11/28/2025
Cherokee author Vanessa Lillie’s work begins with curiosity, a passion to learn about the Native nations around her and the histories that have long been overlooked.
Her latest novel continues that exploration, blending mystery with questions of identity, heritage and who gets to tell the stories of Indigenous communities.
Native American Heritage Month is celebrated throughout November. El Paso and all of its northern neighbors in New Mexico are home to active Native American tribes and pueblos.
Lillie’s latest book, “The Bone Thief,” is a mystery thriller sequel to her novel “Blood Sisters.” It follows Syd Walker, a Cherokee archaeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), who is drawn into an investigation when skeletal remains start disappearing from local burial sites and a Native teenager goes missing near a historical camp, where relatives of the founders of the United States gather as part of an elite group called the Founders Society.
As Syd digs into the thefts, she uncovers links to the Founders Society and dark, long-buried secrets about who controls and profits from Native history.
“I love research as a writer. For me, that’s almost the engine of the story,” Lillie said. “I think the opportunity to take a real historical event and think about how can I communicate it in a page-turning thriller is really exciting for me creatively.”
Read more at the elpasotimes.com
