Where They Last Saw Her

A Novel

By: Marcie R. Rendon

Narrated by: Erin Tripp, Marcie R. Rendon

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the award-winning author of the Cash Blackbear series comes a compelling mystery of a Native American woman who learns of the disappearance of one of her own and decides enough is enough.

“Rendon shows how harm done to a marginalized community can reverberate through generations [as] the novel hurtles toward a breath-robbing conclusion.”—The New York Times Book Review

WINNER OF THE MINNESOTA BOOK AWARD • A WASHINGTON POST AND BOOK RIOT BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

All they heard was her scream.

Quill has lived on the Red Pine reservation in Minnesota her whole life. She knows what happens to women who look like her. Just a girl when Jimmy Sky jumped off the railway bridge and she ran for help, Quill realizes now that she’s never stopped running. As she trains for the Boston Marathon early one morning in the woods, she hears a scream. When she returns to search the area, all she finds are tire tracks and a single beaded earring.

Things are different now for Quill than when she was a lonely girl. Her friends Punk and Gaylyn are two women who don’t know what it means to quit; her loving husband, Crow, and their two beautiful children challenge her to be better every day. So when she hears a second woman has been stolen, she is determined to do something about it—starting with investigating the group of men working the pipeline construction just north of their homes.

As Quill closes in on the truth about the missing women, someone else disappears. In her quest to find justice for all of the women of the reservation, she is confronted with the hard truths of their home and the people who purport to serve them. When will she stop losing neighbors, friends, family? As Quill puts everything on the line to make a difference, the novel asks searing questions about bystander culture, the reverberations of even one act of crime, and the long-lasting trauma of being considered invisible.

Critic reviews

“Mystery writer Rendon, a citizen of the White Earth Nation, creates a compelling, take-charge heroine who is based on the women raising awareness about disproportionately high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous people.”—The Washington Post

“Rendon’s book will break your heart, but it will also inspire and inform.”—Kirkus Review, starred review

“Rendon masterfully navigates the histories of trauma and brutality that continue to exist within our Native communities, laying bare the truths of colonial violence and the continuing need for closure and justice in our homelands.”—Ramona Emerson, author of Shutter

“An expert and uncompromising storyteller, Marcie Rendon aims her extraordinary powers on a no-holds barred story that will devastate and enrage you—and renew your belief in the power of community and the strength in women’s hearts. Where They Last Saw Her is unmissable.”—Katie Gutierrez, bestselling author of More Than You’ll Ever Know

“Marcie Rendon has penned another captivating novel, a bold and necessary story about the inescapable ties between land and blood and community. It cries for justice and sings for peace at once.”—Oscar Hokeah, author of Calling for a Blanket Dance

“Rendon has delivered a top-shelf crime story that doubles as a moving testament to Native American resilience.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A stunning thriller with great characterization and propulsive plot, built around a current, terrifying reality.”—Booklist, starred review

FANTASTIC NON FICTION - FICTION

Kudos to author for her anti-Cinderella story where my sisters saved themselves!very much worth my time, my tears, my prayers, and my actions.

Powerful

Wow this was a very powerful story. As a cis male and a father of a young teenage boy this story not only sheds light on how we treat indigenous women it highlights how society disregards women while at the same time falls over itself extending privilege to guys like me. Powerful story that inspires me to do better, be better, and father my son in a way to not commodiz women

Powerful, engaging & relevant not only to the Indigenous community, but to everyone who thinks it can't happen to them

The relevance of MMIW is focused on to solve cold cases and raise awareness to everyone. This story depicts how subtle details can turn into quick tragedy and we all must work together to avoid this trauma! Sometimes it takes help and wisdom from our past to get us thru! Everyone should read this book or listen to the Audio.

Don’t miss!

Gripping, moving story telling and a meaningful message carried by solid, compelling characters. I loved it.

Hard to tear myself away

I love this author’s Cash books and have been waiting a while for more stories. This one is set in the present day rather than the 1970s.

The rights and safely of women transcend cultures and this book emphasizes that First Nations women are vulnerable for many reasons. I love the glimpses of traditional culture in amongst cell phones and technology. Her description of Northern woods in winter is spot on. I felt I was there at times. The story is gripping and I binge listened with little time for sleep. Though I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Quill’s quest for justice for an unknown woman, i found myself annoyed with her for failing to think ahead and curb her impulses. Her lack of trust is both her Achilles heel and her saving grace.