The Silent Spirit

Wind River Reservation #14

by Margaret Coel

Kiki Wallowingbull went to Hollywood to uncover the truth behind why his great-grandfather disappeared back in 1923. But after Kiki's frozen body is discovered on the reservation, Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Father John O'Malley must find the connection between the two violent deaths separated by nearly a century.

Genres: Mystery, Native American, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Audiobook

322 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2009

About the author

Margaret Coel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of the acclaimed novels featuring Father John O'Malley and Vicky Holden, as well as several works of nonfiction. Originally a historian by trade, she is considered an expert on the Arapaho Indians.

Reviews

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to Margaret Coel after I'd read all the Tony Hillerman's; I needed my fix of Native American detective stories. What I didn't realise at the time was that I was buying into the angst of a nation, the lost dreams and sorrowful songs of a people. In all her books the sense of loss is great and when that is coupled with the "forbidden" attraction between Father O'Malley and the Arapaho lawyer, Vicky Holden (let alone the baggage they are carrying) there is a hole opened up before us that should swallow us up, soul and all, leaving us in true depths of depression. But not so. It is pride and love that saves us: the battle of a people struggling to preserve their past and help their children and grandchildren combat poverty, alcohol and drugs; the love, and faith, of John O'Malley for this people with whom he has so much in common; and that of Vicky for her embattled people.
"The Silent Spirit" encapsulates all this in a simple yet fascinating storyline that begins with the making of the first silent Western, "The Covered Wagon", and ends with the search of a young Arapaho for the answer to the mystery concerning the disappearance of his grandfather in Hollywood. Love and hope run through the tale like a golden thread that glistens through the darkness of murder, drug dealers and racism. The pride of the people warms your soul in the cold snows of winter on the plains.
I can understand how some of Coel's fervent readers might quail at the mental struggles that haunt Father O'Malley and Vicky Holden in the excellent Wind River Mysteries, but our worries and our fears stay with us in life - so why not in fiction?

[Patricia McLean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recently, I've read two Margaret Coel mysteries after not having read one for a couple of years. I don't think her writing is as strong as Tony Hillerman's and I think The Silent Spring is a case in point. She has two basic characters who are emotionally entangled, but pretty much doomed to never become lovers. This theme is getting ragged. I know that people pick up serial books at different points in the on-going story and some reiteration of the setup is necessary, but I found it annoying in this book. I did not feel there was any real risk for any of the characters and I was not invested in them. I think it will be a while before I pick up another Coel mystery. Though I do have to say that The Girl with Braided Hair, which precedes this book was a quite solid mystery and well done.

I have given this book 3 stars in spite of my dissatisfaction because I think that anyone new to Coel would not have the same issues and would enjoy reading it. We are talking about a mystery, not great litereature.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Father John. I like the setting and the cultural information. The who-done-it is usually pretty good. I just don't like Vicki. She reminds me of one of those job candidates who when asked to tell you about their greatest fault it's that they "just care too much." She has bopped around so much in her job history, and she is always so willing to be thoughtlessly reckless, often drawing Father John into danger along with herself. Also, this volume had a purported drug kingpin who has never been arrested. Since he is dumb as dirt, that is hard to imagine.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read any of these for awhile and thought I'd try them again. I really used to love Coel's books, but the relationship between Vicki and John is getting annoying. Just the same thing over and over. We know it is never going to amount to anything, so why keep mentioning it a million times in the book? And, as others have said, the writing is repetitive. The only reason I keep reading these is because of the Native American culture and history. Perhaps she could start a new series which focuses on Native Americans but does not involve Fr. John and Vicki. 3 stars for NA content only.

[Janet Brigham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the very few series I can recommend to anyone without hesitation. This book is less intense than earlier books in the series, but pleasantly so. The Father John/Vicky relationship is more settled, although I do still wish that the Vicky character had some shred of a sense of humor. (The relationship between John and Walks On remains the most unflappable and dependable.) The time frame shifts comfortably between the 1920s and the present; the plot twist revelations at the end work well.

[Sallee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine book by Margaret Coel. She uses her expertise about the Arapahos to bring to life the facts of living on a reservation, old traditions and how the younger generations struggle between the old ways and everyday modern life. Father John and attorney Vicky Holden try to offer guidance and legal advice to those struggling. When a young man, a former drug abuser and convict, is found dead in a ditch, this opens the door to happenings in Hollywood in 1922 and its impact on the dead man who was looking for justice for his great grandfather. A well paced story.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very interesting learning about Tim McCoy and native americans in film. I found the present day murder to not be as well developed or as engaging.

Mystery, Native Americans

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series and it holds up well when compared to the Hillerman Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn works...In this one, a young Arapahoe ex-con heads to LA to unravel the mystery surrounding his great grandfather's murder/disappearance nearly a hundred years ago during the filming of an epic western...Following the usual Coel formula, both Vicky and Fr. John are pulled into the mystery following divergent storylines, that subsequently merge during the denouement...I'm hooked!!!

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number 14 in this series, although only the 2nd one I’ve read. It took me 4-5 years to get back to this author even though I liked the first book…so many books…
I also liked this one. I like the characters and I like the mystery and reading about the Arapaho people…I will probably read more in this series.

[Jay Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is based on a real event. The Covered Wagon was a silent movie that used real Indians as extras. The portrayal of the Indians and the resulting mystery is one of Coel's best mysteries. Father Tim has returned from Rome and has clearly realized this is where he belongs. Vicki realizes something is wrong with her life and seeks the answer. A good read and an interesting historical tidbit to boot.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this series has become a little routine or formulaic this entry was still enjoyable. I'm not a fan of cliffhangers to the whole thing about the provincial and Father John not connecting, especially at the end as off putting.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise is a 100 yr old murder from the days of the silent movies when Arapahoes and Shoshones played themselves in the first westerns. The author draws on some real history of that time and uses one of her writing techniques of flashback chapters. The mystery unravels slowly when the great grandson of the murdered man seeks justice and is murdered himself. In places the book felt repetitive, and the viewpoint changes from person to person a lot or I would have given it 4 stars.
Also the tension of the unfulfilled relationship between the main characters is getting old.

[Richard Etzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

One learns a lot about the history of the plains indians reading Coel's books. The Arapaho lawyer and a Jesuit priest on the Wind River Reservation team up once again to solve a 90 year mystery of an Indian disappearance while filming a silent movie. Vicky Holden doesn't get into a life and death situation in this one but Father John does. It all works out in the end. A good read that moves along to a predictable conclusion.

[Dick Aichinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father John in back at the mission after his stint in Rome. It doesn't take him long to fall into another mystery and need to help the people there.

A young Indian released from jail for drugs is found dead near a location known to be a place frequented by the drug trade. The agent and just about everyone else believes the death has everything to do with him falling back into the drugs problems that put in jail to begin with. The young man's grandfather, though, doesn't believe it. His grandfather thinks it may have something to do with something that had happen to his own father back in the 1920's.

Separately, Vicky receives a mysterious phone call about being responsible for a death. Are these two things connected? Father John is interested in helping the grieving grandparents. Vicky feels an obligation to the man on the phone who reached out to her.

A tale that reaches back to a time in the 1920's when the Arapaho were called upon to act in western silent films. Interesting. And, a fun read. Margaret Coel has a writing style that is comfortable and easy. I enjoy her stories immensely.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first taste of Coel's Wind River Mystery series which contains at least 15 other titles. I was less familiar with the recurring characters but the book was readable as a stand alone title. Taking place mostly on the Wind River Indian Reservation where I had worked with a cohort of teacher candidates at the local college, it was fun to read about places with which I was a little familiar. The mystery unfolds on a dual level as a character investigating the disappearance of his great grandfather while filming a Hollywood western. The character's death becomes one mystery as recurring characters -- a local lawyer Vicki Holden and mission priest Fr. John O'Malley investigate his death. That mystery also involves solving the mystery of the great grandfather's disappearance. Interesting facts about early Hollywood westerns since the case revolves the filming of a real film The Covered Wagon with a real cowboy star Tim McCoy. Interesting context for an engaging mystery.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story from the Wind River series. This one is told in 2 parts - 1922 and the present day. The 1922 part is about Indians from the Reservation being hired to play - what else - Indians in the movie The Covered Wagons. And things went on then that affected some one those living in the present day.
One young Indian who got clean after being jailed for selling drugs comes back to his grandparents a changed young man who is obessed about finding out why his great grandfather never came home after working in the movie. Did he run away from his new wife and baby or did something happen to him.
I like the characters in this series and will keep reading it just to see if there ever is a marriage between 2 of the main characters.

[Gareld Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to see an insider's perspective of the American Indian Movement. I remember hearing about it when I was a kid but never really understood all of what the movement was doing. For this story at least, the murder investigation almost took a backseat to the history of the AIM. As with most of these later Wind River books, I am a bit frustrated with Vicky's impulsiveness and constant need to put herself in danger just so Father John can come in and save her. I am also tired of Adam's dictatorial approach. I see absolutely no chemistry between him and Vicky. There were some nice plot twists though.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. I began reading Margaret Coel's series after completing those of Hillerman and Aimee Thurlo. I find that the series is a bit lightweight compared to the Native American thrillers of Hillerman, James Doss and Dana Stabenow. However, I do find them thoroughly enjoyable. Readers should understand that Coel is a historian as well as writer of fiction. The background is good solid history.

If you are looking for a good Native American thriller series, check this one out. If you read them from the beginning the first few are not as good as the later ones. The characters are good and become like old friends over time.

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another Okay book by Coel. It drags somewhat in the middle as many things are repeated over and over as our heroes meet different folks. Also, "you ask me" is used consistently; while it may be reservation lingo, it's probably not popular in 1923. The use of flashbacks to 1923 was often confusing and not well divided. The Vicky and John characters have the same old, same old tension builders going on---boring, trite and used---book 15 is just like book 1 and it gets older and older. I had to drag myself through this book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Father John O’Malley has just returned from a six-month sabbatical in Rome. For the first few weeks, Arapaho attorney Vicki Holden goes out of her way to avoid him. However, the two are thrown together when a body is found on the reservation. The investigation centers on the drug problem on the Wind River Reservation. However, the background of the story is set in 1923 when a group of Arapaho and Shoshone were recruited to play a fictional version of themselves in the first Hollywood epic Western. The mystery plot based on this background is a bit far-far-fetched.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two people have disappeared. The first, found by Father O'Malley, we know was murdered. The other vanished 100 years ago. One would think that the first would be easy to solve. One might not understand that the older would be key to solving the present. The complicated plot was made even more complicated by Father O'Malley and Vicky Holden looking in the wrong direction, riling up the local drug dealers. Excellent story.

[Lorraine McCleary · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the 20's a large cast of Arapaho 's and other natives worked in silent films in early Westerns. One Arapaho became involved with a white actress, despite his friends warning him not to do so. His great grandson goes to Hollywood to find out why his great grandfather disappeared in CA in 1910. The great grandson's death on the rez causes Vicky and Father O'Malley to try and clear his name of a drug murder and find out what he had been investigating in CA about his grandfather's death.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid installment in the Wind River Mysteries series. This one is a bit long winded and doesn't have quite as much action, especially in the conclusion, as the other books. Also, I'm surprised none of the characters have overdosed on coffee yet. I've never seen so many references to coffee in a book.

[Jb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this for two reasons: the Native American characters (mainly Arapahoe) and the trip back in time to the 1920's and a glimpse of the early Hollywood production. This is my first Margaret Coel read, but I have enjoyed this genre of detective stories. Of course I've enjoyed Tony Hillerman stories but plan to read more of this author as well.

[Cybercrone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like these stories well enough, except for the fact that the 2 main characters run around like toasted geese, not using any logic or common sense, which is especially annoying since they're supposed to be a Jesuit and a lawyer.
Stupidity of the protagonists is not an acceptable way to up the page count.

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coel's plots and characters are irresistible. This weaving a story out of an old-time mystery may be fiction, but it reads like fact. I liked learning that a gallant white man looked after the Arapahoes and Shoshones during the silent movie era of cowboys and Indians. The denouement is satisfying but sad; Kiki remains dead.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiki Wallowingbull went to Hollywood to uncover the truth behind why his great-grandfather disappeared back in 1923. But after Kiki's frozen body is discovered on the reservation, Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Father John O'Malley must find the connection between the two violent deaths separated by nearly a century.

[Vida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redemption for some, closure for others.
I was surprised to find that although the mystery is fictional, the backdrop of the story is true. Definitely want to find out more about the historical aspects.
I like the two main characters and the stories that they become involved in but do find that their relationship is becoming a bit tedious.

[Ruth Ellen]

Father John meets Kiki on the road. Kiki tells him he is going to Hollywood to find out the truth about the death of his Great Grandfather. Weeks later he is found dead in the rez. Vicky is getting phone calls from an anonymous killer. Together, Vicky and Father John piece together Kiki's final days. Read and see what the find out.

[Deb W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father Murphy and Vicky are back on the trail again after a long separation. Does this lead to his permanent return to Wind River's mission? Time will tell. :)

Ms Coel writes a great "Indian" story that teaches whites how much we are the same. How much we whites could learn if we were more respectful. I like that. <3