Death Along the Spirit Road, C. M. Wendelboe

Death Along the Spirit Road, C. M. Wendelboe

A Lakota FBI man, not the most popular man on Pine Ridge, but Manny has returned to his place of origin to solve a murder.  He is one of the most proficient FBI agents, but destined to be sent to every crime on a reservation because he is Indian.

In this case he must confront his own family – a brother who was now free after serving time for a murder that was committed when Manny was only 8, his former sister-in-law, his niece, and the memory of his Uncle who raised him and planted the basics of Lakota traditionalism in Manny’s mind.

He must take on a rookie reservation cop, Willie, as his partner because the man in charge – Lumpy – is an old rival of Manny who is not happy to have him back in town.  Lumpy’s ex-wife, however, is very happy to have Manny there and Manny spends as much time avoiding her as solving the crime.  It is Willie, ever eager to learn, who enters Manny’s personal realm when he says, “Once I wanted to be an FBI agent.  So I went to college in Vermillion right out of high school.  Belted out my criminal justice requirements.  I even filled out a federal application.  But whenever I’d come back during break, I’d always hear dead elders calling me, like they wanted me to stick around. You ever get that feeling, that some lost soul was tugging at your arm, forcing you to return?”

Although he becomes the victim of more crimes than the one he is solving which is a result of both his reputation as an FBI hotshot and his habit of stirring up old memories.  There are many characters that people the novel, but as much as the characters that are in the mystery it is the presence of the traditional Lakota Spirit Road that challenges Manny and his life. He is confronted by the reservation and its hopelessness as well as the memories and connections to AIM that had drawn in his brother, his ex-sister-in-law, and the murdered victim.

“The FBI had hired him, trained him, made him one of the nation’s premier investigators. He had given back far more than he had received, however, and had forsaken his heritage for his position.  Duty wasn’t one of the four Lakota virtues.  Even before he thought of excuses not to maintain his loyalty to the bureau, he had his answer:  Uncle Marion.  Duty, Unc told him, was as important at the traditional virtues.  Duty is what kept a man walking when he should be crawling, crawling when he should be lying on his deathbed.  Generosity, fortitude, bravery and wisdom were the four Lakota virtues.  Duty was Manny’s virtue.”

I found this to be a real page turner.  My familiarity with the SD reservations might be one reason, but I think the personalities and interactions in the context of the reservation is strong.