A review by nelemon
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

5.0

This was so good! I had the author on my radar ever since I read his story in the collection Never Whistle at Night, and this full length novel by him was definitely a hit for me. 

As a crime novel and thriller, this really worked for me. The main character VIrgil hat quite a lot going on and the different plot strings were set up and tied together well. It made the story feel fast paced and kept me turning page after page. I wouldn’t call it action-packed, but the violence that does happen in this book was quite brutal. 

The characters are described and developed really well too. I was on board with Virgil from the first or second chapter, and I cared for him and the people close to him so much - when someone got into danger I was so nervous I couldn’t stop reading, I had to know if they were going to be alright. 

I haven’t read a lot of crime novels by Native American authors (probably because there aren’t that many), so the perspective and setting of the novel felt unique and different from other thrillers, which I enjoyed. I thought the themes and issues of life on the reservation, the problems with the “justice” system, harsh realities of trauma and racism as well as friendship, community, humor, ceremony, healing and identity were part of the story in a way that felt natural and organic. 

Plus, the audiobook was great! 

I loved reading this book and I can’t wait for the author’s next one. Hope Virgil kicks some ass in that one too!