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Leaphorn & Chee #15
The Wailing Wind
To Officer Bernadette Manuelito, the man curled up on the truck seat was just another drunk—which got Bernie in trouble for mishandling a crime scene—which got Sergeant Jim Chee in trouble with the FBI—which drew Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn out of retirement and back into the old "Golden Calf" homicide, a case he had hoped to forget.
Nothing had seemed complicated about that earlier one. A con game had gone sour. A swindler had tried to sell wealthy old Wiley Denton the location of one of the West's multitude of legendary lost gold mines. Denton had shot the swindler, called the police, confessed the homicide, and done his short prison time. No mystery there.
Except why did the rich man's bride vanish? The cynics said she was part of the swindle plot. She'd fled when it failed. But, alas, old Joe Leaphorn was a romantic. He believed in love, and thus the Golden Calf case still troubled him. Now, papers found in this new homicide case connect the victim to Denton and to the mythical Golden Calf Mine. The first Golden Calf victim had been there just hours before Denton killed him. And while Denton was killing him, four children trespassing among the rows of empty bunkers in the long-abandoned Wingate Ordnance Depot called in an odd report to the police. They had heard, in the wind wailing around the old buildings, what sounded like music and the cries of a woman.
Bernie Manuelito uses her knowledge of Navajo country, its tribal traditions, and her friendship with a famous old medicine man to unravel the first knot of this puzzle, with Jim Chee putting aside his distaste of the FBI to help her. But the questions raised by this second Golden Calf murder aren't answered until Leaphorn solves the puzzle left by the first one and discovers what the young trespassers heard in the wailing wind.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2002
1163 people are currently reading
2280 people want to read
About the author
Tony Hillerman
216 books1,821 followersTony 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 451 reviews
March 29, 2016
Anyway, who wants to live forever.
This was a really good book.
Bernie finds a dead body in a truck. Due to her Navajo upbringing teaching her corpse aversion, she doesn't move the body and discover it's been shot in the back.
She's in a lot of trouble with the FBI for fucking up, but her boss whom she has a crush on, Jim Chee, calls up his old boss Joe Leaphorn, and they do their best to get her out of trouble. Chee busting his ass to protect Bernie is SO ADORABLE. But of course, Jim Chee is shit at communicating, and so Bernie is sad and upset and thinks she's let her boss/love down.
She imagined Chee standing there, red-faced, embarrassed, and angry at her for causing this.
But Chee's having very different thoughts about Bernie.
She had glanced down and away, made one of those vague motions with her lips that expressed regret and apology and then looked up at him, her dark eyes sad, awaiting his verdict. And he had understood then why he'd never rated her as cute. There was dignity in her face. She was beautiful.
He's finally waking up to the fact that he has feelings for her. Took him long enough! Jeez Louise. Don't hold your breath, it might take five or six more books for him to actually SAY something to her about it. Also, he feels very conflicted since he's her direct boss.
In an attempt to redeem herself in Chee's eyes, Bernie takes her unwanted time off to do a little sleuthing.
I need to find it to save my dignity, she thought. To restore my self-respect. To show those jerks I'm not a dummy.
That ends up with her getting shot at.
A legendary gold mine, a lost and missing beloved wife, a murder, and an old Medicine Man - how will all these loose ends tie together?
...
I think Hillerman was on top of his game with this one. Not only was the mystery very good, but his characters relationships with each other are gelling.
Even though Leaphorn and Chee are still not what I would call "besties," they are warming up to each other. Chee's still hesitating to corroborate with Leaphorn on cases. But corroboration is what Leaphorn craves most, being retired and bored but still consumed with a need to solve mysteries. They could be an amazing team if they ever learned to communicate and trust each other. *sighs* And their women are already friends, why is it so hard for these men to become friends? And don't give me any of that "It's because they're men" bullshit. Both of them have a lot of friends on the force. Just not each other. Probably because Hillerman wants to torment his readers. ARGH.
The men are extra cute in this book, just very adorable, especially when they come together to defend Bernie and also to trick the FBI. It's filled with cuteness. <3
Louisa and Joe Leaphorn are still living together but still not kissing or doing anything romantic/sexual. Unclear as to where this is going.
Of course, Leaphorn is still mourning his dead wife. As is right and natural.
Normally Leaphorn spent a few minutes waking up slowly, watching the sunlight turn the high clouds over the mountains their various shades of pink, rose, and red, and remembering Emma - who had suggested in her gentle way that their first view of the day should be of the sun's arrival just as Changing Woman had taught. This was another Leaphorn habit - awakening with Emma on his mind. Before her death he'd always reached over to touch her.
For months after her funeral, he continued that. But touching only her pillow - reaching for the woman he loved and feeling only the cold vacuum her absence had left - always started his day with grief. He'd finally dealt with that by switching to her side of the bed so this habitual exploration would take his hand to the windowsill. But he still came awake with Emma on his mind, and this morning he was thinking that Emma would approve of what he intended to do today.
And even though he brings Louisa along on hispolice private investigations and discusses cases with her, he feels guilty about it.
But as he said that he knew he would tell her about it, discuss it with this white woman. With that knowledge came the familiar guilty feeling. This had been one of the ten thousand reasons he'd loved Emma - this business of laying the problems and troubles of his work before her and finding as he talked, as he measured her reactions, the fog tended to lift and new ideas emerge.
He shouldn't share with another woman this special link he'd had with Emma. But he had done it before with Louisa - a sign of his weakness. And so he turned his notebook to a blank page, got out his pen, and began drawing.
Also, he's a bit weird in allowing Louisa to tag along on his adventures and discussing cases with her in depth, but then kind of... resenting or dismissing her when things are coming to a close.
But he couldn't think of a way to tell her that maybe it would be better if she went about her academic business and left homicide to the cops. Then, too, he wasn't actually a cop himself any longer.
Yeah, where do you get off, Leaphorn? You can't involve her for 90% of the process and then tell her to bug off for the last 10%. Jeez. I was annoyed with him for this.
Another thing that annoyed me was the end of the novel, when Bernie I can understand why she's doing it, but I'm a little sore. >.<
Tl;dr - Definitely one of the stronger Hillerman entries - in terms of both the mystery and the interpersonal relations. Knowing these characters, following them for so many books, the reader becomes very invested in their futures. :)
This was a really good book.
Bernie finds a dead body in a truck. Due to her Navajo upbringing teaching her corpse aversion, she doesn't move the body and discover it's been shot in the back.
She's in a lot of trouble with the FBI for fucking up, but her boss whom she has a crush on, Jim Chee, calls up his old boss Joe Leaphorn, and they do their best to get her out of trouble. Chee busting his ass to protect Bernie is SO ADORABLE. But of course, Jim Chee is shit at communicating, and so Bernie is sad and upset and thinks she's let her boss/love down.
She imagined Chee standing there, red-faced, embarrassed, and angry at her for causing this.
But Chee's having very different thoughts about Bernie.
She had glanced down and away, made one of those vague motions with her lips that expressed regret and apology and then looked up at him, her dark eyes sad, awaiting his verdict. And he had understood then why he'd never rated her as cute. There was dignity in her face. She was beautiful.
He's finally waking up to the fact that he has feelings for her. Took him long enough! Jeez Louise. Don't hold your breath, it might take five or six more books for him to actually SAY something to her about it. Also, he feels very conflicted since he's her direct boss.
In an attempt to redeem herself in Chee's eyes, Bernie takes her unwanted time off to do a little sleuthing.
I need to find it to save my dignity, she thought. To restore my self-respect. To show those jerks I'm not a dummy.
That ends up with her getting shot at.
A legendary gold mine, a lost and missing beloved wife, a murder, and an old Medicine Man - how will all these loose ends tie together?
...
I think Hillerman was on top of his game with this one. Not only was the mystery very good, but his characters relationships with each other are gelling.
Even though Leaphorn and Chee are still not what I would call "besties," they are warming up to each other. Chee's still hesitating to corroborate with Leaphorn on cases. But corroboration is what Leaphorn craves most, being retired and bored but still consumed with a need to solve mysteries. They could be an amazing team if they ever learned to communicate and trust each other. *sighs* And their women are already friends, why is it so hard for these men to become friends? And don't give me any of that "It's because they're men" bullshit. Both of them have a lot of friends on the force. Just not each other. Probably because Hillerman wants to torment his readers. ARGH.
The men are extra cute in this book, just very adorable, especially when they come together to defend Bernie and also to trick the FBI. It's filled with cuteness. <3
Louisa and Joe Leaphorn are still living together but still not kissing or doing anything romantic/sexual. Unclear as to where this is going.
Of course, Leaphorn is still mourning his dead wife. As is right and natural.
Normally Leaphorn spent a few minutes waking up slowly, watching the sunlight turn the high clouds over the mountains their various shades of pink, rose, and red, and remembering Emma - who had suggested in her gentle way that their first view of the day should be of the sun's arrival just as Changing Woman had taught. This was another Leaphorn habit - awakening with Emma on his mind. Before her death he'd always reached over to touch her.
For months after her funeral, he continued that. But touching only her pillow - reaching for the woman he loved and feeling only the cold vacuum her absence had left - always started his day with grief. He'd finally dealt with that by switching to her side of the bed so this habitual exploration would take his hand to the windowsill. But he still came awake with Emma on his mind, and this morning he was thinking that Emma would approve of what he intended to do today.
And even though he brings Louisa along on his
But as he said that he knew he would tell her about it, discuss it with this white woman. With that knowledge came the familiar guilty feeling. This had been one of the ten thousand reasons he'd loved Emma - this business of laying the problems and troubles of his work before her and finding as he talked, as he measured her reactions, the fog tended to lift and new ideas emerge.
He shouldn't share with another woman this special link he'd had with Emma. But he had done it before with Louisa - a sign of his weakness. And so he turned his notebook to a blank page, got out his pen, and began drawing.
Also, he's a bit weird in allowing Louisa to tag along on his adventures and discussing cases with her in depth, but then kind of... resenting or dismissing her when things are coming to a close.
But he couldn't think of a way to tell her that maybe it would be better if she went about her academic business and left homicide to the cops. Then, too, he wasn't actually a cop himself any longer.
Yeah, where do you get off, Leaphorn? You can't involve her for 90% of the process and then tell her to bug off for the last 10%. Jeez. I was annoyed with him for this.
Another thing that annoyed me was the end of the novel, when Bernie I can understand why she's doing it, but I'm a little sore. >.<
Tl;dr - Definitely one of the stronger Hillerman entries - in terms of both the mystery and the interpersonal relations. Knowing these characters, following them for so many books, the reader becomes very invested in their futures. :)
February 11, 2024
Another very good entry in the Leaphorn and Chee series by Hillerman. I have only read a few of these but I really enjoy the series and started reading them after watching and enjoying the TV series Dark Winds on AMC. This is the fifteenth book in the series and unfortunately I have been reading these very much out of sequence. However, the stories can definitely be read without knowing the backstories of all the characters.
In this one Leaphorn is retired, Chee is a sergeant with the Navaho Tribal Police and Bernadette Manuelito is an officer on the force. Bernie is out on patrol when she gets a call to investigate an abandoned vehicle. Turns out the vehicle contains a dead man who appears to have died naturally. However, he was actually shot and had been moved with no apparent visible blood resulting in Bernie being dinged for mishandling the scene. The dead man did have the phone number of a rich ex-con in his pocket and nearby was an old Prince Albert tobacco tin containing some tracer gold. The ex-con was a wealthy oil-lease magnate named Wiley Denton who confessed to shooting a con man named Marvin McKay dead two years previously. McKay was trying to get into a partnership with Denton to find the lost Golden Calf goldmine and as part of the deal receive $50k from Denton. Denton got a light sentence and served his time for manslaughter. This case had always bothered Leaphorn who wondered what became of Denton’s beautiful young wife Linda, who vanished the day of the killing. So is this second murder related to the Denton case? The murdered man, Thomas Doherty, also had some evidence in his truck related to the Golden Calf goldmine. So can Leaphorn, Chee, and Bernie sort out what really happened and why?
As usual, I enjoyed this one very much. Hillerman's knowledge of the Navaho adds so much to the story and his descriptions of desert southwest are really special. I'll be looking forward to reading more in this series.
In this one Leaphorn is retired, Chee is a sergeant with the Navaho Tribal Police and Bernadette Manuelito is an officer on the force. Bernie is out on patrol when she gets a call to investigate an abandoned vehicle. Turns out the vehicle contains a dead man who appears to have died naturally. However, he was actually shot and had been moved with no apparent visible blood resulting in Bernie being dinged for mishandling the scene. The dead man did have the phone number of a rich ex-con in his pocket and nearby was an old Prince Albert tobacco tin containing some tracer gold. The ex-con was a wealthy oil-lease magnate named Wiley Denton who confessed to shooting a con man named Marvin McKay dead two years previously. McKay was trying to get into a partnership with Denton to find the lost Golden Calf goldmine and as part of the deal receive $50k from Denton. Denton got a light sentence and served his time for manslaughter. This case had always bothered Leaphorn who wondered what became of Denton’s beautiful young wife Linda, who vanished the day of the killing. So is this second murder related to the Denton case? The murdered man, Thomas Doherty, also had some evidence in his truck related to the Golden Calf goldmine. So can Leaphorn, Chee, and Bernie sort out what really happened and why?
As usual, I enjoyed this one very much. Hillerman's knowledge of the Navaho adds so much to the story and his descriptions of desert southwest are really special. I'll be looking forward to reading more in this series.
December 29, 2023
The Wailing Wind was the fifteenth book in the Leaphorn & Chee series by Tony Hillerman. When I am missing my time in New Mexico, this series has been a delightful respite to immerse me in the Native American culture that is such an integral part of the region's history and beliefs. It was a series of events in the expansive jurisdiction of the Navajo Tribal Police in New Mexico from young Officer Bernadette Manuelito misjudging a crime scene thus leading Sergeant Jim Chee to further trouble with the FBI and ultimately bringing retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn back into the "Golden Calf" homicide, a case he had hoped to forget. In the earlier case wealthy Wiley Denton was swindled about the location of one of the West's legendary lost gold mines and confessed to the murder of the swindler and served his short sentence in prison. The only mystery was what had happened to his young and beautiful wife who disappeared at the time of the murder. Rumor was that either she was part of the swindle plot and fled when it failed. But Lieutenant Leaphorn was a romantic at heart and believed there was much more to the story. The Golden Calf case still troubled him. However, in the new case there are documents connecting the first Golden Calf victim to Denton. To add more mystery, four teenagers were trespassing among the rows of empty bunkers in the abandoned Wingate Ordnance Depot east of Gallup, called in a report to the police that they had heard in the wind as it blew through the bunkers and old buildings, what sounded like music and the cries of a woman. There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the novel making this another page turner by Mr. Hillerman.
Hostiin Yellow was pushing the pile of her seeds into a single heap, returning them to her sack. He said: "I need to say something to you about this gold. Gold has always brought trouble for the Dineh. It makes the belagaana crazy. General Carlton thought we had a lot of gold in our mountains, so he had the army round up us Navajos and move us away on that long walk to Bosque Redondo. They drove the Utes out of Colorado to get gold in their mountains. And drove the tribes out of the Black Hills, and pretty much killed the California Indians. Everywhere they find gold, they destroy everything for it. The tear up our Mother the Earth, they break the cycle of life for everything."
October 12, 2015
Deputy Bernadette Manuelito of the Navajo Tribal Police gets called out on a last-minute call to check out an abandoned car. She arrives at the scene to find what looks like a man sleeping off a night of drinking. The dead man, however, doesn’t rouse. Everything points to natural causes, there is no obvious cause of death, and she didn’t look hard at the scene until the gun shot was found by the EMT. The murder of this man, Doherty, and an old case Joe Leaphorn worked years ago seem to be related. It is tied to the legend of The Wailing Woman, the lost treasure of The Golden Calf, and the Halloween night years ago that Wiley Denton shot the con man McKay.
Tony Hillerman’s Navajo Mysteries with Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn are infamous. The legendary Joe Leaphorn has been solving cases in the Four Corners for years. Hillerman’s Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant has retired but it hasn’t stopped his curiosity. He reaches out to Sgt. Jim Chee when he hears about the murder of Doherty. He wants to know if it has any relation to his previous case where Wiley Denton shot a con man trying to sell him the location ‘The Golden Calf.’ The motivations aren’t obvious, but maps are found at Doherty’s murder site along with an old tin of placer gold. Everything from the old case gets turned over, including Denton’s missing wife, who was supposed to go to a lunch with her friends the day of the murder. She never showed up and never came home. People thought she ran off. She was too young and too pretty for Denton. She was believed to be in league with McKay because she introduced him to her husband. No one, however, who knew her believed it to be true and neither did her husband. Denton, in fact, hires Leaphorn during this book to look into her missing persons case. He never stopped looking for her. Leaphorn can’t shake the feeling this has something to do with the police report of three kids on that Halloween night. They said they heard a woman crying amongst the old army bunkers at Fort Wingate. It was Halloween, however, and the kids were scared. By the end of the night two of the kids were convinced they heard “La Llorana”/the wailing woman, another one was sure it was a Skinwalker, and the last thought it was vampire. It got dismissed as nothing. Leaphorn isn’t so sure.
I read all of Hillerman’s books several years ago. In fact, I remember listening to some of them when I was a kid back when audio books were books-on-tape. My family was traveling cross-country and we would stop at the Cracker Barrel’s, trading one Hillerman book-on-tape out for another. Leaphorn and Chee made it so we could drive fourteen hour days and not commit murder. Enough nostalgia. The point is I read them awhile ago and forgot how good they are. I reread this mainly because it’s Autumn and Halloween is coming. I wanted to indulge in the murder set on October 31. I wasn’t disappointed. I got to rediscover a favorite author and series. Hillerman captures the cultural intricacies and beauty of the American Southwest. His writing is beautiful in a sparse way that reflects the scenery of the area.
Hillerman has a wonderful grasp not only of the Navajo culture in the Four Corners area but also the Zuni, Hopi, Hispanic and belagaana/caucasian cultures living there. He grew up in the southwest. It is how, along with research, he obtained the information contained in his stories. He has received the Navajo Tribes Special Friend Award and Center for the American Indian Ambassador Award for bringing attention to Native American culture and concerns. I recommend you read Hillerman’s books if you enjoy mysteries or if you have any interest in the American West. They are contemporary Westerns. If you are looking for where to start, the first of the Navajo Mysteries is ‘The Blessing Way.’
Tony Hillerman’s Navajo Mysteries with Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn are infamous. The legendary Joe Leaphorn has been solving cases in the Four Corners for years. Hillerman’s Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant has retired but it hasn’t stopped his curiosity. He reaches out to Sgt. Jim Chee when he hears about the murder of Doherty. He wants to know if it has any relation to his previous case where Wiley Denton shot a con man trying to sell him the location ‘The Golden Calf.’ The motivations aren’t obvious, but maps are found at Doherty’s murder site along with an old tin of placer gold. Everything from the old case gets turned over, including Denton’s missing wife, who was supposed to go to a lunch with her friends the day of the murder. She never showed up and never came home. People thought she ran off. She was too young and too pretty for Denton. She was believed to be in league with McKay because she introduced him to her husband. No one, however, who knew her believed it to be true and neither did her husband. Denton, in fact, hires Leaphorn during this book to look into her missing persons case. He never stopped looking for her. Leaphorn can’t shake the feeling this has something to do with the police report of three kids on that Halloween night. They said they heard a woman crying amongst the old army bunkers at Fort Wingate. It was Halloween, however, and the kids were scared. By the end of the night two of the kids were convinced they heard “La Llorana”/the wailing woman, another one was sure it was a Skinwalker, and the last thought it was vampire. It got dismissed as nothing. Leaphorn isn’t so sure.
I read all of Hillerman’s books several years ago. In fact, I remember listening to some of them when I was a kid back when audio books were books-on-tape. My family was traveling cross-country and we would stop at the Cracker Barrel’s, trading one Hillerman book-on-tape out for another. Leaphorn and Chee made it so we could drive fourteen hour days and not commit murder. Enough nostalgia. The point is I read them awhile ago and forgot how good they are. I reread this mainly because it’s Autumn and Halloween is coming. I wanted to indulge in the murder set on October 31. I wasn’t disappointed. I got to rediscover a favorite author and series. Hillerman captures the cultural intricacies and beauty of the American Southwest. His writing is beautiful in a sparse way that reflects the scenery of the area.
Hillerman has a wonderful grasp not only of the Navajo culture in the Four Corners area but also the Zuni, Hopi, Hispanic and belagaana/caucasian cultures living there. He grew up in the southwest. It is how, along with research, he obtained the information contained in his stories. He has received the Navajo Tribes Special Friend Award and Center for the American Indian Ambassador Award for bringing attention to Native American culture and concerns. I recommend you read Hillerman’s books if you enjoy mysteries or if you have any interest in the American West. They are contemporary Westerns. If you are looking for where to start, the first of the Navajo Mysteries is ‘The Blessing Way.’
January 10, 2011
Three and a half stars. One of his better mysteries. Enjoyable descriptions as is normal for him.
August 24, 2013
Another good story with a nice twist at the end. Well, nice for the reader, not the characters. Janet Pete is finally gone (or at least she's down to a mention or two...thank you) and the introduction of Bernadette is interesting. I hate that Chee is such a goober about women sometimes. I also find Leaphorn and Bourbonette's relationship interesting and fresh. Seems every story I read anymore involves at least 2 characters falling into bed, it's nice to see a real adult relationship! This story doesn't really get to why the wind was wailing until the end and it was so very sad but a good story resolution because life can't always be happy!
June 20, 2019
For awhile reading this book I did get tired of the pre-history of relationships and stories and cases past. But I guess when you are crunch reading a series that happens. I just get tired of the rehash. As I was getting closer to the end of the story the light bulb came ON and I know what happened!!!!!!!!!!! One of the few times I was right let me tell you...The story did have a great and sad ending.
July 12, 2017
I feel like I have spent a lot of the last year saying the words "I love Bernie" haha.
But seriously. I didn't dislike Janet Pete, but I freaking love Bernadette Manuelito.
But seriously. I didn't dislike Janet Pete, but I freaking love Bernadette Manuelito.
April 10, 2009
I listened to the audio version and I was just enthralled. I never expected to enjoy a mystery so much, as I haven't been into mysteries since I was much younger.
I especially enjoyed the interplay of Navajo culture throughout the novel and how it was essential to the plotline, even from the initial scene when a Navajo police officer does not fully examine a dead body because of Navajo taboos about death.
The characters are quite believable and strangely likable, especially retired police officer Joe Leaphorn. Sometimes I don't like mysteries that the "solution" is a big surprise at the end and you're like "well of course, no one would ever think of that, it's preposterous and no wonder I couldn't figure it out on my own." This one, I felt was maybe a bit easier to figure out and was less of a surprise for me. Maybe I'm just smart (no laughs, please) or maybe it was just straightforward, but I liked the "mystery" aspect anyhow.
I especially enjoyed the interplay of Navajo culture throughout the novel and how it was essential to the plotline, even from the initial scene when a Navajo police officer does not fully examine a dead body because of Navajo taboos about death.
The characters are quite believable and strangely likable, especially retired police officer Joe Leaphorn. Sometimes I don't like mysteries that the "solution" is a big surprise at the end and you're like "well of course, no one would ever think of that, it's preposterous and no wonder I couldn't figure it out on my own." This one, I felt was maybe a bit easier to figure out and was less of a surprise for me. Maybe I'm just smart (no laughs, please) or maybe it was just straightforward, but I liked the "mystery" aspect anyhow.
March 7, 2020
2006: old crime connects with recent murder
2019
Whether it was my mood or the storyline, I don't know, but I followed the quest for motives and clues with more appreciation here than I have in the earlier books.
Joe Leaphorn, if not the main character, is definitely right up there with Jim and Bernie. He is described with more attention to his thoughts and feelings. I'm thinking that Hillerman must have identified with this character more than he did with the much younger Chee.
Bernie has an interest in natural history, particularly in botany. Her interest leads her to clues that suggests the location of the murder. This strand of the story first surfaces on p 8:
[Bernie] noticed that the victim's jeans had collected lots of those troublesome chamisa seeds in their travels, and so had the sock on the ankle [of the victim] - chamisa seeds, sandburs, and other of those stickery, clinging seeds by which dry-country plants spread their species. ...
2019
Whether it was my mood or the storyline, I don't know, but I followed the quest for motives and clues with more appreciation here than I have in the earlier books.
Joe Leaphorn, if not the main character, is definitely right up there with Jim and Bernie. He is described with more attention to his thoughts and feelings. I'm thinking that Hillerman must have identified with this character more than he did with the much younger Chee.
Bernie has an interest in natural history, particularly in botany. Her interest leads her to clues that suggests the location of the murder. This strand of the story first surfaces on p 8:
[Bernie] noticed that the victim's jeans had collected lots of those troublesome chamisa seeds in their travels, and so had the sock on the ankle [of the victim] - chamisa seeds, sandburs, and other of those stickery, clinging seeds by which dry-country plants spread their species. ...
November 10, 2014
This book features Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and Bernie Manuelito as they worked the same cases from different aspects.. As usual these are blessed together to make one story. Joe is asked to locate a woman who has been missing for a number of years. Jim is "helping" FBI with MURDER on the reservation that Bernie didn't handle correctly and the FBI is making her the "scapegoat". Jim Chee is determined to prevent this happening. Bernie to correct her error uses the plant seed on the victim clothes to locate the area where he was shot. The ending will surprise you.
May 20, 2018
Leaphorn and Chee, Navajo Tribal Police, solve another mystery. In fact two. A murder now and a missing person from 5 years ago.
This 15th installment of the series is just as good as the first.
This 15th installment of the series is just as good as the first.
September 5, 2015
One of the later books in Hillerman's series of crime novels set in the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and New Mexico, with regular characters Joe Leaphorn (now retired, no longer the "legendary lieutenant") and Sgt. Jim Chee. I was surprised to discover I had not previously read this, or at least did not remember it, and so particularly enjoyed it. (I have been re-reading some of them, after a gap of 10 years or more since reading one.)
This one is concise (only 230 pages), considerably involved with Navajo religious topics (as are some of the others), and also very romantic in places (but not in a way that interferes with unraveling the mystery of who did the crimes). One feature of the copy I read was maps on the end papers. This helped me to visualize the spatial relationships among the sites in the story, and travels by the characters, plus it ties in nicely with the role that maps play in both the crimes and in unraveling those crimes. (And of course Joe Leaphorn is famous for his maps.)
In this story there are two mysteries, one a crime and one a disappearance, but of course we suspect early on that they are connected. Leaphorn is focused on one, and Chee on the other, but needless to say it becomes a mutual effort, aided considerably by Officer Manuelito as well (and a bit by the FBI's forensics resources).
As always, I enjoy the pace of the story, with ample allowance for dialog, and especially for the circuitous way that Jim Chee finds valuable for speaking with older Navajos who neither think nor tell their stories in the same way as white people. In this story, Jim Chee's technique helps uncover valuable information but tries the patience of the local FBI agent. The agent eventually seems to come to trust Chee a bit more (while still being mostly clueless about how to deal effectively with the Navajos).
Along the way, Jim Chee finds a new love with Officer Bernie Manuelito (Janet Peet having left the scene in a previous book).
True to form, the "retired" Joe Leaphorn solves most of the puzzle (with considerable help from Chee), and ends up in considerable personal danger as well.
But at the end, all is well. This book ends happier than some because Jim Chee's love life is looking up, in addition to the resolution of the two intertwined mysteries.
This one is concise (only 230 pages), considerably involved with Navajo religious topics (as are some of the others), and also very romantic in places (but not in a way that interferes with unraveling the mystery of who did the crimes). One feature of the copy I read was maps on the end papers. This helped me to visualize the spatial relationships among the sites in the story, and travels by the characters, plus it ties in nicely with the role that maps play in both the crimes and in unraveling those crimes. (And of course Joe Leaphorn is famous for his maps.)
In this story there are two mysteries, one a crime and one a disappearance, but of course we suspect early on that they are connected. Leaphorn is focused on one, and Chee on the other, but needless to say it becomes a mutual effort, aided considerably by Officer Manuelito as well (and a bit by the FBI's forensics resources).
As always, I enjoy the pace of the story, with ample allowance for dialog, and especially for the circuitous way that Jim Chee finds valuable for speaking with older Navajos who neither think nor tell their stories in the same way as white people. In this story, Jim Chee's technique helps uncover valuable information but tries the patience of the local FBI agent. The agent eventually seems to come to trust Chee a bit more (while still being mostly clueless about how to deal effectively with the Navajos).
Along the way, Jim Chee finds a new love with Officer Bernie Manuelito (Janet Peet having left the scene in a previous book).
True to form, the "retired" Joe Leaphorn solves most of the puzzle (with considerable help from Chee), and ends up in considerable personal danger as well.
But at the end, all is well. This book ends happier than some because Jim Chee's love life is looking up, in addition to the resolution of the two intertwined mysteries.
April 3, 2025
I remembered this one because the ending was so sad but justice was served.
Is there 'gold in them thar hills'?
Does there have to be? It seems just the possibility is enough to commit murder.
More of Leaphorn and Chee trying to solve the case of a man murdered and left in his pickup in the middle of nowhere. More of Burnadette and Chee trying to figure out how the other one feels without actually asking. But those parts were cute. Chee really is a bit of a dunderhead when it comes to women. Good thing he's so good looking! At least by this time, he seems to have figured out that Janet never loved him for himself but more for the mystique of him. And only if she could mould him into her ideal citified Navajo... like herself (a self centered woman).
And he sure can't seem to stop thinking about Burnadette.
But really the book is mostly from the perspective of Leaphorn with a couple nice POVs from Burnadette as well.
As I said, the ending is sad. But this is one of my favourites of the series.
Is there 'gold in them thar hills'?
Does there have to be? It seems just the possibility is enough to commit murder.
More of Leaphorn and Chee trying to solve the case of a man murdered and left in his pickup in the middle of nowhere. More of Burnadette and Chee trying to figure out how the other one feels without actually asking. But those parts were cute. Chee really is a bit of a dunderhead when it comes to women. Good thing he's so good looking! At least by this time, he seems to have figured out that Janet never loved him for himself but more for the mystique of him. And only if she could mould him into her ideal citified Navajo... like herself (a self centered woman).
And he sure can't seem to stop thinking about Burnadette.
But really the book is mostly from the perspective of Leaphorn with a couple nice POVs from Burnadette as well.
As I said, the ending is sad. But this is one of my favourites of the series.
February 26, 2014
I found this at a thrift store and since I love all things Native American AND all things Hillerman I couldn't help buy buy it.
I was NOT disappointed.
This book had you in the story from the first few pages and doesn't let you go till the last page.
I have always loves how Hillerman can teach a little of the Native stories and rituals in his stories and this was a wonderful look into the Navajo life.
Definitely a good read.
I was NOT disappointed.
This book had you in the story from the first few pages and doesn't let you go till the last page.
I have always loves how Hillerman can teach a little of the Native stories and rituals in his stories and this was a wonderful look into the Navajo life.
Definitely a good read.
May 26, 2021
This is a good read and I was disappointed at solved five years ago. Except that the wife of the first murder victim has also been missing for five years.
The missing wife mystery was solved nicely at the end, but the new murder was almost ignored. I never understood why the truck of the first victim was given a chapter five years later since I never saw that it connected to the mysteries. Some hairs of the missing wife were found in the truck, but this was irrelevant, a red herring trick, I guess.
Maybe I am lacking as a reader but I did briefly consider early in the story the possible ending that turned out to be true. The circumstances of the recent murder were not clear to me and the recent murderer was narrowed down to two men, but it seemed that the wrong man was handcuffed at the end so that the tribal elder would get off. Cultural bias seemed at play against the handcuffed man who was not of the Navajo culture. It was not clear to me, too many unresolved possibilities and not enough hints. So I felt like the novel was ended too abruptly.
The Arizona-New Mexico four corners geography and the Navajo cultural influence on the background of the story was entertaining, richly articulated and well done. I liked learning about the role of music in religion and the Navajo Traditional Medicine Association and the shaman as a singer, just like the Bible and Psalms. Some things, like murder and like music as spiritual healing, are common to the human race.
The missing wife mystery was solved nicely at the end, but the new murder was almost ignored. I never understood why the truck of the first victim was given a chapter five years later since I never saw that it connected to the mysteries. Some hairs of the missing wife were found in the truck, but this was irrelevant, a red herring trick, I guess.
Maybe I am lacking as a reader but I did briefly consider early in the story the possible ending that turned out to be true. The circumstances of the recent murder were not clear to me and the recent murderer was narrowed down to two men, but it seemed that the wrong man was handcuffed at the end so that the tribal elder would get off. Cultural bias seemed at play against the handcuffed man who was not of the Navajo culture. It was not clear to me, too many unresolved possibilities and not enough hints. So I felt like the novel was ended too abruptly.
The Arizona-New Mexico four corners geography and the Navajo cultural influence on the background of the story was entertaining, richly articulated and well done. I liked learning about the role of music in religion and the Navajo Traditional Medicine Association and the shaman as a singer, just like the Bible and Psalms. Some things, like murder and like music as spiritual healing, are common to the human race.
November 11, 2023
Bernie finds a body in a pickup. She mess the scene up before the FBI can "investigate." It turns out the deceased is connected to a case in Leaphorn's past.
Bernie is taking up more and more of the books at this point, as Leaphorn is in retirement, and Chee is starting to spend more time behind a desk.
Bernie is taking up more and more of the books at this point, as Leaphorn is in retirement, and Chee is starting to spend more time behind a desk.
July 26, 2020
One of my longtime favorite series and this one didn't disappoint. My husband and I listened to the book at various times as we drove in our car and it was a good book for that. George Guidall is a very good narrator. I've listened to him narrate a number of different books and I feel he brings extra meaning to the author's words.
I liked the Shakespearean aspects of the story and, of course, the Southwestern U.S. setting in Navajo country is always a favorite part of the story for me. The mystery was interesting and well-written and I always like to catch up with Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. With this book it looks like Officer Bernadette Manuelito may become a permanent character as well.
I liked the Shakespearean aspects of the story and, of course, the Southwestern U.S. setting in Navajo country is always a favorite part of the story for me. The mystery was interesting and well-written and I always like to catch up with Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. With this book it looks like Officer Bernadette Manuelito may become a permanent character as well.
April 7, 2012
The Wailing Wind by Tony Hillerman is the fifteenth mystery featuring Joe Leaphorn. Joe is now retired but it doesn't stop him from consulting in his own way when trouble arises.
A call comes in about an abandoned truck inside the bounds of the Navajo Nation. Officer Bernadette Manuelito is the one sent to the scene. She finds a man dead inside the car and has to confront her traditional beliefs that go counter to her duties as a police officer.
The present day murder brings up questions about an older murder, one that happened long enough ago for the convicted to have done his time and be out. He, though, hires Joe Leaphorn to find is wife who went missing before the murder. Everyone assumes he had killed her too but he insists she left him.
It's a pretty standard who-done-it mystery on plot alone. What draws me in is the setting, the Navajo Nation, and the way Hillerman wraps together the different, and oft-times competing, cultural values of the area, to build characters who are interesting and conflicted.
Normally the mysteries are set in the New Mexico piece of Navajo Nation (Dinéhtah), an entity that spreads into Arizona, and slightly into Utah and Colorado. Something covering that much land is bound to have some regional differences but this is the first time I can recall one of Hillerman's books introducing differences in language and traditions between the Western (Arizona) and Eastern (New Mexico) Dinéh.
A call comes in about an abandoned truck inside the bounds of the Navajo Nation. Officer Bernadette Manuelito is the one sent to the scene. She finds a man dead inside the car and has to confront her traditional beliefs that go counter to her duties as a police officer.
The present day murder brings up questions about an older murder, one that happened long enough ago for the convicted to have done his time and be out. He, though, hires Joe Leaphorn to find is wife who went missing before the murder. Everyone assumes he had killed her too but he insists she left him.
It's a pretty standard who-done-it mystery on plot alone. What draws me in is the setting, the Navajo Nation, and the way Hillerman wraps together the different, and oft-times competing, cultural values of the area, to build characters who are interesting and conflicted.
Normally the mysteries are set in the New Mexico piece of Navajo Nation (Dinéhtah), an entity that spreads into Arizona, and slightly into Utah and Colorado. Something covering that much land is bound to have some regional differences but this is the first time I can recall one of Hillerman's books introducing differences in language and traditions between the Western (Arizona) and Eastern (New Mexico) Dinéh.
November 3, 2013
Promise me not to read the last chapter in this mystery until you finish the rest of the book.
It’s a good one.
I love Hillerman’s trio of retired Officer Leaphorn, Lt. Jim Chee and beautiful Officer Berni Maunuelito who wend their way through Navajo cultural parables, taboos and medicine men to solve another murder on the reservation.
Will Lt. Chee finally get off his behind and propose to the lady who adores him? Will Leaphorn once again cross the line of legality to fiddle the evidence of the old tobacco tin? Will they locate killer Denton’s lost wife before the inevitable happens? When will the FBI get a truly competent Navajo speaker who can unravel the medicine tales of a cultural icon such as Hostiin Peshlakai?
Patience my friends, all shall come to those who have patience. Read the book! Rough Enough: Richard H. Clow's Letters and Diary from the Civil and Indian Wars 1865-1875
It’s a good one.
I love Hillerman’s trio of retired Officer Leaphorn, Lt. Jim Chee and beautiful Officer Berni Maunuelito who wend their way through Navajo cultural parables, taboos and medicine men to solve another murder on the reservation.
Will Lt. Chee finally get off his behind and propose to the lady who adores him? Will Leaphorn once again cross the line of legality to fiddle the evidence of the old tobacco tin? Will they locate killer Denton’s lost wife before the inevitable happens? When will the FBI get a truly competent Navajo speaker who can unravel the medicine tales of a cultural icon such as Hostiin Peshlakai?
Patience my friends, all shall come to those who have patience. Read the book! Rough Enough: Richard H. Clow's Letters and Diary from the Civil and Indian Wars 1865-1875
January 25, 2012
This and Hunting Badger are both from Tony Hillerman's series of mysteries starring Navajo Nation policemen Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee.
I've read other books in the series - my dad loved them - but I picked up these two after our Christmas trip to Arizona. As part of our Boxing Day tour of the Grand Canyon, we drove through the northern Arizona portion of the Navajo reservation, and I saw the landscape that I had read about in the other books.
That added a great deal of enjoyment to these two books. You don't understand how hard the life is on the reservation until you see the scattered mobile homes with no electricity or running water, and realize that they don't have any better options. They can't even get mortgages, because they don't own the land - the tribe does.
Very good books, but made even better by seeing it for myself.
I've read other books in the series - my dad loved them - but I picked up these two after our Christmas trip to Arizona. As part of our Boxing Day tour of the Grand Canyon, we drove through the northern Arizona portion of the Navajo reservation, and I saw the landscape that I had read about in the other books.
That added a great deal of enjoyment to these two books. You don't understand how hard the life is on the reservation until you see the scattered mobile homes with no electricity or running water, and realize that they don't have any better options. They can't even get mortgages, because they don't own the land - the tribe does.
Very good books, but made even better by seeing it for myself.
November 21, 2012
Tony Hillerman has created interesting and complex characters that I enjoy following in his novels. When Bernadette Manuelito finds a dead man in a pickup in a dry gulch she assumes he died of a heart attack. Because of her inexperience as a new policeman she misses the real cause of death. As a result she doubts her ability in police work and so do others. However, her boss, Sgt. Jim Chee, believes in her. The problem is that he is also attracted to this young woman and finds it difficult to separate his feelings from his judgment of her abilities. Enter retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn who trained Chee who also believes in Bernadette's abilities. All are investigating the crime but it is Leaphorn who finds a link that may help solve the crime. I enjoyed this fast paced little mystery. For me, it was good read.
November 2, 2011
My favorite parts of a Tony Hillerman novel are the information he gives about Navajo culture and beliefs and his descriptions of the landscape and climate of the Southwest. And he tells a really good story to boot. This is his 15th novel in the Leaphorn/Chee series. Lt. Joe Leaphorn is retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, but he is still interested in old cases that he could never get out of his mind. One of these involved the "Golden Calf" gold mine that resulted in either a murder or a killing in self-defense. Now, a decade later, another murder seems to be linked to the Golden Calf and Sgt. Jim Chee involves Leaphorn in the investigation.
November 27, 2016
The mystery was frustrating to me, for we all know what will be found in the bunker. Chee is finally cluing in that he has finally found a worthy woman, with no clan taboos attached. It's ok for Leaphorn to still miss and grieve for his wife, but his relationship with Louisa is just plain strange.
July 16, 2015
Summer read. For the next three weeks, I just want more and more easy reads, especially crime novels, dead bodies and cut cadavers.
However, for every easy page turner, one needs a bit of something else. So the next is a Japanese thingy.
However, for every easy page turner, one needs a bit of something else. So the next is a Japanese thingy.
August 10, 2025
This is a haunting story, good to read around Halloween. There's a missing wife, mysterious murder victim, and a ghostly wailing from an old U.S. military site. Leaphorn (now retired) and Chee are on the case.
February 15, 2018
This one is good, sad and tragic. A May-December marriage, lost gold mines, good detective work by Bernie M.
October 12, 2025
'The Wailing Wind' written by Tony Hillerman
Usually I like Hillerman's Leaphorn & Chee novels, and have enjoyed listening to some of them on Audible, as well. That said, this isn't one of my favorites, and actually got kinda bored with it, although I did finish it.
I started reading Hillerman's books in high school, but my tastes have changed since then and college...
(jeez, I hope they have evolved a bit anyway, lol, although in some ways, maybe there are always going to be similar "hooks" that pique my interest)
That said, I have re-read several of Hillerman's books (or listened to them on Audible) in the past couple of years, and his earlier ones still captivate me!
But this one? Not so much; it's one of his later-written ones and I realized I like his earlier ones much better.
So, I'd skip this one and go read (listen to) his earlier ones, maybe 1-10? Or so...
Note: his daughter, Anne (sp?) has tried riding in on his coat-tails, writing some further adventures in this series.
I read somewhere that Tony left copious notes for future books he wanted to write, plus lots of research info. I tried reading one of her books (forgot which one, probably the first one after he died?) and you can tell she's tried to carry on his legacy...but, nope, she's not that great of a writer, and I can't help but wonder...is this a "cash-grab" on her part?
(sorry, it can't be easy to try and fill the boots of a legendary writer, especially one who went out of his way to make connections and friends for years and years out in the Southwest. I know there's been a few rumors over the years that some people in the local Native American tribes (ie, Navajo/Diné, Hopi, Zuni, Taos Pueblo, San Juan Pueblo, Acoma, Tesuque, etc, didn't like Mr. Hillerman. There may have been some, I don't really know (not everybody agrees on everything, you know), but he kept winning Tribal Awards as "Friend of...(fill in the blank) ...Tribe, and that would not have happened if a lot of Native American people didn't like and appreciate him.
Anyway, back to the point: this is not one of my favorite books by him, and I'd suggest you start at the beginning, or with book 3, where he really starts hitting his stride. The first book in this series, 'The Blessing Way' is a pretty good intro featuring Navajo Tribal Policeman Jim Chee, who is also trying to keep up with his Medicine Man/Healer trainings with his uncle, trying to balance two seemingly opposite sides of his life, the culturally significant one of being in harmony with the world we live in, and the out-of-balance ways of life in a basically "white man's world" (no matter what race one is, it's the world that changed when North American lands (et al) were invaded and taken through violence, from people whose viewpoint of the world was very different, one based on a viewpoint of entitlement and superiority and greed.
Book Suggestions: 'Skinwalkers', 'Fallen Man', 'Listening Woman', 'Coyote Waits', 'The Dark Winds', and more.
Usually I like Hillerman's Leaphorn & Chee novels, and have enjoyed listening to some of them on Audible, as well. That said, this isn't one of my favorites, and actually got kinda bored with it, although I did finish it.
I started reading Hillerman's books in high school, but my tastes have changed since then and college...
(jeez, I hope they have evolved a bit anyway, lol, although in some ways, maybe there are always going to be similar "hooks" that pique my interest)
That said, I have re-read several of Hillerman's books (or listened to them on Audible) in the past couple of years, and his earlier ones still captivate me!
But this one? Not so much; it's one of his later-written ones and I realized I like his earlier ones much better.
So, I'd skip this one and go read (listen to) his earlier ones, maybe 1-10? Or so...
Note: his daughter, Anne (sp?) has tried riding in on his coat-tails, writing some further adventures in this series.
I read somewhere that Tony left copious notes for future books he wanted to write, plus lots of research info. I tried reading one of her books (forgot which one, probably the first one after he died?) and you can tell she's tried to carry on his legacy...but, nope, she's not that great of a writer, and I can't help but wonder...is this a "cash-grab" on her part?
(sorry, it can't be easy to try and fill the boots of a legendary writer, especially one who went out of his way to make connections and friends for years and years out in the Southwest. I know there's been a few rumors over the years that some people in the local Native American tribes (ie, Navajo/Diné, Hopi, Zuni, Taos Pueblo, San Juan Pueblo, Acoma, Tesuque, etc, didn't like Mr. Hillerman. There may have been some, I don't really know (not everybody agrees on everything, you know), but he kept winning Tribal Awards as "Friend of...(fill in the blank) ...Tribe, and that would not have happened if a lot of Native American people didn't like and appreciate him.
Anyway, back to the point: this is not one of my favorite books by him, and I'd suggest you start at the beginning, or with book 3, where he really starts hitting his stride. The first book in this series, 'The Blessing Way' is a pretty good intro featuring Navajo Tribal Policeman Jim Chee, who is also trying to keep up with his Medicine Man/Healer trainings with his uncle, trying to balance two seemingly opposite sides of his life, the culturally significant one of being in harmony with the world we live in, and the out-of-balance ways of life in a basically "white man's world" (no matter what race one is, it's the world that changed when North American lands (et al) were invaded and taken through violence, from people whose viewpoint of the world was very different, one based on a viewpoint of entitlement and superiority and greed.
Book Suggestions: 'Skinwalkers', 'Fallen Man', 'Listening Woman', 'Coyote Waits', 'The Dark Winds', and more.
September 22, 2023
When Officer Bernadette Manuelito finds a body curled up in a pickup truck in a remote canyon, there doesn’t appear to be any signs of foul play. She notifies dispatch and an ambulance is sent to collect the body. That’s when it’s discovered the man had been shot in the back.
The FBI becomes involved, and they need a scapegoat—Bernie—much to the chagrin of Sergent Jim Chee.
Retired Navajo Tribal Officer, Joe Leaphorn is intrigued by the murder, and he’s also troubled by the unsolved disappearance of a young woman five years earlier. Are the two cases connected? Chee, Manuelito, and Leaphorn team up to find the answer. (With a little input from Louisa Bourbonette.)
There was plenty of suspense and the writer kept guessing until the end. The more I read of this series, the more I enjoy it.
The FBI becomes involved, and they need a scapegoat—Bernie—much to the chagrin of Sergent Jim Chee.
Retired Navajo Tribal Officer, Joe Leaphorn is intrigued by the murder, and he’s also troubled by the unsolved disappearance of a young woman five years earlier. Are the two cases connected? Chee, Manuelito, and Leaphorn team up to find the answer. (With a little input from Louisa Bourbonette.)
There was plenty of suspense and the writer kept guessing until the end. The more I read of this series, the more I enjoy it.
February 9, 2020
Some of Hillerman's mysteries leave a deeper mark and more lasting impression than others. The bright reds and oranges and big sky of the west, either in a novel or visiting, provides a setting that I absolutely love! This was part of my initial reason for picking up my first Hillerman book over a decade ago. This mystery though tug at my heart a bit more. The surface mystery quickly turned into a Shakespearean tragedy (Othello), leaving me a bit hollowed out after finishing it.
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