Shadow of the Solstice - (Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel) by Anne Hillerman (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When a man's battered body is discovered at an old uranium ore processing facility in the small community of Shiprock, N. Mex., Lieutenant Chee investigates how and why the victim ended up in the restricted area. Meanwhile, officer Manuelito arrives at the enclave of a cult whose stated mission is to save the planet, though she suspects a more sinister undercurrent to their beliefs. Another story line finds Manuelito's younger sister Darleen looking into the disappearance of one of her home health clients and the elderly woman's teenage grandson. To top it all off, the entire police department is on edge, gearing up for a visit from U.S. Energy Secretary Savanah Cooper"--

Book Synopsis

"Anne Hillerman deserves recognition as one of the finest mystery authors currently working in the genre."--New York Journal of Books

In this gripping chapter in New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman's Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, the detectives must sort out a save-the-planet meditation group connected to a mysterious death and a nefarious scheme targeting vulnerable indigenous people living with addiction.

The Navajo Nation police are on high alert when a U.S. Cabinet Secretary schedules an unprecedented trip to the little Navajo town of Shiprock, New Mexico. The visit coincides with a plan to resume uranium mining along the Navajo Nation border. Tensions around the official's arrival escalate when the body of a stranger is found in an area restricted for the disposal of radioactive uranium waste. Is it coincidence that a cult with a propensity for violence arrives at a private camp group outside Shiprock the same week to celebrate the summer solstice? When the outsiders' erratic behavior makes their Navajo hosts uneasy, Officer Bernadette Manuelito is assigned to monitor the situation. She finds a young boy at grave risk, abused women, and other shocking discoveries that plunge her and Lt. Jim Chee into a volatile and deadly situation.

Meanwhile, Darleen Manuelito, Bernie's high spirited younger sister, learns one of her home health clients is gone-and the woman's daughter doesn't seem to care. Darleen's curiosity and sense of duty combine to lead her to discover that the client's grandson is also missing and that the two have become ensnared in a wickedly complex scheme exploiting indigenous people. Darleen's information meshes with a case Chee has begun to solve that deals with the evil underside of human nature.

Review Quotes

"Hillerman nimbly juggles several investigations in her latest crime saga featuring Navajo investigators Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, and Bernadette. . . . Hillerman neatly entwines the disparate plot strands, but the real draw is the kindness, quiet intelligence, and strong moral compass of the novel's central characters." -- Publishers Weekly