In the Fargo-Moorhead area of the 1970s, the age of peace and love is beginning to wane. Nineteen-year-old Cash Blackbear is in college. Two of her classes are boring; the only two she likes are psychology and judo. If she had her way, she'd just attend those two classes, shoot pool, drink beer, smoke cigarettes, and drive beet trucks for the local farmers.
Then a local teenage girl goes missing, and Cash is troubled by dreams of terrified young girls calling to her for help. She doesn't know exactly what is going on, but she intuitively feels that it's something bad. Things become even more tense when Cash has an unexpected houseguest. It's the brother that she didn't even know was alive; the two were separated as children when they were taken from the reservation and put into foster care.
With the help of her guardian and friend, Sheriff Wheaton-- and possibly even her brother-- will Cash be able to discover the truth about the missing girl... and save her before it's too late?
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If you want to read and learn about another culture's experiences, I highly recommend that you find Marcie R. Rendon's Cash Blackbear mysteries. You will be taken straight into the life of a young Native American girl in 1970s North Dakota and Minnesota. You will learn what commonly happened to Native Americans at this time and how their lives and hopes and dreams were (almost always) warped by the experiences.
In this second Cash Blackbear mystery, Rendon shines a light on the Indian Adoption Project that was in effect from 1941 to 1967 as well as the plight of missing and murdered indigenous women that still haunts the country to this day. Cash's brother, Mo, is full of surprises and shows us how life was for many returned Vietnam veterans. I think the best part of Girl Gone Missing for me-- outside of the brilliant characterization of Cash herself-- was learning more about her friend and guardian, Sheriff Wheaton. His backstory and motivations make him even more special.
There is an inevitability to Girl Gone Missing that is compelling. Even though the missing girls are young and white and blond and blue-eyed, readers feel that Cash will be the exception to the rule... and they will also feel that she will be able to survive whatever experience follows. How she does it is true to her indomitable spirit. No matter how many times she's knocked down, no matter how many times she tells herself not to wish for anything, this young woman will not give up, and I for one will always cheer her on.
The third book in the series, Sinister Graves, will be released in October. I can't wait. Without a doubt, Rendon's Cash Blackbear mysteries are my favorite finds of 2022. Do yourself a favor and grab the first one, Murder on the Red River. How these books can be so bleak yet so full of hope, I'll never know. But I do know that Marcie R. Rendon is an incredibly talented writer, and I want to read more.
Girl Gone Missing by Marcie R. Rendon
eISBN: 9781641293792
Soho Press © 2021
eBook, 214 pages
Amateur Sleuth, #2 Cash Blackbear mystery
Rating: A
Source: Purchased from Amazon.
Wow, this sounds fascinating, Cathy! What a great perspective to share, and it's a fascinating way to shed some light on that part of history, and that aspect of Native American life. I can see why this series has drawn you in. I like that first sentence, too; it makes me want to read the next. And the next...
ReplyDeleteSo... what's stopping you? (And don't give me any guff about that huge stack of books you have waiting to be read!) ;-)
DeleteI am intrigued by this series. Another one for my reading list.
ReplyDeleteI'd really be interested in your thoughts about this series, Dorothy.
DeleteThis does sound like an amazing series. I'm intrigued by both the time period and Native American setting. And Cash sounds so awesome. I'll definitely be checking this one out. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat-- just what I like to hear! :-)
DeleteNot a series I'm familiar with, but happy to know about it. Will make note of it and see what I can find. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Kay. I think you'll like it. It might even be a good book club choice.
DeleteI have the first one on my ever-longer list to try, so this is a good reminder.
ReplyDeleteI aim to help! ;-) I've received an ARC of the third book in the series, so I had to make sure I read this one first. It most definitely was not a hardship!
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