Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Murder on the Red River

I wanted to like this more because the story background interested me, but it didn’t quite grab me and I kept getting distracted. I wanted more about Cash’s life and wanted to know more about Wheaton. I’m guessing those will be explored in the next books - I saw that the second in the series has Cash’s brother coming back.

I don’t know the geography of ND and MN around the Red River and I think I’d have enjoyed this more if I had. Cash is always driving to someplace and then back to another place and then off to yet another, etc, but that didn’t mean anything to me so it detracted from the story.

She frequents bars to drink and play pool but I didn’t get the significance of the different bars. I understood that one was more upscale, one had strippers, one was her regular spot, and a few were just places she stopped by, but I didn’t get why the story needed so many. I also thought it was odd that the only Indian who’s even remotely in her circle is Long Braids.

I did like the way the FBI guys were practically faceless automatons. They kept running into her but their racism blinded them to her individuality so they never really recognized her. And I thought the descriptions of prejudice / entitlement were especially good. I felt angry on Cash’s behalf just reading about the way she, as an Indian, was treated. Wheaton - not even the occasional boyfriend Jim - was the only one who saw her as a real person.

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ashdawn's review against another edition

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slow-paced

2.0

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shay43geek's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

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zarelaeda's review

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dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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maddamn's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Wonderful. Heartbreaking. Well written. I really enjoyed this book. It’s fiction but plays in the sandbox of real-life trauma and historical issues. This may be a bit dark or triggering for some. But it’s a solid read that will break your heart but admire the unbroken spirit of its main character. Cash is so real, which is why it’s easy to forge connection and feel her pain as your own.

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kelseymcg20's review against another edition

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dark informative tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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ash_bees's review

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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cathyrodgers's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Very slow moving and not much of a mystery here. But the character development, especially the friendship/mentorship between Cash and Wheaton was excellent. I’ll read the next in the series, just to see what the characters are up to.

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