Part of Leaphorn & Chee, book 27
First published 2024
Joe Leaphorn thought retirement from the Navajo Tribal Police meant quieter cases. Then a woman walks into his private detective office with an old photograph showing a classic Navajo child's blanket. She was raised by a white family but believes she is Diné. Leaphorn takes the case to find her birth parents. He quickly discovers her adoption was questionable and her adoptive family harbors dark secrets. His investigation leads him to an old trading post and a deadly cache of buried family history. Meanwhile, Cecil Bowleg calls Leaphorn in desperation, but an explosion cuts off their conversation and Cecil vanishes. Officer Bernadette Manuelito investigates the blast and finds a connection to Cecil's missing wife. She also works a disturbing case involving an elderly weaver whose prize sheep were killed by feral dogs. As danger mounts, Leaphorn pushes forward to uncover the truth about stolen identities and lost families.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, found-family
Setting: Navajo Tribal Police, Navajo, Old Trading Post
289 pages · Hardcover · Harper