Book Summary: Where They Last Saw Her A Novel by Marcie R. Rendon

Where They Last Saw Her A Novel by Marcie R. Rendon is a gripping new novel, by an award-winning author celebrated for her Cash Blackbear series. This compelling story unfolds on the Red Pine reservation in Minnesota, where Quill, a Native American woman, faces the harrowing realities of her community as she learns about the disappearance of a fellow Indigenous woman.

Haunted by the echoes of her past—particularly the traumatic event when she witnessed Jimmy Sky’s leap from a railway bridge—Quill understands the dangers that women like her encounter. As she trains for the Boston Marathon, a scream shatters her morning routine, prompting her to investigate further. Her search yields only tire tracks and a solitary beaded earring, stirring a sense of urgency within her.

With a supportive network that includes her friends Punk and Gaylyn, her devoted husband Crow, and their two children, Quill is determined to take action. When news breaks of another woman going missing, she resolves to uncover the truth, beginning with the men working on a nearby pipeline.

As Quill delves deeper into her investigation, the stakes rise, leading to further disappearances and forcing her to confront uncomfortable truths about her community and the systemic issues they face.

Where They Last Saw Her A Novel by Marcie R. Rendon Book Statistics

• Title: Where They Last Saw Her
• Author: Marcie R. Rendon
• Format: Paperback
• Number of Pages: 336 pages
• ISBN-10: 0593974875
• ISBN-13: 978-0593974872
• Item Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Dimensions: 5.47 x 0.82 x 8.21 inches

Ratings and Rankings

• Average Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (based on 124 ratings)
• Goodreads Rating: 4.0 (based on 567 ratings)
• Editor’s Pick: Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
• Best Sellers Rank:
  • Overall: #16,364 in Books
  • Category: #44 in Native American Literature
  • Category: #478 in Amateur Sleuths
  • Category: #805 in Women Sleuths

Customer Reviews

• Overall Customer Rating: 4.2 out of 5 stars (124 ratings)

Where They Last Saw Her A Novel by Marcie R. Rendon Book Details

Where They Last Saw Her A Novel by Marcie R. Rendon Quotes

1. The winter-dead underbrush, bare of leaves, made it possible to see a hundred yards in either direction

2. The winter forest wasn’t as dark and lonely as the summer forest could be

3. Quill ran. Breath in. Breath out. Acutely aware of the life in the trees around her, she hit her stride, barely feeling her feet touch the ground.

4. The forest was even more silent than before. Every living creature and plant had gone quiet after that scream

5. It was a woman’s scream, I swear to God.

Where They Last Saw Her A Novel by Marcie R. Rendon Table Of Contents

Chapters :

1. Chapter One
2. Chapter Two
3. Chapter Three
4. Chapter Four
5. Chapter Five
6. Chapter Six
7. Chapter Seven
8. Chapter Eight
9. Chapter Nine
10. Chapter Ten
11. Chapter Eleven
12. Chapter Twelve
13. Chapter Thirteen
14. Chapter Fourteen
15. Chapter Fifteen
16. Chapter Sixteen
17. Chapter Seventeen
18. Chapter Eighteen
19. Chapter Nineteen
20. Chapter Twenty
21. Chapter Twenty-One
22. Chapter Twenty-Two
23. Chapter Twenty-Three
24. Chapter Twenty-Four
25. Chapter Twenty-Five
26. Chapter Twenty-Six
27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
29. Chapter Twenty-Nine
30. Chapter Thirty

Author’s Note
Acknowledgments
A Book Club Guide

• Questions and Topics for Discussion

About the Author

Where They Last Saw Her A Novel by Marcie R. Rendon Book Summary

In Where They Last Saw Her, Marcie R. Rendon delivers a gripping, emotionally charged mystery that sheds light on the struggles of Indigenous women in contemporary society. The novel follows Quill, a Native American woman living on the Red Pine Reservation in Minnesota.

From the very start, Quill is portrayed as a resilient, determined character who has grown up witnessing the vulnerabilities that women like her face. She is an experienced marathon runner, training in the wilderness as a way to stay grounded, but her seemingly peaceful routine is disrupted when she hears a terrifying scream deep in the forest—an event that propels her into a dark investigation.

The Disappearance and Quill’s Determination

The plot is set into motion when, during one of Quill’s early morning runs, she hears a woman’s scream in the woods but finds nothing more than tire tracks and a single beaded earring left behind. This haunting discovery, along with the unresolved trauma of a childhood incident where she failed to prevent a tragedy, reignites her sense of urgency and responsibility. Quill understands the dangers faced by women on the reservation, particularly the way they vanish without much notice or resolution.

This realization drives her to take matters into her own hands and find out what happened to the woman whose scream echoed through the woods.

The Community’s Struggles and Collective Trauma

As Quill delves deeper into the mystery, she is not only confronted by the immediate crime but also by the broader systemic issues plaguing the reservation. Rendon expertly weaves the struggles of Indigenous communities into the narrative, addressing the vulnerability of Native women, whose disappearances are often overlooked or under-investigated by law enforcement.

Quill’s determination to find justice for the missing woman reflects the frustration and anger that many in her community feel. As she closes in on the truth, another woman goes missing, escalating the urgency of her investigation.

Throughout the novel, Rendon explores the long-lasting trauma experienced by Indigenous women and the legacy of violence that they face. Quill’s journey is not just about solving a crime—it is about confronting the deep-seated societal and historical issues that have perpetuated a cycle of violence against women on the reservation.

Uncovering the Truth

As the investigation progresses, Quill begins to unravel the dark secrets surrounding the men working on the pipeline construction. The novel balances moments of suspense and danger with intimate scenes that reveal Quill’s inner life, her relationships, and her connection to her community.

Rendon creates a portrait of a woman who is both fierce and vulnerable, determined to fight for her people while grappling with her own fears and doubts.

The tension escalates as Quill uncovers a web of deceit and corruption that goes beyond the initial disappearance. The stakes become even higher when she realizes that the men she is investigating are connected to a larger network of violence and exploitation. Quill’s persistence puts her own life in danger, but she refuses to back down, driven by her love for her community and her desire for justice.

Themes of Resilience and Invisibility

One of the novel’s central themes is the invisibility of Indigenous women and the systemic neglect they face. Rendon uses Quill’s story to highlight the ways in which Native women’s lives are often devalued and dismissed by those in power. Quill’s investigation becomes a fight not only for justice but also for visibility—for the women who have been silenced and forgotten.

At the same time, the novel is a celebration of resilience. Quill is not a passive victim; she is an active agent of change, refusing to be sidelined by fear or by those who underestimate her. Her strength and determination serve as a powerful reminder of the agency that Indigenous women possess, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

About the Author: Marcie R. Rendon

Image Source: Wikipedia.comMarcie R. Rendon, a citizen of the White Earth Nation, is a celebrated Native American author recognized by O: The Oprah Magazine as one of the “31 Native American Authors to Read Right Now.”

She is the recipient of the prestigious McKnight Distinguished Artist Award. Her debut novel, Murder on the Red River, won the Pinckley Prize for Debut Novel and was a finalist for the Western Writers of America Spur Award. Her second novel, Girl Gone Missing, was nominated for the G. P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award.

Rendon is also a talented playwright, with her script Say Their Names set to be produced by Out of Hand Theater in Atlanta, and Sweet Revenge having had a staged reading at the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis. Additionally, she curated Twin Cities Public Television’s project Art Is . . . CreativeNativeResilience. Rendon has made significant contributions to spoken word and creative work with incarcerated women, receiving the Loft Literary Center’s Spoken Word Immersion Fellowship alongside co-creator Diego Vazquez for this important work.

With her deep ties to storytelling and advocacy, Rendon’s contributions to Native American literature and theater continue to inspire and uplift marginalized voices.

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