The Spirit Woman

According to legend, Sacajawea—the Native American woman who helped guide the Lewis and Clark expedition through the American wilderness—is buried on the Wind River Reservation. Now, a college professor—and longtime friend of Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden—has disappeared while seeking the truth behind the legend.

Vicky and Father John O’Malley soon discover that her missing friend is linked to another female historian who also vanished on the reservation—while researching Sacajawea twenty years ago. The answer to the mystery of the missing scholars may lie in the pages of Sacajawea’s hidden memoirs—and with a culprit who will do anything to ensure they’re never found…

“Fans of Hillerman and the Thurlos will find this Native American mystery compelling, exciting, and informative.” —The Midwest Book Review

“Nicely paced and suspenseful. Coel blends frontier history, complex emotions, and western vistas in a way that is all her own.” —Booklist

“A character driven story. It will be interesting to see where Coel goes next.” —Booknews

Margaret Coel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of the acclaimed Wind River Mysteries featuring Father John O’Malley and Vicky Holden, as well as the Catherine McLeod Mysteries and several works of nonfiction. Originally a historian by trade, she is considered an expert on the Arapaho Indians. A native of Colorado, she resides in Boulder.