Synopses & Reviews
With her gritty mysteries steeped in authentic Native American culture, New York Times
bestselling author Margaret Coel is widely considered the most accomplished heir to Tony Hillermans legacy,” (Scripps Howard News Service).
In the latest Wind River novel, Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Father John OMalley confront a ruthless killer in the wake of a miraculous event.
A mysterious penitent confesses to murder, and then flees the confessional before Father John can identify him. Two months later, Vicky discovers rancher Dennis Carey shot dead in his truck along Blue Sky Highway. With the tragic news comes the exposure of an astonishing secret: the most sacred creature in Native American mythology, a white buffalo calf, was recently born on Careys ranch.
Making national headlines, the miraculous animal draws a flood of pilgrims to the reservation, frustrating an already difficult investigation. As visitors throw the reservation into turmoil, Vicky and Father John try to unravel the strange events surrounding both Careys murder and the recent disappearances of three cowboys from his ranch.
It could be coincidence, given the nomadic life of the cowboy trade, but when one of them fails to appear in court to testify on an assault charge, Vicky wonders if Arnie Walkfast and his Arapaho buddies are guilty of more than just assault. And at the back of Father Johns mind is the voice from the man in the confessional: I killed a man
Review
“[Coel is] a master.”—Tony Hillerman Praise for The Spider’s Web “Another satisfying sojourn through all that has made Coel a bestselling writer.”—
The Denver Post “A tangled web woven of lies, coveting, and blackmail...If you like captivating mystery stories that are a little off the beaten path, you will love this one by Margaret Coel.”—
The Romance Readers Connection
“The plot was well done and the twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. The suspense is finely layered like a good Hitchcock thriller.”—Mystery Suspense
Review
“[Coel is] a master.”—Tony Hillerman
Praise for Buffalo Bill's Dead Now
“Margaret Coel seems poised to take on [Tony Hillermans] mantle to honor the Arapaho and the West.”—The Denver Post
“An interesting combination of historical information on Buffalo Bills wildly popular show and modern-day mystery.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Compelling…[A] novel of murder, love, greed, redemption, and respect for ones heritage—and a tribute to Coels legacy as a talented mystery writer and a skillful storyteller.”—Bookreporter.com
Review
“Tony Hillerman calls Margaret Coel ‘a master of her craft. It is no wonder. [She] brings Native Americans to the fictional frontier in a way that honors the genre.”
—The Denver Post
Praise for Killing Custer
“Coels mastery at blending the past and present, as well as the blurry lines between fact and fiction, make this a satisfying historical read.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Coels characters are well developed, her descriptions, vivid and clear. The plot keeps the story moving quickly and theres a twist at the end readers may not see coming. As usual, Coels dialogue is crisp and authentic and her experience as a historian and expert on Arapaho Indians shows.”
—Examiner.com
Review
Praise for the New York Times bestselling Wind River Mysteries “[Coel is] a master.”—Tony Hillerman
“[A] vivid voice for the West.”—The Dallas Morning News
“Coels work has a maturity that comes from years of honing the writing craft…Her characters are not clichés, but real people who are imbued with the richness of their Indian heritage.”—The Denver Post
Synopsis
Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden agrees to represent a woman accused of murdering her Arapaho fiancé, a decision that places her at odds with her own people-and Father John O'Malley-for choosing to believe an "outsider" over her own people. Caught in a web of deceit, Vicky and Father John must overcome their differences to discover the identity of a psychopathic killer.
Synopsis
A new Catherine McLeod mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wind River mysteries.
After a candidate for governor is murdered, and his estranged wife is arrested for first-degree homicide, journalist Catherine McLeod receives a call from an anonymous woman claiming she saw the real killer leave the scene of the crime but is afraid to confide in the police. To uncover the truth, Catherine must risk her career-and her life-to find the witness who can identify the candidate's murderer: Detective Ryan Beckman.
Synopsis
Vicky Holden and Father John O'Malley find themselves on opposite sides of an investigation. When Arapaho Ned Windsong is shot to death, his fiancée Marcy is the only witness. Even though she identifies two Arapaho troublemakers, Ned's family clings to the belief that Marcy herself was responsible. Convinced of Marcy's innocence, Vicki agrees to represent the outsider- and finds herself at odds with her own people.
She also finds herself at odds with Father John, because the mission priest has glimpsed something in the beautiful girl that shakes him to his core. And when the men Marcy has accused of murdering her fiancé are found dead in an abandoned barn, Vicky and Father John realize they are caught in a web of lies and deceit woven by a master.
Synopsis
When the Arapaho tribal chairman is found murdered in his tepee at the Ethete powwow, the evidence points to the chairman's nephew, Anthony Castle. But Father John O'Malley, pastor of St. Francis Mission, and Vicky Holden, the Arapaho lawyer, do not believe the young man capable of murder. Together they set out to find the real murderer and clear Anthony's name.
The trail that Father John and Vicky follow winds across the high plains of the Wind River Reservation into Arapaho homes and community centers and into the fraud-infested world of Indian oil and land deals. Eventually it leads to the pastthe Old Timewhen the Arapahos were forced from their homes on the Great Plains and sent to the reservation.
There in the Old Time, Father John and Vicky discover a crime so heinous that someone was willing to commit murder more than a hundred years later to keep it hidden. As they close in a killer who does not hesitate to kill again, they discover they have become the next targets...
Critics have praised The Eagle Catcher as a tightly crafted mystery that blends Native American culture and history with contemporary issues and fast-paced action. It introduced two intelligent, compassionate sleuths: Father John O'Malley, S.J., a history scholar and recovering alcoholic, exiled to an Indian mission on the Great Plains, and Vicky Holden, an attorney who, after ten years in the outside world, has returned to the reservation to help her people.
Synopsis
After more than 120 years, the regalia worn by Arapaho Chief Black Heart in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show were supposed to be returned to his people. But the cartons containing the relics were empty when they arrived at the Arapaho museum. Rancher and Indian artifact collector Trevor Pratt had them shipped from Germany and believes thieves must have stolen them en route. Vicki and Father John suspect Trevor knows more about the theft than he’s telling—a suspicion that’s confirmed when they witness a car speeding from his home and he’s found murdered inside. To find the killer, they must first uncover the truth about a blood feud between two Arapaho families—and the original theft of Black Heart’s possessions dating back more than a century…
Synopsis
Vicky Holden and Father John O'Malley find themselves on opposite sides of an investigation. When Arapaho Ned Windsong is shot to death, his fiancée Marcy is the only witness. Even though she identifies two Arapaho troublemakers, Ned's family clings to the belief that Marcy herself was responsible. Convinced of Marcy's innocence, Vicki agrees to represent the outsider- and finds herself at odds with her own people.
She also finds herself at odds with Father John, because the mission priest has glimpsed something in the beautiful girl that shakes him to his core. And when the men Marcy has accused of murdering her fiancé are found dead in an abandoned barn, Vicky and Father John realize they are caught in a web of lies and deceit woven by a master.
Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author Margaret Coel returns to Wind River with Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Father John OMalley investigating a lethal link between legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy and a present-day murder
When Robert Walking Bears body is found in the Wind River mountains, his death appears to be accidentalexcept for the fact that he had been hunting for Butch Cassidys buried loot with a map he had gotten from his grandfather, a map believed to have been drawn by the leader of the Hole in the Wall gang himself.
It isnt long before rumors circulate that Robert was murdered by his own cousins to get the map and find the treasure themselves. Despite there being no evidence of foul play, the gossip gains credibility when both Vicky and Father John are contacted by an anonymous Arapaho claiming to have witnessed Roberts killing.
When one of Roberts cousins falls prey to another deadly accident, Vicky and Father John are convinced the victim is the witness who confided in them, and the hunt for the killer is on in earnestbefore more die in search of Cassidys cache.
Synopsis
In the latest Wind River novel from New York Times bestselling author Margaret Coel, Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Father John OMalley are witnesses to historyand murder
After more than 120 years, the regalia worn by Arapaho Chief Black Heart in Buffalo Bills Wild West show were supposed to be returned to his people. But the cartons containing the relics were empty when they arrived at the Arapaho Museum. Collector Trevor Pratt had them shipped from Germany and believes thieves must have stolen them en route.
Vicki and Father John suspect Trevor knows more about the theft than hes tellinga suspicion thats confirmed when they find him murdered in his home. To find the killer, they must first uncover the truth about a blood feud between two Arapaho familiesand the original theft of Black Hearts possessions dating back more than a century
About the Author
Margaret Coel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of The Thunder Keeper, The Spirit Woman, The Lost Bird, The Story Teller, The Dream Stalker, The Ghost Walker, The Eagle Catcher, and several works of nonfiction. She has also authored many articles on the people and places of the American West. Her work has won national and regional awards. Her first John O'Malley mystery, The Eagle Catcher, was a national bestseller, garnering excellent reviews from the Denver Post, Tony Hillerman, Jean Hager, Loren D. Estleman, Stephen White, Earlene Fowler, Ann Ripley and other top writers in the field. A native of Colorado, she resides in Boulder.