Winter Counts
Books | Fiction / Thrillers / Crime
3.6
(122)
David Heska Wanbli Weiden
ANTHONY AWARD WINNER FOR BEST FIRST NOVELTHRILLER AWARD WINNER FOR BEST FIRST NOVELEDGAR AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL“Winter Counts is a marvel. It’s a thriller with a beating heart and jagged teeth.” —Tommy Orange, author of There ThereA Best Book of 2020: NPR * Publishers Weekly * Library Journal * CrimeReads * Goodreads * Sun Sentinel * SheReads * MysteryPeople A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx. Virgil Wounded Horse is the local enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When justice is denied by the American legal system or the tribal council, Virgil is hired to deliver his own punishment, the kind that’s hard to forget. But when heroin makes its way into the reservation and finds Virgil’s nephew, his vigilantism suddenly becomes personal. He enlists the help of his ex-girlfriend and sets out to learn where the drugs are coming from, and how to make them stop.They follow a lead to Denver and find that drug cartels are rapidly expanding and forming new and terrifying alliances. And back on the reservation, a new tribal council initiative raises uncomfortable questions about money and power. As Virgil starts to link the pieces together, he must face his own demons and reclaim his Native identity. He realizes that being a Native American in the twenty-first century comes at an incredible cost.Winter Counts is a tour-de-force of crime fiction, a bracingly honest look at a long-ignored part of American life, and a twisting, turning story that’s as deeply rendered as it is thrilling.Winner, Spur Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and Best First Novel * Winner, Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery Novel * Shortlisted, Best First Novel, Bouchercon Anthony Awards * Shortlisted, Best First Novel, International Thriller Writers * Shortlisted, Dashiell Hammett Prize for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing, International Association of Crime Writers * Longlisted, VCU Cabell First Novel Award * Shortlisted, Barry Award for Best First Novel * Shortlisted, Reading the West Award * Shortlisted, Colorado Book Award (Thriller)
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More Details:
Author
David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Pages
352
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published Date
2020-08-25
ISBN
0062968963 9780062968968
Ratings
Google: 4
Community ReviewsSee all
"Really enjoyed this crime thriller. Fast paced and easy read but also has elements of the very real challenges Native Americans face in the past and present. Great way to bring light to the issues. "
Sheldon Rapoza
"This book really introduced me to a genre I didn’t know I was missing! Amazing and thought provoking "
J C
Jasmine C
"South Dakota "
Rachel Joy
"Very fun reading. Thrilling and enlightening. While the novel is a work of fiction it definitely opened my eyes to a lot of holes in the justice system that indigenous peoples of the US are subjected to live under. "
Megan Coady
"Good read"
Caitlyn Malone
"This is definitely a gritty (and extremely stressful) thriller, focusing on an "enforcer" who takes matters into his own hands when the law won't help people on the reservation. Virgil is doing his best to take care of his nephew under less than ideal circumstances. He's cynical and skeptical about Lakota traditions due to trauma from his youth but considers turning to them again when he gets in over his head.<br/><br/>This novel is really well written and I enjoyed most of it, but some of the fight scenes near the end were pretty silly, so I docked a star."
a
awesome_user_984860
"Virgil Wounded Horse is a Lakota enforcer. Dispensing his own form of justice for members of the tribe who can't get justice through the legal system. You see, the tribes are only allowed to prosecute misdemeanors and the feds are the ones who prosecute felonies. However the feds pass on charging most crimes on the reservations, unless it's a murder.<br/><br/>Virgil is hired by his ex-girlfriend Marie's dad to run off some heroin dealers that have started infiltrating the reservation. He's not interested though, until his nephew Nathan overdosed on heroin. Now he's out to find out who's bringing it in and stop them. <br/><br/>This book hooks you from page one. The characters are well developed and you really get to know and care about what happens to them. The author builds suspense and makes it really hard to put down this book. I loved it and I hope there's a follow up to it!<br/><br/>The author also gives us a glimpse of how the Lakota and other Indigenous peoples have been treated by the government and by other Americans and it was really disheartening to read. I learned a lot of things I didn't know about how the government has treated the Indigenous tribes over throughout history. I also appreciate that he put some recommendations for further readings on Indigenous history in the author's notes at the end of the book.<br/><br/>Thank you to HarperCollins, Ecco, author David Heska Wanbli Weiden, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review."
C H
Chris Hicks
"This book was fantastic. Not only did it give insight into the Native experience in the US, but it was also an entertaining crime novel."
Sara Mannal
"2021"
J J
Jennifer Johnson
""Winter Counts" offers an intriguing Native American perspective on crime and justice. Virgil Wounded Horse's complex character drives the story effectively. The exploration of cultural themes is commendable, but pacing issues occasionally dull the impact. Overall, it is a compelling debut with room for improvement."
Lori Marie Ramirez
