I finished reading Where They Last Saw her a couple weeks ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it. The book is a heartfelt and terrifying commentary on the violence against Native American women—the pressure they have to balance their family, their heritage, their career, and everything else with little support and lots of looming danger.

Where They Last Saw Her by Marcie Rendon is a hard book for me to review, so I’m going to split it into a list of what I liked and disliked.

Quick summary: Quill is an Indigenous woman who has lived on the Red Pine reservation her entire life. She’s married to a great man, and together they have two small children. She has a passion for running, and is training for the Boston Marathon with two of her close friends. But one day on a run, she hears a scream in the woods and from that day forward, she finds herself falling deeper into a dark conspiracy happening on the reservation.

Likes:
- We need more books by Native American women to hit the mainstream, and this one has a lot of the marks to do that. Rendon writes about the disappearances of Indigenous women, a topic people are often ignorant of or simply don’t know enough about. I am glad this book exists.
- While I didn’t find Quill likable, I feel like she was a well-developed character who found herself in a really difficult situation. Her choices sometimes bothered me, but they made sense for her character in those moments.
- Some readers may dislike this, but I love that Rendon sprinkled a lot of Ojibwe words/phrases into the story. The context is there to figure out the meaning, and it truly centers the community this book represents.
- Rendon knows the story she’s telling and is not afraid of showing how dark it is. She does not hold back, and I appreciate that.

Dislikes:
- This is almost all telling rather than showing, and it really makes the book feel dry. The writing is quite simplistic: person does this, then this, then this. There is very little attempt to show this world to us.
- There is so much superfluous information. I tested to see it I could skip big chunks of chapters and still understand what was going on, and yup, it was easy to find spots in the book that were skippable because they added nothing to the plot or characters. I would go back & read the sections I skipped just to be sure I hadn’t missed anything - nope, just unnecessary paragraphs of telling.
- Random PSAs. Yes, this topic is of massive importance but there is a way of showing that through craft that does not involve the characters delivering lines about MMIW without it feeling as if they are speaking to an audience. It made several sections feel inauthentic because characters seemed to be breaking the third wall and talking to readers rather than the other characters.

Overall, I’m glad I read this and I hope more people pick it up. While it has its issues (in my opinion), the actual story is really compelling and one that needs to be told.

The premise of the book is the sexual / physical trafficking and abuse of Native American women. Indian customs and beliefs are present throughout the book and quite interesting. However, I found the writing style and inconsistent and at times too slow. Was overall disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the eARC.

This book is haunting. It was really a well done, emotional mystery. How can a whole group of people be perceived as invisible? This book will show you.

I thought the premise of this book was really interesting but the writing style didn’t work for me and I decided to DNF. It felt like we were really kept at arm’s length from the characters.

Where They Last Saw Her is one of the best socially-conscious thrillers that I’ve ever read. The novel takes place on the Red Pine reservation in Minnesota, and features Quill, a wife, mother, and runner who is training for the Boston Marathon. During a morning run, Quill hears a woman’s scream and reports it to the tribal police. When the police claim they searched and found nothing, Quill returns to the area and finds drag marks and a single earring, making it clear that a woman has been kidnapped. She then enlists the help of her friends and fellow runners, Punk and Gaylyn, to find the missing woman.

The author, who is a citizen of the White Earth Nation, has done a good job creating a strong main character in Quill, who is conflicted between taking care of her family and her community. I particularly enjoyed the author’s depiction of life on the reservation where close personal and familial bonds co-exist with generational trauma, substance abuse, and the plight of murdered and missing Native women and children. This is particularly true where, as in the novel, there are “man camps” near Native communities that provide temporary housing to men in the energy industry who feel free to do what will without repercussions. I can’t recommend this book highly enough, and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Actual Rating 2.5

There were several good aspects of this work. The author, being Indigenous American, included many wonderful details about traditions and life that created some good depth for the characters and the setting. I also enjoyed the friendships that were highlighted and how the women supported each other.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting with Quill. She wasn’t easy to like or relate to as she made some awful decisions without any good reason aside from being obstinate. With how often she threw herself in dangerous situations despite her husband begging her not to, it was difficult to sympathize with her and her decisions. While the characters were good, they never came alive, which I think was largely related to the way they were written and to the fact that they had little development beyond what was needed for the plot.

One of the biggest things that didn’t work for me with this one was the writing style. It heavily relied on a somewhat repetitive and simplistic style with short, choppy sentences. This kept the story from flowing as well as I wanted to. The author also heavily relied on telling, which made it difficult to become immersed in the plot and setting or to connect with the characters. I was massively disappointed by this. A few other quibbles relating to the writing style included the incorrect use of several words, as well as the constant repetition of unnecessary phrases (e.g., “grandma’s marathon in Duluth” used many times on just one page).

If you enjoy mysteries and writing styles don’t really bother you, then you’ll probably enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book. This book has my whole heart. I absolutely adored this! From the incredible characters, to the plot, to falling in love with everything so quickly- I couldn’t put this down. I highly recommend this! It really just sucks you in and makes you never want to leave. In my opinion, those are the best books and I couldn't get enough.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this #gifted ARC. All opinions are my own!

I normally finish a book and have the urge to immediately detail my thoughts in a review.

That’s not what happened for this one.

I had to sit on my thoughts for a minute with this book. I had to let every single thing that happened in this book fully absorb before I could contemplate attempting to rate and review it.

First off, I loved this book… but it’s not a thriller. You could classify it as a mystery, but I’d venture to guess that most people will figure out the twists pretty easily. You could say it’s literary fiction… but, go in knowing this is based on a real life crisis.

There are 3 main characters in this book, but only one viewpoint. Parts of this book punched me in the gut. I felt panic, sorrow, and fear alongside our main character (Quill). However, there were aspects in the story that I think would have been more effectively written if we got to see it through a different point of view. I would have loved to see certain chapters through the eyes of Punk and Gaylyn.

I did like the ending, even though things wrapped up a little quickly.

This is my first book Marcie Rendon, but I did immediately added her award winning Cash Blackbear series to my TBR after I finished this.

SUGGESTED SNACK PAIRING: peanut butter cookies* or venison stew

“Aiming for a measure of normalcy, Quill pulled a chair over to the kitchen counter for Baby Boy to stand on so he could help her make peanut butter cookies. Like the three-year-old he was, he sloppily dropped teaspoons full of cookie dough on a baking sheet.”

Triggers: kidnapping, child death, sex trafficking, rape, murder, domestic abuse, drugs abuse, suicide, racism

While not a member of the Cash Blackbear story, this stand alone by Rendon is a solid mystery. It exposes the underbelly of the oil/fracking fields on indigenous land, and the criminals who prey on indigenous women. The lead character is strong, intelligent, family-oriented, determined to find answers, and also rightfully terrified. Another reminder of how vulnerable women are in a male-toxic area, and especially when it comes to indigenous women. I appreciate Rendon reminding us of the epidemic of missing Native women - America should and could do so much more. This is a solid mystery that i could see becoming a series, tho I am anxious to get back to Cash Blackbear again!

Rendon transports readers to the Red Pine reservation in northern Minnesota. Quill and her girlfriends run in the woods, training for the Boston Marathon, and hear a woman's scream, then suspicious tire tracks and a single beaded earring clearly left behind after a struggle. Quill, furious that another of their women has been stolen, can't help but become involved despite her husband's protests. Along with friends, Gaylyn and Punk, Quill continues to investigate at the casino, a rehab halfway house in Duluth, and the hospital. Putting their safety on the line, the women seek the truth and try to break the cycle of Native American trauma. A powerful story, well written, with high drama and plenty of thriller aspects to keep the reader on the edge of their seat. Well done Marcie Rendon, another enhtralling read.

I can't thank you enough, Net Galley, Random House Publishing, and especially Marcie Rendon for this ARC of When They Last Saw Her. First, and most importantly, allow me to give you the short story of how I came upon Marcie as an author. Two years ago, my brother and I were at the Texas Book Festival for the first time. The festival has been around since the time of Governor George and First Lady Laura Bush, but neither of us had ever attended. We were browsing the book sales tent, just getting a feel for what was offered. I happened upon, Marcie's book, Murder on the Red River, A Cash Blackbear Mystery.. It had an appealing cover and was a bargain price. I bought and read it several months later, awarding it four Goodreads stars. It was a compelling mystery with a glimpse into the life of a Native American girl, Cash. I so enjoyed the way in which Cash and the sheriff were described as living, breathing characters and the cooperative work they did to solve a crime.

This book, though not part of that same series, was a great glimpse into the life of an indigenous woman (Quill), her friends, family and the "white" culture that tended to view the females in her tribe as mere objects to be used and discarded. When a woman from her reservation goes missing, Quill and her friends are much more invested in finding her than any of law enforcement, even the tribal police seem not to have the same incentive. When her friend, Punk is taken also, Quill is on a mission. At this point, you begin to see the strength and power not just Quill, but the many of the females on her reservation. It's a well-paced, quickly moving story, but it's also an inside look at what the indigenous women are sometimes forced to contend with, even short of kidnapping and murder. As an aside, Quill is a runner, training for the Boston Marathon. It is easy to see she uses this hobby for stress relief, but also finds it very empowering as do more of the women around her as the book progresses.

“I’m telling you,I heard a woman scream.”

Where They Last Saw Her is an emotionally charged novel that shines a stark light on the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

From the start, the novel establishes a gripping tone. The story kicks off with Quill’s distressing discovery following a scream she hears, underscoring the sense of fear and urgency that pervades the community.

Throughout the novel, Quill's journey is interspersed with moments of profound reflection. For instance, the reflections on the historical trauma endured by Indigenous peoples,add layers of depth to the story, highlighting the generational pain and resilience within the community.


By the end of the book, the return to a semblance of normalcy in the community feels both poignant and unsettling, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the crisis and the resilience required to face it.
Overall, Where They Last Saw Her is a powerful read that combines a suspenseful plot with a critical social commentary. It serves as both a thrilling mystery and a sobering reminder of the need for justice and systemic change for Indigenous communities.

I feel like this was a really good example of what does happen in rural places like this and they all need someone like Quill to help find the truth.

Serial killers are everywhere and women of color are murdered more often than white women and their deaths are often not even reported let alone solved. Here we have Quill, a Native American woman who is so angry and frustrated that she vows justice to missing women on her reservation after hearing a terrifying scream out running. Quill and her family are really interesting characters and I enjoyed getting to know them. Really powerful read.

The abuse of indigenous women and children is given a fresh approach by Marcie Rendon, herself a member of the White Earth Nation. This therefore is a subject close to her heart, a fact that is evident on every page. Quill, a loving wife and mother who has lived on the Rez her entire life, finds herself involved in the disappearance of one young woman, causing her to be more alert than ever while on the trail training for the Boston Marathon. Tribal ties, conditions and traditions are brought to light but this is definitely a novel of the current day, given the consistent texting between the characters and seemingly unending cups of coffee. I definitely plan on reading her earlier books.

Tension is ever present in this fictional depiction of native American women and children missing with out publicity or resources to find them. Quill is the main character who takes matters into her own hands and becomes obsessed with the missing. Putting her marriage to the test, she does what she canto find out what's happening. Man camps established to work on the pipeline and the local casino are where the predators stem from. The traditions on the reservation and the customs provide a rich setting for this story of the abducted and abused.

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

e-ARC from NetGalley.

I really wanted to like this one. Not only is it a mystery/thriller with an interesting premise, but it is based on the very real epidemic of indigenous women going missing at an absurdly high rate, never to be seen again.

It got off to a great start. Our protagonist, Quill, is out for a run when she hears a woman's terrified scream. When the officers sent to investigate don't even drive to the crime scene, Quill decides she needs to take matters into her own hands.

From there, it quickly deteriorated. The writing, for one, was hard to jive with and needed to be pared down: I didn't need to know the history of Crow's pickup, the details of Quill adding this or that to a pot of stew did not need to occur in multiple scenes, and I don't understand why we got the back and forth of Baby Boy watching TV and then interrupting a conversation and then being put back in front of the television when a simple "in between interruptions" would have sufficed.

I struggled to connect with the characters, even when attempting to look past the writing. Punk seemed more a stereotype than a person, and every scene with Gaylynn ended with her saying she was going to be late for work. But it was Quill who really pushed me into "I actively dislike this" territory.

At no point does this woman make a smart decision. She never calls the cops. She routinely lies to her husband. She knowingly brings her children into dangerous situations. She ignores all of her best friend's texts and doesn't even notice when said best friend goes missing. She doesn't lock her doors when she's driving somewhere dangerous.

I'm always on the hunt for books about indigenous people written by indigenous authors, but this was not for me.

I bet my grandma'd like it, though.

This story was a solid 3/5. It was an interesting story that touched on a very important topic surrounding the atrocities that indigenous women face, but there was something about it that wasn’t quite there.

The writing didn’t flow very well so it was hard to stay engaged. It was slow paced, but so many details were over explained that it felt like both too much and not enough was happening. I think if it was in more of a short story format that it could’ve worked better.

I enjoyed the friendship between the three women, but Quill had terrible judgement. It was tough to connect with her when she was constantly making bad decisions.

Overall a good story, I just wish the execution was a bit better.

4 stars

This is my first book by this author, but it won't be my last.

Quill is an exceptional main character who grapples with the ways she sees herself and her community versus how they are repeatedly mistreated in the world at large. The most horrifying example of this identity-based abuse comes in the form of missing women, the first of whom Quill actually overhears being taken. Quill devotes herself to learning why these women are being taken, what exactly is happening to them, and how they can collectively end the nightmare. On top of a more than noble and deeply personal quest, Quinn's relationship to her family, her friendships, and even her love of running help make her a compelling character for whom it is impossible not to root.

While Quill is a standout for me, this is also just a well-paced and sinister thriller overall. It's a good read that constantly had me wondering how I was moving through it so quickly, and it's one I recommend to others who enjoy the genre and representation.

I'm a new but enthusiastic fan of Rendon's.