The Case of Windy Lake by Michael Hutchinson (review)

Dubbed the Mighty Muskrats, cousins Sam, Otter, Atim, and Chickadee spend their days exploring their Windy Lake reservation home and visiting various members of their First Nations community in this Canadian import from Cree author Hutchinson. When their police officer uncle starts investigating the disappearance of an archaeologist hired by a nearby mining company, the kids decide to do some sleuthing of their own, using their knowledge of the land and their access to local gossip as starting points. Meanwhile, their older cousin Denice has chained herself to one of the mooring posts at mining company’s pier in protest of their environmental abuses. While Denice’s social justice efforts never quite meet up with the mystery, the subplot does give an opportunity to familiarize readers with Indigenous/First Nations politics and the legacy of colonization in a direct, accessible fashion. The hunt for clues keeps the pages moving and a few red herrings keep it interesting, but the book also focuses on the kids’ finding of wisdom through both their own experience and the guidance of the elders of their community. Their makeshift fort in a rusted-out school bus has the appeal of the Boxcar Children’s titular boxcar, and in fact there’s overall an old-fashioned classic mystery feel along with a look at contemporary rez life in this first installment of a series.