Review of The Turtle-Jack Killings

[Gerry Steen]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Turtle-Jack Killings" by Glenn Ickler.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Do you enjoy reading a good murder mystery? Have you heard of an informal drinking club known as the International Association of Turtles, the St. Paul Winter Carnival in Minnesota, or the symbolic significance of turtles to the Ojibway tribe of Minnesota? Would you be interested in a plot involving a legal battle between a nickel mining company and a community living on an Ojibway reservation? Are you interested in the debate about what should or should not be taught in American schools regarding race, gender, and sexuality? If these questions have roused your curiosity, you will enjoy reading The Turtle-Jack Killings by Glenn Ickler.

The Ojibway people refer to the land mass of North America as “Turtle Island.” I love turtles, so the book cover’s illustration of a large brown turtle hovering in a sunny blue sky captured my attention.

Coordinated Copper & Nickel, Inc. was waiting to receive a permit to drain a swamp containing a turtle habitat, and the Ojibway people were protesting that this would kill all of the sacred turtles and pollute their freshwater supply. The Ojibway people had the support of a daily newspaper known as the St. Paul Daily Dispatch. Mitch, an investigative reporter, Al, a photographer, and two colleagues were assigned to follow this story.

After a ceremony where an Ojibway chief awarded the four newspaper workers with decorative wooden turtles in appreciation of their support against the granting of a permit to the mining company, pandemonium ensued—two of the four people who were awarded the wooden turtles were murdered. Why were they murdered? Who murdered them? Did the mining company order the murders? Mitch and Al had to work together to find these answers while fearing for their lives—they, too, received turtle gifts from the Ojibway community.

Another plot revolved around censoring books in a local high school. Tensions were high. Mitch and Al were assigned to cover this story,

The author employed a first-person narrative using the perspective of Mitch, the St. Paul Daily Dispatch’s investigative reporter. Mitch had a quirky sense of humor and did not shy away from describing women’s attractive physical attributes—some readers may be offended by this.

The suspense in the plot was constant throughout the story. I got a feel for what it is like to work as an investigative reporter. I gained an understanding of the stakes involved when a profit-earning mining company is not overly conscientious about the health, environmental, and spiritual concerns of the people who live near the site. I learned about an annual winter carnival in St.Paul, Minnesota. I chuckled each time Mitch asked the homicide chief for leads. The chief would decline to answer while asking Mitch if he had any leads.

The author created authentic characters to represent newspaper employees, homicide detectives, policemen, criminals, liberal-minded high school teachers, politically active high school students, conservative-minded parents, an Ojibway chief, miners, and an Interpol investigator.

The story was easy to read, humorous, suspenseful, and informative. The ending satisfied me. I was entertained. The editing was professionally done. I did not find anything to dislike about this story. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

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The Turtle-Jack Killings
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[Priya Murugesan]

Your first line got me hooked. I just love murder mysteries. Waiting to read this one. Thanks for your awesome review!

[Kibet Hillary]

The questions have piqued my curiosity, and I am definitely an ardent reader of murder mysteries and books that feature court dramas. I am happy that the characters sound authentic, which would definitely make the book more thrilling and also moving. I look forward to reading how the Ojibway were able to handle the issue they were facing. The review is informative, @Gerry Steen.

[Laney K]

I do agree the cover is eye-catching. I frequently read murder mysteries, and I am quite intrigued to learn more about Turtle Island. Thanks for the informative review as always!

[Sue Ebert]

I love a good murder mystery and this book sounds very intriguing. I have long admired the spiritual connection that Native Americans have with nature. This book is definitely one I want to read. Thanks so much for the amazing review!

[Creole]

I do enjoy a good murder mystery book, and the fact that you describe this particular story as being "humorous suspenseful and informative" has piqued my interest even more. I'm looking forward to diving into a book that combines these elements. "The Turtle-Jack Killings" by Glenn Ickler seems like an entertaining read. Thanks for your engaging review.

[Chi Chiu Michael Mak]

I'm afraid I think differently about the cover. The turtle feels photoshoped. It seems like there ar many players in this murder tale. The interplay of multiple forces make for an unpredictable outcome!

[Yasmine Zaki Muhieddine]

In this book the plot thickens more and more. Being a reporter can be very dangerous, especially when some people don't want the truth to be exposed.
I like the story line and I like a good murder mystery. I am adding this book to my shelves.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like a good murder mystery that also includes some extremely important topics that are controversial even today in the USA and in other countries. The story is made even richer by the element of economic interest in the mining operation. Thank you for your great review!

[Omneya Shakeep]

The idea of the plot seems intriguing. Controlling what the children learn in school and feeding them information is a one way ticket to social gaps and racism in my opinion. Thanks for this well detailed, informative review, Gerry. I'll keep an eye out for this book.

[André Ribeiro Moes]

The first two books I ever read were mystery novels with investigations. Ever since then, I have been passionate about this subject. I have always been more interested in series and films, but when it comes to books, for me there is no more intriguing genre.
The review presented demonstrates the complexity and the large number of themes addressed in the work — in addition, of course, to the investigation that drives the entire story.
I wonder if this work is completely different from fiction or close to reality, since a corporation seeking illegal means to obtain permission to explore environments that should be preserved for ecological and ethnic reasons is not something rare to hear these days.

[Gerry Steen]

Hi, Andre. This fictional story is very close to reality. This is what I found on google: Indigenous tribes in Minnesota, particularly the Ojibwe, have expressed concerns about the potential for mining to pollute water sources, harming wild rice and fish populations, which are important for their survival and cultural practices. 

If you google this topic you will find a lot of information about this issue. If this interests you, I am sure that you will enjoy the book. Thank you for commenting on my review. I appreciate your feedback. Welcome to OBC!

[Stephen Christopher 1]

Oh I'm adding this one to my list immediately. I love environmental thrillers, and this one sounds awesome. I'm a fan of first-person narratives when they're done well, so that's even more interest for me. Thanks, as always, for introducing new books to me.

[Magdalyne chebet]

"The Turtle-Jack Killings" sounds awesome! A murder mystery with Ojibway culture and environmental stakes? You made it sound so gripping, I'm really curious. Thank you for the informative review!

[Seetha E]

Do you enjoy reading a good murder mystery?
... the symbolic significance of turtles to the Ojibway tribe of Minnesota?
Are you interested in the debate about what should or should not be taught in American schools regarding race, gender, and sexuality? If

A well-crafted murder mystery with two equally interesting plots draws me to the book. It is great to know that the characters are well drawn out, and we get a peek into a journalist's job, too. Thank you for a detailed review, as always! I've added this one too to my reading list.