Killing Raven [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Margaret Coel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2004

A New York Times Bestselling Author

When the body of a white man is recovered from a shallow grave in one of the most troubled corners of the Wind River Reservation, Father John O'Malley knows that if the murderer isn't caught quickly, this tragedy will only be the beginning. The victim's widow is already out for revenge. And the one person Father John believes could lead him to the killer is a terrified fifteen-year-old girl running for her life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-When two Arapaho teenagers find a murdered white man partly buried in river sand, strains between the tribe and a group of vigilante militant extremists escalate into a tense atmosphere of fear and hatred. Blaming the new gambling casino as an evil brought into the area to further the miseries of the poverty-stricken tribe, the militants bring unproven charges against it and threaten staff. After taking a job with the casino, Arapaho lawyer Vicky Holden begins an investigation into its finances and calls on her friend Father John O'Malley for help. The two are working through their own difficult relationship but are able to cooperate to untangle clues. This ninth book in the series can be read on its own. Coel expertly portrays a modern tribe that is trying to deal with the constant erosion of its customs by encroaching society and fending off poverty. She carefully draws a picture of Native American casinos, balancing the good the tribe can do for itself through the income with examples of the bad effects gambling can have. In addition, Coel aptly captures the anguish Father John has as he confronts his love for Vicky and his loyalty and devotion to his calling while she tries to deal with her unrequited love for him, plus her own loneliness and life challenges. An intriguing and often action-filled story.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Coel is in master mode with this novel."—Denver Post



"Coel keeps her readers sweating, guessing and turning the pages."—Publishers Weekly

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 468 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (January 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786261307
• ISBN-13: 978-0786261307
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,354,470 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret Coel is the author of four nonfiction books and 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vicki works for the casino, January 15, 2004

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killing Raven (Hardcover)

Margaret Coel hits all the right notes in the latest book about Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and the Wind River Reservation's priest, Father John. The discovery of a dead body at Double Dives brings Father John into an investigation, just as his friend Vicky is offered a job at the Indian reservation's gambling casino. Vicky has her doubts about the casino job, but she is convinced by Adam Lone Eagle, the other attorney at the casino that it would be beneficial to her people. Vicky has been barely making ends meet in her law practice, so she agrees to join Adam. As she learns more about the operation, Vicky becomes suspicious about the legality of some of its practices. The human side of gambling problems is revealed when one of Father John's employees becomes enmeshed in gambling debts. The delicate balancing act of Vicky and Father John's relationship is again addressed in this book, and the possibility of a new romance for Vicky causes them to face some issues that they have chosen to ignore in the past. The beautiful background of the Wyoming reservation, the well-defined characters, and the tightly-woven plot are all typical of this series.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating who-done-it, September 2, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killing Raven (Hardcover)

The Wind River Reservation is home to Arapaho lawyer Vicky Holden but her law practice is not getting her enough clients to stay in business. When Adam Lone Eagle asks her to come work with him at the newly opened Great Plans Casino, she asks the advice of two elders whom she trusts. They tell her that it would be a good idea to have an extra pair of eyes inside the casino to make sure it is being managed properly.

From almost the first day she starts working at the casino, she has a feeling that the head of the commission overseeing job hiring is placing people he knows in positions they are not qualified to handle for a kickback but she has no proof. As she delves into the records to get the evidence she needs, Vicky finds proof that Lodestar Enterprises which is running the Casino is committing even worse crimes, but her snooping almost gets her killed. Her friend Father John O'Malley rushes to the rescue but may prove too late.

KILLING RAVEN is a fascinating who-done-it but it is also a manifesto about all the evils that seem to accompany legalized gambling. The author gets a little too preachy on the subject but it is a sure bet that readers will overlook that small flaw due to the exciting and fast-paced story line. Margaret Coel gives the audience a sense of what it is like living on a reservation and why some people can never leave the land they call home.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's always a treat reading a new "Margaret Coel", November 8, 2004

By 

M. C. Crammer (Decatur, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Killing Raven (A Wind River Reservation Myste) (Mass Market Paperback)

This latests mystery was no exception. The plot involves a casino that has just opened on the Arapaho reservation in Wyoming. Vicki, an Arapaho lawyer, is desperate for work but not very excited when she gets offered some work by the casino -- she has some concerns about the place. In the meantime, Father John, Jesuit priest who runs the reservation mission, has been called on to say some prayers over a body that's been discovered. And that involvement leads to Father John's getting caught up in whatever is going on at the casino, as he attempts to locate someone who has gone missing. So -- you have both Father John and Vicki snooping around the casino, and since they have an unstated special regard for each other, you know their paths will cross -- and they do.

I don't know why I love Coel's mysteries so much, but it has to do with her portrayal of life on the reservation -- I feel like it's a place I know well, and that her fictional characters are real people I've met. The plotting is very good, but that's not why I read the books. My only complaints about her books are 1) enough of Vicki and Father John pining for each other -- Vicki needs to forget about him and find someone available; and 2) I don't like all the violence that usually marks the end of Coel's books -- this one being no exception.