Publication Date: January 21, 2025
To find a missing young woman, the new tribal marshal must also find herself.
At rock bottom following her daughter’s death, ex–Chicago detective Carrie Starr has nowhere to go but back to her roots. Starr’s father never talked much about the reservation where he was raised, but the tribe needs a new marshal as much as Starr needs a place to call home.
In the past decade, too many young women have disappeared from the rez. Some have ended up dead, others just…gone. Now local college student Chenoa Cloud is missing, and Starr falls into an investigation that leaves her drowning in memories of her daughter—the girl she failed to save.
Starr feels lost in this place she thought would welcome her. And when she catches a glimpse of a figure from her father’s stories, with the body of a woman and the antlers of a deer, Starr can’t shake the feeling that the fearsome spirit is watching her, following her.
What she doesn’t know is whether Deer Woman is here to guide her or to seek vengeance for the lost daughters that Starr can never bring home.
Carrie Starr moves to Oklahoma to become a marshal for a reservation after a problem in Chicago at her previous job in a complex story with several layers in Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove.
The main plot revolves around a disadvantaged group of indigenous people who have had women stray from the reservation, never to be seen again. Will Carrie be able to solve the cold cases along with the two current ones? Unbeknownst to Carrie, she has connections to the reservation through her father but has her own demons to fight. Will she be able to do her job and fight for justice?
Through it all, many characters have personal agendas, even if they think others are with them. Multiple plots are happening, but we only seem to scratch the surface. There are twists and turns and so many secrets. Evil is on the reservation and its surrounding small town, especially with plans for an oil pipeline on their lands.
The prologue gives clarity to the story, and the descriptions are vivid throughout. The author highlights the indigenous beliefs spoken about, and the Deer Woman plays an important role. There is closure in solving the crimes, but there is also a surprising twist at the end. The epilogue tied up loose ends.
Mask of the Deer Woman reveals truths about life on a reservation and how indigenous peoples living there are mostly forgotten. With the mysterious disappearance of many of the young women, will the new marshal be able to bring closure and peace by solving the crimes?
Laurie L. Dove is a reporter and editor whose work has appeared in numerous publications and garnered several honors for outstanding journalism. She graduated with a master’s degree in Creative Writing and Literature from Harvard University. She is an adjunct professor who currently lives and writes in Kansas.
