I purchased this book for my own personal collection. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.
Publisher: Ecco / Harper Audio
Published: August 25, 2020
Summary:
A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx.
Virgil Wounded Horse is the local enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When justice is denied by the American legal system or the tribal council, Virgil is hired to deliver his own punishment, the kind that’s hard to forget. But when heroin makes its way into the reservation and finds Virgil’s nephew, his vigilantism suddenly becomes personal. He enlists the help of his ex-girlfriend and sets out to learn where the drugs are coming from, and how to make them stop.
They follow a lead to Denver and find that drug cartels are rapidly expanding and forming new and terrifying alliances. And back on the reservation, a new tribal council initiative raises uncomfortable questions about money and power. As Virgil starts to link the pieces together, he must face his own demons and reclaim his Native identity. He realizes that being a Native American in the twenty-first century comes at an incredible cost.
My thoughts:
I had got this in one of my Book of the Month (BOTM) boxes a while back and last year I finally made the time to read/listen to it when I was participating in a challenge to try to make a dent in some of the backlog of BOTM books I had. Of course, I then forgot to write the review, so here it finally is!
This was one I remember hearing a lot of buzz for when it first came out and I was definitely intrigued about but never got to. I’m glad I finally did because I really liked it. It’s part thriller, part mystery, part contemporary drama and is set on a reservation in South Dakota. I haven’t read too many books set in or around reservations so I love when I find ones that sound appealing to me and this one definitely did.
Virgil Wounded Horse was such a memorable character in so many ways. He is an outcast, a recovered alcoholic and is a vigilante for hire. When his nephew almost overdoes on heroin, Virgil takes it personally and decides to find the source. In a lot of ways, this book reminds me of S.A. Cosby’s Blacktop Wasteland, in that Virgil definitely plays by his own rules.
I also appreciated getting glimpses of what life is like on the reservation throughout the book. This was incredibly powerful throughout. It quite angered me that the police just let things go because they happen on the reservation. I don’t know if that is just on this particular reservation or if that is widespread but I had no idea that happened.
This was quite an impressive debut and I had heard it was supposed to be the start of a series but so far there has not been any word of a follow up. I keep hoping for another book because I did really enjoy this one and would love to see another story with Virgil Wounded Horse, so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I still recommend picking this one up if you haven’t yet read it…it really is quite a remarkable read!
Audio thoughts:
The narration for this one was very well done. Darrell Dennis does a great job with the characters and his intonation and pacing was spot on. I was totally invested in the audio and if there is to be a second book, I hope the narrator is the same!
