The last time I wrote in these pages I made a big deal out of a book I liked a lot. It was Tensleep by Sarah Andrews. Given how enthusiastic I was, I shouldn't have been surprised when Nancy brought Andrews' second book home from the library for me. A Fall in Denver is another good mystery.

(How can you help but like a book that begins, "If I hadn't been sitting with my back to the window, I'd have seen the body falling."?)

I didn't like it as well as Tensleep, but that may be because Andrews used her notable descriptive talents to draw a picture of urban Denver rather than the expansive natural prairies that were the setting for the earlier book.

The characters are well-drawn, too, in A Fall in Denver, although not as attractive (to me) as the guys on Tensleep's oil rig. The plot is pretty good, but then there is the autobiographical excellence.

The internal musings and turmoil of Andrews' main character seem so true-to-life, they make Emily Hansen a very believable character. In an epilogue, Andrews emphasizes the personal experiences that formed the basis for some of her character's self-examinations.

Emily Hansen, in moving from rural Wyoming to urban Denver, from below-entry-level job to oil company geologist has a lot of transitioning to do and little of it is easy. Even with her New England prep school background (you know, the scholarship kid from out west somewhere), the changes make her question nearly everything. Andrews is writing about herself and she does it well. Even if you're not a fan of mysteries, you might enjoy this book. Try it out and let us know what you think.