Even though he sorely needs a break from his job with the Navajo Nation police, Sgt. Jim Chee, hiking the area around Lake Powell alone, really misses his wife, Officer Bernadette Manuelito. Little does he know that their separation is about to get much more fraught. A fresh corpse Jim finds in the lake turns out to be that of Curtis Walker, the younger brother of Bernie's clan brother, Doug Walker. At first glance Curtis appears to have drowned, and no wonder, since he couldn't swim. But he's actually died from head injuries inflicted before he tumbled into the lake. Deputized by Park Service chief ranger Ted Morris to put a sympathetic face on the questions that must be put to Doug's Navajo connections, Jim finds himself with an embarrassment of riches, since Doug's work with Laguna Blue Watercraft Sales and Rental, his brother's Antelope Canyon Tours, and aging archaeologist Dr. Peter Hendrix provide possible motives for his murder ranging from bad romance to ecopolitics. While Jim is talking to a bevy of interested parties, Bernie is plopped into a case of her own when a hitchhiker who's pleaded for her help is run over repeatedly by a Mercedes that speeds away before she can identify the driver. Because of persistent rumors of skulduggery at Dino Begay Perez's K'é Hemp Farm, a task force is assembled to investigate possible links between KHF and the dead man, and Bernie's asked to go undercover as a casual worker at the farm to gather information. What, as even she wonders explicitly, could go wrong? An overcrowded, overplotted, and depressingly timely mashup of personal and systemic crimes. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In Hillerman's (Stargazer) seventh "Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Mystery," Sergeant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police hikes around Lake Powell. He is ostensibly on vacation but is really searching for a sacred cave that is rumored to contain valuable artifacts. While en route, Jim finds a corpse floating in the lake; the dead man turns out to be the murdered clan brother of his wife, Officer Bernadette "Bernie" Manuelito. While Jim has a wealth of motives and suspects to consider, Bernie is drawn into her own case, an investigation of an intentional hit-and-run accident. Listeners will be intrigued by the additional elements that Hillerman introduces into the story--the government, the cannabis industry, and the characters' personal development and growth. The vivid descriptions of the Southwestern landscape and Navajo culture are absorbing. Primary narrator and Cherokee actress DeLanna Studi provides a strong performance with effective characterizations. Listeners will especially appreciate the glossary of Navajo words, read by Navajo Code Talker Peter MacDonald Sr. VERDICT A solid addition to the series that will satisfy Hillerman's many fans.--Scott DiMarco

Hillerman's newest addition to the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series follows Sergeant Jim Chee on a spiritual journey to the sacred Rainbow Bridge near Lake Powell, Arizona. While hiking, he stumbles upon an abandoned campsite and a dead body floating in the water. Further investigation leads Chee on a journey into Navajo Nation, putting his life on the line once again. Meanwhile, Officer Bernadette Manuelito, driving home to Shiprock, New Mexico. is approached by a scared hitchhiker. Before she has the chance to help, the man is run down by an SUV. Shaken, Bernadette volunteers to go undercover to find out more. Her discovery and the subsequent events put her family in danger, causing Bernadette to question her abilities as a police officer. The detailed look at Navajo culture and the history of Lake Powell will drive appeal here. The prose, however, feels a bit wooden at times, but the plot is engaging and will intrigue readers with interest in Native culture. Recommended for fans of the series, which was begun in 1970 by Hillerman's father, Tony.

In Hillerman's captivating seventh Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito mystery (after 2021's Stargazer), Sgt. Jim Chee of the Navajo Nation police, who's reevaluating his career, takes time off from his job in Shiprock, N.Mex., and heads for Lake Powell to contemplate his future. He brings with him a map provided by his mentor, Lt. Joe Leaphorn, showing the location of what Leaphorn believes to be a sacred cave containing a trove of ancient sand paintings. On his hike, Chee discovers the body of a young man floating face down in the icy waters of the lake. A severe head injury indicates that the victim, a Navajo, was murdered. The local police ask Chee to join their investigation. Meanwhile, Bernadette Manuelito, Chee's police officer wife, witnesses an intentional hit-and-run, a crime that leads her to take on a dangerous undercover mission. Never mind that the murder investigation is a bit slow to start and the bad guys are pretty obvious. As usual, what matters are the Native American lore, dramatic descriptions of the western terrain, and the evolution in the personal lives of Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito. Series fans will be well satisfied. Agent: Liz Trupin-Pulli, JET Literary Assoc. (Apr.)