The Eagle Catcher - (Wind River Reservation Mystery) by Margaret Coel (Paperback)

About the Book

Originally published: University Press of Colorado, 1995.

Book Synopsis

On the windswept plains of Wyoming's Wind River Reservation, Arapahos have gathered for the Ethete powwow. It is a sacred time to reaffirm the balance and harmony in life. But these feelings of unity quickly give way to fear when tribal chairman Harvey Castle is found murdered--and every bit of evidence points to his nephew, Anthony.

There are two people who don't believe the young man capable of murder: Father John O'Malley, history scholar and pastor of St. Francis Mission, and Vicky Holden, an attorney who has recently returned to the reservation to help her people. Their investigation draws Father John and Vicky across the high plains of the Wind River Reservation--from the intimate Arapaho community centers to a byzantine world of incalculable corruption and finally into the past. It is here, in the "Old Time," where Father John catches a rare glimpse into the Arapaho life few outsiders ever see--and a crime fewer could imagine.

Review Quotes

"Shouldn't be missed...Coel is a master."--Tony Hillerman

"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

"An intense and fascinating story of avarice, tragic old wrongs, and ultimate justice...[it] takes our breath away."--Earlene Fowler

"Coel masterfully interweaves modern mysteries with the richness of Native American history and creates multilayered relationships in the larger tapestry of community life."--Ventura (CA) County Star

"Now widely considered the most accomplished heir to Tony Hillerman's legacy." --Scripps Howard News Service

"A great storyteller."--The Daily Oklahoman

"Coel weaves often insightful commentary about Arapaho culture, bigotry and the widespread alcoholism among Western tribes. Likeable, well-drawn characters and a lively pace mark this novel."--Publishers Weekly

"Told with conviction and love."--Kirkus Reviews

"Will inspire comparisons to the work of Tony Hillerman, but its insights into the Arapaho way of life in our century are unique to this form."--Loren D. Estleman

"Welcome Margaret Coel to the ranks of esteemed western mystery writers...The Eagle Catcher is not only an alluring fresh mystery told with the authoritative voice of a historian, it is also a thoughtful testimony to the clash of cultures that endures in the West."--Stephen White

"A first-rate mystery...featuring two admirable sleuths."--Jean Hager

About the Author

Margaret Coel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of the acclaimed Wind River Mysteries featuring Father John O'Malley and Vicky Holden, as well as the Catherine McLeod Mysteries and several works of nonfiction. Originally a historian by trade, she is considered an expert on the Arapaho Indians. A native of Colorado, she resides in Boulder.