Four Blackfeet teens relate their versions of events following the murder of their friend, Samantha, during an Indian Days ceremony. The community is already on edge after the disappearance of Loren’s sister, Rayanne, a few weeks prior; when Rayanne’s body is found, it’s clear that her and Samantha’s murders are connected. Mara, who is new to the reservation, befriends and helps Loren investigate the crimes. They’re unsure whether they can trust Eli and Brody, the other two teens who’d been in a group photo with Samantha just prior to her death. While the detectives on the case suspect drugs were involved, Loren is doubtful; Rayanne saw their mother’s life destroyed by addiction. Texts on Rayanne’s phone suggest she’d been romantically involved with Eli, who is devoted to caring for his younger sister and is keeping a major family secret of his own. And when Eli’s close friend Brody’s older brother Jason becomes a suspect in the case, Brody puts his own future at risk to help prove Jason’s innocence. Interspersed among the four teens’ timestamped narratives are short chapters by an unknown narrator who is intensely interested in the case. All of the main players in this intriguing crime thriller are well developed and credible; their narratives reveal their strengths as well as the struggles they face as individuals and as part of a community dealing with the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. (Ages 14-18)

A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

In her powerful debut novel, Looking for Smoke, author K. A. Cobell (Blackfeet) weaves loss, betrayal, and complex characters into a thriller that will illuminate, surprise, and engage readers until the final word. A must-pick for readers who enjoy books by Angeline Boulley and Karen McManus!

When local girl Loren includes Mara in a traditional Blackfeet Giveaway to honor Loren’s missing sister, Mara thinks she’ll finally make some friends on the Blackfeet reservation.

Instead, a girl from the Giveaway, Samantha White Tail, is found murdered.

Because the four members of the Giveaway group were the last to see Samantha alive, each becomes a person of interest in the investigation. And all of them—Mara, Loren, Brody, and Eli—have a complicated history with Samantha.

Despite deep mistrust, the four must now take matters into their own hands and clear their names. Even though one of them may be the murderer.