Iain’s Reviews > Skinwalkers > Status Update

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.

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.

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.

Don't know if this will prove to be a spoiler but at 15% in it looks like the ambitious doctor/spiritual diagnostician is using the influence of his position to weaponize the superstitions of his patients and send them after his enemies. He's put a hit-by-witchhunt on Chee.