The Eagle Catcher is a short mystery set on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, home to the Arapaho people. The plot has enough suspense to keep you guessing and it features believable characters. But it is the unique setting and the background information about the Arapahos that gives the book real value (and is probably why Coel wrote it).
Father John O'Malley, head of the fictional St. Francis Mission, is the main protagonist, and we get a good introduction to the Arapahos and their history as he reflects on his six years work at the Mission. When the tribal chairman Harvey Castle is found murdered, his nephew Anthony is accused of the crime. Father John is drawn into the investigation as he searches for evidence to prove Anthony innocent. It is a classic mystery: the murderer is one of the characters who you meet, the clues are introduced gradually, and thereีs an exciting action scene where all the pieces come together.
While Coel is not a great or literary writer, she does hook you quickly. After just a few pages, you care about the characters and want to know what happens. Along the way you learn about the uneasy coexistence of two cultures -- Arapaho and white -- living on the reservation. Through Father John's eyes you see the darker side of reservation life, the problems of alcoholism and wife-beating. Through the character of Vicky, an attorney who helps defend Anthony, we see the perennial conflict between progress and tradition: Anthony wants to respect the old ways, but the lack of opportunity for young people may force him to leave home and family.
The book is a "quick read"; the characters are believable, the writing is clear. This is not a heavy literary work, but it is a pleasant way to catch a glimpse of another way of life.