Book review: Broken Fields: A Cash Blackbear Mystery

Reviewed by Caroline MacKenzie

Broken Fields by Marcie R. Rendon is the fourth exciting instalment in The Cash Blackbear Mystery series. In this novel, Cash discovers the body of a local farmer, a farmhand, and the lone witness, a young traumatized Indigenous girl named Shawnee. Rendon is an enrolled member of the White Earth Nation. She is the winner of the Pinckley Prize and is also a playwright, poet, freelance writer, and advocates for community arts.

This story gives the reader the feeling of being transported back in time. Characters engage in activities that were much more common in the 1970s, like smoking. It is also an accurate depiction of rural life at the time. The realism is further enhanced by the racism directed at Cash and other Indigenous people. Additionally, there those who care about Cash and have respect for Indigenous people and their culture. Rendon uses figures of speech and language common in the 1970s, further helping the reader stay in the moment, believing that the characters and events are from that time.

Through the experiences of Cash and other Indigenous people in the story, the reader learns just a fraction of what Indigenous people have experienced since Europeans arrived on Turtle Island. The results of intergenerational trauma that these experiences have had on Indigenous people and their culture are seen throughout the story. The reader soon becomes painfully aware how little things have actually changed since the 1970s.

Due to the subject matter, the tone of this novel is dark as it deals with the murder of two individuals. One murder was witnessed by one of the victim’s young daughter. This darkness further comes from the racism experienced by Indigenous people and the objectification of women. At the same time, there are points where the tone lightens. This is partially done through Cash’s relationship with her friend Sheriff Wheaton’s dog Gunner. They are almost like siblings. Cash will stick her tongue out at Gunner and for his part, Gunner will purposely ignore her. At the same time, they are protective of each other. Also, the sharp edges of the dark tone are further dulled by the connection that Cash forms with Shawnee and the scenes where Cash is working in the various farmer’s fields driving farm equipment. Due to her own experiences, Cash can relate to Shawnee and make her feel safe in ways others can’t. These lighter moments keep the reader from becoming too overwhelmed and unsettled leading them to stop reading.

Redon has created characters that readers can relate to and care about as well as those who are not likeable at all. The characters are fully developed with different facets to their lives and personalities. This makes them realistic, allowing the reader to identify, connect with them, and be invested in what happens to these characters. This keeps the reader reading and allows them to absorb the history and the lessons within the story.

The pace of this novel is such that the reader is kept interested but it is not so fast that they are overwhelmed emotionally and stops reading. As the reader keeps reading, they learn about what Indigenous people, especially women, faced and the strength and resilience of Indigenous people.

This novel is perfect for mystery lovers and those interested in Indigenous perspectives and want to learn about the past. Fans will excitedly devour this story word by word and page by page.

Broken Field: A Cash Blackbear Mystery, Marcie R. Rendon. Manhattan: Soho Press, Inc., 2025.

ISBN 9781641296588