Book Review: Sinister Graves

A snowmelt has sent floodwaters down to the fields of the Red River Valley, dragging the body of an unidentified Native woman into the town of Ada. The only evidence the medical examiner recovers is a torn piece of paper inside her bra: a hymnal written in English and Ojibwe.

Cash Blackbear, a 19-year-old Ojibwe woman, sometimes helps Sheriff Wheaton, her guardian, on his investigations. Now she knows her search for justice for this anonymous victim will take her to the White Earth Reservation, a place she once called home. When Cash happens upon two small graves in the yard of a rural, “speak-in-tongues kinda church,” Cash is pulled into the lives of the malevolent pastor and his troubled wife while yet another Native woman dies in a mysterious manner.

Sinister Graves, the latest novel by Marcie R. Rendon, will be released on October 11, 2022. Soho Press provided an early galley for review.

I got to know this author and series from the first title Murder On the Red River which we read for our library bookclub a few months back. I recently read the second of the series Girl Gone Missing as well. Taken together with this one, you can see the evolution that Rendon is going through with her heroine in this series set in the early 1970's. She writes about the Native American experience at the time with stories set in a locale that is familiar to her growing up. That grounds this whole series in a very believable, very comfortable setting.

Sinister Graves feels more like a mystery than the first two of the series. Those were very character-focused, setting up Cash and her world and outlining the changes the young woman is experiencing. This one has a stronger vibe to it as Cash, now more assured of herself, is actively investigating a murder and more. I like this evolution. The story this time is also very complex with many layers. I like that Rendon does not tie-up every loose end nor does she feel that every question needs a clear answer. This is just like life.

As with the first two books, this one is also a fairly easy going read. Again, I think that is due to the author writing from what she knows. It feels natural and organic because the author appears to be very comfortable with everything. I can also see Rendon growing as a fiction author as well, building on what worked previously as well as expanding her literary skills. I am enjoying being on this journey with her and Cash.