The Drowning Man
Book - 2006
In Margaret Coel's latest Wind River Reservation mystery, Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Father John O'Malley find themselves immersed in the dark underbelly of the illegal market for Indian relics. The Arapahos call it "The Drowning Man"-an ancient petroglyph depicting the haunting image of a human figure struggling under water. A priceless artifact to the tribe, the sacred object is worth a quarter of a million dollars to the thieves who took it. After receiving the ransom demand, Father John is determined to uncover the identity of the culprits and recover the petroglyph. The theft is nearly identical to an unsolved seven-year-old case involving another stolen petroglyph-and manslaughter. Vicky joins Father John to piece together the events of the past seven years. But their quest will put them in the path of a relentless killer who will stop at nothing to remain unknown.
Publisher:
New York : Berkley Prime Crime, c2006
Edition:
[Book Club edition]
ISBN:
9780425211717
Characteristics:
321 pages ;,22 cm.



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Add a CommentAs always, Coel slips in Arapaho history and culture in this fast-paced modern mystery. Vicky's desire to serve her people places her in danger, not for the first time. Father John's feelings for her, which he tries to keep in check, cause him to avoid her when they'd be able to solve the mystery more quickly if they worked together. A stolen sacred petroglyph mirrors a similar crime 7 yrs before. Everyone assumes the same man chiseled it out of the rock. Several side plots come together at the end. Coel, as usual, contrasts the white and Indian cultures, and makes you feel the vastness of the plains as a positive for those who live there. The reader also feels the summer heat.