In the latest entry in the 50 States of Crime series, a collection of short books about prominent mysteries in each U.S State (plus the District of Columbia), Anaïs Renevier visits Montana to explore The Case of the Missing Blackfeet Women. The book starts with the disappearance of Ashley Heavyrunner Loring in 2017, and the difficulties her loved ones had convincing the authorities to launch a proper investigation. Unfortunately, Loring’s case was just one of a disturbingly large number, and the one missing persons case becomes one many as the scope of the story expands to explore how many Indigenous women have vanished over the decades without a trace.
Anaïs Renevier also wrote The Alice Crimmins Case (reviewed here), about a woman in New York who was accused of killing her children. In that book, Renevier placed heavy focus on criticizing the society of the time for its attitudes towards sexuality and gender. In The Case of the Missing Blackfeet Women, she addresses a great deal of condemnation towards many aspects of American history and culture that affect her ire. Different readers will respond differently to her attitude, depending on their own ideologies. Some readers will nod along with every point she makes, others will rankle at what might be interpreted as strident anti-Americanism. Unfortunately, Renevier’s predilection for putting her own commentary front and center often disrupts the narrative flow.
While the disappearances of these women is a very important topic, the book is unfortunately rather superficial in its treatment of certain issues, such as characterization. Frequently, Renevier will start describing a character’s background or personal traits, only to pivot focus after only a few details, leaving little sense of who the individual truly is. A fleeting mention will be made of a person’s health issues, for example, leaving the reader wondering if that person is in serious medical danger. But after the quick reference, no more information is provided on that point. Every few pages, Renevier leaves unanswered questions not connected to the case, and after a while, it gets frustrating.
The narrative is interesting, and it is not a spoiler to point out that most of the disappearances described in this book are not solved. It’s an unsettling topic that deserves a lot more attention, and this book is an effective introduction to a problem that needs much more in-depth exploration and publicity.
The Case of the Missing Blackfeet Women (50 States of Crime– Montana)
Anaïs Renevier, translated by Laurie Bennett
Crime Ink
March 3, 2026
