Wet Desert

A Novel

By: Gary Hansen

Narrated by: Greg Dehm

Grant Stevens, a mid-level manager for the Bureau of Reclamation, only wanted to build dams. He never imagined he would be swept into a desperate race against an environmental terrorist bent on restoring the Colorado River by blowing up the dams. Left temporarily in charge of the Bureau, Grant must react when the first dam is attacked. He faces the unthinkable task of mitigating the massive flood roaring down the Colorado. The flood will eventually threaten the mighty Hoover Dam, and if Hoover fails, the other dams downstream will fall like dominos.

Working with the FBI, Grant uses his engineering skills, river knowledge, and plenty of gut instinct in an attempt to outmaneuver the terrorist. The chase will lead all the way downstream to the Gulf of California in a cat and mouse game where the stakes are high and the potential for destruction is enormous.

©2012 Gary Hansen (P)2012 Gary Hansen

Well written and compelling

Living in the West myself, and being acquainted with many of the places mentioned in this book, I found it particularly interesting. At times I wondered if the events as portrayed in this book could really happen the way they were presented, but the author affirms that each detail has been thoroughly researched and it is entirely possible for these events to happen as he says they could. If that is the case, then this book is all the more compelling.

Beautiful Lake Powell. I know there really are people who would love to see it drained, but I just can't imagine that happening. I remember thinking when this lake was first created that it would make it so many people could not enjoy the beauty of the red rock formations that form its boundaries. Fact is, the opposite is true. I have been boating on Lake Powell, and the beauty of it is breathtaking. I have seen a side of that particular country that I would never have enjoyed had it been left the way it was. Although I have not been boating on Lake Mead and to me at least it is not as scenic as Lake Powell, it is a considerable asset to the people who frequent the recreational activities available because of it. I have visited the Hoover Dam on numerous occasions and find it a miracle of engineering. How many lives are blessed because of both Lake Powell and Lake Mead and the power derived from capturing the power of the Colorado River?

Now with that said, the really disturbing fact in all this is what happens to the Colorado River. It just peters out in the desert. It no longer makes it to the sea. To me, that is a sad thing. I wish there were some way of harnessing the power, but not destroying the majesty of the river in the meantime.

This book is well written and entertaining. I learned much about so many things, and that is always a happy outcome for me when i read a book.

Read for a class, would recommend to anyone

I was assigned this book for a university geology course and had pretty low expectations, but they were soon exceeded. I was giddy to put on this book any time I got into my car, and not a single part of it had me bored or unimpressed. The story-telling is fantastic, is paced very well, and is detailed enough to make you feel connected to the characters and setting without feeling bogged down by extraneous information. I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody.

Great book, very interesting concept.

I am an emergency manager and work with many entities that consider a dam failure a real possibility, well written, exciting and fun. Thanks for the break from reality!

A MUST For Grand Canyon Visitors!

Our family read and listened to this disaster-thriller on our flight to Las Vegas and in the rental car as we visited Hoover Dam, went rafting and hiking in the Grand Canyon, and boated around Lake Powell. The engineering insights that were so much a part of the story really appealed to me as I work in a related field. Loved the story.

Very nice first effort!

What did you love best about Wet Desert?

I thought the story line was well thought out, especially considering the plot revolved around a thought that just about any early-teens boy that has ever seen a dam has had - "What if I could blow this up..." I am not saying that this is kid's book, far from it, but it did bring me back to the first time I ever saw Hoover Dam as a 13 year old kid. I love it when a book can make me dig back into my past to connect personal memories with the current story.

I also thought that the book was well researched. There were very few moments during the book when I jumped out the the story to think "Wait, that doesn't sound right." There were many times when the author could have gotten his facts wrong, I'm glad to say that he almost never took the opportunity to do so.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were many scenes in which my mind was thinking "That would be cool to see. This ought to be a movie." My favorite scene is the imagery surrounding the destruction of the first dam. The story returns to this scene several times, and each time the scene is vividly described.

Any additional comments?

For a first effort, I thought the author did a great job overall. I will admit that while listening to the first chapter or two I thougth that some parts were awkwardly written, but at some point, still early in the book, I became less aware of the writing style and more invoved in the story. The story itself is very engaging. Throughout most of the book I found myself looking for reasons to take trips long enough to listen to more of the book.

The narration is pretty good too. There are a few voices that don't fit the images I have in my head, but for the most part I enjoyed the narrator's performance.