Hardwater

SO many times you pick up a novel expecting to be entertained, but for that entertainment to last you also have to believe in the story and want to keep reading. Sherwood's work is not only entertaining, but not once did I skip ahead with a longing sigh for reality (a big achievement!) The plot is engaging, the characters sympathetic and real (no obviously trumped up stereotypes in this!) and the ending is very satisfying in a way that is both unexpected and relieving, as well as brutally realistic. (key words: realistic realistic realistic) His attention to character and environment is truly exceptional. I am impatiently awaiting his next literary endevor!

What an outstanding novel! It was thoroughly enjoyable. The western setting is authentic and you quickly feel like you are a part of the community. Similar to other reviewers - I was sorry when I finished it. I am looking forward to Steve's next novel!

Hardwater is a hidden gem of a suspense novel set in the contemporary American West. The story opens on a gruesome crime scene, and a journalist intent on sniffing out the identity of a serial killer with a knack for verse. Underneath this murder mystery is an issues novel about the contemporary American West, where native tribes and white farmers battle over water rights, and failed uranium mines sit abandoned in the landscape, to be approached with Geiger Counter in hand. But more than the mystery or the provocative issues, what makes Hardwater such an enjoyable read is its fantastic setting. Hardwater is a world of granite monoliths, tribal customs, and wide open spaces. Fans of Tony Hillerman and John Nichols will eagerly devour this worthy winner of the 2003 George Garrett Prize.

This is a great read! You'll probably finish it in 2 sittings. It's fast paced, but when it's over you've gotten to know the characters well enough that you don't want them to go away. The characters themselves are so interesting and real. Definitely not predictable. I highly recommend this new author.

I have read mysteries from Robert Parker to P.D.James, but Tony Hillerman better look out for Steve Sherwood. If this novel, which won the Texas 2003 fiction award, is not a best seller, it surely should be. The characters are real people not stick figures, the plot moves at a good pace, and the case unravels for us and Peter Hoback, managing editor of the Hardwater, Wyoming newspaper. Having been to some of the mines and areas of the Wind Rivers, I felt as if I was part of the whole story because of Sherwood's setting and his skill at storytelling. I never like fight scenes because they see so contrived, but the one here made me wince and duck. I am even urging Peter not to go into the basement because I fear what might be there; however, Sherwood even teases me there. If you want to read a real page turner, spun by a pro, hurry up and order Hardwater before they all sell out!