Part of Leaphorn & Chee, book 13
First published 1999
Acting Lt. Jim Chee discovers what looks like a simple case: a Hopi poacher crouched over the body of a slain Navajo Tribal police officer. The evidence points to an obvious conclusion. Then Joe Leaphorn arrives and destroys Chee's certainty. The retired detective now works private cases, including the search for a missing biologist. The scientist vanished while tracking a deadly plague strain in the Southwest. She disappeared from the identical location on the same day as the murder. Chee and Leaphorn must determine whether she committed the crime or became another victim. Witnesses report seeing a skinwalker in the area that day. The Navajo witch sighting adds another layer to an already complex investigation. The two men navigate between ancient beliefs and modern science. They work where traditional Navajo culture meets the outside world, where superstition intersects with scientific research, and where multiple motives converge around a single violent act.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, native-american
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Southwest, Navajo Tribal, Hopi
Period: Contemporary
319 pages · Mass Market Paperback · HarperTorch