Maelstrom — Ann Cooper

She was an engineer -- doing her job

True, female petroleum engineers were still something of a rarity, especially in Saudi Arabia, but Samantha was fully qualified, and respected by the men in her field.

So why was Max Kramer having such difficulty accepting her presence on the rig?

Obviously he would have preferred her in his bedroom, but did he really think Samantha was so eager to join Jessica, Farida and the others?

Hero: Max Kramer
Heroine: Samantha "Sam" Whittaker