Product Description

Sharon McCone has been asked by a former colleague to look into the plans of a large corporation to reopen a gold mine near the Nevada border that could seriously endanger the ecosystem of the area. Following a trail of bizarre happenings, disappearances, and a dead body, McCone's trail leads to her to a Hong Kong industrialist . . . and a killer bent on large-scale destruction.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #440807 in Books
• Published on: 1991-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 264 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Incorporating current ecological concerns and a flavorsome Western setting, this 12th Sharon McCone story ( Trophies and Dead Things ) is top-notch. An investigator for the San Francisco-based All Souls Legal Coop, McCone is asked by former colleague and friend Anne-Marie Altman to look into the strange events taking place at Tufa Lake, modeled after Mono Lake in Yosemite. The Transpacific Corporation has bought the mineral rights to the lake, and the members of the California Coalition for Environmental Protection, for which Altman now works, believe the corporation plans to begin full-scale gold mining--which would endanger the area's fragile ecosystem as well as the historic buildings of a nearby ghost town. Meanwhile, the prospector who sold Transpacific the land is missing and Coalition cabins have been broken into. A murder and a kidnapping soon follow. McCone realizes that she must get to the bottom of the land deal before another killing occurs. Muller intertwines McCone's subliminal dissatisfaction with her current boyfriend and her mother's quest for a life of her own into this suspenseful and fully fashioned tale. Author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
Sharon McCone, investigator for San Francisco's All-Souls Legal Co-op (Eye of the Storm, etc., etc.), is trying to find out what's going on around the near-ghost town of Promiseville, once a center of gold mining in California's high desert. A renewed attempt at large-scale mining on land bought by the Japanese-based Transpacific Corporation has come to a complete halt. McCone's ex- colleague, Anne-Marie, heads a conservation group, along with attractive Hy Ripinsky and wimpy Ned Sanderman, that's worried about the real intentions of Transpacific. Then there are the seeming disappearance of old-timer Earl Hopwood, who'd sold his land to the corporation, and the questions of Earl's connection to Mick Erickson, another seller--a connection that surfaces after Erickson's found shot to death. Lots of questions--and none better than McCone at ferreting out answers, despite troubles with lover George, her suddenly liberated mother, and much uneasy self- analysis. Well-done wilderness background, a few mildly intriguing characters, and a terse showdown are the best things in a rambling story that lacks the pithiness and pace of the author's best work. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Not the best in the series
Private Investigator Sharon McCone joins her friend Anne-Marie from the All Souls' Legal Cooperative to find out what is going on at Tufa Lake, California. There is a tug of war between a company that wishes to resume mining operations at the lake, and the local environmentalists. It is thought by the latter group that commercial mining would destroy the ecology of the area. As a result of the disagreemnt, there are break-ins, and eventually a murder. McCone investigates the people connected with both sides, and has a hard time differentiating the good guys from the bad guys. This book rambles a bit and is not as tightly written as most of Muller's books. Still, the descriptions are wonderful and Sharon's lovelife evolves as a result of her acquaintance with a new man she meets during her investigation.

Too Many Echoes?
This is not one of Ms. Mullers' best stories. I've actually been through the Mono Lake area and Bridgeport. I even visited Bodie once. Muller has a good feel for the locale. On the other hand, the plot here is a bit straightforward, and the evil Transpacific Corp. is trite. I found the "explosive" ending rather unsatisfying, as well. Again, this isn't a bad book. I have enjoyed all of the Sharon McCone mysteries that I've read so far. But this one is not quite as good as some of the others. My average rating for these stories is 4 stars. Within that context I put this one at 4-. A bit below average but still worth the time. Fans will appreciate the update on the lives of several familiar characters.

excellent book-makes me want to read the whole series
It was interesting to see where Hy Ripinski came in. The descriptions of the area are fantastic. It's also nice to see all her side characters remain. The ending is explosive. You find yourself wanting to meet the characters. The references to the past couple of books make you want to go backwards and read them all. One of her best.