Rock with Wings

March 2, 2015
In her worthy sequel to 2013’s Spider Woman’s Daughter, Hillerman continues the exploits of the beloved Navajo cops of MWA Grand Master Tony Hillerman (1925–2008). Officer Bernadette Manuelito, Sgt. Jim Chee’s wife, makes a routine traffic stop of a speeding car on a New Mexico road that morphs into a mystery when the nervous driver tries to bribe her—but the only suspicious cargo he has are two boxes of dirt. Meanwhile, Chee takes a security assignment in Monument Valley, where a movie is being filmed, and finds not only a missing person but a newly dug grave. Although Lt. Joe Leaphorn is still greatly handicapped by the injury he suffered in the previous book, his mind is sharp and his insights help both Chee and Manuelito solve some problems. Hillerman uses the southwestern setting as effectively as her late father did while skillfully combining Native American lore with present-day social issues. Agent: Elizabeth Trupin-Pulli, JET Literary Associates.

May 1, 2015

Married Navajo tribal cops Bernadette "Bernie" Manuelito and Jim Chee (last seen in the Spur Award-winning Spider Woman's Daughter) hope to relax with some vacation time in Monument Valley, but their police work calls them back to duty. Chee stays in Monument Valley on special assignment to a movie company and deals with a missing person and a mysterious gravesite. Bernie, back on patrol near Shiprock, NM, stops a car as part of a drug bust only to find a trunk filled with boxes of dirt. Further investigation leads Bernie to a representative of a company seeking to install solar panels on the reservation. It's retired Lt. Joe Leaphorn, Chee's mentor, recovering from a near-fatal shooting, who connects the two cases. VERDICT In this action-filled adventure the author follows in her late father Tony Hillerman's footsteps, blending vivid descriptions of the striking Southwestern vistas with absorbing detective work that will keep readers enthralled. Of interest to all Hillerman fans and enthusiasts of mysteries with a strong sense of place. [See Prepub Alert, 11/17/14.]--Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel

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