Killing Raven

Starred review from August 18, 2003
Bestseller Coel's ninth superbly crafted outing for Father John O'Malley and Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden (after 2002's Shadow Dancer) opens with the discovery of a dead body at Double Dives, a remote area where the less savory citizens drink and party on the Wind River Reservation. The murder brings Father John of St. Francis Mission into the picture and soon embroils him in much more, along with his almost-too-dear friend Vicky. She and Lakota lawyer Adam Lone Eagle represent the interests of Great Plains Casino, the rez's new venture and the tribe's highest hope for the future. A group of self-proclaimed "rangers" are harassing casino-goers and employees, and Vicky becomes the object of their campaign. Yet it's these men's words that prompt her to take a closer look at the number of casino workers linked to commission chairman Matt Kingdom. And this leads Vicky to a sickening revelation—if Matt Kingdom is dirty, how can Adam not also be involved? As Vicky digs for answers, she comes dangerously close to a criminal thicket that seems entwined with the casino. Coel keeps her readers sweating, guessing and turning the pages. Of all the writers of Native-American mysteries compared to Tony Hillerman, Coel is the one who most deserves the accolade.