Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge,from harper via #netgalley, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.
Fossil harvesting, ancient lore, greed, rejected love and murder combine in this gripping new installment of New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman’s Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series.
An unexpected death on a lonely road outside of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument raises questions for Navajo Tribal Police officers Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito. Why would a seasoned outdoorsman and well-known paleontologist freeze to death within walking distance of his car? A second death brings more turmoil. Who is the unidentified man killed during a home invasion where nothing much seems to have been taken? Why was he murdered?
The Bears Ears area, at the edge of the Navajo Nation, is celebrated for its abundance of early human habitation sites and the discovery of unique fossils which revolutionized the scientific view of how early animals dealt with their changing world. Chee and Manuelito appreciate the area’s scenery and wealth of human and scientific resources, but their visit to this achingly beautiful place is disrupted by a current of unprecedented violence that sweeps them both into danger. Illicit romance, a fossilized jawbone, hints of witchcraft, and a mysterious disappearance during a blizzard add to the peril.
It takes all of Manuelito’s and Chee’s experience, skill, and intuition to navigate the threats that arise and see justice served.
Review:
This is the 26th book in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, and the 8th that Ann has written, since she took over the series from her dad, Tony Hillerman.
Having said that, I have to admit I was very disappointed with this entry in the series, and would only give it a 3 star not a 5, like normal for a Hillerman book. It started off well, with Chee and Manuelito leaving town to the Valley of the Bear for a mini workcation. Only a spiritual walk ends up putting them in the middle of a fight over fossils and money. In between the dry storyline there are moments with Manuelito's family that seemed dropped in for filler, and good info on the area of Bear Valley, if you want to take a trip. The rest? Ugh. Simplistic, political and BORING. I literally had to force myself to finish the book.
It felt like this was truly the first book she wrote 'on her own'-that maybe the previous 7 books had already been outlined by her dad, so it was easy to flesh them out, but this was her first original one. The previous 7 books kept enough of the characterization from Tony's books, that they were an easy flow, for the long time reader. This felt like a turning point and I have to admit I don't know if I'll read another one of hers, as this one was soooo disappointing. Bring back Leaphorn, or admit it's time to end the series.
About the Author;
ANNE HILLERMAN is the bestselling author of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series. The Way of the Bear is her eighth novel in the series, which was created by her father, Tony Hillerman. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, and is at work on her next novel
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