Wisdom Corner: A Novel (Virgil Wounded Horse Series #1)
Stock Information
Description
From the award-winning author of Winter Counts comes a new thriller about life—and death—on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.
Virgil Wounded Horse is desperately trying to escape his past as a hired vigilante on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. But when a legendary figure from the reservation is murdered, Virgil is forced to return to the job. Making matters more complicated, threats are coming from the Pine Ridge 705—a street gang from a neighboring reservation who want to expand their reach into Rosebud—and Mitch Gagnon, a shady politician who will stop at nothing to gain more power.
With a heated tribal council election looming, as well as new revelations regarding past injustices at the local Native boarding school, the stakes grow even higher. Will Virgil find the justice he’s seeking before it’s too late?
David Heska Wanbli Weiden, whose writing “melds the gritty realism of Dashiell Hammett with the lyricism of Tommy Orange” (O, The Oprah Magazine), once again brings us a tour de force of crime fiction—and an expansive look at Native American life in a shifting world.
Praise for Wisdom Corner: A Novel (Virgil Wounded Horse Series #1)
“Dynamic, thoughtful and moving, it’s another standout in an important series.” - LA Times
“A citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation, David Heska Wanbli Weiden delivers chills and thrills in a new installment of his award-winning Virgil Wounded Horse series.” - Hamilton Cain, TIME (“The Best New Books to Read this Summer”)
"A throwback to hard-boiled thrillers of the mid-20th century. . . . Wisdom Corner moves like crazy. . . . where the novel excels is in Weiden’s sure depiction of reservation life and tribal politics." - Minnesota Star Tribune
“Weiden’s first-rate novel is a loving if critical look at reservation life today and a splendid story of grit and determination.” - Denver Post
“A compelling crime drama . . . [at] the highest echelon of crime fiction. . . Wanbli Weiden’s novels are illuminating portraits of life for Native Americans on and off reservations, of the battle to preserve indigenous culture in the face colonialism, and of the struggle against injustice, either historical or ongoing.” - Crime Fiction Lover
“Weiden’s gripping sophomore novel is a great read, particularly for fans of C.J. Box or Craig Johnson.” - 5280
“Weiden’s writing is rich with cultural detail from food to ceremonies to reservation slang. His style is terse but immersive, and readers will find themselves absorbed in wandering the Great Plains and meting out justice with Virgil.” - BookPage (starred)
"This is also a rich picture of Native American identity today. . . This is immensely vivid stuff, with much of the pungency of such writers as Cormac McCarthy." - Financial Times (UK)
"[A] thriller with some weight — the sort of story that fascinates and lingers." - Westword
"Wisdom Corner is a raw yet moving journey as we follow one good man trying to do one good thing. A tour de force!" - S.A. Cosby, author of King of Ashes
"Although David Heska Wanbli Weiden’s brilliant second novel is a mystery, like all great stories it spreads its wings and soars over so much important territory. Virgil Wounded Horse, Weiden’s flawed protagonist with his eye always on justice, is at the center of Wisdom Corner. Through his perceptions, readers see the struggle of life on the Rosebud Reservation. Generational trauma, the spiderweb of legal jurisdictions, the insidious legacy of prejudice, all play a role in this riveting thriller that will surprise you to the very end. If you want the real picture of what it is to be Native American today, read David Weiden. It’s a rare ability to entertain and enlighten at the same time, and Weiden is a master at it. "
- William Kent Krueger, author of Apostle's Cove
"The shocks keep coming in Wisdom Corner—David Weiden's rocketing new crime thriller!
The heroic yet humble reservation enforcer, Virgil Wounded Horse, returns in this intense follow-up to Weiden's triumphant debut. I was riveted by the twisty plot, flying through pages to uncover the mystery behind violent horrors threatening Virgil's community. A propulsive ride from start to finish!" - Mona Susan Power, author of A Council of Dolls
"Virgil Wounded Horse is the Rosebud Reservation’s reluctant private avenger—the warrior who will find justice for those failed by the formal system. Wisdom Corner is a propulsive, tightly plotted thriller, but through Virgil’s eyes, it is also a subtle and thoughtful exploration of legal, political, and social inequities at a time when art is one of the few ways to widen people’s life experiences." - Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Note
“The long-awaited sequel to the award-winning Winter Counts is finally here . . . and it is well worth the wait. . . . Weiden has a gift for depicting reservation life with its many issues in a clear way.”
- Deadly Pleasures
