When Dels Billy, a popular women's Indian Horse Relay rider, disappears, Choctaw Detective Perry Antelope and her partner, Sophia Burns, are called in to investigate. It doesn't take them long to realize that this isn't a cut-and-dried missing persons case.
Disturbing connections between Dels' disappearance and a series of unsolved abductions of women from Oklahoma reservations are uncovered, but the perpetrators always seem to be a step ahead. This doesn't deter Perry and Sophia. They are determined that Dels is not going to become just another statistic.
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I am always on the lookout for Native American-themed mysteries, so it's no surprise this book interested me. Devon Mihesuah's debut thriller also caught my eye because of the Indian Horse Relay aspect, which I did know a little about. I am very happy to say that Blood Relay is a multi-layered mystery and character study that knocked my socks off. I want more.
The mystery in Blood Relay is a fast-paced thrill ride that kept me guessing, and I do like the fact that more is being written about missing Indigenous women, a plague that has disgraced our country for much too long.
If you're worried about the Indian Horse Relay aspect of the book, don't be. It takes up very little of the story. In fact, I wouldn't have minded if Mihesuah had included a bit more about it.
I am a character-driven reader, and this is where Blood Relay shines. Perry Antelope is a seasoned investigator, and-- wonder of wonders-- where spouses in police procedurals are usually more hindrance than help, Perry's husband, Troy, is extremely supportive. Their family life is a rock-solid foundation, and one of the reasons why Perry is such a good detective.
Her partner, Sophia Burns, is an ex-Olympic shot putter and a former street-smart police officer. She and Perry have only been partners for six months, but they've created a strong bond and an impressive success rate. With the help of Choctaw Lighthorseman Raquel Hunter ("She still looked as if she could barrel through a cinder-block wall."), these two make a fascinating and formidable team.
It's been a long time since I've been so impressed with a debut mystery. (In an aside, I was pleased to see that Mihesuah thanks fellow writer Marcie Rendon in her acknowledgements. Those of you who have had the pleasure of reading Rendon's Cash Blackbear mysteries will understand.) Now that I've had the good fortune of meeting Perry, Sophia, and Raquel, all I can say is that I hope I get to see them many more times.
Blood Relay by Devon Mihesuah
eISBN: 9780593983836
Bantam Books © 2026
eBook, 336 pages
Police Procedural/Native American mystery
Rating: A+
Source: Net Galley
Well, you sold me after the first paragraph. I, too, am always looking for good books by and about Indigenous people. And you are right: The missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is a horror and should be publicized everywhere. Thankfully, books by Indigenous authors about this terrible situation are being published. And I love Cash Blackbear and Marcie Rendon, whom I saw speak at the Poisoned Pen.
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