Death in the Empty Quarter

by George L Potter

The oil industry can be a cutthroat business, and no one knows that better than troubleshooter Bert Franks. As a consultant and plenipotentiary for Vermilion Oil Company (the Houston-based firm owned by his adoptive sister and brother-in-law), he specializes in navigating the political minefields of the Middle Eastern nation of Yemen, where Vermilion operates a profitable oilfield concession. Bert spends his days dealing with the needs of the oilfield employees, maintaining contacts in the local expatriate community, meeting and socializing with government officials, even handling major negotiations—anything necessary to smooth the way for Vermilion's interests. When a minor contractual dispute spirals out of control, Bert finds himself at the center of a storm of corporate cupidity, government corruption, a muckraking reporter, political controversy...and murder. His brother-in-law is dead, his girlfriend has vanished, Vermilion is on the brink of bankruptcy—and suddenly he's persona non grata in a country he's adopted as his own. And the whole time, he never suspects that the real danger to all he cares for lies not in the Yemen desert, but much, much closer to home... Monsoor opened the conversation. "Bert, my friend, you are in some serious trouble, you know? You could be spending some time in one of our new prisons; I know that would not be a pleasant experience. You entered our country illegally; you presented false documents at military checkpoints; you travel in a disguise with false papers. You may even be charged with espionage..." Bert interrupted, "Your Excellency, I would like to speak with the American consulate before we go any farther with this interrogation." "My friend, this is not an interrogation and you have no need to worry. We are only going to expel you from the country, and, my friend, we want to emphasize to you most strongly that you are no longer welcome in the Islamic Republic of Yemen.” Bert wondered about Monsoor referring to his country as the “Islamic Republic” – the correct name was simply the “Republic of Yemen.” Monsoor continued, “You have abused our hospitality. Muhammad here will take you to the airport, where one of your embassy officials will make sure that you are on the next available flight out of Yemen. I regret we must restrain you, of course, until you are turned over to your consulate at the airport." Monsoor was lying; Bert was also listening to a background conversation in Arabic between the two security men standing behind him. One was saying that he was to be taken to the desert and shot! Bert knew that if he allowed himself to be handcuffed and put in the car, he was as good as dead. Without much thought, his Marine training kicked in. Bert lunged at Muhammad, butting him square in the nose with his forehead. Muhammad fell hard to the ground, Bert on top of him, reaching into his jacket to retrieve the revolver Muhammad had flashed earlier, while at the same time trying to leg-swipe the other security man. Success—his shin made contact, and the other man also fell hard to the ground. Bert pulled the revolver from Muhammad's shoulder holster and rolled over, ready to fire if necessary. Unfortunately, Bert hadn't seen three other security agents, all with AK-47s locked and loaded and pointed straight at him. None of this activity seemed to attract the attention of anyone else in the parking lot; to a person, they ignored the activity and went about their business. "Monsoor, why?" Bert demanded. “This is Allah's will. You infidels took from us and polluted our culture; we will soon have a true Islamic state, not this abomination we now live in. America is corrupt and shall suffer.”

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2011

Reviews

[Grammar*Kitten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Death in the Empty Quarter as part of the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

I have to say that of the three George L. Potter books I have read, this was actually my least favourite; that is not to say that I didn't enjoy it - I did. It just wasn't as fast paced and engrossing as his other two books. I never thought I would say this about a novel, but I actually missed the in depth but understandable insights into land laws and the oil business....

Anyway, I did enjoy this read, though it took me a little longer than the others because I wasn't quite so invested in the characters. I enjoyed the way, once again, I had no idea where the plot was actually going, and the way it all pulls together to make a very satisfying conclusion at the end.

I would perhaps advise reading this before Potter's other novels, as things can only get better from hereon out!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book through the Good Reads First Reads Giveaway.

All of my English Teachers and Professors always told me to write what I know. This is exactly what Mr. Potter did. In taking from his personal experiences, he crafted a well written book dealing with the oil industry in the Middle East. At some parts in the book, you start to see a slow down in the story, but then the action picks right up and you learn something new about all of the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

[KyBunnies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a Good Reads First Read contest win.

This book had lots of action and adventure with some crime and mystery thrown in.

This is a great first book by the author. He has retired from the oil industry so he details about the oil in the book are amazing. This book can be purchased as an ebook for the low price of 99 cents. That is an amazing price for a book like this.

If you are into action and crime novels do not let this one pass you by.

The bunnies and I give this book 4-Carrots.

[Re · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very knowledgable author and well-written fictional novel. I especially enjoyed this, and though I'm certainly not myself personally knowledgable about this area of our world, I found this account, and its' insights into the peoples of the area fascinating. Well done George L. Potter. I am looking forward to receiving and reading "In Search of the Yellow Dog".

Great "read"! I personally found this to be a fast-to read and especially enjoyable novel.

This copy was from LibraryThing's "giveaway" program.

[Grandmadee Goodwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me about a week to read this one which is very unusual. The book is very dry. No humor or sarcastic dialog that I usually look for it a book. The plot revolves around the oil industry and it moves slowly seeming to almost stall in places. Can not say it is a bad book. It is a dull book at times and barely picks up. I tend to favor political and international thrillers. This one just never perked up.

[Papa Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would reccomend this book if you like tales of the oil industry. While this book is not an edge of your seat type political thriller that I usually go for it was a short read that was entertaining with no real surprises. I will definitely consider reading more in this series and see where it goes. After reading a few recently that were way to bloody and gorey I did appreciate this more mild tale.