Listening Woman

by Anne Hillerman

Part of Leaphorn & Chee, book 3

First published 1990

Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police faces a savage double murder. An old man and teenage girl lie dead, victims of what appears to be monstrous violence. The blind shaman known as Listening Woman warns of witches and angry spirits at work. She speaks of supernatural forces breaking free into the world. Leaphorn remains convinced the killer was flesh and blood, not spirit. His investigation pulls him into the secrets of the dead man's past. Events from a century ago begin to surface, casting shadows over the present crimes. The veteran officer must decide whether to heed the warnings of the respected seer or follow his rational instincts. As Leaphorn digs deeper, his search leads him away from familiar territory. The case pushes him toward the most dangerous and violent encounter of his law enforcement career.

Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, native-american

Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: amateur-sleuth, supernatural-elements

Setting: Navajo Tribal Police, Navajo Nation

Period: 20th-century

316 pages · Mass Market Paperback · HarperTorch

More by Anne Hillerman

• Spider Woman's Daughter
• Rock with Wings
• Song of the Lion
• Cave of Bones
• The Tale Teller
• Stargazer
• The Sacred Bridge
• The Way of the Bear

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