Each year I look forward to the next installment of the Leaphorn/Chee/Manuelito Navajo mysteries by the father-daughter duo of Tony and Anne Hillerman. Shadow of the Solstice is the 28th novel in the series. They are consistently good reads, and I have read every one.
When a U.S. Cabinet secretary plans a trip to the Navajo town of Shiprock, the local police department moves into high gear, canceling time off, approving overtime, etc. When the badly-beaten body of a man is found in a restricted area surrounding a uranium waste site, they wonder if that violence is somehow related.
When a family that runs a venue for revivals and such complains about a group there building a sweat lodge without a permit, Officer Bernadette Manuelito and Lt. Jim Chee investigate. They find abused women, a sweat lodge that is destined to kill those who use it, and a group of militants who plan to protest the Secretary’s visit.
In this book, Darleen Manuelito, Bernadette’s younger sister and something of a problem child, has matured and is studying to be a nurse. When one of her clients disappears along with the woman’s grandson, Darleen investigates and discovers a Medicare fraud scheme that ties in the cases of missing people Jim Chee is investigating.
I enjoy the way the Hillermans weave Navajo beliefs and current events into these novels. They show the gritty underbelly of humanity as well as the human side of law enforcement officials. Bernadette’s mother has dementia, and she is coping with finding care for her while continuing to work as a police officer.
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Shadow of the Solstice (Harper Collins, April 22, 2025) is available through:
Your local independent bookseller | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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