FREE: Tony Hillerman HB Leaphorn and Chee 3/1

Skinwalkers is one of Hillerman's finest pairings of young Navajo Tribal Police Officer, Jim Chee, and the legendary Lt. Joe Leaphorn. This one begins when a shotgun blast into Jim Chee's trailer brings he and Leaphorn together in an effort to figure out how the attempt on Chee's life ties together with two other murders in the sprawling Indian territory they have jurisdiction over. Leaphorn begins to have respect for young Chee as they work on different ends to solve this mystery. Leaphorn has his own personal problems to deal with as well in this entry; his beloved wife may have the onset of Alzheimer's disease. It is a distraction he can't afford when things become more and more dangerous. Throughout this entertaining mystery novel are insights into the Navajo people, from the way they speak to their customs and broad family ties. But the thread that may tie everything together is something the older Leaphorn despises, and the younger Chee embraces. That aspect of the investigation is the complex mythology of Navajo witchcraft. You see, the killings may involve something very ancient in the Navajo culture, called a Skinwalker.This is a great read. It starts in a languid pace which takes on an urgency as the body count starts to rise and the good police work of Leaphorn and Chee may not be enough to save either of them. Skinwalkers is like an orange soda on a hot day in the New Mexico desert. While many view this as the best in the series, I believe Thief of Time is better.