Synopsis
Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police is already investigating 3 homicides when he learns that Officer Jim Chee was shot at through his trailer. Lt. Leaphorn has a niggling suspicion that the first victim (Irma Onesalt) holds the key to explaining all 3.5 murders.
Things get even stranger when a man named Roosevelt Bistie admits to having attacked the second victim, Dugai Endocheeney. Bistie had shot at Endocheeney because he believed the man was a Skinwalker: a witch in Navajo folklore. Officer Chee receives confirmation about Bistie’s motivation when he finds a bone bead in his possession. However, Endocheeney did not die from the gunshot wound but from a later stabbing. Who else thought Endocheeney was a Skinwalker? How deep does this witch mania run?
Thoughts
This was my first Leaphorn and Chee mystery, and it certainly won’t be my last. Hillerman describes the Najavo people (the Dene), culture, and religion with respect and sensitivity. He pays attention to small details, such as the way the Navajo speak to strangers or visit people in their homes. For example, when Lt. Leaphorn arrived at Bistie’s house, he did not go up to the door and knock but remained in his car until Bistie’s daughter personally invited him in.
I also appreciated the officers’ vulnerability in this story. Lt. Leaphorn’s wife has suddenly lost her memory, and he’s afraid that she has Alzheimer’s Disease. While he investigates the homicides, a part of his mind is preoccupied with his wife’s illness. Officer Chee has his own worries, having survived an assassination attempt. He relies on a stray cat for confirmation that his trailer and the surrounding land is safe.
I enjoyed the mystery. The clues made so much sense once Leaphorn and Chee determined the killer.
I will certainly be reading other books in Tony Hillerman’s series. I am already invested in the two officers’ lives and community. Is Officer Chee getting a new girl friend?
Cozy Mystery Reads 