Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Eagle Catcher | 1995 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 2 | The Ghost Walker | 1996 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 3 | The Dream Stalker | 1997 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 4 | The Lost Bird | 1999 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 5 | The Story Teller | 1999 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 6 | The Spirit Woman | 2000 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 7 | The Thunder Keeper | 2001 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 8 | The Shadow Dancer | 2002 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 9 | Killing Raven | 2003 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 10 | Wife of Moon | 2004 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 11 | Eye of the Wolf | 2005 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 12 | The Drowning Man | 2006 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 13 | The Girl With Braided Hair | 2007 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 14 | The Silent Spirit | 2009 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 15 | The Spider’s Web | 2010 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 16 | Buffalo Bill’s Dead Now | 2012 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 17 | Killing Custer | 2013 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 18 | Night of the White Buffalo | 2014 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 19 | The Man Who Fell from the Sky | 2015 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
| 20 | Winter’s Child | 2016 | Margaret Coel | Buy |
The Wind River Reservation series spans twenty novels from 1995 to 2016, chronicling cases that emerge from the complicated history and present reality of the Wind River Reservation. Father John O’Malley came to St. Francis Mission as a recovering alcoholic seeking redemption, and stayed because he found purpose serving the Arapaho community. Vicky Holden returned to the reservation after earning her law degree, determined to use her education to help her people while navigating the tension between her professional life and traditional expectations.
Mysteries in the series often connect to historical injustices, land disputes, tribal politics, resource exploitation, and conflicts between traditional ways and modern pressures. Coel doesn’t romanticize reservation life or shy away from depicting problems like poverty, substance abuse, and jurisdictional complications between tribal, federal, and state authorities. The books show the Arapaho as contemporary people with jobs, families, and concerns, not museum pieces or stereotypes.
The twenty-book series develops both characters and the supporting cast of reservation residents. Father John and Vicky maintain a careful professional relationship marked by mutual respect and unspoken attraction, both committed to their vocations and to the community. The novels combine traditional mystery plotting with cultural education, giving readers insight into Arapaho traditions, language, and history while delivering satisfying crime stories. The series established Coel as a significant voice in regional mystery fiction and Native American cultural representation.