SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDGAR AWARD FOR FIRST NOVEL
“Winter Counts is a marvel. It’s a thriller with a beating heart and jagged teeth.” —Tommy Orange, author of There There
A Best Book of 2020: NPR * Publishers Weekly * Library Journal * CrimeReads * Goodreads * Sun Sentinel * SheReads * MysteryPeople
A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a …
A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx.
Virgil Wounded Horse is the local enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When justice is denied by the American legal system or the tribal council, Virgil is hired to deliver his own punishment, the kind that’s hard to forget. But when heroin makes its way into the reservation and finds Virgil’s nephew, his vigilantism suddenly becomes personal. He enlists the help of his ex-girlfriend and sets out to learn where the drugs are coming from, and how to make them stop.
They follow a lead to Denver and find that drug cartels are rapidly expanding and forming new and terrifying alliances. And back on the reservation, a new tribal council initiative raises uncomfortable questions about money and power. As Virgil starts to link the pieces together, he must face his own demons and reclaim his Native identity. He realizes that being a Native American in the twenty-first century comes at an incredible cost.
Winter Counts is a tour-de-force of crime fiction, a bracingly honest look at a long-ignored part of American life, and a twisting, turning story that’s as deeply rendered as it is thrilling.
Winner, Spur Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and Best First Novel * Winner, Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery Novel * Shortlisted, Best First Novel, Bouchercon Anthony Awards * Shortlisted, Best First Novel, International Thriller Writers * Shortlisted, Dashiell Hammett Prize for Literary Excellence in Crime Writing, International Association of Crime Writers * Longlisted, VCU Cabell First Novel Award * Shortlisted, Barry Award for Best First Novel * Shortlisted, Reading the West Award * Shortlisted, Colorado Book Award (Thriller)
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Winter Counts is both a propulsive crime novel and a wonderfully informative book. David Heska Wanbli Weiden has written the first of what I hope is a series of books about life on Rosebud Reservation. Virgil Wounded Horse, his nephew Nathan, and Marie Short Bear are more than characters; they brim with intrigue and authentic life.
true representation of native life written by a native. finally
I realize as this is a review copy some things may change. Please, don’t change too much. This one is a gem of a story as it is. Excellent story, well told. The author did a bang up job with this one. The characters are a little quirky like most of us and easy to relate to. The action moves along nicely. All in all, a great job. Keep up the good work.
Virgil Wounded Horse is Lakota, living on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. He’s strong in all the wrong places, but fiercely protective of his young nephew and ward, Nathan. When Nathan stumbles into trouble, Virgil has to find a new way to keep the boy safe — and finds himself in deeper trouble than he’s ever been, from sources he never expected. Grim but ultimately hopeful and beautifully written, with several passages of sharp observation that almost took my breath away. Be warned, the climax is violent, though it suits the story. Weiden’s debut is one of my favorite reads this year and one of the strongest crime fiction debuts I’ve seen in a long time.
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Virgil lives on the res and with his nephew, Nathan. Buck wants him to locate the man who’s selling heroin.
Before he knows it Nathan has overdosed on heroin. He’s able to get him back but he still wants to find the culprit.
Like hearing of the customs and traditions that are still done.
Reminds me of Longmire, a tv series that we watched. Very close relations to this story as the laws for Indians are ruled by the Res cops.
Nathan is being framed and only way out is to wear the wire and make a drug deal. Marie who is Buck’s father has moved in with Virgil as they work together to find the culprit drug dealer.
Love what the title really means, we had done something similar with our advent calendar, but the one they talk about is so much more memorable.
Lots of action, travel, drugs, cartels, betrayal and moving on. Love to learn that the author has written other books, can’t wait to read those also.
I received this review book from The Kensington Books and this is my honest opinion.
David Heska Wanbli Weiden wrote an amazing debut that brings to life Lakota culture and brims with suspense. I love how the main character, Virgil Wounded Horse, has to come to terms with his history, grief, and disappointments in life. I was also emotionally invested in his relationship with his nephew.
Weiden does a great job of painting a nuanced picture of reservation life. He’s also able to weave in current issues, especially surrounding drugs. The narrative continues to get tighter and tighter until the explosive end.
A powerful punch of a novel with a layered and complex Lakota main character at the heart of it.
This is a wonderful mystery that is set on Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota and all of the main characters are Native Americans. It’s a real page turner mystery but it also gives us a picture of the poor living conditions on the reservations and a lot of history about the Lakota tribe.
Virgil Wounded Horse is an enforcer. He punishes people who are ignored by the justice system. He is a recovered alcoholic and is has been raising his 14 year old nephew since the boy’s mother got killed in a car accident. Virgil is approached by a man on the tribal council and asked to look into the heroin that has started to become available on the reservation and sold to the young people. After getting more information, he agrees to find out who is behind bringing the drugs in and to make them stop no matter what he has to do. When his search begins to affect his nephew and his old girlfriend, he realizes that he is dealing with more than Mexican cartels – he is also dealing with corruption by those who should be protecting the people on the reservation.
I don’t want to give away any of the plot but I will tell you that once you start this book, you won’t want to put it down. The main character is a flawed person and a hero at the same time. He wants to help his people but has long given up his trust in the old beliefs of the Lakota tribe. Even though he is a very conflicted man, he stays protective of his nephew, girlfriend and all of his friends. He is a complex character who is very driven to protect those around him.
I enjoyed this debut novel and have just read that it is the first novel in a new series. I am definitely looking forward to further books in this series.
Winter Counts is a marvel. It’s a thriller with a beating heart and jagged teeth. This book is a brilliant meditation on power and violence, and a testament to just how much a crime novel can achieve. Weiden is a powerful new voice. I couldn’t put it down.
One part gritty procedural, one part hard-edged literature, Winter Counts is more than a novel — it’s a testament in napalm you won’t be able to put down because it burns and holds fast.
This book racked up the nominations and awards and with good reason. Featuring Virgil Wounded Horse as an enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota, he is used to doling out punishment for crimes. But when heroin comes onto the reservation and hits close to home, things get personal. This novel offers such an honest look into this long-ignored part of American life and delivers on the twists and turns. A must read!
This book was recommended by William Kent Krueger during a virtual interview. Since I adore his books, I picked his recommendation up and really enjoyed it.
A look inside the Rosebud Reservation through the eyes of a fictional character, Virgil Wounded Horse, an enforcer. It shows the problems of resevation life. The author himself a Lakota Sioux gives the story veracity. Read it to learn more about Native American life.
Author David Weiden, an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, sets WINTER COUNTS in the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Virgil Wounded Horse’s mission is to deliver frontier justice when the U.S. legal system has failed. When his 15-year-old nephew is arrested for trafficking in heroin, Virgil must discover the who and the why to save him. The plight of Native Americans, shown in cold, brutal facts, adds realism to a can’t-put-down story that will keep you guessing.
What I primarily liked about this book was the authentic portrayal of life on the Lakota reservation and the challenges the Native people face from mainstream culture. The story kept me interested.
Meh. Predictable. Stereotypes.
Excellent read. I’m looking forward to his next book.
WINTER COUNTS, the debut crime thriller by David Heska Wanbli Weiden, follows Virgil Wounded Horse, a local enforcer/vigilante-for-hire on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Not only does the author share a glimpse into the present-day experience of growing up in a nation that refuses to acknowledge its colonial sins, he takes the reader on one heck of a thrill ride. Not that you have to learn anything about society if you’re not up to it – distilled to its essence, WINTER COUNTS is a hard-boiled detective novel every bit as American as Raymond Chandler – maybe even more so considering the voice.
I loved this book. The characters were well developed and the plot line original. I also loved the bits of Lakota language, history and culture sprinkled throughout the narrative. I can’t wait to read more by this author!
very slow, dnf
Authentic Lakota voices of the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Contemporary problems and ancient rituals meet is this thought provoking story. Mystery, social commentary, hope and despair.