Looking for Smoke by K. A. Cobell follows four teenagers—Mara, Brody, Loren, and Eli—who live on the Blackfeet reservation. When one of their classmates, Samantha, is murdered at a tribal giveaway event, the four of them are thrown together. They were the last four to see Samantha alive, and so are thrown under suspicion. As the investigation intensifies, the four kids have to grapple with the loss of Sam, as well as find out what really happened to her—even if it means revealing one of them as a murderer.

I inadvertently read this during the exact dates the majority of the plot takes place, and it was oddly satisfying.

This is an engaging story from the very start, opening with the Blackfeet dance and hurtling toward the discovery of Samantha’s body, while still taking time to introduce characters and their connections. Then, as the investigation unfolds, and secrets are unearthed, it’s hard to put down. 

Each main character has a unique voice (literally, too, since there are four narrators for the audiobook), distinct personality and their own struggles. Mara is struggling with feeling like an imposter on the reservation, since she’s only half-Native; Loren is still dealing with the grief over the recent loss of her sister; Brody doesn’t know how to handle being the subject of a murder investigation; Eli has to balance school with taking care of his little sister, considering he can’t depend on his drug-addicted father. I liked watching how they are forced to interact, and how the trust (or lack thereof) affected their conversations.

This is naturally a tense story, bringing to light a very real issue: the vast number of MMIW (missing and murdered indigenous women) in North America. The statistics and facts presented in this book are, unfortunately, not fictional, even if these characters are. Cobell does a brilliant job in presenting these troubling truths while also humanizing the issue: showing how these four teenagers are affected.In the end, Looking for Smoke is an amazing debut novel. I feel like I barely touched on all its strengths, from characterization and motivations, to the tense and captivating tone, from the exploration of Blackfeet culture to the dark side of human nature. It’s not an easy read—dealing with murder, grief, addiction, violence—but it’s important. There are some beautiful moments of friendship and familial love, a sense of respect for all the women and girls who have been victimized, and deep reverence for Native cultures. I definitely recommend this book, and I look forward to seeing what Cobell will write next.

Looking for Smoke is available now!