Sacred Clowns

October 4, 1993
Telling his story the Navajo way, Hillerman ( Coyote Waits ) fully develops the background of the cases pursued by Navajo Tribal Policemen, Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee, so that the resolutions--personal and professional--ring true with gratifying inevitability. A white woodshop teacher at St. Bonaventure's mission school is bludgeoned to death in his schoolroom; a student, a young boy from Tano Pueblo, is missing. The boy's uncle, a koshare, or sacred clown, in a kachina dance, is stabbed to death right after the ceremony in which he has symbolically warned of the dangers of selling sacred objects; an old man is killed on the highway in a hit and run. Chee, who is apprehensive about working for Leaphorn, tries to locate the missing boy, whose grandmother is on the Navajo Tribal Council, and to learn who ran down the old man, but he is distracted by his growing attachment to lawyer Janet Pete and by his desire to be a hataalii , or shaman, as well as a cop. Leaphorn searches for clues while simultaneously grieving for his wife who died 18 months earlier and considering his relationship with linguistics professor Louisa Bourebonette. Jurisdictional conflicts with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Apache County Sheriff's Office reflect the cultural differences that obtain among tribes and clans as this first Leaphorn story in three years, steeped in Navajo lore and traditions, draws to its convincing conclusions. 350,000 first printing; major ad/promo; Mystery Guild selection; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates .

Hillerman's characters, Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, both of the Navajo Tribal Police, are brought together again, Chee now works under Leaphorn's command. The search for a missing boy and two seemingly unrelated murders soon complicate matters, as do relationships in the personal lives of each. This abridgment captures the flavor and spirit of Hillerman's work and conveys the essentials of the story. Gil Silverbird, a Navajo himself, provides a fully voiced reading. Combined with the author's talent for conveying place and culture, it results in an immensely satisfying production. Bridges of Native American music at the end of each side contribute to the atmosphere. M.A.M. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine