The Spirit Woman

Mystery wrapped around Sacajawea historical fiction. Coel does an excellent job weaving the challenges and issues of the Native Americans. However, the theme primarily is about violence towards women...including Vicki Holden, one of the main characters. It's also about belonging somewhere, in this case on the Wind River Reservation, as Fr John is threatened with an assignment to Milwaukee. You know that he doesn't go there because there are eight more books in this series that can't be done from Milwaukee :-)

Coel continues to write good mysteries surrounded by excellent characters and weaves in the history of the Shoshone and Arapahoe Indians.

In this book a friend of Vicki's from college comes to the reservation to research Sacajawea and the tales of the elders about her time among them. History says that Sacajawea died as a relatively young woman but Shoshone history claims she lived to be almost 100. She told tales to all who would listen of her time with the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

When the researcher is killed Vicki and Father John are searching for answers, who and why would someone kill an historian who is looking for more information about a legend? The story is riveting and spins a web of history, deceit, greed and brutality.

I am show more still enjoying the series and will be reading more. show less

Father John's time on the reservation draws to a close as the provincial orders him to complete his doctorate back East so he can teach.The new priest arrives on a motorcycle and shows interest in Arapaho oral stories. Vicky is back with her abusive former spouse, but she's already beginning to see it will not work. Father John finds a body. Vicky's friend, a white woman historian, comes to the reservation to locate an alleged manuscript containing valuable information on Sacajawea. An Arapaho graduate student is also interested in the work. Vicky's friend disappears after her ex-boyfriend shows up and threatens her. Father John discovers the memoir which led Vicky's friend to the reservation in the mission's archives and gets it into show more the FBI agent's hands. Father John receives a call about the discovery of the woman's body and calls Vicky. Gradually the two of them realize what is going on. Good installment in the series with a lot of interesting historical elements. show less

This is another excellent Wind River Indian mystery by Margaret Coel. She does an excellent job of weaving the challenges and issues of the Native Americans in her narrative as Vicky Holden and Father John work to find clues to the murder of not one but two female historians searching for answers to the legend and lore of Sacajawea.

Coel's series is set on the Wind River Arapaho/Shoshone Reservation in Wyoming (a real place), and her narrative conveys the poverty and social problems of similar locations. The writing is not stellar, but the themes and locale are compelling. Spirit Woman piques with an historical mystery about Sacajawea's life following the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1805-06.

I didn't find The Spirit Woman as good as the other books in this series.. The plot seemed to drag on. I do like Father John and Vicki and will read the next book.

Spousal abuse from Sacajawea to the present is exposed in this story of beginnings and endings. The historic background of this intrepid woman provides the rationale and framework for this Wind River mystery