In an effort to remake the remaining Arapahos into his image of their world, Curtis stages a mock tribal battle to document warriors in action. Unfortunately, his plans go awry when the fake attack results in an all-too-real murder. Bashful Woman, the daughter of the local chief and wife to a white trader, turns up dead when the dust settles, shot at close range by an unknown assailant. Rumors and suspicion fly throughout the tribe, but the case turns cold and is eventually forgotten by all but a few.

Now almost one hundred years later, Bashful Woman’s death reappears as a group of Curtis’ photos from that fateful day are exhibited at the reservation’s St. Francis Mission. As Father John O’Malley leads a school group through the exhibit, one of the students stops at one of the images of the attacking warriors and makes an astonishing pronouncement – she says that all of the warriors pictured were executed.

However, the murder mystery soon becomes far more current when a beloved tribe member and historian turns up dead and the curator of the Curtis exhibit goes missing. Sensing a connection between these latest events and Bashful Woman’s murder, Father John digs deeper to get to the truth hidden in the photographs. He joins forces with local Arapaho lawyer Vicky Holden to win justice for Bashful and capture a modern-day killer.

Margaret Coel continues her long-running Wind River Reservation series with Wife of Moon, and her skill as a writer and storyteller shines through in this installment. Her depth of knowledge regarding Arapaho reservation life is obvious, and she builds a richly interesting mystery around little-known aspects of Native American traditions and laws. Coel’s subtle nods to the strong sense of community on the reservation further enhance her work; when she writes of the blazing speed with which gossip moves through the “moccasin telegraph,” the local grapevine, she clearly does so with great affection for her subject.

Coel also has a strong talent for creating multi-faceted characters that hook readers immediately and refuse to let go until the very last page. She is exceptionally skilled at developing her protagonists into heartfelt, believable characters that will appeal to readers in spite (or perhaps even because of) their foibles and insecurities. Even though the mystery is the focus of her novel, Coel takes the time to quietly allude to other aspects of her characters. In one particularly poignant example, Vicky’s relationship with a client she’s defending is used to shed light on her failed marriage and the emotional aftermath thereof.

The heart of Coel’s well-written book is the two parallel plots, and she skillfully weaves together two distinct eras into a meaningful and cohesive whole. Coel uses flashbacks judiciously and purposefully, integrating them into the story without allowing them to overwhelm her present-day narrative. She also clearly delineates shifts between the present and the past, a thoughtful addition overlooked by far too many authors.

Finally, Coel’s mystery-writing skills are also considerable, and she has a strong sense of pacing that keeps the story moving forward without seeming breakneck. She plants clues throughout the story that reward the careful reader, but when she ultimately exposes the villains an element of surprise remains. The mystery is well-planned, logical, and eminently believable, making for a satisfying tale for mystery fans.

Overall, with Wife of Moon Margaret Coel has written a moving, well-crafted book that will appeal to mystery lovers and historical fans alike.

--Jessica Plonka