The Fallen Man

Leaphorn & Chee #12

by Tony Hillerman

From New York Times bestselling author Tony Hillerman comes another thrilling mystery featuring Leaphorn & Chee who must investigate a cold case that has far more personal consequences than expected.

“Gripping.”—New York Times Book Review

Human bones lie on a ledge under the peak of Ship Rock mountain, the remains of a murder victim undisturbed for more than a decade. Three hundred miles across the Navajo reservation, a harmless old canyon guide is felled by a sniper's bullet. 

Joe Leaphorn, recently retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, believes the shooter and the skeleton are somehow connected and recalls a chilling puzzle he was previously unable to solve. But Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee is too busy to take an interest in a dusty cold case . . . until the reborn violence of it hits much too close to home.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Native American, Crime, Westerns, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 19, 1996

About the author

Tony Hillerman, who was born in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma, was a decorated combat veteran from World War II, serving as a mortarman in the 103rd Infantry Division and earning the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart. Later, he worked as a journalist from 1948 to 1962. Then he earned a Masters degree and taught journalism from 1966 to 1987 at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where he resided with his wife until his death in 2008. Hillerman, a consistently bestselling author, was ranked as New Mexico's 25th wealthiest man in 1996. - Wikipedia

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

They sat a while, engulfed by sunlight, cool air, and silence. A raven planed down from the rim, circled around a cottonwood, landed on a Russian olive across the canyon floor, and perched, waiting for them to die.

Another excellent mystery novel from Hillerman. I have been really enjoying these entries more than his very early ones.

There are two real cases here: the skeleton of a mountain climber is discovered in a crevice. And someone is rustling cattle in the area.

This mystery was one of the more exciting ones, with people getting shot at and some sweet justice.
...

Leaphorn is retired now.

What?

I know. I was very surprised.

And his girlfriend Louisa is not in the book at all. Never mentioned. Did they break up? Are they together? WTF is going on? We have no clue.

Even though Leaphorn is retired, he's still acting as a cop. Investigating crimes and interrogating people. I have no idea why he retired. It's like he's not even retired.
...

Oh, here's a real kettle of fish.

I HATE Janet Pete. This is the book that made me hate Janet Pete. She was driving me insane.

She makes cracks about Jim Chee working as a policeman, she doesn't like it:

"All you found were dry bones? Her husband must have been away a lot. I'll bet he was a policeman," she said, and laughed.

She wants him to quit being a policeman, get a desk job that's "higher-up" and move to the city.

Flashbacks of Mary Landon, anybody? How come Jim Chee is having such shit luck with women? They are all hellbent on changing him. It's sickening.

He was beginning to suspect that she didn't really want to marry him. Or, at least, he wasn't sure she was willing to marry Jim Chee as he currently existed - a just-plain cop and a genuine sheep-camp Navajo as opposed to a more romantic and politically correct Indigenous Person. Making it worse, he didn't know what the hell to do about it. Or whether he should do anything. It was a sad, sad situation.

When Chee is shot-up and in the hospital, Janet says:

"I hope this being almost killed will cure you of being a policeman."

o.O Wow. Fuck you, lady. FUCK YOU.

I couldn't BELIEVE how she was acting in this book. Not to mention her palling around with her asshole ex-boyfriend, apparently thinking that this was just fine, and that Chee either wouldn't find out about it or wouldn't care? WTF?

Also, it seemed as if she might have skipped one or two ethics classes in law school. She thinks it's perfectly fine for her to share cop information that Jim Chee tells her with the partners at the firm. So traitorous.

There were about 10,000 reasons I was angry with her. She was acting like a total brat. *shaking my head* I can't believe she went through all that, got to know Jim Chee so well (she's known him for 3 some years) and then just isn't happy with the (good) man he is. "Get a better job! Make more money! Leave the reservation and work in the city! Even though you hate the city!" WTF? I hate when people try to change their lover. Don't date a person and plan to marry him/her if you have "plans" for how he/she can be molded into your idea of perfection. It's sick and wrong.

Luckily Jim Chee is seeing this before he becomes legally bound to her.


Now. Is Jim Chee just a mensch and someone who is getting a free pass from me in this relationship?

NO. He has a huge inferiority complex. It's very weird.

That reminded Chee of the white Porsche that had zipped past him yesterday. Why did he connect it to Janet? Because it had class, and so did she. And was beautiful. And, sure, she'd like it. Who wouldn't? So why did he resent it? Was it because it was a part of the world she came from in which he would never be comfortable? Or understand? Maybe.

I can't handle this insecurity. It's very unattractive.

He's bending over to please her, but even he has limits to how far he'll bend. He took the lieutenant job solely to impress her.

He'd wanted the promotion to impress her, to make himself eligible, to narrow the gap between the child of the urban privileged class and the child of the isolated sheep camp. Thus he had made a thoroughly non-Navajo decision based on an utterly non-Navajo way of thinking.

But he won't agree to become FBI or move to the city. Thank heaven he put his foot down about this. A person has limits!

He was being racist. He had been thinking like a racist ever since he'd met Janet and fallen in love with her. He had been thinking that because her name was Pete, because her father was a Navajo, her blood somehow would have taught her the ways of the Dine' and made her one of them. But only your culture taught you values, and the culture that had formed Janet was blue-blooded, white, Ivy League, chic, irreligious, old-rich Maryland. And that made it just about as opposite as it could get from the traditional values of his people, which made wealth a symbol of selfishness...


Meanwhile, Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn are... getting better at working together (I use this term loosely, Leaphorn is technically retired now) and trusting each other. But we still have not-a-friendship.

Chee laughed, but it was forced. He wasn't used to this strange new version of Leaphorn. This Leaphorn, come to ask him for something, hesitant and diffident, wasn't the Lieutenant Leaphorn he remembered with a mixture of puzzlement, irritation, and admiration. Seeing the man as a supplicant made him uneasy. He'd put a stop to that.

Chee still doesn't feel comfortable around Leaphorn.

Chee stifled a yawn. It had been a long and tiring day and this session with Leaphorn, helpful as it had been, didn't qualify as relaxation. He had accumulated too many memories of tense times trying to live up to the man's high expectations. It would be a while before he could relax in Leaphorn's presence. Maybe another twenty years would do it.

In fact, he doesn't think he really likes Leaphorn.

That thought surprised him. Why tell Leaphorn? The man was a civilian now. It was none of his business. He didn't exactly like Leaphorn. Or he hadn't thought he did. Was it respect? The man was smarter than anybody Chee had ever met. Damn sure smarter than Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee. And maybe that was why he didn't exactly like him.

But this is the first novel in which they actually have a functioning work relationship - perhaps Leaphorn retiring helped this? They communicate better (with some stutters, but still scads better than in earlier books) and share information.


Let's talk about ANOTHER new development in Chee's life: the bossy, tiny, beautiful Bernie who works for Chee and isn't good at following orders - she's a freelance wanna-be detective, just like Chee used to be.

All things considered, he liked her too. She was really smart, she was sweet to everybody around the office, and she was always using her days off to take care of an apparently inexhaustible supply of ailing and indigent kinfolks, which gave her a high score on the Navajo value scale.... No doubt about it, she really was an awfully pretty young woman.

She's smart, persistent and tenacious as a bulldog. She figures things out quickly - often even quicker than Chee can.

"Bernie," Chee said, "If my ribs weren't so sore, and it wasn't going to get me charged with sexual harassment and cause us to run off the road, I would reach over there and give you a huge congratulatory hug."

Bernie looked both pleased and embarrassed.

But the reason we REALLY know that Chee likes her romantically is

Chee became aware that he was showing off. And enjoying it.

I've read enough Hillerman to know what this means. Hillerman uses this to indicate a man has a romantic interest in a woman. Guaranteed tell.

The man who is involved with the cattle rustling is a pig. First tries to shame Jim Chee. That doesn't work, Jim Chee (to my intense delight) stands up to the fucker. THEN, the fucker makes sexual comments about Bernie in front of Jim Chee.

"Good looking lady, too. You give her my congratulations, will you. Tell her any old time she wants to work alongside of me, or under me either, she's more than welcome."

Does Jim Chee call this man on this shit? No, he does not. He doesn't say a fucking thing about him disrespecting Chee's coworker.

Then, much later in the book,

"He sort of made a move on me," she said. "Maybe not. Not exactly....Well, he gives you that 'doll' and 'cute' stuff, you know. Then he said how would I like to get assigned to work with him. But of course he said 'under' him. He said I could be Tonto to his Lone Ranger."

"Tonto?" Chee said. "Well, now. Here's what we do... we nail him. And when we do, you're the one who gets to put the handcuffs on him."

The ending to this is appropriately sweet revenge. Everyone likes to see a slimeball get his comeuppance, right? But I'm still a little sore at Jim Chee for not calling this character out for disrespecting a woman in front of him. It's easy to act like a man and stand up when the woman is right in front of you, much harder to do when it's just you and another male with no woman in sight.

Then again, as already established, I can't count on Chee to meet mensch-standards. He's a good man, but he's no mensch.


Leaphorn has mercy in this book. I won't tell you who he has mercy on or why, but just mentioning it so you know. Extra points to him.


Tl;dr - Solid, exciting mystery. Actually, two-for-one - there are two separate and unconnected mysteries in this novel.

While nothing seems to be happening romantically for Leaphorn (where did his girlfriend Louisa disappear to?), Chee's love life is exploding all over the place in various ways. I can't believe Janet turned out to be so vile. I'm extremely disappointed.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book, and it is now one of my favorites in this series. Oftentimes, I listen to an audiobook while doing something else such as baking, walking the dog, cleaning, or just doing odd jobs while pottering about the house. However, time and again, I was so absorbed in this story, that I would stop and stay quite still, enrapt. The author has a wonderful way of setting the scene, so that you can see it clearly in your mind's eye, and you wait with baited breath for the next piece of action.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a skeleton is discovered in a niche in a dangerous climbing mountain, the local police and the newly retired Joe Leaphorn, now a PI get on the case.

Then someone shoots the only witness in the case.

A lot driving around and investigating eventually crack the case.

Not bad, but felt like the book promised more action than it delivered.

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Good pace. Setting well integrated, which is one of Hillerman's strengths.

[Chris Gager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this from the local library a few days ago. I like Tony Hillerman because he's a decent mystery writer and because his stories are set in the Southwest/Four Corners region of the USA. I keep my Road Atlas and both my Arizona Delorme Atlas and my New Mexico Delorme Atlas nearby for consultation. As far as I know he eschews the use of fictional place names. As for this story, I have one little Ship Rock connection. Back in the summer of 1973, while on a summer field school in archaeology run by the University of Colorado, I got to look at Ship Rock(to the south) and the San Juan Mountains(to the east) while chilling with my co-students at the end of some long, hot days of survey work in the far east end of Mesa Verde - where the tourists can't go. Pretty impressive view, to say the least.

Not a lot of action going over the long midsection here. Leaphorn and Chee are both investigating the same thing, though Leaphorn is supposedly retired. Pertinent info(and otherwise) is slowly being gathered. Chee's romantic problems are examined. I can solve them for him. Dump the lady, Dude! She's a lemona.

- TH says Tec Nos Pos, but my Delorme Atlas says Teec Nos Pos.

- This is my second straight novel featuring a cop living in a trailer.

- Hmmm: "That would be five days before Hal Breedlove disappeared from the(?) Canyon de Chelly." Methinks the "the" is a boo-boo.

Finished last night with typical convoluted shenanigans. I sort of had it figured out; the "villain" at least, but the final twists and turns of the "explanation" are still a bit muddy to me and I'm still not too clear about what exactly happened up on that rock. Oh well ... Still, there actually were parts of the story that were a bit moving. The environment and Navajo culture win out in the end, even if all is NOT revealed, legally speaking. For now, anyways.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fallen Man was the latest book that I have read as part of the series Navajo Mysteries by Tony Hillerman. Growing up in the southwest, when I am missing New Mexico, I pick up another one of these beautiful books that speaks to my soul. The predominant theme of this episode was one of the core values of the Navajo Nation and the Navajo way of living resulting in a stunning page-turning book featuring the now retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Sergeant Jim Chee, both of the Navajo Tribal Police. The mystery involves the human remains that are found high upon a ledge on Ship Rock, the Navajo translation "rock with wings," the Tse Bit'a'i. The body found was presumably there for over a decade and alerts Lieutenant Leaphorn to a cold case and the possible relationship to this skeleton. What ensues is a powerful book.

"They sat a while, engulfed by sunlight, cool air, and silence. A raven planed down from the rim, circled around a cottonwood, landed on a Russian olive across the canyon floor, and perched, waiting for them to die."

"I grew up knowing it's wrong to have more than you need. It means you're not taking care of your people. Win three races in a row, you better slow down a little. Let somebody else win. Or somebody gets drunk and runs into your car and tears you all up, you don't sue him, you want to have a sing for him to cure him of alcoholism."

"'No, I will be a poor man all my life.' And I asked him what he meant, and he said, 'Nobody ever taught me any songs.'"

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

How enjoyable it is to read one of my most favorite authors. It's been a long time since doing so. Tony Hillerman when living was from Albuquerque, my local hero. A skeleton is found several hundred feet high up on a cliff where most people can't get to. Someone is rustling cattle. An old man is shot to death for no apparent reason. A lawyer firm has an interest in an old ranch. All these things have something in common, but what? Tony Hillerman has an excellent way of bringing several story plots into one conclusion. Using retired Leaphorn and Chee which has always been a good mix for me makes this a good read. Hundreds or thousands of devotees will cheer the return of Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee in Hillerman's most intricate and atmospheric novel yet. The Navajo policemen, whose exploits are now published in sixteen languages, are brought together by the death of a man on ShipRock, almost 1700 feet above the desert floor.

The fallen man had sprawled on the ledge under the peak of Ship Rock mountain for eleven years--visited only by the ravens who had picked his bones bare scattered his rock climbing gear. Through the memory of those who had known him, emerges an understanding of the fallen man, who had been given everything and found it was not enough.

The Fallen Man is replete with Hillerman trademarks--ingeniously intricate plotting, splendid evocations of the Southwest's harsh beauty, insights into a venerable culture, and subtly poignant characterizations.

Here in Albuquerque, we don't have the Local Bookstores and authors that come and demonstrate their works and talk about their works like I've heard happens in Scottsdale. Tony Hillerman did have a local visit and we could ask questions to him about his works. I asked him specifically if he saw himself as a Joe Leaphorn. I've always saw him that way. He's a very likable man. Feel's good to read my good friend again!!!

[Michael Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be my favorite Tony Hillerman novel. It brings together some of his more notable characters introduced in prior books and continues to percolate their inter-personal drama plotted over multiple novels. But the characters are fuller, more mature. All this is cast against the events of skeletal remains found on a remote ledge of the Shiprock formation in North West New Mexico and the unraveling mystery surrounding its identification and the ultimate solution of that year's-old mystery. A very enjoyable read.

[Sep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Chee and the "legendary" Joe Leaphorn work together to solve the mystery of a missing mountain climber whose bones are discovered 10 or 11 years after his disappearance. On the romantic front Bernie Manueleto makes an early appearance while Janet Pete and Jim struggle to untangle themselves from an impossible relationship. The various Navaho characters are delightful as is the scenery especially Ship Rock.

[Polo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has all of my favorite Navajo characters-- Chee, Leaphorn, Bernie, Largo. Great humor, multiple puzzles to solve, complexity and location, location. Canyon De Chelly and Shiprock areas are gorgeous landscapes for a mystery book. I loved it and laughed out loud a few times while reading this one. Good Navajo life lessons about living in harmony too.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is going to be more about related issues than the actual book.
First of all, I sometimes have a tendency to avoid really popular or trendy books, books that might be sold in airports. At some point, after all the people raving about him, I told myself I needed to take a look at a Hillerman book, but it took me a long time to get around to it.
By all accounts, Tony Hillerman was a great guy. He had connections to my university, as well as two places I've worked. He spoke at a writer's conference I attended, and I've always kept in mind his advice for not falling prey to writer's block (though, clearly, it worked a lot better for him than it has for me; but that's my problem).
I'd watched and liked the PBS Mystery movies of Coyote Waits and Skinwalkers; so when I found this book on my mother's bookshelf, I figured I wouldn't be lost jumping in mid-series. And I was right--watching those TV movies gave me enough background information about the featured characters.
It took me too long to finish only because I designated it 'waiting room reading' and kept setting it aside for various other reasons.
So, about the book itself: I feel guilty about it, but I didn't love it. There were some good passages, sparingly-worded but really on-target descriptions of the environment, especially; and I enjoyed the mentions of New Mexico places and things. I enjoyed the tidbits about Navajo culture, some I was aware of and others I wasn't. But the dialogue and characterisation tended to be what you'd expect to get from strong, often silent types. Everything kept at arm's-length (or maybe even farther) in terms of emotion. I understand people who play it close to the vest, because I tend to be one; but I prefer more of a peek into characters' internal lives when I read a book.

[Bob Mayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy mysteries set in the southwest, this is for you. Classic Hillerman

[Jo Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fallen Man is a modern day detective-cowboy novel set in the southwest. As an Arizona resident, I enjoyed the descriptions of the New Mexico and Arizona terrain. Navajo Detective Chee is the main character as in many of Hillerman's other novels. A human skeleton found on sacred ground brings a cold case to Chee's attention. Once the skeleton is identified, a variety of suspects are considered as well as a sub-plot of cattle rustling. Good book for the airplane.

[Jewels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how you can't keep Leaphorn from investigating even when he's retired! Chee needs to work on his romance skills, because the women he dates seem to always be running away. I think he could get more work done if he just stayed a bachelor or settled down once and for all. The story was complex and the characters wonderful as always. I liked the twist with the cattle rustler! On to the next.

[Romansreturn · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the first time I read an English story without searching every word on the internet. The story is clearly structured. The plot is quite easy to understand so I could imagine myself what words (which I did not understand as a Swiss student) meant.

I also enjoyed reading the book because it is written very excitingly and I was interested in the Navajo culture. Those parts, where Tony Hillerman wrote about the special environment in Navajo, I liked the most.

There were also parts where I did not like to read on. For example in the middle of the booklet, the story is quite too drawn-out. It needed a bit of patience but in the next chapters, there happened something interesting again. I liked the change of views respectively the mode how Hillerman described several plots paralelly.

My personal time-management was not the best because I had to read the book in three days so I could not really enjoy the whole thing. I would recommend the book for people who are interested in crime novels, different cultures and sometimes also a bit of irony and sarcasm.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really miss Tony Hillerman. Don't get me wrong, his daughter is carrying on the stories of Chee, Leaphorn, and Manuelito in the best way, but I still miss him.

The Fallen Man seamlessly brings in an eleven-year-old missing person's case, a recent murder attempt, and a cover-up that links these two events and so much more. For fans who enjoy the personal relationships in the books, this is where the Jim/Bernie relationship begins moving forward and we get our first, good look at Joe Leaphorn after retiring. With 12 years behind me now after retiring from the Air Force, I now see more facets that Hillerman built into Joe since the first time I read the book.

Nearly perfect, Find it! Buy it! READ IT!

[Vonn New · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for some light reading and have been disappointed by most of the mysteries I've tried lately. I've seen Tony Hillerman's books on the shelves for years, but for some reason this is the first one I picked up. The plot was well-structured and the characters were interesting. The violence was not overwhelming but there was still some suspense. The best part of the book was the setting.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I promised myself after I retired that I would go back and reread all of the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee novels in the order that they were written. This book involves an accidental death that turns out to be a crime. It brings Leaphorn and Chee together again from different angles on the incident. It involves in preserving the pristine nature of the reservation.

[Laura Knaapen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mountain climbers and cattle rustlers are what we're looking into this time. And once again, justice trumps the "law" and justice with Hillerman/Leaphorn/Chee is not blind. It is beginning to make me wonder a bit. Generally I'm ok with it, but if you don't share the values of the one deciding what justice is, it could be a problem.

[Pop · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fallen Man is my favorite book so far in the Leaphorn and Chee saga's about crime on the Navajo Reservation. Some characters from prior novels appear endearing the Navajo way. I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars.

[Christopher Pitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of my favorite series set in the Southwest. Loved that this one even managed to weave the Shiprock climbing conflict into the plot (although he probably should have had a climber read through this first so that what was happening on the rock was more believable).

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this 12th book in the series and I love that Bernie is back on the scene. With Lieutenant Lee porn now a retired police officer. It brings a new angle to these ever engrossing stories. The reader also sees the growth of Jim Chee. I have listened to most of these books on audio, but grew increasingly dissatisfied with both the older, original narrator, and the current one at this stage so I read the Kindle version this time and I liked it a lot. I will continue with the printed/Kindle versions, since I am very familiar with these characters, voices and personalities. This is a very intellectual mystery series that strikes a cord with a certain group of readers. It’s very different from the popular mystery genre of today. In my opinion, it is in the same category as Louise Penny’s arm Gama series that I love love, love!

[Kathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5/10
Joe Leaphorn, now retired, is drawn into a case that he had previously investigated while part of the Navajo Tribal Police. Jim Chee, now acting Lieutenant, is also involved in this case.

What I liked: Hillerman’s descriptions of the landscapes, weather, and people of the Four Corners region are so evocative. Leaphorn and Chee, so different from each other, are great characters, and their supporting cast is fleshed out enough to make them real. Officer Bernadette Manuelito is a great addition.

So why only 3 stars? Possible spoilers…. Leaphorn’s maybe-romantic interest from the previous book is not mentioned. And Janet Pete, Chee’s fiancé, is turning out to be another Mary Landon, only yuckier (hanging out with the man she said misled and mistreated her? Really?). But the main reason is that, even after rereading it several times, I still don’t quite understand the sequence of events that led to Hal Breedlove’s death and who, if anyone besides Eldon Demott, was involved.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tony Hillerman's 12 th book in series of Navajo mysteries, "The Fallen Man" again features Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee teaming up to solve a cold case. 11 years prior, inexperienced climber Harold Breedlove disappeared leaving his wife & brother in law to run his ranch. Amazingly one morning after 11 years a skeleton still dressed in climbing gear is found on rock ledge. The question of the exact date is of vital importance. Harold had to live to age 30 to receive his inheritance- Harold was 29, almost 30 when he vanished 11 years prior. Leaphorn now retired is working as a PI for the Breedlove family. Did Harold's wife, and brother do something funny to ensure they'd get inheritance ? Jim Chee now engaged to lawyer Janet Pete is having his own miseries. Chee must continually struggle with rookie officer Bernadette Manuelito. It's obvious to everyone but Chee that Bernadette has major crush on Jim. Another excellent read from Tony Hillerman that's enjoyable from first page to conclusion. Hellerman's colorful and unique characters continue to amaze with each passing page. It's really easy to root for Leaphorn and Chee even though they really don't get along too well. Another 5 stars out of 5 stars for "The Fallen Man", from Tony Hillerman. A true classic not to be missed.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but not great Hillerman.

Joe Leaphorn has just retired and Jim Chee continues his exploration into cross-cultural dating (and difficulties). Officer Bernadette Manuelito becomes a full-fledged character in the series. In fact, this may be the best characterization of her in the series.

There are actually two mysteries in The Fallen Man . One is a cattle-rustling caper. The other is the long-dead body of a climber that is found on Shiprock (Rock With Wings). If you ask, "What's a shiprock?" than you haven't been to the Four Corners area since this giant exposed interior of a volcano dominates its local landscape like some sort of gothic tower created in the imagination of Stephen King.

This is not Hillerman's best work, but it is enjoyable for any fans of Hillerman. This would not be a good one to start with if you have not read any of the series.

http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2011/...

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like these stories and the settings. I don't quite get how they are true Chee and Leaphorn since they never seem to really work directly together but small complaint. It is nice that they don't blend their personal lives with their work lives. I do hope that Chee gives up on Janet...she seems a bit whiney to me and I simply hate when women try to make men something they are not. If she's that blind to how he is, then he's not for her. I'm sure they'll figure that one out shortly. This mystery was interesting and involved some rock climbers and greedy peeps looking to capitalize on a ranch. The end kind of reminded me a bit of the Inspector VanVeeteren mysteries that I also follow...things handled but not necessarily conventially.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really good at developing the dynamics between the characters. You get totally absorbed into Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee's life. And into the mystery of the Fallen Man. Am on p. 158 and I am totally engrossed in this mystery....As the mystery deepened, it was very hard to put this book down. You get an understanding of each of the characters as you read along. It was fun determining who the killer was and it wasn't obvious until the end of the book....

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leaphorn works a lot for being "retired", yet it seems to help his working relationship with Chee. These guys are never going to be true friends, or even a typical mentor/mentee relationship, but it works for this series. Janet Pete is wearing out her welcome, by wanting Chee to give up his Navajo ways, just as his previous girlfriend did. A pretty, traditional, full blooded Navajo policewoman catches his eye...

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A skeleton is found several hundred feet high up on a cliff where most people can't get too. Someone is rustling cattle. An old man is shot to death for no apparent reason. A lawyer firm has an interest in an old ranch. All these things have something in common, but what?

Tony Hillerman has an excellent way of bringing several story plots into one conclusion.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Hillerman combines an engaging mystery with all of the local color of the Navajo nation in New Mexico and Arizona. This book highlights the distinct anti-materialistic values that distinguish Navajo culture.

My hard copy, very good condition, is for sale. $6 includes shipping.