Part of Leaphorn & Chee, book 20
First published 2015
Sergeant Jim Chee and Officer Bernie Manuelito plan a quiet getaway from their duties as Navajo Tribal police. Their break ends quickly when two demanding cases pull them in different directions across the reservation. Chee heads toward Shiprock to follow puzzling clues about a missing woman. His investigation leads him to a dangerous criminal and a suspicious pile of earth and stones that might mark a grave. Meanwhile, Bernie travels to Monument Valley to handle the aftermath of a failed drug operation. She must also investigate a fire that started in an isolated location and examine a large solar energy project that could change Navajo territory forever. The husband and wife team works apart but stays connected through their shared mentor, the experienced Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn. Though retired, Leaphorn guides them as they face obstacles that test everything they know about police work. The cases challenge their abilities and their dedication to protecting their community in ways neither expected.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: mentor-mentee, partners
Setting: Shiprock, Monument Valley, Navajo Territory
Period: Contemporary
322 pages · Hardcover · Harper