Publisher Description
Cash Blackbear, a young Ojibwe woman and occasional sleuth, is back on the case after a man is found dead on a rural Minnesota farm in the next installment of the acclaimed Native crime series.
Minnesota, 1970s: It’s spring in the Red River Valley and Cash Blackbear is doing fieldwork for a local farmer—until she finds him dead on the kitchen floor of the property’s rented farmhouse. The tenant, a Native field laborer, and his wife are nowhere to be found, but Cash discovers their young daughter, Shawnee, cowering under a bed. The girl, a possible witness to the killing, is too terrified to speak.
In the wake of the murder, Cash can’t deny her intuitive abilities: she is suspicious of the farmer’s grieving widow, who offers to take in Shawnee temporarily. While Cash is scouring White Earth Reservation for Shawnee’s missing mother—whom Cash wants to find before the girl is put in the foster system—another body turns up. Concerned by the escalating threat, Cash races against the clock to figure out the truth of what happened in the farmhouse.
Thrilling Reads Review
In Broken Fields, Marcie R. Rendon delivers another gripping installment in her acclaimed Cash Blackbear mystery series. Set against the stark beauty of 1970s rural Minnesota, the novel shines a powerful light on the dangers of the foster care system for Indigenous children—an urgent and emotional throughline that adds depth and resonance to the central mystery.
At the heart of the story is Cash Blackbear, a young Ojibwe woman with a sharp intuitive sense and a fierce determination to seek justice. When she discovers a man dead on a farmhouse floor and a terrified young girl hiding under the bed, Cash is drawn into a dark web of secrets that stretches from the fields of the Red River Valley to the heart of her own community.
What makes Broken Fields truly stand out is Rendon’s masterful ability to balance thoughtful character development with tightly plotted suspense. The mystery is layered and complex, but never at the expense of emotional depth. Cash isn’t just a sleuth—she’s a fully realized character with a traumatic past, a strong moral compass, and a grit that makes her unforgettable. Her unique perspective as an Ojibwe woman grounds the novel with authenticity and cultural nuance rarely seen in mainstream crime fiction.
Rendon also explores broader systemic injustices—particularly those affecting Native children—with a clear-eyed compassion that never veers into didacticism. Instead, these themes enrich the narrative, giving the story weight and urgency without slowing its pace.
Broken Fields is both a compelling mystery and a vital work of Indigenous storytelling. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or new to Cash Blackbear’s world, this is a book you won’t want to miss.
Author Interview
Marcie R. Rendon author interview on Meet the Thriller Author podcast.
