Member Reviews
Mud's story continues in this second in a series that should be fine as a standalone. Know that this is imbued with the Kiowa culture- I learned a great deal-and that this actually might be more interesting than the mystery. as topical as it is. The issue of fracking and the theft of tribal artifacts see Mud working to identify the villain. This is, as was the last, a bit awkward in spots but the storytelling is good. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Mud is an intriguing character
Plot
Silent are the Dead is book number 2 in the Mud Sawpole series, but it can completely read as a standalone. The introductory chapters gave great details on the context, the characters, the Kiowa tribe and their culture. The murder was a good intrigue and the development of how each character fitted into the situation was done really well.
I did however feel like after fifteen or so chapters though, that there were no new twists or motivations to our main characters to react to.
Characters
The Kiowa culture and practices were deeply entrenched in the narrative that it was clear to me from the start which characters were Kiowa descendants and which characters were taking advantage of the tribe. Unfortunately, because of this I was not surprised when the killer was revealed, nor the brains of the fracking operation.
Narrative
The rattlesnake chapter was SO tense I was gripping my sofa arm the whole way through! However I didn't get the same sense of tension at any other point in the book which was a shame. I did enjoy the sweat round and how this journey was described.
Thank you NetGalley and DM Rowell for an ARC copy of this book
Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the free e_ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I loved Winter Counts and was hoping that this book would offer something similar. I did not read book #1 in this series and that was not an issue for me. If you pick this one up, just know that its not a griping crime novel. In fact, the crimes addressed were mundane and easy to figure out. I think this book is much more about telling the Kiowa story of its culture, traditions and rituals. Had I know that, I probably would not have requested this one. I found it to be too slow paced for my taste. Give it a read and see what you think.
This title just didn't do it for me. As it takes place on Kiowa land with primarily Kiowa characters, I'd been hoping for one of those reading experiences that combines solid mystery plotting with an opportunity to enter into a community outside my own. And it did offer these things.
For me, the problem was just that dialogue and characters felt oddly incomplete. I don't know how to explain it further. It was a bit like trying to drive with a somewhat fogged windshield.
It you like multicultural mysteries, the title is definitely worth a try. You may find strengths in it that I missed.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
This second entry in the Mud Sawpole mysteries picks up almost immediately after the end of book one, in which Mud rushed back from California to her Oklahoma hometown when her grandfather called out of the blue. She discovered there were frackers on her grandfather's land who were threatening him, and someone had been stealing artifacts important to the Kiowa from the tribe museum.
At the opening of this novel, right after the tribal meeting, Eli, an elder, is adamant with Denny and Mud. He wants a family headdress returned that his deadbeat son Buck, stole and sold. Then Georgie, Mud's former girlfriend and Buck's wife, alerts them that a body is in the tribal office. Except, then it vanishes.
Mud and Denny head over to the museum to speak with Gerald, with Georgie unfortunately in tow.
Mud is anxious to return to California and her urgent business concerns, but she is also concerned about the museum thefts and the frackers. Now, the dead body is at the museum, and the headdress is missing, Denny convinces her to help him clear Eli's name before calling the police. Georgie sticks with museum employee and her friend Brenda instead of concerning herself with investigating the situation at the museum.
Denny and Mud travel all over, talking to different people, have a near deadly and terrifying encounter with rattlesnakes, attempt to figure out who would have the clout and connections to be involved in both illegal fracking and theft of artifacts, which leads them to suspecting someone in the tribal office is involved.
Though you don't have to read book one to understand this story, I would strongly urge readers to start there. There is important information imparted by the author about Mud's family relationships and background, and historic and cultural information about the Kiowa that explains the depth of disrespect by the people damaging land through fracking, and the desecration of Kiowa culture by someone attempting to steal, forge and sell items of great family significance.
This book was engaging with never a dull minute. The pace starts fast and only takes one small, vital break while Mud reconnects with herself and her place in her culture, then races off again. The peace with which she approaches matters after a much needed talk with her Aunt Cora helps her slow her thoughts down enough to identify the person(s) behind the fracking and brings her to a realization about her holding on to some things from her past. She also figures out who is the murderer.
The writing is great, and I loved getting a slightly better understanding of Kiowa beliefs (e.g., the importance of owls) and it added wonderfully to the depth of the story.
I listened and read this book, and loved both experiences. Voice actor Katie Anvil Rich ably embodies Mud's inner conflict as she wants to help her Oklahoma family, even as she also wants to put her California-based business on a assured footing. I loved the way Rich handled the banter between Mud and the always impulsive Denny. Georgie is suitably irritating and self-centred, while Mud's Aunt Cora has the weight of her years and the wisdom she's gained shining through her calm voice.
I loved this story, and am eager to read and/or listen to what D.M. Rowell creates next.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Crooked Lane Books and to Dreamscape Media for the ARCs in exchange for my review.
I read the first novel in this series after being getting this arc as I missed that it was a sequel and I loved it as much as I loved this one. I love being educated on beliefs and traditions of others so I try to read as many books as I can by indigenous authors. The writing of this book is excellent, of a very high quality, it really keeps you entertained and transfixed. The characters were also written well and the story was different to what I expected. I would 100% recommend this book to others.
The second installment of the Mud Sawpole takes place on the same day as Mud and her cousin Denny seek to unravel yet another murder.
The follow-up to D. M. Rowell’s first Mud Sawpole novel Never Name the Dead, Silent Are the Dead opens with Mae/”Mud” Sawpole, an Oklahoma Kiowa tribal member, having been called home to help with an illegal fracking operation polluting a stream flowing through his land and threatening tribal welfare. A tribal meeting of elders, selected families, police, legislators, and the Kiowa chairman/chief is taking place at Kiowa headquarters in Carnegie, Oklahoma, and Mud and her cousin Denny Sawpole are there. The subject is not fracking, however. Someone has been stealing or buying valuable Kiowa regalia and relics at very low prices from tribal members needing money and selling them at many times the cost. The Jefferson Peace Medal, the tribes most prized relic given to the tribal leaders by Lewis and Clark, is back In the museum after having been stolen in Never Name the Dead. The body of the man believed to behind to behind the thefts and purchases/resales is found dead in an outbuilding at the tribal headquarters.
Mud now has two problems to solve, and worse yet, she has little time to accomplish her tasks. By the following afternoon, she must be back in Silicon Valley for an event that could bring fame and wealth to the start-up company she heads.
There are two murder suspects, one a tribal elder whose grandson sold the family’s priceless heirloom eagle feather headdress and the other a young Kiowa man who also sold artifacts but is believed to be in cahoots with the dead man. Mud and Denny are determined to clear the tribal elder, whom they know would never commit murder. The other suspect is now the husband of someone Mud has known since their Oklahoma childhood. This is only the beginning. The suspect list grows as does the danger to the investigating cousins.
Racing from place to place, town to town, across Southern Oklahoma, Mud and Denny are desperate to solve both the fracking and murder cases within the few hours Mud has. Worked into the story, traditional beliefs and ceremonies add local color and depth.
As an Oklahoman for the past forty years, I’m familiar with the places such as Lawton, Medicine Park, Mount Scott sacred to the Kiowas, and Carnegie--home to the tribal museum, casino, and government--all of which figure into Rowell’s novel to varying degrees.
Because I had difficulty keeping the many characters straight in the first few pages, I suggest jotting down brief identifications for reference as needed. The rapid-paced plot will quickly draw readers in, and the rattlesnakes in the fracking office and Mud’s traditional sweat lodge experience will most likely stay with everyone for some time after finishing the book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance reader egalley of this highly recommended new novel. I will watch for #3 in D. M. Rowell’s Mud Sawpole series.
I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload it to Amazon on release day.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and DM Rowell for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Silent are the Dead coming out November 19, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I didn’t realize it was the second book, so I need to read the first one. I really love Native American stories and mysteries, so I was excited to check this out. I’m not super familiar with Kiowa, so I loved learning more about them and glossary to Kiowa words at the end of the book was really helpful. I really loved Mud and Denny’s characters. The plot was really interesting and I loved the idea of two worlds, trying to live in society and stay true to your heritage. The writing was wonderful.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Native American mysteries.
Silent Are the Dead by D. M. Rowell is the embodiment of the perfect sequel to an amazing book, carrying the reader along at a breakneck pace as the loose threads from the first book move toward solution.
Exquisitely written, with an insight into the culture of Kiowas, an indigenous North American tribe, the storytelling rings true as it sweeps the reader through a fascinating mystery. The fast pace is only temporarily relieved by the relative calm of the main character Mud's next step in her quest to merge the two worlds in which she stands, one foot in each. The change in pace is drastic, which is no doubt the point; one must take time to centre oneself, to connect with what is important, to be effective in ones goals. Then the speed returns, taking the reader on another amazing ride to the end of the book.
The author doesn't preach, demonstrating the true strength of a skillful storyteller as the characters navigate clues of deceit, duplicity, and danger to solve the mysteries facing them. The suspense and tension is palpable in Rowell's hands, making the book difficult to put down.
I look forward to the next instalment of Mud's storyline.
Thank you for the incredible ARC of #SilentaretheDead from #NetGalley.
“Silent Are the Dead” by D.M. Rowell is a captivating sequel in the Mud Sawpole series, where cultural heritage meets modern threats in a high-stakes mystery. Mud Sawpole, a former Silicon Valley professional who has returned to her Kiowa roots, faces her toughest challenge yet as she navigates illegal fracking operations and the betrayal of tribal members who steal sacred artifacts.
The novel beautifully blends Kiowa traditions with modern dilemmas, making it more than just a mystery—it’s an exploration of identity, belonging, and the significance of cultural preservation. Mud’s struggle between her professional obligations and her commitment to the tribe adds depth to her character, while the vivid descriptions of Kiowa ceremonies and landscapes immerse the reader in the setting.
Rowell’s narrative keeps the tension high as Mud and her cousin Denny race against time to solve a murder and recover the stolen relics. The complex web of deceit and danger is further enriched by the portrayal of the tribe’s internal politics and the external threats from corporate interests. While the book can be enjoyed as a standalone, it’s clear that Mud’s journey is far from over. “Silent Are the Dead” is a compelling and culturally rich mystery that fans of Indigenous fiction will appreciate. Highly recommended!
I did not read the previous book in the series, however, I do not believe it impaired my understanding of this story. Silent Are The Dead, in my opinion, is much more a way to divulge Kiowa culture, than it really calls the reader's attention as a mystery/thriller. I thought the main characters are too much steriotyped and not relatable but the story can be entertaining.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.
I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, so that could be why I had a hard time getting into this one. I do appreciate that it was fast-paced and all the knowledge about the culture. If you are a fan of the first book, you'll probably enjoy this one.
4 stars for an informative mystery set on a Kiowa reservation in Oklahoma.
The blurb: " Mud Sawpole recently returned to the Kiowas after leaving a high-powered career and was plunged into the vortex of a crime that nearly consumed her and the tribe. The danger hasn’t gone away—and now, Mud faces an even greater threat. There’s an illegal fracking operation underway that threatens the sanctity of the Kiowas’ ancestral homeland, but there’s also an evil hidden right within the heart of the tribe."
This book 2 in the series, and I have not read book 1. It worked for me as a stand alone. I liked that the author incorporates Kiowa traditions into the narrative of the mystery. The author is a Kiowa Storyteller, a person designated by tribal elders to carry on the traditions and culture of the Kiowa nation. The author has used her experiences working in Silicon Valley and as a Storyteller to create Mud Sawpole, a Kiowa Storyteller and currently working in Silicon Valley as head of a startup advertising firm specializing in computer companies.
There is a murder that appears to have been committed by a tribal elder, but probably was not. Mud and her cousin Denny race against the clock to find the real killer and stop the illegal fracking operation. They do resolve both. I was not sure of who the killer was until the end.
One Quote, by Mud: "My grandfather James Sawpole was the Tribe Storyteller; the last reader of our Winter Count Chronicles. During tribe gatherings Grandpa shared stories from our history, keeping us united as a people."
Thank You Crooked Lane Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#SilentaretheDead #NetGalley.
Pub Date Nov 19 2024
Never Name the Dead and Silent Are the Dead are the first and second books in the Mud Sawpole series, books about a mixed-race woman called Mud who grew up on the Kiowa reservation, moved to California to establish a career in marketing, and has returned at least temporarily at the behest of her grandfather, the tribe’s storykeeper. Mud’s grandfather asks her to return as soon as possible to the reservation to help him with illegal fracking on his land. When Mud arrives at the airport, though, her grandfather does not meet her, and instead, she has to catch a ride from another tribal member. Upon arriving on the reservation, she finds the tribe pitted against each other over not only the possible fracking, but also a historical artifact that has been passed from one generation to the next and has now gone missing – allegedly by Mud’s grandfather himself. These two books follow a continuous storyline over two days, during which Mud tries to find the missing medal, rid the reservation of the frackers, and solve two murders before returning to her home in California.
This is definitely a fast-moving book – Mud arrives in the airport and at the start of Never Name the Dead, and immediately hits the ground running, hopping from one character to the next, unsure what’s happening and why so many people are looking for her grandfather, and I’ll be honest, I barely kept up with this first one. I do generally want something slower-paced, so this caught me off guard. I don’t think it’s necessarily a flaw, though – I know plenty of readers who want a book to sweep them away and catch them by surprise, and it certainly does that. It made for a fast read – I flew through the first one and right into the second, hoping for a more satisfying conclusion than what I got from Never Name the Dead. And while Silent Are the Dead was still fast-paced, I feel like it took a little more time to ground the characters and the action in their surroundings. Silent Are the Dead had just about the perfect pacing for me – I was still invested in the mystery and Mud’s own character growth, but I didn’t feel like I was drowning in it quite as much.
The real strength of these books lies in their excellent worldbuilding. I don’t have much knowledge specific to Kiowa history and culture, so I really valued the immersion I got as a reader. We learn a great deal about how Kiowa receive spiritual guidance, both from the world around them and from their elders. We learn about some core values, and see how that affects Mud’s interactions with her tribe and the obstacles she runs into during her investigation. And I really appreciated how all of these details are woven into the narrative. In one particularly poignant scene in Silent Are the Dead, Mud is finally forced to stop her search, eat and rest and listen to her family’s guides. It was only after this scene, when she follows her great aunt’s advice and properly prepares for a sweat, that she starts making real progress. I loved this moment in the book – Mud expresses the same impatience that I initially felt as a reader, having watched Mud hop from one character to the next without much advancing insight, but I liked that the start of the mystery’s resolution was built right into her community’s spiritual practices, rather than working against them.
In all, I’ll give the series an 8 out of 10. There’s a lot to like here, with the story being deeply rooted in Kiowa culture and spiritual beliefs, and the plot is fast-paced and engaging. Readers who are willing to hop aboard the adventure will enjoy it, even if some might prefer something that lingers a little more on the character development.
While I did enjoy Silent are the Dead, it wasn't as engaging as the first Mud Sawpole title, Never Name the Dead. I suspect the problem wasn't the author or the book, but rather my own distraction. I do look forward to third title in the series, and am grateful to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read the eARC.
The second in the Mud Sawpole series, although I haven’t read the first, and this is unnecessary as it could be a standalone book.
Mud (a nickname from birth) makes an emergency visit to family in Oklahoma - to the Kiowa Indian tribe of which she is the new StoryTeller - a position of standing within the tribe. But she also needs to try and keep afloat her business in Silicon Valley and search deep within herself to find answers to the tribal problems involving illegal fracking and then a murder.
Mud works with cousin Denny, and encounters quite a few obstacles, including time out with an aunt to find herself.
A real page turner - couldn’t put it down, although unlike my usual genre.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC
"Find the tribe that knows your song." (Unknown)
Mae "Mud" Sawpole embraces just that. She is a member of the Kiowa Nation in Carnegie, Oklahoma. Life pointed her in a different direction as she left the familiar for Silicon Valley in California. Her hard work and dedication allowed her to set the foundation for a start-up company. She and her team were in the midst of drawing in a new client when the phone call came in from Carnegie. She's needed back home.
The Kiowa Tribe Museum has been presented with the Jefferson Peace Medal that dates back to the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804. This relic has been treasured by the tribe. Gerald Bean, the curator, has been questioned about tribal artifacts that have gone missing. Although, presently, there is no definitive proof, there are a lot of suspicions as to the future safety of these artifacts in the museum.
When Mud finally reaches Carnegie, she is met by her cousin, Denny, who is more like a brother to her. The two of them realize that there is more going on here than what meets the eye. In fact, Anna ManyHorse, the tribal legislator, alerts them to possible illegal fracking on this ancestral land as well. Soon coincidences line up with the possibility that someone within their own tribe may be up to no good.
Silent Are the Dead reads perfectly as a standalone even though it is the second book in this series. Never Name the Dead is the first. D.M. Rowell fills this one with thievery and fraud of Kiowa artifacts, illegal fracking, a room full of rattlesnakes, and a dead body out of the blue that keeps showing up in odd places. The draw is in the fine writing and in the honoring of the Kiowa tribe throughout. This is the perfect opportunity to support Native American authors and their remarkable culture.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Crooked Lane Publishers and to D.M. Rowell for the opportunity.
As far as murder mysteries go, this one falls a bit on the silly side for me. I definitely clocked who the involved parties were within the first 10 chapters. I’m a big fan of Bones, so the description of the murder wound plus meeting one of the other characters quickly after made it very obvious.
I found Mud to be thinking about the wrong things at the wrong time, but that’s super relatable to me. Denny on other hand, was completely insufferable and hot headed. I couldn’t wait to finish some scenes with him just to get away from him.
I understand the connectedness of the crimes, but I do wish that the fracking investigation and the murder mystery were two separate stories. I think they both take from each other, which is how life goes, but the execution makes for a distracting read. It did not make for a more complex story, it just felt a bit cluttered. With the fracking story in particular, it didn’t feel like the stakes were all that high and it sometimes felt like an afterthought.
To be fair, I did not read the first book as this is an ARC from NetGalley, but I think the story provides enough context and motivations for the characters.
I did love the very direct voice of the experience and struggles of the Kiowa people. I think some would call it heavy handed, but I think it served as a really good anchor for the setting. Much like Mud, at all times you are reminded of where you are. I enjoyed that aspect a lot.
I think if you’re looking for a murder mystery this is a pass. However it serves as a really strong “slice of life” type of story that you’ve probably not encountered.
One of my first reads that is deep in Native American culture, this is the second book of the Mud Sawpole series. Carrying on from book 1 we find Mud overtired and still running around to fix the tribes issues, having just solved a murder and dealt with the theft of a tribal relic she is now faced with solving the illegal fracking problem near her grandfathers land, the dodgy salesman running the operation and a new even more confusing murder which seems to involve her high school love. Stuck between two worlds Mud is torn between helping her people and preserving their culture as well as making sure her business is still standing when she gets back.
I honestly felt like as well as being fully drawn into the story, it was also educational and gave a fresh and sincere perspective