Fans
will be delighted with the return of Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn and Chee series
with Spider Woman’s Daughter, the
first novel in the series written after Tony’s passing by his daughter Anne
Hillerman. The novel centers on Navajo
Nation Police Officer Bernie Manualito and her husband Sergeant Jim Chee as
they investigate the shooting of Bernie’s mentor, retired Lieutenant Joe
Leaphorn. As Bernie and Chee get more
and more involved in one of Leaphorn’s cold cases, they realize the case may be
hotter than it seems. An established
author, Anne stays true to her father’s work but still leaves her mark with her
unique voice, creating a wonderful story in its own right. You don’t have to take only our word for
it. Library Journal loves it too! Here’s what they have to say about Spider Woman’s Daughter.
*Hillerman,
Anne.
Spider Woman’s Daughter.
Nov.
2013. ISBN 9780062270481.
Tony Hillerman’s 18 mysteries followed the investigations
of Navajo cops Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Fans mourned when Hillerman died in
2008. Now the late author’s beloved characters return in this series relaunch
by his daughter, Anne. The book opens with an act of unexpected violence
against a dear friend, witnessed by police officer Bernadette Manualito. She
and her husband, Jim Chee, begin to piece together clues and determine who
would commit this crime, even questioning the motives of the unaccounted-for Louisa
Bourbonnette, Leaphorn’s friend and housemate. Interspersed throughout the
tale, yet important to character development and emphasizing the role of Navajo
culture and beliefs (a highlight of the previous series), are vignettes of
Bernadette’s troubled sister and Jim’s past studies to become a Navajo healer
and descriptions of Navajo creation stories. Characters from 1988’s Thief of Time play a dominant role in
the unfolding of the plot. Pot hunters, archaeologists, controversy over
the museum display of tribal objects, and insurance fraud culminate in a
heart-stopping, action-packed conclusion as Bernadette and Jim risk their
lives to bring a would-be assassin to justice. VERDICT Fans of
Southwestern mysteries will cheer this return of Leaphorn and Chee.
—Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with
Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel
-Amanda
P.S. Check out this letter from Marie Hillerman, wife to
Tony and mother to Anne, about her husband, her daughter, and their works.