Blood Memory

Margaret Coel's BLOOD MEMORY tells of one Catherine McLeod, an investigative reporter for the Denver Journal whose coverage of tribes filing to reclaim millions of acres has made her an assassination target. She flees from town to escape death only to find her ongoing pursuit of her land-claim story is uncovering an underlying conspiracy that will threaten her life. The powerful, vivid thriller proves hard to put down: any mystery collection will find it a popular lend.

Margaret Coel has once again made history relevant to today in this mystery, a departure from her Wind River Reservation series. Alternating points of view between Denver journalist Catherine McLeod and hitman "Erik," Coel heightens suspense throughout the novel. Who really wants Catherine dead and why? What do the historical Sand Creek Massacre and contemporary potential Indian casino have to do with each other? Catherine keeps fighting for her life and her story and in the process, finds herself.

Margaret Coel's latest release, Blood Memory, is a departure from her Wind River mystery stories, which are set within an Indian reservation. With an influx of new characters, the author takes us into the urban sprawl near and around modern day Denver. Meet Catherine McLeod, an investigative reporter for a major Denver newspaper. Someone may be trying to kill her to keep her from working on a story. When a good friend is gravely injured in a shooting by a would-be assailant in her home, she realizes that friends and family close to her may be in danger's path as well. Now she must change her appearance, go into hiding, distance herself from loved ones and still attempt to investigate a story that someone is determined to keep hidden--a story that has been hidden for one hundred and fifty years, a story that gives her a glimpse into her own past and her ties to the Arapahos. While McLeod struggles to discover who she is and where her roots lie, she has to shed her identity and everything familiar to her in a desperate race to stay one step ahead of the killer that seems to know her every move. Only by digging into the past and weeding through the politics can she stop the attempts on her life and reveal a horrible history that ties in with the genocide of the Arapaho and Cheyenne in Denver's dark past and the 1864 massacre at Sand Creek. This suspenseful book is rich with well-researched glimpses of Native American history, treaties, and massacres. The plot flows smoothly; the characters that are varied, realistic and intriguing. The shocking ending of this fascinating mystery left me hoping to see more of Cole's new characters. by Rhonda Esakov for Story Circle Book Reviews reviewing books by, for, and about women

Denver Journal investigative reporter Catherine McLeod assumes the sniper's failed assassination attempt of her in her home is tied to one of her stories, past or present. She eliminated a random drive by, and a visit by Arapaho elder Norman Whitehorse affirms her theory. He informs her she is Arapaho; having been adopted his revelation about her roots is awesome and frightening. Her former husband demands Catherine flee the big city for the relative safety of his mountain ranch, but she refuses. Instead the intrepid journalist continues her investigation into what she believes is the story that has made her a target; Catherine reports the efforts of her "people" and that of the Cheyenne to regain over twenty million acres of land deeded by treaties but stolen during the 1864 Indian massacre at Sand Creek. However, Catherine is stunned by the violence of her unknown murderous stalker on the innocent and that her inquiry leads to DC. With Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden taking a breather though she makes an appearance in BLOOD MEMORY, Margaret Coel introduces her fans to a new heroine Catherine. She is terrific as she begins to learn about her heritage while also working an investigation into the land debate. The story line is action-packed with a fresh outlook and an incredible plausible but unexpected climax. Hopefully Ms. Coel's two brave women find a common cause in a future tale (sort of like Philip R. Craig and William G. Tapply did with Brady Coyne and J. W. Jackson); if not readers will still have two strong Arapaho heroines to count on for excellent thrillers. Harriet Klausner

The opening paragraph of a woman running with her dog sets the scene for a haunting suspense story. The woman is Catherine McLeod: 39 years old, married 6 years and divorced 10 months, investigative reporter for a Denver newspaper. A hired assassin follows her home, but in the melee when he breaks in, he shoots Catherine's friend, then disappears into the night at the sound of sirens. The nightmare begins. Who wants her dead? Does it have something to do with a story she has written? She digs back into her files: a state treasurer charged with embezzlement; the scrapped Civic Center architectural plan; most recently the Arapahos and Cheyennes filing claims on 27 million acres of Colorado land. She's shocked to discover that the Indian lawsuit is a sham. They really just want to build a casino. "Casinos are the new buffalo," Norman Whitehorse tells her. Even so, she reasons, there's nothing worth killing her for. Interspersed with Catherine's actions are chapters from the assassin's point of view. We get to know who he is and how he works. There's no explanation for what he does. He is simply evil. But is he any more evil than the person who hired him? He taunts Catherine. Everywhere she goes, she looks for him. He is taking over her life, but she is too stubborn to go into a witness protection program, or even to move away. She's convinced the killer would find her. Digging ever deeper into her old files, she finally discovers who might want her dead, and why. BLOOD MEMORY is a many-layered story, beautifully written. Coel keeps up the suspense until the very last page. Pat Browning Author of FULL CIRCLE