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

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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priceofsalt's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging informative mysterious 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? No

4.0

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serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.5

Murder on the Red River was a perfectly fine mystery but it didn’t hook me or make we want to continue with the series. I liked Cash as a character - her pool playing and her straight talking, take no bs attitude. I liked that the story focussed on issues that indigenous people have when it comes to police and the justice system, plus the way it highlighted issues with the foster care system. The problems that I had relate to what might be termed “magical realism”. Cash’s dreams and visions which helped her solve crimes felt a little too convenient. I understand there may be a cultural component to this but it wasn’t really explored. I was also a little uncomfortable with Cash’s relationship with Sheriff Wheaton. The line between being a good guy and being a possible groomer felt a little blurry. It would be interesting to see if and how these issues evolve in future books.

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yaoipaddle's review

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I found Cash's personal life and story more interesting than the mystery/crime. I worry that her characterization is a little repetitive, but I would be willing to give the further books a chance.

I never felt like I was interested in trying to solve the crime myself or guess much of the motive since it seemed like... well we already know what it'll be. The book has a clear message it wants to share with the reader and the crime is a vehicle for that message.

I would recommend this book for someone looking to read more books with indigenous characters and culture. It also has a nice female lead even though at times she is a lil bit "not like other girls". If you solely want it for mystery/crime then I wouldn't really recommend this one.

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jourdanicus's review against another edition

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mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

This is another one I was so looking forward to reading... A murder mystery with an Indigenous main character sounded like my jam, especially since I really enjoyed Winter Counts when I read it in 2021. Unfortunately for me this plot panned out far too slowly and the story really did not hold my attention well. I'm usually more than fine with a character driven novel, but I needed something deeper than step-by-step descriptions of Cash doing her laundry, driving back and forth from her apartment, and so on.

This book had potential. I felt that the characters were believable and the plot had potential but it wasn't developed enough; it unfolded too slowly and without enough tension building especially for what was supposed to be a murder mystery. I did like the setting and time period, I feel the 70s don't get enough attention in fiction. I liked Cash as a character and was rooting for her! I am looking forward to more in the series, hopefully the author's writing style continues to grow.

Edit: Oh yeah, and there was a bit about Cash having sort of...visions or dreams of what happened to the murder victim and his family. I desperately wanted more of that! It was disappointing that it was only a small piece of the story, and like I said, more time was spent on descriptions of housework and baths :(

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