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American Indian Studies (AIS)
Document of Expectations
When Hopi/White Mountain Apache anthropologist Tony M. Smokerise is found murdered in his office at Central Highlands University, the task of solving the crime falls to jaded Choctaw detective Monique Blue Hawk and her partner Charles T. Clarke. A seemingly tolerant and amicable office of higher education, the university, Monique soon learns, harbors parties determined to destroy the careers of Tony and his best friend, the volatile Oglala anthropologist Roxanne Badger. In the course of her investigation, Monique discovers that the scholars who control Tony’s department are also overseeing the excavation of a centuries-old tribal burial site that was uncovered during the construction of a freeway. Tony’s role in the project, she realizes, might be the key to identifying his murderer. This virtuosic mystery novel explores, in engrossing detail, the complex motives for a killing within the sometimes furtive and hermetic setting of academia.
202 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 3, 2016
Not great as a mystery, but I'm still glad she wrote it. Great jabs at academe and white anthropologists. Disappointingly sloppy copy editing.
November 10, 2025
"Considering what Indians must endure, political activism for Indian scholars is a logical course of action" (151)
A little backstory: I bought this on a whim at Birchbark Books because I like mysteries and I wanted a more unusual (i.e. one my library/local indie didn't have) book to bring home.
DOCUMENT OF EXPECTATIONS is a quick but slow-to-unfold compelling academic murder mystery that is unfortunately also fatphobic and poorly copyedited. The book is actually too fast, there's barely time to set up the characters or immerse the reader in the world of Central Highlands University. I kept thinking I was reading a sequel because there was so little characterization it seemed as though the author expected me to know each character already. There are also a few examples of narrative inconsistencies. The fatphobic comments (see pg. 150 for an example) range from descriptions of characters to unfunny jokes and it constantly took me out of the story. There's also a lot out of outdated language (Monique calls herself exotic within the first 10 pages, which was new to me) so bear that in mind. I did appreciate that not all Chocotow words and phrases are translated in text and that both Monique and her husband were Native. And the mystery itself had a great setup with a clear emphasis on Native resistance and preservation of artifacts. While I kept reading to find out if all the villains of the story received their comeuppance, it wasn't an enjoyable experience and I hesitate to recommend it to anyone except those with a scholarly interest in early millennium fiction about indigenous people.
A little backstory: I bought this on a whim at Birchbark Books because I like mysteries and I wanted a more unusual (i.e. one my library/local indie didn't have) book to bring home.
DOCUMENT OF EXPECTATIONS is a quick but slow-to-unfold compelling academic murder mystery that is unfortunately also fatphobic and poorly copyedited. The book is actually too fast, there's barely time to set up the characters or immerse the reader in the world of Central Highlands University. I kept thinking I was reading a sequel because there was so little characterization it seemed as though the author expected me to know each character already. There are also a few examples of narrative inconsistencies. The fatphobic comments (see pg. 150 for an example) range from descriptions of characters to unfunny jokes and it constantly took me out of the story. There's also a lot out of outdated language (Monique calls herself exotic within the first 10 pages, which was new to me) so bear that in mind. I did appreciate that not all Chocotow words and phrases are translated in text and that both Monique and her husband were Native. And the mystery itself had a great setup with a clear emphasis on Native resistance and preservation of artifacts. While I kept reading to find out if all the villains of the story received their comeuppance, it wasn't an enjoyable experience and I hesitate to recommend it to anyone except those with a scholarly interest in early millennium fiction about indigenous people.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews