I am usually terrible at solving the mystery before the author’s explicit reveal, but I did have this one about 90% figured out shortly before the motive was explained. The mystery is intriguing and the narrative momentum keeps you turning the pages. The minor characters are also deftly drawn–Hillerman does not resort to caricatures. Both Leaphorn and Chee are described as having an almost visceral connection to the landscape which becomes crucial to their criminal investigations. Comparing and contrasting the strengths and weaknesses of each character against those of the other leads to much more layered complexity and interest. The character development of the two main protagonists gets much deeper than in any of the 6 preceding novels. I particularly enjoyed the way Hillerman depicted the evolution of the relationship between Leaphorn and Chee. Here is the short analysis of the five broad categories I use to consider when thinking about a novel. It soon becomes apparent that the Navajo belief in witches or Skinwalkers is playing a significant role in the murder spree, and Chee’s knowledge of the traditional Navajo religion is crucial to solving the crimes. Also, Chee is practicing to become a healer and Leaphorn is vehemently antagonistic to the traditional spiritualism embodied in the yataalii.įor his part, Chee is cognizant of Leaphorn’s scrutiny, but maintains his professionalism and goes systematically about his investigation. Initially, Leaphorn is skeptical about Chee, assuming that cops don’t get shot at for no reason. This chain of events brings the two together as they investigate these seemingly unrelated incidents. While Leaphorn is trying to crack a lead in three unsolved homicides someone makes an attempt on Jim Chee’s life by blasting three shotgun holes in his mobile home while he is sleeping. While both of these characters are compelling in their own right, their pairing in Skinwalkers brings together one of the genre’s greatest detective teams.

Joe Leaphorn and the next three ( People of Darkness, The Dark Wind, and The Ghostway) feature OfficerJim Chee. The first three books in the series ( The Blessing Way, Dance Hall of the Dead, and Listening Woman) feature Lt.

Hillerman created a terrific mileu for his detective stories and Leaphorn and Chee are great, complex characters. While the quality of the novels up through The Ghostway was a bit uneven every book has been a lot of fun to read. Reading the first 6 novels was definitely an interesting and enjoyable endeavor. I read the series in the 1990’s but in a rather haphazard way and am now quite certain that there are one or two that I did not read. After reading an old interview with Tony Hillerman late last year, I decided to re-read the Leaphorn and Chee novels in chronological order.

Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman