If you love gritty crime fiction, honest portrayals of Native American reservation life, and vigilante justice, this book might be just your thing. (Better yet, it appears to be the start of a series!)

This book mesmerized me. Though I was a bit burnt-out on reading when I started, Weiden captured my attention by the end of the first page and I devoured the book. Winter Counts surpassed my expectations.

CHARACTERS
VIRGIL was one of the most sympathetic vigilante enforcers I’ve encountered in a crime novel. He’s tough as nails and cynical. But underneath, he’s wounded from multiple hardships. Bullied relentlessly in school. Orphaned. His sister has died, leaving him to raise his nephew with too little money and too many fears. He’s a multi-faceted, engaging narrator, one who can stare with unflinching honesty at the hardships of reservation life.

His ex-girlfriend MARIE and nephew NATHAN are also fascinating characters. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them. While it is a little cliched for ex-partners Virgil and Marie to team up, they have great chemistry and make good partners. It will be interesting to see where their relationship goes in book two (assuming there is a sequel).

Then there’s CHEF LACKLAND STRONGBOW, the visiting chef from California who cooks “indigi-cultural decolo-native cuisine.” Translation: he only uses ingredients that have been around since before Columbus. Marie is enthralled by the man; Virgil is jealous and finds the chef pretentious, though even he has to admit the food is tasty. Interesting guy, and he has surprises in store for the other characters.

RESERVATION LIFE
This is a fascinating and eye-opening look at life on the reservation. Almost everyone lives in poverty. Sometimes there’s barely money for toilet paper. The federal government provides some lousy food supplies; it’s all processed food, the stuff that makes dietitians and clean-eating proponents gasp in horror: canned vegetables, instant potatoes, powdered eggs. Everything fried in oil. Nothing like the traditional foods their ancestors ate before the Europeans took over. It’s no wonder that Chef Lack wants to “decolonize” their minds and stomachs.

Justice is a strange concept on the reservation. The tribal police handle misdemeanors, but anything requiring a sentence of over a year–any felony–is in federal jurisdiction. Unfortunately, the federal prosecutors usually decline to press charges unless it’s a murder case. That means there’s usually no justice for any felony that happens on tribal land–including sexual assaults, child abuse, domestic violence, and other violent crimes–that doesn’t end a life.

For crimes committed outside the reservation, however, a Native American can expect an unduly harsh sentence. Virgil’s buddy TOMMY spent two years in a federal prison for hitting a white man in self-defense . . . with a can of body spray. Would a white man get that sentence? Maybe. But it seems less likely.

Weiden works in the history of the indigenous/white relationship in North America in a natural way. It’s a huge part of the world he recreates for us in this story. I didn’t feel the book’s attitude was antagonistic toward whites; Virgil’s attitude seems equal parts anger, resignation, and sadness. But it also doesn’t whitewash the ways white people and the federal government have treated the native peoples: shamefully.

THE PLOT
The story may seem slow at the beginning. There are lots of descriptions of reservation life, and sometimes little seems to happen. Yet tension roils beneath the surface of every scene. It’s a tension within Virgil: his internal battle as he grapples with what it means to be a Lakota man. Because of past events, he became disillusioned about the old ways and rejected them long ago. Now he’s being forced to reconsider that rejection. And I sensed that underneath, he longs for those old ways to be real.

Will he embrace the traditional Lakota values of forgiveness and compassion? But what does this mean? How can he do that, yet also seek justice for those on the reservation who are devastated by the drug cartels infiltrating the reservation? Add to that his fears over his nephew’s situation and desire to protect him. Add to that his insecurity as he and Marie, his ex-girlfriend, resume their relationship. It all adds up to create a volatile internal war that threatens to turn external.

The story takes some sharp turns. While I guessed some of the twists, others were less predictable. Soon that inner turmoil explodes. Weiden raises the stakes for Virgil, but also for other characters. As the story came to a climax, the situation unfolding on the page was so tense, so fraught with danger, that I couldn’t stop reading. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the page.

ONE FAVORITE THING . . .
I had multiple favorite things in this book, but I’ll only highlight one.

Chef Lack’s decolonized indigenous Native cuisine was interesting. Most Americans (not only Native Americans, but plenty of others) would think his food choices strange. But his enthusiasm for foraging wild foods (think seeds, herbs, vegetables) is contagious. It was enough to make me wonder what ingredients are native to my area and how to incorporate them into my family’s diet.

OVERALL
This was an impressive debut. The writing quality is superb, packed with eloquence, honesty, and compassion. Winter Counts mesmerized me. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves crime novels or thrillers.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Ecco/HarperCollins, and was not required to give a positive review. All opinions in this review are mine.

Note #2: This will be posted on my blog on August 17, 2020.

It's been awhile since I read crime fiction, but hearing about this book during a Booklist webinar, I thought I would give it a shot. It is an intimate look at the justice system on a Lakota reservation from the eyes of a hired vigilante or enforcer named Virgil. When his nephew overdoses on heroin, Virgil teams up with his ex to stop drugs from coming onto the reservation and bring down the drug ring.

The writing is often brutal, often lyrical and dreamy. Virgil has a fraught relationship with his Lakota heritage, something he struggles with throughout the book, but the passages where he experiences moments of spiritual clarity are moving and beautifully written.

Overall, this is an excellent read for fans of brutal crime fiction and are looking for a new perspective. I can't wait to see what else this author comes out with!

Virgil Wounded Horse is an enforcer on the Rosebud Rez in South Dakota. The tribal police are a joke and the Feds have no interest in maintaining order, they just want the glory of sensational arrests. Virgil takes care of those rapes, and thefts, and bullying that are the everyday crimes; he wields a baseball bat; a Glock and a Smith and Wesson. Virgil is a man adrift, caught between two cultures. His nephew, Nathan, lives with him since Virgil's sister was killed in a head-on collision. But heroin is engulfing the rez and Nathan overdoses. He manages to survive and Virgil and his on-again, 0ff-again girlfriend, Marie Short Bear, travel to Denver to see if they can track down Rick Crow who is the local contact for the Aztec Kingz, who are trafficking the heroin. He has been hired by Marie's father, Ben Short Bear, to find Rick Crow and mete out justice. But things get complicated when Nathan is arrested by the Feds on charges of distributing narcotics on the rez and he has to agree to wearing a wire to help the Feds bust the heroin ring. Things go horribly wrong and Nathan disappears. Virgil has to find him and in order to do that he must accept and recognize that there is more in this world than anyone can fathom. He goes on a vision quest and finds where Nathan is being held and, with the help of Marie, he brings Nathan back safely.
This is an amazing book, one of the best I have read in a long time. The reader is fully immersed in the story and learns, along with Virgil, that denying one's identity is a dangerous thing. It is only by fully embracing one's culture that one can be at peace. Highly recommended.

I am so happy to have heard about this book and had the opportunity to read an early copy. There aren't a lot of indiginous voices writing detective/mystery novels and this one is really good.
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“Yeah, I liked the fighting. Ambushing some a$$hole, pounding the crap out of him, teaching him a lesson—I never felt so alive as when I was administering some righteousness...For years I’d been helping people get some justice on the rez, the only means they had left to them by a legal system that had sold them down the river.”
~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~
That’s the voice of Virgil Wounded Horse who is considered by some the local thug, the deliverer of justice by others in the community on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. Even though Virgil doles out lessons with his fists he is a very sympathetic character and by the end of this book I hated saying goodbye to him and others.

In this story Virgil introduces us to life on the rez and to the important people in his life: his nephew Nathan, his mom, and his former girlfriend Marie. When misfortune befalls Nathan it is clear that Virgil will do whatever it takes to clear Nathan’s name and keep him safe. Throughout the telling we learn a fair amount about life and about justice, Lakota ceremonies, and other Native traditions. The author’s notes at the end contain some staggering information and statistics about the handling of felony crimes on the reservation.

Highly recommended!

Thank you to @harpercollinsus and @eccobooks for this #advancereaderscopy.

We need more Native American, indigenous and aboriginal writers in media in general, which is why I requested and was excited to receive this ARC. Clearly a debut but shows a lot of promise and a thriller writer and a new voice for the industry at large. Excited to see what comes next!

This book was just ok for me. I did enjoy the history of the Lakota and Native Americans, I wished there was more. I predicted the twist within by the end of the second chapter.

I was sent a preview of this book, saw it was set on an Indian Reservation. My grandparents and extended family live on an Indian Reservation, having spent summers and holidays there, always near and dear to my heart.
I knew I had to read this book.

I read it all in one sitting, I was glued to it.
Ending has me hoping for books in a series, or maybe just a big cliffhanger.

I recommend this book, and will be hoping for more like it!

A fast, compelling read, with engaging characters. Potentially a great start to a new series. Crime fiction in a new setting. Most of us give little thought to the crime on Native American reservations & how the people there survive, this story make those front & center.

A Native American himself, David Heska Wanbli Weiden give us a mesmerising tale of what life is like for native Americans living on a reservation. Because there is no real law enforcement on the "rez", Virgil Wounded Horse takes on the role of "enforcer." His kind of law enforcement doesn't shirk at violence. Whe he discovers that heoin has made it to the rez, he can't contain his rage.

A heartbreaking story of drugs on the reservations. Characters are well developed so much that you feel you are there with them. The author should be commended for this great story. A nation forgotten ! I will definitely recommment this book to others.

Winter Counts is an adventure/action/suspense tale told with the Rosebud Reservation of South Dakota as its setting. I eagerly approached this story as I haven't seen this before. The culture of the Lakota, the language, history, and present issues are untapped. The author himself is Native American and should bring an authentic voice to this novel. I enjoyed the characters, their sense of self, calling out stereotypes and attachment (regardless of conditions) to their home.

With all of these positives to move the story along I felt that the author still fell prey to some common suspense traps. Namely, the inevitable character that insists on coming along on the dangerous mission, the jump to assumptions that solve the mystery, and the last chapter tying up of loose ends and setting up follow-up books.

Simply put, I loved this book. It fills a much-neglected gap in fiction that presents life on the reservations authentically without being pedantic. The story line is appealing and I read straight through without putting this book down. The characters are well-developed and feel very real. Several times I guessed where the story was going, but it twisted enough to keep it interesting. The characters and story will stay with me.

The book ends in a way that makes me think the author is working on a follow-up and I hope that this will become a series.

blew through this book in one day. The characters are so well developed ,the framework dead on, and the pacing on target. The Lakota Indians and their customs felt very authentic, and it was rewarding to learn more about their culture. Call me naive, but I was uneducated about the apparent class differences between different tribes. In this rough and tumble story, gruff Virgil Wounded Horse, the town's enforcer, has fallen into this job due to the poverty and lack of skills and jobs on the reservation. He comes across as a domineering hard talk individual but underneath lies a soft side. When his nephew takes an overdose of heroin, he is determined to find out who is responsible for selling drugs on the school grounds. Police and agents get involved and a scary scene plays out with the tension escalating to arresting heights. The truthfulness to reality really bonded me to the story. There is violence yes, but it is very fitting within the context of the novel. I dare you to read this without thinking about the reservations with a new sense of appreciation and understanding.

Nothing bad here, but nothing life changing either. We got a story with no real beginning, no middle, just an end.

It felt less like the characters and story were evolving and more like things just happening, for no rhyme or reason, in order.

I realize as this is a review copy some things may change. Please, don't change too much. This one is a gem of a story as it is. Excellent story, well told. The author did a bang up job with this one. The characters are a little quirky like most of us and easy to relate to. The action moves along nicely. All in all, a great job. Keep up the good work.

With the recent controversy charging Jeanine Cummins with cultural appropriation for her novel AMERICAN DIRT, I approached the opportunity to read WINTER COUNTS with great anticipation. The author, David Heska Wanbli Weiden, is an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Nation and received his MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts. Real bona fides. Happily, I can report that WINTER COUNTS checks most of the necessary boxes of quality crime fiction. Engaging characters. A slithery plot. Interesting setting. On the surface, the novel is a simple story. Virgil Wounded Horse is an enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. When problems need to be handled outside the law--frontier justice of a sort--Virgil is the arbiter of that justice. So when some outside thugs start funneling heroin into the reservation, Virgil is dispatched to close off the source of the drug...by whatever means are necessary. This mission takes on an even greater importance when Virgil's nephew is personally affected by the influx of heroin into Rosebud. The novel excels in it's depiction of Indian life on the reservation, its engaging side stories, and the strong writing. There were a few moments where I had to suspend my disbelief, but for the most part this novel simply works. I'm looking forward to future entries in what I hope is a series.