signet, New York
Das Olfeldkomplott (German translation), Piper, Munich
 Kirkus
Reviews
"Geologist Emily Hansen, working as a mudlogger in the Tensleep
Sandstone oilfield near tiny Meeteetse, Wyo., is sorely troubled by the
seemingly accidental death of head geologist Bill Kretzmer and the subsequent
killing of his protogee‚ Willie Sewell, who had suspicions of his
own.
Inexplicable things are happening at the drilling operations, too, all
of it overseen by vulgarly nasty company engineer Ed Meyer and his quiet
sidekick Merle Johnson. Em investigates some disquieting minor occurrences:
horses' hoofprints in strange places; a missing drill bit used as a doorstop
for her primitive, on-site trailer; tank trucks moving without lights
in the wee hours; papers vanished from Kretzmer's Denver office. It all
comes together in a way that nearly kills a doggedly persistent heroine.
Oil-drilling operations and the rough-mouthed, rough-living characters
who do the work get robust treatment here, but with the same sweet edge
that enriches Em's spiky character and gives subtle nuancing to geologist
Andrews's unhackneyed, accomplished first novel".
(Copyright (c)1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.)
Publishers Weekly
"This debut, set at a Wyoming oil-drilling site, introduces a refreshing
and less-than-voluptuous heroine ("plain" and "lumpy"
she calls herself), but the narrative stumbles irretrievably over dropped
bits of inadequately explained drilling lore.
Em Hansen works as a mudlogger among a mostly coarse crew of working
men. Though she suffers the ill will of the majority, Em is doggedly attached
to her work, which apparently involves recording data about mud samples,
even as the arrival of a coolly elegant woman geologist increases the
sexism quotient.
The first death claims Em's mentor Bill, a careful man whose car skids
out of control; next to go is young Willie, apparently crushed to death
by wild horses. Although remaining an outsider among the crew, Em sets
out to investigate the cause of the deaths, which may be linked to the
oil field's profitability.
The surfeit of oil-drilling lingo, the men's hostility and Em's continuing
emphasis of both her unattractiveness and her excluded status combine
to sabotage the novel's promise".
(Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.)
The Library Journal
"As one of only two women connected with an oil-drilling rig, "mudlogger"
Emily ("Em") Hansen endures sexual innuendo, a drunken trailer-mate,
and long hours. But then two suspicious deaths within a week make her
even more leery of her surroundings. Afraid at first to articulate her
misgivings, Em limits her actions to visiting the "crime" scenes,
then taking notes, and finally sharing her concerns with a trusted co-worker.
This first novel features steady, thoughtful prose; increasing violence;
and a Wyoming landscape. For larger collections.
(Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc).
Booklist
"Em Hansen is no private eye: she's a mudlogger on an oil rig in Meeteese,
Wyoming—the only female on the job until an accident claims the life
of geologist and friend Bill Kretzmer, and he is replaced by beautiful,
cool Alix Chadwick. Alix is more interested in rancher Chet Hawkins than
oil, until she and Chet discover the body of young Willy Sewell. Only Em
is suspicious about the details of the two deaths, but she enlists the aid
of coworkers Johnny and Frank, and sparks—both romantic and dangerous—begin
to fly.
Em's stubbornness and smart thinking lead her to suspect slimy Ed Meyer,
chief operations engineer, as well as the local sheriff, Ben Lewis. First-novelist
Andrews is a geologist who has worked the oil patch, and it shows: her
colorful descriptions of the literal nuts and bolts of the business bring
the rough work and its rougher workers to life.
Although a tad overwritten in spots ("Conclusion mounted on me
like a wave"), Tensleep offers a new voice and a new amateur
sleuth, 'Wyoming's answer to Sherlock Holmes'".
—Eloise Kinney
Tony Hillerman, author of the Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn mysteries
"The best part of Tensleep is the fascinating tour Sarah Andrews
gives us of the Wyoming oil patch she knows so well. The bonus is the lively
mystery. Don't miss it!" Marcia Muller, author of the
Sharon McCone mysteries
"Tensleep is a winner! Sarah Andrews combines the best
elements of the mystery and the novel of the contemporary West to bring
us a fresh-voiced new heroine. I want to see more of Em Hansen—and
the sooner the better".
Gaea, the Association for Women Geoscientists newsletter
"Em Hansen is someone I can really identify with. A major part
of the joy of this book is witnessing Em's personal and professional growth
as she grapples with solving the mystery in all its geological, oil-field
technical, and human aspects".
—Marcia Knadle
The Journal of Sedimentary Research
"Tensleep's ending is convincing, and Em, like Sarah Andrews,
comes across as warm, loquacious, and perceptive".
The New Orleans Times-Picayune
"Working within Andrews' tight plot and well-drawn Western setting,
Em is a fresh and welcome addition to the ranks of women detectives".
—M. Dane Picard
The Roanoke Times-World News
"This is a tough world Andrews paints, raw and basic, where women
will always be outsiders, in a way. Em is an interesting character;
edgy, difficult . . . it is fun to watch Em trying to find herself".
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
"Tensleep is Sarah Andrews' first novel, and that's
a surprise because she writes like someone with a lot of experience.
It's a common talent among writers to tell a good story and evoke a
time or a place. Andrews does all that, but she can also turn a phrase,
giving her story a moment of music".
The Mystery Lovers Bookshop News
"Tensleep is a terrifically entertaining (and educational)
debut by geologist Sarah Andrews".
Mystery Newsletter
"Sarah Andrews's first book is a winner in several ways. It has
a unique setting, its characters are real, and the mystery holds the
readers' attention as it doles out clues. . . . This is a well-written
murder mystery and it speaks volumes by being more than that".
Ingram
"Working on an oil-drilling rig in the Wyoming badlands, Em Hansen
suspects foul play when a geologist and a well-worker fall prey to fatal
accidents, and the feisty mudlogger learns the truths about her supervisors.
A first novel".
To top
|
