The Girl with Braided Hair

by: Margaret Coel

Published by: Berkley Prime Crime

Reviewed by Andrea Sisco

In 1973 the American Indian Movement (AIM) was an organization that the Indians themselves either loved or feared. While its expressed goal was to fight for the rights of Native American people, there were members who used the organization for their own violent purposes.

Liz Plenty Horses was accused of informing the FBI of the location of one of the wanted AIM members. She knew she would be in danger and fled with her month-old infant daughter and was never seen again.

Thirty years has passed and a skeleton with missing teeth and a bullet hole in the back of its skull is discovered on the Wind River Reservation. It is determined that it is a young Arapaho female who had given birth. The time of death was probably around 1973.

The police are not moving very fast to delve into a cold case but Arapaho attorney Vicki Holden and Father John O’Malley are determined to learn the identity of the victim, uncover the murderer and bring him or them to justice. It’s a dangerous task because people are reluctant to talk and the murderer is sending increasingly violent and frightening messages demanding the investigation cease.

The Girl With Braided Hair is the first mystery of Margaret Coel’s I’ve read and it won’t be the last. Not only is the novel well-written, but the plot is intriguing and the characters are rich and fully developed. Since this is a series, there were small mentions of relationships and situations that are on-going and I want to know the history of those little tidbits.

Armchair Interviews says: Coel’s mystery will provide hours of wonderful entertainment.

Author’s Web site: http://www.MargaretCoel.com