The Silent Spirit

The Silent Spirit
by Margaret Coel

The Silent Spirit is the 14th volume in Coel's long-running Wind River Mystery series, featuring Catholic priest Father John O'Malley and Native American attorney Vicky Holden. This particular volume interested me because it involves a lot of historical information about earlier Hollywood and film production. The book is told with plenty of flashbacks, as the death of a reformed young trouble-making Indian on the reservation today is tied into events back in the early 1920s, when a number of Indians from the Wind River reservation went to Hollywood to appear as extras in a now-legendary western film. One of those Indians disappeared, never returning to the reservation -- inspiring his young descendant to start an investigation over 70 years later...an investigation that may, or may not, have contributed to his own death. This is a well-designed mystery, with an intriguing plot. I didn't really feel like I got to know either of the series main leads all that well in this volume...but this rich historical background more than made up for that. I definitely recommend this book! [I also recommend the rest of the Wind River Mystery series, if you like these characters, though this is the only one with the "Hollywood" connection!] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library [subscribe to Scott's It's All Geek to Me! monthly booklist newsletter column, or any of the library's other Books, Movies & More newsletters!]

[Also available in book-on-cd format.]

[ official Silent Spirit page on the official Margaret Coel web site ]

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