Killing Custer

Another in Margaret Coel's "Wind River Mysteries" series (this is #17), set in Wyoming on the Wind River Reservation, shared by Arapahoe and Shoshone tribes. The setting, St. Francis Mission, is based on the actual St. Stephens Mission that has been there since 1884. The mystery here centers around the murder of a George Custer re-enactor during a pre-rodeo season parade. The man has come to Indian Country to flaunt the massacre of Indians by Custer and so the logical assumption is that some of the Indians riding in the parade shot him. In fact, Detective Madden has managed to threaten enough people on the reservation to get a supposed eye witness account to support that version of events. Neither Father John O'Malley nor attorney Vickie Holden believe either of the accused young Arapahoe men are capable of murder, but they are going to have to find convincing proof otherwise if they want to save them from jail. When there is a break-in at the office of a well-known lawyer in Lander and he appears to be missing, Vickie begins to wonder if there is a connection between the two events. The Indian woman who was secretary, and lover, to the missing attorney is brought in for questioning, Vickie initially serves as her attorney, but she is aware the young woman is holding back key information from her and tells her to find an attorney she can trust and confide in. When the young woman is subsequently murdered, Vickie holds herself responsible. Further, Vickie has already been contacted by the widow of the murdered Custer impersonator to find his missing money, so Vickie is unable to represent either of the two Arapahoes accused. She finds herself on the wrong side of a line she struggles to straddle. Her goal is to defend Native Americans and here she is stuck defending a white woman and, due to conflict of interest, unable to defend her fellow Indians. Each pursuing their own leads, Vickie and Father John eventually join forces to track down the missing attorney and maybe tie him to the murders, if they don't get killed first. As always, solid writing with lots of interesting history thrown in for good measure. Well constructed plot and loving portrayal of the setting. See my two earlier blogs on The Girl With Braided Hair, and Eagle Catcher by this same author.