Simply one of the best books I have ever read. Told as a suspense thriller, this book also sheds light on the issues facing indigenous people. A masterfully crafted story with a twist I didn't see coming. Indigenous folklore woven into the story adds so much depth. The elements of a personal battle with inner demons have you cheering for Carrie.

Mask of the Deer Woman is a great debut mystery from Laurie L. Dove. It's not a typical "grizzled cop with demons" story as the protagonist is an Indigenous woman who has taken a job on her father's reservation after her life as a detective in Chicago falls apart following the death of her daughter. The story is as much about her reconnecting with her Indigenous heritage that her family had largely kept from her as it is her grappling with the death of her daughter and solving the series of murders and disappearances of young Indigenous women on the reservation.

The book is largely told from the POV of Carrie Starr, or just Starr, who is the new Bureau of Indian Affairs Marshal who has been assigned this job to address the issue of Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women. I wasn't entirely clear at first, but I realized as I read on that a murder investigation is what she is thrown into on her very first day at work. In memories she recounts while solving the case we learn about why she was asked to leave the Chicago police force following the death of her daughter.

The perspective also shifts to various officials in the town bordering the reservation where we learn about a possible deal to drill for oil on native owned land that the town is pushing for. They're facing a number of obstacles including general push back from the residents of the reservation and the possibility that an endangered insect is living on the land which would mean protection by federal law and no drilling. The POV of these characters felt flat and almost cartoonishly evil as compared to how Starr's POV is written, she seems like how a real person would think and act, the town officials did not. I felt like all of them were written as over the top bad to cast suspicion on all of them as the possible perpetrators of the murders/abductions. It's good to have red herrings, but not so obviously.

In addition, there are chapters written from the POV of the victims and one from a suspect which I appreciate were included, those were well written as fully fleshed out characters.

Some of the dialog was clunky and I was confused by some of the side plots relating to the oil deal and various scams town officials were running. Again, I think these were included as possible motives and red herrings. I also was a little confused by the ultimate resolution and explanation of the mystery being solved and the perpetrator being found. It felt rushed and that the author was just telling us what had happened and now the bad guy is gone, the end.

I liked the magical realism element of the Deer Woman and the story that was told within the book about that. I found it interesting that as Starr reconnects with her culture and heritage she also figures out who is the Deer Woman.

Overall this was a really good book and I appreciate reading a book that highlights the topic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women which is a very real and very ignored problem by law enforcement. I also appreciate that there are no white saviors in this book.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

After the death of her daughter, ex Chicago detective Carrie Starr finds herself as the new tribal Marshall on the reservation where her father was raised. Going back to her roots, she must learn the old ways to unravel the mystery of why so many "rez" girls are going missing or just disappearing. When a college student, also a tribal girl goes missing, Starr must understand the old legends of the Deer Woman she heard as a child from her father and her inner strength to find the girl and her place on the reservation.

A strong debut about subject matter that needs more attention. Novel follows a recent rising trend in mysteries and thrillers involving the MMIW movement. As an Indigenous reviewer I am familiar personally with this subject matter and have read several new books over the last year that cover this as well. Including two others that involve an Indigenous woman working in the police force who goes back to her Oklahoma roots. Sadly, these other novels do this storyline better. While Dove has done excellent research, the biggest issue was pacing and too many character point of views with very little distinguishing character identity. Normally when a novel features multiple POVS, they are written uniquely to give the characters their own personalities. With Dove's work there are too many characters that are similar and their POVs can be hard to distinguish. The novel could do with a few POVS retracted.

Still a great read and will recommend it.

Wow what an intense book! There is a lot going on at the beginning and I didn't always like the commentary going on in Starr's head. But I understand that it helps up learn more about her and her background.
I liked the look into Indigenous peoples and their lives and how much they have been through and are still going through.
This was a fast paced mystery, that I think many will enjoy.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Audio for making an advance reader copy of this book available to me.
MASK OF THE DEER WOMAN Woman by Laurie L. Dove is a solid debut novel about Carrie Starr, my new favorite heroine. Carrie is escaping from Chicago, and going back to her Oklahoma roots. A former detective with Chicago PD, Carrie lands a job as a tribal marshal and is instantly faced with tracking down a missing woman. In her investigation, she finds that this but one of several indigenous women who have gone missing from the reservation over the past several years. While trying to solve the puzzle of the missing women, Carrie struggles with self-destructive behaviors and doubts about her own future.
This was a worthwhile read. The setting is reminiscent of Tony Hillerman's work and the principal investigator is as flawed as a James Lee Burke character. I look forward to more from Laurie L. Dove.

Mask of the Deer Woman is a fantastic tribute to the indigenous people especially those living on tribal lands in Oklahoma. The conniving deeds performed by people in respected positions in the political realm are surprising and yet expected for personal gain no matter what the ramifications on others. I loved the plot and .mysteries presented in this novel.

Unfortunately, I was not in the right headspace to read this one, but I definitely think this is one that my library patrons will enjoy.

The storyline was interesting. Kept me engaged. Slower in some areas but suspense was there when needed. Likeable characters and multiple POVs. The twist at the end did get me but I liked it. Satisfying ending. Was left with only one question unanswered but maybe I missed it.
Only two notable downsides. The phrasing at times would throw me off and the changing of POVs wasn’t always clear and could be a bit confusing.

I thought that this was a solid book. I did not absolutly love it though because I felt that I could not connect with the characters.