A New York Times Bestseller
Anne Hillerman brings together modern mystery, Navajo traditions, and the evocative landscape of the desert Southwest in this intriguing entry in the Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito series.
When Tribal Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito arrives to speak at an outdoor character-building program for at-risk teens, she discovers chaos. Annie, a young participant on a solo experience due back hours before, has just returned and is traumatized. Gently questioning the girl, Bernie learns that Annie stumbled upon a human skeleton on her trek. While everyone is relieved that Annie is back, they’re concerned about a beloved instructor who went out into the wilds of the rugged lava wilderness bordering Ramah Navajo Reservation to find the missing girl. The instructor vanished somewhere in the volcanic landscape known as El Malpais. In Navajo lore, the lava caves and tubes are believed to be the solidified blood of a terrible monster killed by superhuman twin warriors.
Solving the twin mysteries will expose Bernie to the chilling face of human evil. The instructor’s disappearance mirrors a long-ago search that may be connected to a case in which the legendary Joe Leaphorn played a crucial role. But before Bernie can find the truth, an unexpected blizzard, a suspicious accidental drowning, and the arrival of a new FBI agent complicate the investigation.
While Bernie searches for answers in her case, her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee juggles trouble closer to home. A vengeful man he sent to prison for domestic violence is back—and involved with Bernie’s sister Darleen. Their relationship creates a dilemma that puts Chee in uncomfortable emotional territory that challenges him as family man, a police officer, and as a one-time medicine man in training.
Anne Hillerman takes us deep into the heart of the deserts, mountains, and forests of New Mexico and once again explores the lore and rituals of Navajo culture in this gripping entry in her atmospheric crime series.
When Tribal Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito arrives to speak at an outdoor character-building program for at-risk teens, she discovers chaos. Annie, a camper, has just returned from a solo experience—hours late and traumatized. Gently questioning the girl, Bernie learns that Annie stumbled upon something unspeakable while she was lost. And the beloved instructor who hiked in search of her is still missing.
The action unfolds in El Malpais, the rugged lava wilderness bordering Ramah Navajo Reservation. In Diné stories, the lava caves and tubes are the solidified blood of a terrible monster killed by superhuman twins. The quest for a solution introduces her to the missing man’s own twin and exposes Bernie to the chilling face of human evil. The instructor’s disappearance mirrors a long-ago search in which the legendary Joe Leaphorn took a crucial role, and Leaphorn’s memory and connections come into play.
Meanwhile, Jim Chee tackles what should be an easy assignment to get an update on a Navajo man married to a Tesuque Pueblo woman and neglecting his mother. But, as often happens with Chee, deadly confusion abounds. Before the truth can be revealed, an unexpected blizzard, the possible misuse of tribal funds, an angry Shiprock councilor, and the arrival of a new FBI agent complicate the investigation.
Anne Hillerman takes us deep into the heart of the deserts, mountains, and forests of the Navajo Nation and once again explores the lore and rituals of Native culture in this gripping and atmospheric novel.
“This fictional universe now belongs firmly in the hands of Anne Hillerman”
