Mask of the Deer Woman

DEBUT Dove’s first novel tackles the epidemic of missing Indigenous women with a contemporary tale set on a fictional Kansas reservation. Newly appointed tribal marshal Carrie Starr has just arrived at the Saliquaw reservation dragging the remains of her career and personal life behind her. Her first case is a young woman who has gone missing, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Starr knows that Indigenous women have been going missing for decades, but discovering proof that the crimes were mismanaged and ignored, even by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, seems impossible. Uncertain if she can locate the young woman in time, Starr juggles many influences on the investigation, including politics, oil development, and a distrust of outsiders. Occasionally the narrative becomes bogged down in Starr’s difficult past and alcohol addiction, with sections unclear or jumbled. For instance, Starr’s addiction may contribute to her visions of a spirit avenging women. This novel shines with Starr’s outsider analysis of the reservation where her father grew up but doesn’t consider her one of its own. Some secondary characters remain undeveloped, possibly for a sequel to explore.