This debut mystery from a fresh voice in Southwestern fiction stakes out the common ground between Tony Hillerman, Elmore Leonard, and Cormac McCarthy. In a remote corner of the Chickasaw Nation, tribal Lighthorse policeman Bill Maytubby and county deputy Hannah Bond discover the buzzard-ravaged body of Majesty Tate, a young drifter with a blank past. They comb Oklahoma’s rock prairie, river … prairie, river bottoms, and hard-bitten small towns for traces of her last days.
Tate was seen dancing with Austin Love, a violent local meth dealer fresh out of prison. An Oklahoma City motel clerk connects her with an aspiring politician. An oil-patch roustabout and a shady itinerant preacher provide dubious leads. Ne’er-do-wells start dying off.
A fluke lead propels Maytubby deep into Louisiana’s bayou country, where a Cajun shrimper puts him on the scent of a bizarre conspiracy. He and Bond reunite in the Chickasaw Nation for the eventual face-off at Nail’s Crossing.
“As fine a mystery series debut as I’ve read in a long time.”–Craig Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire series
“Thrilling…Lackey’s exciting story unwinds like a rattlesnake.”–Bill Loehfelm, author of The Devil’s Muse
“A captivating look at a little-known corner of rural Oklahoma…rife with drug problems, yet peopled by tenacious, idiosyncratic characters you can’t help rooting for.”—Kirkus Reviews
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View of the workings of reservation police with other official teams.
I am a longtime fan of Tony Hillerman, Craig Johnson, James Doss and others that write mysteries set in the Southwest. When I saw this book as a featured Readout through Nook, I was excited to start a new series. I was not disappointed!
William “Bill” Maytubby is a deputy with the Chickasaw nation, engaged to the beautiful lawyer Jill Milton. When a murder is committed on tribal land, Maytubby teams up with County Deputy Hannah Bond and FBI agent Scrooby. As Maytubby tries to track down the killer, he travels to Arkansas and Louisiana, where he encounters some true Cajuns. (This just added to my enjoyment since I lived in Louisiana for 4 years).
All in all, this was an enjoyable book. Plenty of twists and turns, great characters, some dry humor and great descriptions of the countryside all add to the fun of this book. I am grateful to Nook for allowing me to discover this new series. I’m sure that I will be reading more adventures of these characters in the future.
Awesome Audio Book plenty of action and suspense. Great narrative. Kris Lackey
Native American characters and OK setting.
Unusual characters and setting. Looking forward to the next instalment!
3.5 stars
This book is about a determined Chickasaw nation policeman, William Maytubby, and Sheriff’s deputy Hannah Bond, on the trail of a stone cold killer. A dead woman is found and the obvious suspect is a Chickasaw native. But Maytubby senses something is wrong and spends his own time and money figuring out who the real murderer is. The book goes back and forth between the investigation and Maytubby’s private life. The plot and the characters meshed together well. The ending was very good.
One quote on a burn ban and arsonists: “If you outlaw fire, only outlaws will have fire.”
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this book.
I always enjoy writing where I can picture the location. My husband is Native so the comments about the Rez rang true. I’m not so sure I got the connection between the bad guys but it’s a good read.
Will order next book in series.
Lots more to see in Oklahoma than you might think.
Nice descriptions of the area
I found this book very entertaining. I live in Oklahoma and this book is set in Oklahoma and is about law enforcers and the Indian Tribes here.
I enjoyed the view into the sub-culture of an Indian reservation in Oklahoma. I will watch for other books by Kris Lackey.
I’m happy to find a new series of Native American mysteries. I love all the Tony Hillerman books as well as those written by his daughter Anne. Aimee and David Thurlo’s Ella Clah mysteries following Hillerman’s lead in writing about the Navajo in New Mexico are also among my favorites . And now I plan to follow Kris Lackey’s series set in Oklahoma in the Chickasaw Nation. The characters are intriguing, but keeping up with the secondary characters took a little effort in this debut novel.
illustrates a unique part of the US and some of the complications where tribal lands meet traditional jurisdictions
I very much enjoyed Nail’s Crossing. I like the two main characters, one a Chickasaw nation police officer, and one a county deputy, and their friendship/working relationship. The author wove a story with a truly motley set of characters from diverse backgrounds, economic standing, political standing, etc.
If you like police mysteries, this is a good story with the added twist of getting to know a tribal police and the environment in which he works.
This is a great story with great characters and plenty of good detective stuff and action. I confess that part of the reason I enjoyed it so much is that I am a Creek Indian from Oklahoma and the tie-in to the Chickasaw Nation was a plus for me.
excellent book
Never knew about the Lighthorses – What Chee and Leaphorn are to the Navajo Nation, Maytubby is to the Chickasaw.
Some what predictable but some interesting characters.
Great tale of a Chickasaw Indian policeman as he tries to find a killer by traveling through southern Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas looking for different characters. His girlfriend is involved, as well as a female county deputy he trained with. There are interactions with state troopers, Indian officials, and rural residents endangered by wildfire. This is the first of a new series, and it looks like its going to be a winner.