Murder on the Red Cliff Rez [Hardcover]

Mardi Oakley Medawar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 14, 2002

Karen Charboneau is a respected and, by most standards, successful ceramics artist who is Chippewa and lives on the Red Cliff Reservation in Northern Wisconsin. Born and raised there, she is at least as well regarded on the Rez for her superior woodsman skills and is known to one and all as Tracker. Most of the tracking she does, however, involves tourists who've wandered off the paths and gotten lost - people who want desperately to be found.

But the normally quiet Red Cliff Rez is currently rocked by an ever-widening scandal - the widely disliked tribal attorney Judah Boiseneau has been found murdered in his office. Everyone is sure that the man responsible is his cousin, Benny Pelican. But Benny has disappeared into the reservation - and as someone who knows the land, he won't be easy to find. With the Tribal Chairman leaning on him to resolve the case quickly, the local B.I.A. agent and the Bayfield County Sheriff department breathing down his neck, reservation Police Chief David Lameraux has to turn to the only person he's sure can find the missing suspect - Tracker.

Nothing is as simple as it appears, however, and it's going to take all of the combined skill, knowledge and luck of Lameraux and Tracker if they are to have any chance of resolving this perplexing murder.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first in Medawar's (The Ft. Larned Incident, etc.) new contemporary series gets off to a bang with the shooting death of tribal attorney Judah Boiseneau. True enough, the man might have deserved killing, but Red Cliff Reservation police chief David Lameraux refuses to let crime go unpunished. Complicating the job are rumors about fisherman Benny Peliquin and the victim's wife. Ignoring protests, Bayfield County Sheriff Bothwell and Officer Michael Bjorke order a manhunt for Peliquin. enter Karen "Tracker" Charboneau to head the search. Whereas Tony Hillerman relies on tradition and superstition, Medawar portrays her people through mannerisms and language as different from the West as is their Wisconsin climate. As Tracker follows the trail of her mentor and friend, old wounds between her and Lameraux are reopened. even before Tracker is called to assist the police, a check on her elderly hermit uncle puts her in danger. Hurrying to scour the woods for the old man, she instead comes upon a logging operation at a time and a place that raises immediate concern. The deeper Tracker and Lameraux dig into the murder, the more certain they are that the logging is somehow connected - and they become even more sure when a second body turns up. Some readers may have trouble figuring out all the nuances of Tracker and Lameraux's relationship, but hopefully things will become clearer in future installments of this promising new series.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The primary suspect in the murder of a Chippewa tribal attorney flees into the nearly impenetrable wilderness of the Red Cliff Reservation in northern Wisconsin. Under pressure from the FBI, Police Chief David Lameraux finds that he must hire the "Tracker." Fine work from the author of the historical mystery series about Tay-bodal, a Kiowa Indian (e.g., The Ft. Larned Incident).
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (June 14, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031220938X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312209384
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,087,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an absorbing glimpse into another way of life, September 20, 2002

By 

Rebecca Brown "rebeccasreads" (Clallam Bay, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder on the Red Cliff Rez (Hardcover)

The Chippewa Red Cliff Reservation in Northern Wisconsin, hasn't known a murder in over 50 years. Life changes when the Tribal Lawyer is found shot to death on the floor of the Tribal Courthouse. Judah Boiseneau was not a liked man, everyone knew he was an abusive husband whose wife, eventually, turned to his cousin for love & comfort. There is no sign of the widow & her children.

When another murder swiftly follows, & ceramic artist & tracker, Karen Charboneau, follows the clues, she & her sometime lover, the Tribal Chief of Police, realize that the murders are just the tip of the iceberg. That winter, unbeknowst to everyone, another form of decimation had occurred, & the repercussions are rippling through the Rez with startling & dangerous results.

MURDER ON THE RED CLIFF REZ is a well-crafted mystery, with an amusing & deftly-drawn cast of characters. Mardi Oakley Medawar has lovingly painted the North Woods landscape & brought it into our sitting rooms to enjoy.

Very well done!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exciting Native American police procedural, June 8, 2002

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder on the Red Cliff Rez (Hardcover)

Crime is a rarity on the Red Cliff Reservation in Northern Wisconsin, but murder never happens. Yet someone killed obnoxious tribal attorney Judah Boiseneau. Following the requirements of federal statute, reservation Police Chief David Lameraux reluctantly informs the local law enforcement officials that a homicide has occurred. This only adds to David's pressure to solve the case as the tribe council, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the nearby local police demand he capture the felon like yesterday.

Everyone believes the killer is Judah's cousin Benny Peliquin, who has vanished some where on the Rez. Desperate to find the missing suspect, David aversely turns to his former girlfriend Karen Charbonau for help because only someone with the skill of the Tracker (as she is known by all) would have a chance to find Benny. However, the cop wonders what they will discover when they catch up to Benny as David knows they will because Karen is the best.

MURDER ON THE RED CLIFF REZ is an exciting debut of a contemporary Native American police procedural series. The story line is fast-paced and loaded with action as David and Karen search for Benny, but find more than they bargained for during their trek. The who-done-it engages the audience from the start and never lets go until resolution. Though the lead couple is developed to the point that readers understand them as individuals, the former relationship between the protagonists remained murky. Readers will feel gratified with Mardi Oakley Medawar's tale that provides a strong mystery and an insightful look at life on a Wisconsin Rez.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Taybodal, where are you?, December 24, 2003

By 

Linda One "Lol925" (Burleson, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Murder on the Red Cliff Rez (Hardcover)

The Taybodal mysteries were wonderful. The characters were rich and complex as were the mysteries. The stories were replete with cultural information about the Kiowa that was fascinating.
Murder on the Red Cliff Rez appears to be the beginning of a new series. I found the humor in this book to be juvenile and the attitude toward the white characters to be racist. It seemed that all white people were ignorant and uninformed while all Native Americans were smart and well-versed in all skills necessary to survive in life. I did find the mystery to be excellent and engrossing, but the humor and one dimensional white characters definitely detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
The use of the word, "suppose" instead of "supposed" was irritating and is something the editors should have caught.
I will continue reading future novels produced by Medawar, but I hope she is able to overcome the failings of this first installment in what could be a successful series.