As The Wolf Loves Winter [Mass Market Paperback]

David Poyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1997

It is snowing in the wintry mountains of northwestern Pennsylvania. Once the land of wilderness scouts, later of the boomtowns of the first American oil barons, it is now a spare country of proud men and women hanging on to their lives, dignity, and what's left of prosperity in the declining years of the twentieth century. One tough old man, W.T. Halvorsen, is not going to let it all slip away without a fight.

And the wolves are beginning to howl again in the mountains.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

W.T. "Racks" Halvorsen, the elderly hero of Poyer's memorable Winter in the Heart (1993), has been released from prison for blowing up a bridge in a fight against environmental polluters. Still grieving for the wife he accidentally killed in the battle, he retreats to the woods he knows and loves?and immediately witnesses a murder. Reluctantly, he allows himself to get tangled up in a huge conspiracy that involves corrupt big business, clandestine gas drillers and a secret Asian workforce driven by killers. Counterpointed to the sustained suspense in this wholly involving thriller are numerous well-evoked scenes of wolfpacks watching and circling the human protagonists. Wolves are often considered vicious predators, but in this scenario it's the humans who are truly feral and dangerous. A magnificent wintery climax involving the wolves, Halvorsen and a brave 12-year-old girl won't be forgotten soon by anyone who appreciates superb storytelling and characterization.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

W. T. "Racks" Halvorsen is back, fresh from his appearance as the crusty retired oil driller in Winter in the Heart (Tor, 1993), and he's still fighting corruption in the oil business. After witnessing a brutal murder in the woods, Racks decides to investigate. But he finds more than he bargained for hidden in the Pennsylvania wilderness?illegal gas wells operated by the murderers and owned by his unethical former employers, Thunder Oil. He also finds 12-year-old Becky, who stumbled on the secret operation and is now being held captive. How to rescue Becky and expose the company without being killed? With a pack of wolves acting as their unlikely allies, Racks and Becky undertake a harrowing escape through the icy woods. Although some of Poyer's plot developments are a bit far-fetched, this absorbing thriller is still a page-turner. Recommended for general fiction collections.?Rebecca House Stankowski, Purdue Univ. Lib., Hammond, Ind.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books (November 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812534336
• ISBN-13: 978-0812534337
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,462,738 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for a cold winter weekend!, January 10, 1999

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: As the Wolf Loves Winter (Hardcover)

Wow. I just finished reading this book during a subzero Midwestern winter, and I believe that was the best time to read it. The cold leaps off the pages and gets into your bones, just like it does to the characters in the book. You're reading along very nicely, understanding the plot and the players in it, when WHAM! A startling announcement at a community meeting throws you a curve. An old man and a little girl are lost in the woods. And suddenly you're on a literary roller coaster, flying toward the conclusion of the novel, unable to do anything but finish the darn book. It's great! Now I have to go read the other two episodes in the series.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where is everyone? No reviews yet, and this book is GREAT!, December 12, 1997

By 

J. Melko (Miamisburg, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: As The Wolf Loves Winter (Mass Market Paperback)

I have reviewed only a few books, and a "10" to me is equal to "Silence of the Lambs" in quality. So I find it hard to believe that I am the first one to review this book! It is exquisitely written, and the various threads will keep you fascinated trying to figure out how they'll fit together at the end. It's a weird premise for a popular novel, granted - "...an explosive novel of wolves, ecopolitics, oil, and murder" says the cover - but it doesn't require an ecological bent to appreciate this masterful work. Well, I'm off to find MORE David Poyer!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Third in the series of Hemlock County novels by David Poyer., August 7, 1998

By 

Arlington Campbell (Springfield, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: As The Wolf Loves Winter (Mass Market Paperback)

"Racks" Halvorsen, the old man of the woods in Hemlock County returns to take on corruption in the remnants of the oil business in the home area of the origins of oil production. Masterful writing by a great story teller with a true gift in use of the English language. If you like well developed characters, Pennsylvania, the oil industry, ecology, and a fast paced read; you can not go wrong with this book. If you haven't read the two previous novels in this series, reading this one will send you scrambling to find them. They are entitled: "Winter in the Heart" and "The Dead of Winter". You will find yourself in "Racks" Halvorsen's shoes and almost feel the frostbite.