The Eagle Catcher is the first book in the Wind River Reservation mystery series by Margaret Coel. It deals with an Irish priest who, after falling into disgrace from addiction to alcohol and so forth, was sent to a small reservation where the Arapaho people live.We begin in the present-day of the narrative and only learn these facts later in the book. You see, when he first arrived at the St. Francis Mission on the reservation in Wyoming, he was full of pride, despite his fall from esteem. He thought he would tough it out and then leave. Now, six years later, he loves the reservation and it's people. He has learned to see things from their point of view and have respect for their ideas and traditions. We aren't told what O'Malley does and doesn't agree with the Native Americans on, but just that he values them.All of this brings us to the beginning of the book, wherein the story begins. A tribal council member, Harvey Castle, is murdered in his tent at a powwow event, his nephew is accused of the crime. O'Malley, and his friend, Arapaho lawyer Vicky Holden, don't believe for a minute that Anthony did the crime. But the FBI agent investigating things has evidence to indict him. It looks bad, unless the priest and the lawyer can prove the young man's innocence.What I liked about this book was that it showed honestly the frayed nature of the interactions of whites and Native Americans, but didn't really get in your face, whites are bad and Indians pure about it. Too many pov's in history, or other sources are cliched or biased. This one shows an honest point of view. Whites mistreated the Indians, and that is true. Not all whites are bad, and racism is on both sides. The author's statement in the front of the book makes clear her sympathies for the Native American peoples, but she wrote things honestly. Detailing the disgraceful treatment of indigenous peoples by the US government, and the ongoing bad actions on both sides.It should be understood that the Father and Vicky are not action heroes. They are in danger when the bad guy comes a-calling. It's really their cleverness that saves them. I think I like the authoress including Vicky for the sake of avoiding the "white guy saves the day" trope, as she herself explained. But she fleshed out Vicky and makes her likable, if a bit of a jerk at times. But those few times she isn't as nice as Father John are ones that, given her past traumas, she can be forgiven and understood for.The visual descriptions of the lands of the Reservation help to envision these beautiful lands. As well, the in-depth way of portraying the customs and rites of the tribe pulled you in and showed you a fascinating and remarkable culture.I can't wait to pick up another volume in this series some time.Highly Recommended.
If you're like me and enjoy mysteries that are permeated with Native American culture and history, put Margaret Coel's Wind River mysteries on your reading list. This first book in the series is a strong blend of well-plotted mystery, a setting that should be listed in the cast of characters, Arapaho culture and history, and two strong, interesting leads in Father John O'Malley and Arapaho lawyer Vicky Holden. "In the distance, the brown humps of the Wind River Mountains rode against the sky like a herd of giant buffalo." The high plains setting of the Wind River Reservation plays an important role in the book, especially if you keep in mind the fact that Father John and Vicky are a thirty to forty-five minute drive from anywhere. It's remote, it's beautiful, and its weather can turn on a dime. Father John O'Malley taught history in Jesuit prep schools back East until his drinking spiraled out of control and he was sent in disgrace from Boston to the Wind River Reservation. To his surprise, he fell in love with the landscape and with the Arapaho people. Vicky Holden was the wife of a drunk and abusive man. She divorced him and took the long lonely road to law school. Vicky is much more prickly than Father John, but both are strong, intelligent, and just the kind of characters to sustain a long series.I was swept up by the story very quickly, and I appreciated how Coel skillfully wove present-day Arapaho issues into the narrative. Although I did identify one of the villains of the piece very early on, the killer came as a total surprise. The reveal should not have been so amazing, however, because there were clues all along the trail-- proof of how the story made me put aside my deductive skills.If there was anything I didn't like about the book, it was the fact that the story was over much too soon and left me with a craving for more-- in particular, more of Vicky Holden. Father John received the lion's share of the attention in this book, and Vicky is such a fascinating character that I'm dying to learn more about her. Good mystery, evocative setting, Native American culture and history, and two characters with whom I need to become better acquainted. I'm definitely returning to Wind River!
What do You think about The Eagle Catcher (1996)?
This is the first book in Margaret Coel's series with Father John O'Malley, a recovering alcoholic Jesuit Mission priest on the Wind River Reservation of Wyoming, and Vicky Holden, a middle-aged, divorced Arapaho attorney. I would rank this book in the same group as Tony Hillerman and William Kent Krueger.Interwoven with the mystery plot of this book is cultural background, history, customs of this Nation of Arapaho peoples and how they came to be located with the Shoshone on this reservation, and a little insight to tribal goverment. Coel also makes today's plight of Native Americans very clear and they obstacles they face. The story opens with the murder of a prominent Arapaho in his tent at a PowWow, and an immediate suspect, who is obviously framed. When I turned the last page, I wanted MORE--lots more.
—Linda Branich
At the Wyoming Wind River Reservation, Arapahos meet for their powwow when their tribal chairman, Henry Castle, is found murdered. The suspece is Henry's nephew, Anthony.Fr. John O'Mally, S.J. the parish priest and recovering alcoholic disagrees. He wonders if the murder had to do with oil on the reservation. There had been an argument about buying back the Cooley ranch where there might be additional oil that could help the financial plight of the Indians.As a historian, O'Mally is asked to look into the historical documents of the Arapahos and the insight he gets from this helps the reader see how the Indians were taken advantage of in the past.The story mixes drama, history and romance, mixed with the pathos of life on the reservation. O'Mally's alcoholism fits in with the many cases of alcoholism on the reservation except that he is recovering from alcohol. Those interested in American Indian History will enjoy this story.
—Michael
I like Coel's well-paced storytelling and her superb character development. I always feel I am transported to the plains and I know her characters. This was her first in the series. It introduces Father John O'Malley, a Jesuit priest who is a recovering alcoholic. He is sent to the Wind River reservation...a far cry from Boston. When Father John discovers the dead body of a tribal council member, the mystery begins. Fr. John teams up with tribal attorney Vicky Holden to clear dead man's nephew and find the real killer. They must untangle a web that involves "doglegging drilling" for oil on the reservation, and the pending purchase of a privately owned ranch that adjoins the reservation. There is enough here to keep the reader guessing, and along the way one learns about Arapaho traditions and their modern day concerns. O'Malley and Holden are likeable, complex, well-drawn characters.
—Nancy
