Story of Mud or Mae who left her Kiowa roots only to go back to find out what happened to her hometown and to her grandfather. A threat to her family especially to her grandfather and later on discovered even more danger. A chaos of theft, murder and lost of trust. Mud wants to find all the reason behind this chaos. i was surprised with the ending but satisfied enough to give it a well written story.

A tribal mystery story that will keep you guessing.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books Publishing for the ARC.


3.5/5 stars

Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC; it is greatly appreciated.

I am sad to say, but this book ended up being just a 1 star read for me, and that star is purely for the Kiowa culture that I enjoyed learning about. If this wasn't an e-ARC then I honestly don't think I would have finished it.

There needs to be a lot more editing done here. There is an abundance of redundant paragraphs throughout this book that constantly took me out of the story. It felt like we were just idiling in the same thoughts over and over again instead of continuing on with events. This led me to skimming the last several chapters, as there was just so much included that simply didn't matter to the story.

For being a mystery novel there isn't much solved at the end. I shouted, "Wait, that's it !?" when I turned the page and the Acknowledgments were staring at me. There are essentially three plotlines happening simultaneously, and we are learning about them right up until the end, but only one is officially solved. The other two are just determined to be dealt with another day, so then what was the point ? It just made it feel like a good chunk of the book was pointless in the end.

In Silicon Valley, Mae is the founder of a very successful and very busy marketing company. But in Oklahoma, everyone knows her as Mud, the curly-haired, pale, half-white granddaughter of Kiowa tribe elder James Sawpole. And when her grandfather calls with a cryptic message asking for help, Mud drops everything to fly home to see what's wrong. When she arrives at the airport in Oklahoma, though, her grandfather is not there to pick her up -- instead a whole host of other tribe members who are also looking for James, and Mud soon realizes there is definitely a big mess that her grandfather is somehow in the middle of.

This murder mystery is told over the course of one single day, as Mud tries to track down her grandfather, uncover a fracking scandal destroying the tribal land, figure out who killed the man in her grandfather's work room, and discover who has been stealing precious tribal artifacts. Despite the lengthy list of tasks at hand and the short timeline of the story, I did feel like the pace dragged a bit on this one, mostly due to its repetitiveness. But I so thoroughly enjoyed the purposeful integration of Kiowa history and tradition into the story that I can forgive it that. Rowell clearly knows her community and does a beautiful job sharing that with her readers. I did wonder about the side plot of her business back in California; I'm not sure those details contributed to the story at all, and I can only hope that Rowell is planning to make this a series and this side plot was establishing Mud's other life, showing it how it comes into conflict with what her grandfather insists is her true path.

An interesting debut with a unique perspective! Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I will be posting this to my blog and instagram closer to the publication date and will return to update this review with links at that point.

A murder mystery wrapped in Kiowa culture, customs, traditions and mythology. It's always an added bonus to learn something while attempting to solve a murder. This fictional story is set in Oklahoma where about half of my family tree originates from. So, I was looking forward to reading this unique genre and was not disappointed.
Mae lives in California where she runs a successful agency. Her Grandfather, James Sawpole, has phoned her with some urgency, asking her to come home to the reservation in Oklahoma. She's been away many years and is worried even more when he isn't at the airport to meet her.
Wilson, a former tribal legislator, is at the small terminal but isn't communicating much or answering her questions regarding Grandpa.
Grandpa's whereabouts and other missing artifacts are just the beginning on Mae's event filled journey home.
When she was young she acquired her Kiowa name from Grandpa at the ceremony, however;  her cousin Denny made that into the nickname  "Mud".
Mud needs to find Grandpa and determine why he needs her here now. It seems there is an important Tribal Council meeting he's expected to attend.
Mud learns the Tribes are fighting over fracking, there is possible pollution and trespassing. Then there's the missing Jefferson peace medal, an important irreplaceable symbol to the tribe.
Before she can sort anything out, she and Denny discover a man murdered in Grandpa's office.
Mud encounters many secrets in the tribal members, people aren't who they pretend to be. Her journey to find Grandpa and uncover truths is full of soul searching, risks, remembering who she is, where she came from and strengths she didn't know she possessed.
It is a beautifully written, fascinating story within a culture we should be more familiar with. Hard to say if I enjoyed the mystery or the setting more. The plot kept me guessing and the newfound knowledge kept me reading. It would be wonderful to read more from this newly discovered author.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance digital copy of "Never Name the Dead" by D. M. Rowell and to Crooked Lane Books. These are my honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

Mae is her name in Silicon Valley where she runs a high-tech agency helping other businesses succeed. Mud is her name in the Kiowa lands near Lawton OK where she is known as a storyteller and someone who has left to pursue a more lucrative life on the West Coast. Yet when Mud receives an unexpected and urgent call from her grandfather, she knows she must return home to help him and solve a mystery that may have bearings on the survival of the Kiowa culture.

D. M. Rowell packs her book with a lot (sometimes a bit overwhelming) Kiowa culture and history. She also packs her book with a lot of characters, red herrings and too much dialog rehashing theories and plot points. Yet, the spirit of Mud, a bi/lesbian woman (?), shines through it all, especially in the latter part of the book.

This appears to be the beginning of a series which is something to look forward to as the author better finds her footing and focus. There is a lot to be said for a book that describes the scenery of the Kiowa homeland so well that this reader was exploring various places online and even thinking about one day visiting OK! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.

I enjoyed learning about the Kiowa customs, for me that was the best part of the book. It was not satisfying as a mystery/thriller. I think it was how the mystery elements were structured. Maybe one or two red herrings too many. The killer seemed too likely because the other suspects felt forced.

"We come here all alone and all that's left is your name in stone."

Never Name the Dead is a debut novel by D.M. Rowell. Rowell presents a journey into the Kiowa culture in the voice of a young gay woman who has left her home in Lawton, Oklahoma to build her own agency in Silicon Valley, California. Mae Sawpole receives an urgent message from her grandfather, James, a Tribal Elder, to come back home. There's no explanation and no further messages.

Mae drops everything including a major account in order to be with her grandfather. But when she lands at the small airport, her grandfather is not there to meet her. In fact, no one knows exactly where he is.

Mae meets up with her cousin, Denny, and the two of them begin the search for her grandfather. They begin uncovering an unscrupulous art dealer who is trying to bilk Native Americans out of their family heirlooms. Conditions in the backcountry have forced them to sell these antiquities to make ends meet. In addition, they've come upon evidence of illegal fracking on Indian owned land that has threatened their water sources. It seems that Mae's grandfather has been in the midst of all this. A dead body has also been found. Could it be James Sawpole?

While I enjoyed Never Name the Dead, I did have some issues with pages and pages of background Kiowa history. While informative, too much of it was more lecture quality instead of junctures to keep the plot moving. In fact, a long historical discussion between two characters took place immediately following the discovery of a dead body. Chitchat was not needed in that moment. There were also interruptions from constant phone calls from Silicon Valley as well. The fluidity of the storyline was in jeopardy. Perhaps good editing needed a revisit.

But this was a debut novel and the subject matter visits a genre that needs more and more of a spotlight in regard to Native Americans. It is my hope that D.M. Rowell uses this novel as a springboard to more and more in the future. I sincerely will be looking forward to the next offerings.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to D. M. Rowell for the opportunity.

I'm always on the hunt for the most diverse reads and was delighted to see Never Name the Dead, a debut by a new native voice, come across my dash. The book was pitched as a gritty western mystery when I read the summary and marketing, with Indigenous culture woven in. A younger native woman, distanced from her tribal culture by time and distance, returns to where she grew up after an odd call from her grandfather. I'd be totally into that, loving the Hillerman books and having just finished watching Dark Winds on television. But...

Unfortunately, this was more like a mystery and some other heritage intrigue hitched a ride on a history vehicle, resulting in a book that is a mishmash of genres, channeling none of them terribly well. Whole passages - almost whole chapters - were history dumps, which I would have genuinely found interesting if that was the book I signed on for. The ending was a disappointing "that's it?", too.

The writing itself wasn't great; I found it reductive, juvenile, sentences very simplistic (AND it's in first-person POV, which usually sends me screaming anyways). Early on I also found sentences repetitious, which is both bad writing and operating under the assumption an audience is dumb. And there were so many ellipses. So many. In dialogue, in inner thoughts, everywhere.

I loved the idea of a queer, native protagonist solving a mystery, one which was pretty interesting when the plot wasn't sliding back into history lectures. I found the language inclusions really interesting, and other cultural information. On that basis I'll give this a 2.5 rounded up.

I wanted to enjoy this book as I love books about different cultures, and the Kiowa are one I know little about. However, the book left me a little confused: it was part Kiowa history, part murder mystery and part heritage theft. And none of the parts were written particularly well. There was simply too much going on.

I think the author should perhaps have followed their heart and written a book about the history and culture of the tribe without trying to turn it into a novel. The story was interrupted frequently with historical facts, cultural practices and mythology which was interesting but ruined the flow of the story.

The premise of the book is Mae/Mud is summoned back to the reservation by her Grandfather, James Sawpole but when she gets there he is nowhere to be found. Then there is a murdered elder, a stolen artefact, some frackers contaminating the water supply, and a corrupt salesman buying Kiowa artefacts and selling them at inflated prices. That's a lot of subplots in 350 pages. None of them were tied up well (or at all in the case of the frackers), so I found it all a bit disappointing all round.

First, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for fair and honest feedback!

This was great! I'm not really a huge fan of murder-y books, but I enjoyed this one. There were, admittedly, parts I skipped over (again, because murder books aren't typically my jam), but Rowell is a great writer who kept me interested through (most of) it. I really enjoyed the way the novel as a whole was structured, and I think it lends itself well to the type of novel it is. Overall, not my cup of tea, BUT it is an objectively good novel. Definitely recommend.

4/5

Great mystery, but was particularly engaged by the Kiowa traditions highlighted throughout the book.

Never Name The Dead is a murder mystery that includes a cultural education. In all of the mystery books I have read I really appreciated the cultural education of the natives as it gave me more insight into understanding how the people worked and how many things were important to them.

The Preservation of Kiowa history was a very good touch. Off the bat I liked how instantly the book started out with mystery and continued to build on it as you progress into the book, nothing was predictable and I felt included with Mud as she tried to solve the mystery.

This book showcases a lot of past and present oppression, greed within one's people and how strength and belief can help you persevere to find the truth.

The pacing in this book is quite good, there was no delay in the plot such as info-dumping, and everything fits together whilst keeping your attention with the story. I would have given this book 5 stars, however, the only reason I did not was because of the ending, it felt too bland compared to the rest of the book. I had questions that needed answering.

For a book about murder and mystery, it is pleasantly surprising to see the tribute it pays to indigenous heritage, the immense environmental and social damage caused by fracking, and the stark contrast to today's technological society.

The story itself is a mind-boggling showcase of all that's right in the genre, full of mystery, excitement, and plot twists that took me by surprise time and time again. It is a light, fun read that flows page by page, making me hope that there will be a sequel (or many) in the future.

Mae is a long way from home. Fresh out of college and making a name for herself in Silicon Valley. Having left home a decade ago, she might not have gone back if her grandfather, James Sawpole hadn’t left her a mysterious voice message that he needed her now. And that is how Mae ended up on a plane headed for Oklahoma. Outside of Lawton, the land has always been Kiowa and Mae never felt as though she fit in. Her hair wasn’t stick straight, it was unruly and curly. Not like the traditional features of her cousin Denny.

She may have had a bad feeling about things, but she is only at the airport and already things are odd. Where is her Grandfather? And why are so many of the leaders there? Something is not right. And after a circuitous route to town, she is even more suspicious. These people she has known her entire life are acting very strange. And that’s before she finds a dead body.

Illegal fracking is messing up the groundwater and the tribal lands. Greedy oil developers hoodwinking people out of their land. And people in their own tribe sell off their ancestor’s artifacts. One, in particular, is the Jefferson Peace Medal. Stolen from the museum with only one suspect. Her Grandfather.

But just exactly where is he? Setting out into the Wildlife Refuge, Mae is determined to find out the truth and find her grandfather. But this story is complicated and this vision quest may kill her as well.

I live in Oklahoma and reading this was an honor.

NetGalley/ November 08, 2022 Crooked Lane Books

Wow! This book kept me on the edge of my seat! I LOVE me a good murder mystery and this was AMAZING!! I highly recommend to all lovers of Murder Mystery, Culture and lovers of having your mind blown!! What a great read!! Can’t wait for the rest of the murder mysteries to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

An exciting debut, this mystery has many moving parts that will keep readers guessing from the first page to the last. While a wonderful standalone, this could easily be the beginning of a longer series, as the main character, Mud, has a strong presence on the page and readers easily root for her. Will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author!

Mae gets a call from her grandfather that he needs her to come home. When she leaves silicon valley to return to Oklahoma her Kiowa grandfather is missing. Finding a body, and her grandfather accused of theft she decides to find out what needs to be done. I was expecting a bit of Tony Hillerman style here, but that is not the case. Not a bad book, but did tend to skim a bit at times. I liked the mystery fine, just a lot of info dumping that felt a bit overwhelming at times. Might just be me. Would recommend.

3.5 stars.

I hope there are more installments coming because I don't feel like I got enough of Mud's story!

What I loved: all of the elements of Kiowa culture that were proudly and prominently discussed throughout the book, including many of the issues that tribes are facing around the country today.

What I needed more of: The mystery itself was just okay. I feel like there were SO many elements happening ---- between the missing items from the museum, the murder, the fracking, and the drama with Mud's job back in Silicon Valley that the end result felt a little unresolved on some of these points. Will make more sense if this is the first book of a series and these themes are fleshed out in later books.

Overall, a solid debut from this author and definitely will be keeping an eye out for more.

Thank you, NetGalley & the publishers for the ARC.
It is hard to find stories about Indigenous characters, let alone written by an Indigenous Writer.

So I had kinda high hope for this one. There are a lot of info dumps in places & the ending felt kinda meh compared to the first few chapters where I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was actually going on. The mystery in the first one-third of the book was great.

I want to first thank the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this story as an ARC.

This story follows Mud, in her journey to find the truth behind stolen Kiowa artifacts, fracking, and her true self.

I absolutely loved how much of the indigenous culture was in the us book. Some book will mention that the character is indigenous but don’t really share how that shapes them as a character. This book did an amazing job making the cultural accessible to any reader.

I also like how some of this story seems to be inspired by the author’s real life.

This book is perfect for the people that like mystery’s, with strong family relationships, and a story that really unfolds with the character. It truly felt like I was figuring everything out at the same time Mud was and to me that is the perfect pacing.