Winter Counts is a gripping, character-driven thriller that explores identity & belonging, family, and justice.

We follow Virgil Wounded Horse, who has become his reservation’s protector & justice enforcer. When the American legal system fails and local tribal police refuse to investigate, Virgil’s acts of vigilantism (while violent), defend the innocent and incapacitate the guilty parties.

But when hard drugs enter the reservation and kids die from overdoses, the stakes get higher for Virgil. He’s got to enlist his ex-girlfriend and go on a hunt for the truth in order to protect his teenage nephew. As Virgil struggles to uncover the truth, he also contemplates his own indigenous identity and grapples with old traditions and future dreams.

The writing is simple & direct. Virgil’s commentary is earnest and clear, and it’s very easy to step into his shoes. This is a character-driven work, but when the action scenes appear they are high-stakes, descriptive, and violent. 

The mystery aspect is smaller - and you will probably start to put the pieces and foreshadowing together very quickly - but the thrilling aspect is incredibly well-done. I was so afraid for Virgil and his nephew, and though I anticipated the “bad guy”, I had no idea if the protagonists would be safe. My heart was pounding throughout most of the story.

I also appreciated the snippets of life throughout the Rosebud Indian Reservation. We follow Virgil to the local spots, get to know how the community both supports and divides each other, feel teenage angst from the kids and anxiety over belongingness to the world from the adults, and so on. Virgil is conflicted about his identity and has stepped away from traditions of the past, but leans in a bit over the course of the story, determining what he wants to keep in his life and what no longer serves him. 

The theme of identity is explored in fascinating ways, both through extremely modern struggles and deep trauma. Themes of justice (how the American legal system has failed the reservation) and ethics also play a large part.

While at times the dialogue and writing were a little too plain (sometimes unrealistically so) for my taste, I love this novel and can’t wait to read the next chapter of Virgil’s adventure.

CW: murder, death (incl. death of children), racism & slurs, colonization, classism, drug use, overdosing, gun violence, alcoholism, suicide, rape, kidnapping, torture, pedophilia, genocide, cultural appropriation

Follow me on TikTok for book recommendations!