Part of Leaphorn & Chee, book 5
First published 1990
Sgt. Jim Chee discovers a corpse with its palms and soles carved away. The mutilation marks only the beginning of a complex investigation that will test both his police training and his understanding of Navajo traditions. A plane crashes in the desert under suspicious circumstances. Someone attacks a windmill in an act that defies explanation. A cocaine shipment disappears without a trace. Chee must connect these seemingly unrelated events while navigating the dangerous intersection of two worlds. Traditional Navajo sorcery collides with modern criminal enterprise as the sergeant uncovers a conspiracy that threatens his life. The case forces Chee to confront how ancient beliefs and contemporary crime can become fatally intertwined. His survival depends on understanding both the spiritual forces at work and the very human motivations driving the violence around him.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, native-american
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: conspiracy, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Navajo, Desert
Period: Contemporary
290 pages · Mass Market Paperback · HarperPaperbacks
Content warnings: violence