Status Updates From Skinwalkers (Navajo Mysteri...

Finally getting some real conversation and possible connections. Mary continues to be an unseen ghost in Chee's head, lecturing him on how "exotic" but dumb she thinks his culture is. Fortunately, we're also getting a bit of Chee seeming to have second thoughts. There aren't many women in these stories, but as soon as Chee interacts with an attractive Navajo lady the relative flaws of Mary rise to his attention.

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Mostly good so far, but the pro-Pepsi propaganda in here is killing the book 🤮

Mary Landon continues to be in these stories only to serve as an example of bad behavior. When Chee drinks the rinse water from his coffee cup instead of wasting it, she has to let him know how weird she thinks it is, and calls it a cultural anomaly. As if it's conserving a resource that's the anomaly, not having the privilege of endless water in Wisconsin. She makes me like Chee less.

Wow the beads are the only solid connection they have between killings, 60% through the book. The beads Chee was reluctant to mention because he's a bad cop and a petulant child now that Leaphorn's sharing screentime. And after all this I'm still saying it's that doctor from the beginning.

Back to Leaphorn getting injured already, he can't catch a break even when he gets elderly.

I don't read much murder/mystery and it seems an average type of story but it has a lot of info about the Navajo way of life and customs that I think is true to life and I like that aspect of SKINWALKERS.

I really want to like this!

Leaphorn is pleased he established that Wilson Sam's killer wasn't from the area. I thought we already knew that. Chee saw a small silhouette shooting at him, then found a bone bead. Bistie also had a bead in his wallet, so Chee feels relieved and is letting his guard down, even though Bistie is too big and it makes no sense. A bead was also found in Endocheeney, but Chee still hasn't told Leaphorn that. Dumb.

40% and not that into it. Leaphorn back as worried husband and eccentric cop (for being competent mostly). Chee as the young jerk who can't do his job and cooperate even when it's to his own benefit. Long time since it felt like we got closer to answering anything. No reason not to still think my guess at the beginning was correct.

The nerfing of Jim Chee. We've had three books of Jim working through mysteries mostly on his own, and while his record of actually resolving them himself wasn't great, there was a sense that it was due to difficult circumstances more than incompetence. Now Leaphorn's back and described as a "hotshot," and Chee is the dumb and kind of petulant officer who doesn't share info that's finally a link between cases.

At last Leaphorn and Chee have met.