Tensleep [Hardcover]

Sarah Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1994

Em Hansen, the only woman on an isolated oil rig and an outsider to little Meeteetse, Wyoming, attempts to discover the cause of two suspicious deaths, becoming a primary target for a ruthless killer. A first novel.

Editorial Reviews

From 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.

From 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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Otto Penzler Books; First Edition edition (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883402336
• ISBN-13: 978-1883402334
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,443,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impossible to put down!!!, January 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tensleep: An Em Hansen Mystery (Paperback)

I, too, am a female geologist working in the oil industry. I actually began reading this book while I was out on location at the wellsite. I was riveted by the very first sentence! I began looking over my shoulder, wondering if the driller or mudlogger had murderous thoughts. Her description of the mechanics of drilling wells and explanations of geology were accurate yet easily understood by those not familiar with either geology or drilling. I enjoyed reading about another woman handled being the lone woman in a male-dominated field. I'm hooked and will be reading the rest of her books

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot Babes and Oil Rigs, February 16, 2003

By 

K. Delaney "Kevin Delaney" (Salt Lake City, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tensleep: An Em Hansen Mystery (Paperback)

A hot babe on an oil rig, what more could you want in a mystery novel?

All of the novels in the Em Hansen series refer back to our young heroine's experience on the oil rigs of Central Wyoming. If you are a fan of the series, Tensleep is a must read. I am really surprised that this, Sarah Andrews first (and in some ways best) novel is out of print. The book is great. It is worth the $$$$ you will have to pay for a used copy.

In Tensleep, Em Hansen begins to discover her inner talents as an investigator. With a shiny new degree in geology, Ms. Hansen lands the traditional male job of mudlogger on a drilling rig. While handling all the garbage dished out by the good ole boy network in drilling, our young heroine finds more than she bargained for: The rig she is working is plagued by mysterious deaths and sabotage.

The work is fascinating, as Sarah Andrews describes the politics and processes of drilling for oil.

Sarah Andrews makes excellent use of drilling as a literary device. Em Hansen must solve both the mysteries of the oil company and that of the Tensleep formation. In my humble opinion, Tensleep is one of highlights of the Em Hansen series. I hope the publishers get their act in gear and print up a new edition for Sarah Andrews fans.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tidy little mysteries with an engaging heroine, January 16, 2000

By 

Susan K. Hughes "wordwright" (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tensleep: An Em Hansen Mystery (Paperback)

Sara Andrews has written a series of wonderful, human-scale mysteries about a woman geologist who has a habit of running into murders. She is a very approachable character, vulnerable, smart, dedicated, and hopeful-a very nice profile of a professional woman in a "non-traditional" field. In all her dealings with co-workers, family, lovers, and friends, she is entirely believable. A good read and a good series...I've read them all now, except the newest, which I just found had been published.