Anne Hillerman Books

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  Lost Birds

  Anne Hillerman

  Joe Leaphorn may be long retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, but his detective skills are still sharp, honed by his work as a private detective. His experience will be essential to solve a compelling new case: finding the birth parents of a woman who was raised by a bilagáana family but believes she is Diné based on one solid clue, an old photograph with a classic Navajo child’s blanket. Leaphorn discovers that his client’s adoption was questionable, and her adoptive family not what they seem. His quest for answers takes him to an old trading post and leads him to a deadly cache of long-buried family secrets.

  As that case grows more complicated, Leaphorn receives an unexpected call from a person he met decades earlier. Cecil Bowleg’s desperation is clear in his voice, but just as he begins to explain, the call is cut off by an explosion and Cecil disappears. True to his nature, Leaphorn is determined to find the truth even as the situation grows dangerous. Investigation of the explosion falls in part to Officer Bernadette Manuelito, who discovers an unexpected link to Cecil’s missing wife.

  Bernie also is involved in a troubling investigation of her own: an elderly weaver whose prize-winning sheep have been ruthlessly killed by feral dogs.

  Exploring the emotionally complex issues of adoption of Indigenous children by non-native parents, Anne Hillerman delivers another thought-provoking, gripping mystery that brings to life the vivid terrain of the American Southwest, its people, and the lore and traditions that make it distinct.

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  Shadow of the Solstice

  Anne Hillerman

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

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

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  The Sacred Bridge

  Anne Hillerman

  An ancient mystery resurfaces with ramifications for the present day in this gripping chapter in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series from New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman.

  Sergeant Jim Chee’s vacation to beautiful Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell has a deeper purpose. He’s on a quest to unravel a sacred mystery his mentor, the Legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, stumbled across decades earlier.

  Chee’s journey takes a deadly turn when, after a prayerful visit to the sacred Rainbow Bridge, he spots a body floating in the lake. The dead man, a Navajo with a passion for the canyon’s ancient rock art, lived a life filled with many secrets. Discovering why he died and who was responsible involves Chee in an investigation that puts his own life at risk.

  Back in Shiprock, Officer Bernadette Manuelito is driving home when she witnesses an expensive sedan purposely kill a hitchhiker. The search to find the killer leads her to uncover a dangerous chain of interconnected revelations involving a Navajo Nation cannabis enterprise.

  But the evil that is unleashed jeopardizes her mother and sister Darleen, and puts Bernie in the deadliest situation of her law enforcement career.

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  The Way of The Bear

  Anne Hillerman

  Fossil harvesting, ancient lore, greed, rejected love and murder combine in this gripping new installment of New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman’s Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series. The Bears Ears area, at the edge of the Navajo Nation, is celebrated for its abundance unique fossils and early human habitation sites. For Chee and Manuelito, the area glows with geological interest and spiritual insight. But their visit to this achingly beautiful place is disrupted by a current of violence that sweeps them both into danger.

  An unexpected death on a lonely road outside of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument raises questions for Navajo Tribal Police officers Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito. Why would a seasoned outdoorsman and well-known paleontologist freeze to death within walking distance of his car?

  A second death brings more turmoil. Who is the unidentified man killed during an apparent home invasion in which nothing seems to have been taken? Why was he murdered?

  A fossilized jawbone, a mysterious disappearance and a blizzard heighten the suspense. Manuelito and Chee need all of their experience, skill, and intuition to survive the threats that arise and solve the mysteries so that justice is served.

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  Stargazer

  Anne Hillerman

  New York Times' bestselling author Anne Hillerman returns with a gripping new installment in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series. Murder, deception, and the stars collide in this complex and thrilling mystery.

  Officer Bernadette Manuelito is having a typical day—serving a bench warrant, dealing with cattle obstructing traffic and unexpectedly discovering an ugly crime scene—when she’s called to help find an old friend. Years ago, Bernie and the missing Maya were roommates, but Maya’s struggles with addiction pushed a wedge between them.

  When Maya’s brother calls, Bernie agrees to help. She’s shocked when her friend confesses to the murder of a prominent astronomer. As she looks more deeply into the case, Bernie’s investigation discovers that nothing is as it seems. What she uncovers reminds her of the Navajo star stories she heard as a child, and leads to a chilling confrontation with a calculating killer.

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  The Tale Teller

  Anne Hillerman

  Joe Leaphorn may have retired from the Tribal Police, but he finds himself knee-deep in a perplexing case involving a priceless artifact—a reminder of a dark time in Navajo history. Joe’s been hired to find a missing biil, a traditional dress that had been donated to the Navajo Nation. His investigation takes a sinister turn when the leading suspect dies under mysterious circumstances and Leaphorn himself receives anonymous warnings to beware—witchcraft is afoot.

  While the veteran detective is busy working to untangle his strange case, his former colleague Jim Chee and Officer Bernie Manuelito are collecting evidence they hope will lead to a cunning criminal behind a rash of burglaries. Their case takes a complicated turn when Bernie finds a body near a popular running trail. The situation grows more complicated when the death is ruled a homicide, and the Tribal cops are thrust into a turf battle because the murder involves the FBI.

  As Leaphorn, Chee, and Bernie draw closer to solving these crimes, their parallel investigations begin to merge . . . and offer an unexpected opportunity that opens a new chapter in Bernie’s life.

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  Cave of Bones

  Anne Hillerman

  When Tribal Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito arrives to speak at an outdoor character-building program for at-risk teens, she discovers chaos. Annie, a young participant on a solo experience due back hours before, has just returned and is traumatized. Gently questioning the girl, Bernie learns that Annie stumbled upon a human skeleton on her trek. While everyone is relieved that Annie is back, they’re concerned about a beloved instructor who went out into the wilds of the rugged lava wilderness bordering Ramah Navajo Reservation to find the missing girl. The instructor vanished somewhere in the volcanic landscape known as El Malpais. In Navajo lore, the lava caves and tubes are believed to be the solidified blood of a terrible monster killed by superhuman twin warriors.

  Solving the twin mysteries will expose Bernie to the chilling face of human evil. The instructor’s disappearance mirrors a long-ago search that may be connected to a case in which the legendary Joe Leaphorn played a crucial role. But before Bernie can find the truth, an unexpected blizzard, a suspicious accidental drowning, and the arrival of a new FBI agent complicate the investigation. While Bernie searches for answers in her case, her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee juggles trouble closer to home. A vengeful man he sent to prison for domestic violence is back—and involved with Bernie’s sister Darleen. Their relationship creates a dilemma that puts Chee in uncomfortable emotional territory that challenges him as family man, a police officer, and as a one-time medicine man in training.

  Anne Hillerman takes us deep into the heart of the deserts, mountains, and forests of New Mexico and once again explores the lore and rituals of Navajo culture in this gripping entry in her atmospheric crime series.

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  Song of the Lion

  Anne Hillerman

  A deadly bombing takes Navajo Tribal cops Bernadette Manuelito, Jim Chee, and their mentor, the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, back into the past to find a vengeful killer in this riveting Southwestern mystery from the bestselling author of Spider Woman’s Daughter and Rock with Wings.

  When a car bomb kills a young man in the Shiprock High School parking lot, Officer Bernadette Manuelito discovers that the intended victim was a mediator for a multi-million-dollar development planned at the Grand Canyon.

  But what seems like an act of ecoterrorism turns out to be something far more nefarious and complex. Piecing together the clues, Bernie and her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, uncover a scheme to disrupt the negotiations and inflame tensions between the Hopi and Dine tribes.

  Retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn has seen just about everything in his long career. As the tribal police’s investigation unfolds, he begins to suspect that the bombing may be linked to a cold case he handled years ago. As he, Bernie, and Chee carefully pull away the layers behind the crime, they make a disturbing discovery: a meticulous and very patient killer with a long-simmering plan of revenge.

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  Rock with Wings

  Anne Hillerman

  Doing a good deed for a relative offers the perfect opportunity for Sergeant Jim Chee and his wife, Officer Bernie Manuelito, to get away from the daily grind of police work. But two cases will call them back from their short vacation and separate them—one near Shiprock, and the other at iconic Monument Valley. Chee follows a series of seemingly random and cryptic clues that lead to a missing woman, a coldblooded thug, and a mysterious mound of dirt and rocks that could be a gravesite. Bernie has her hands full managing the fallout from a drug bust gone wrong, uncovering the origins of a fire in the middle of nowhere, and looking into an ambitious solar energy development with long-ranging consequences for Navajo land.

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  Spider Woman's Daughter

  Anne Hillerman

  Navajo Nation Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito witnesses the cold-blooded shooting of someone very close to her. With the victim fighting for his life, the entire squad and the local FBI office are hell-bent on catching the gunman. Bernie, too, wants in on the investigation, despite regulations forbidding eyewitness involvement. But that doesn’t mean she’s going to sit idly by, especially when her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, is in charge of finding the shooter.

  Bernie and Chee discover that a cold case involving his former boss and partner, retired Inspector Joe Leaphorn, may hold the key. Digging into the old investigation, husband and wife find themselves inching closer to the truth…and closer to a killer determined to prevent justice from taking its course.

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  Tony Hillerman's landscapes : Southwest map & guide

  Anne Hillerman

  The companion guide to Tony Hillerman's Landscapes: On the Road with an American Legend. Published by University of New Mexico Press, eloquent prose descriptions accompany a map that furthers a nuanced explication of the Southwest space and place that inspired one of New Mexico's favorite scribes.

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  Gardens of Santa Fe

  Anne Hillerman

  Gardens of Santa Fe is a lush, visual extravaganza of the city's many floral-filled spaces of private oasis.With text by Anne Hillerman and photos by Don Strel, Gardens of Santa Fe draws the reader into a close and wondrous intimacy with the snow-blanketed hush of the pond in winter, the piñon pine arching over the bronzed gate, trumpet vine spilling over the adobe wall, and bricked paths lined by pentesmon, yarrow, blue fescue, gaillardia, and feathery pampas grass. Gardeners share the especial challenges of Southwest gardening, water-wise techniques, and best plants for creating a bird and butterfly refuge. Private gardens showcase the classic, artistic Santa Fe charm of obscure courtyards and patios, and the text's final section is a grand romp through the city's numerous public and corporate destination garden spaces.

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  Santa Fe Flavors

  Anne Hillerman

  Vibrant and well-illustrated compilation of recipes for Southwest cuisine, geared for the novice. Santa Fe Flavors is a must-read book for flatlanders visiting the fair burg: libations will have greater effect at a high-altitude, it is more difficult to keep food hot, bread rises more quickly, and blue corn is not spoiled but delicious and nutritious. Recommendations for dining-out commence the guide with a break-down of cuisine unique to the Southwest, including posole, green chile, calabacitas, and piñons. The subsequent chapters are divided into recipes for mains, sides, drinks, and desserts from local favorites like Harry's Roadhouse, Coyote Cafe, and Cowgirl Bar and Grill. Hillerman's guide is all that is needed for high-desert frivolity. Buen provecho!

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  Tony Hillerman's Landscape

  Anne Hillerman

  Step into the world of bestselling author Tony Hillerman’s novels with Tony Hillerman’s Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn, a stunning collection of original documentary photographs of the New Mexico and Arizona landscapes that were integral to his detective novels. Narrated by his daughter, Anne Hillerman, with original photos from Don Strel, Tony Hillerman’s Landscape is a timely showcase of a hauntingly beautiful region that captured one man’s imagination for a lifetime, and is a daughter’s loving tribute to her father.

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  Children's Guide to Santa Fe

  Anne Hillerman

  Parents: sip your wine or tea and let the children decide. Anne Hillerman's guide allows for plenty of child-directed choice and activity with its enticing photos of the Santa Fe Ballet, the Museum of International Folk Art, the dinosaur skeleton at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, the ladders and kivas of Bandelier, and the Sandia Peak Tramway. Ideas abound for winter and summer excursions, from theater and symphonies to skiing and river-rafting. Seasonal events like Zozobra are highlighted in addition to activities that nourish the children's talent and growth through extended participation. Santa Fe hosts an ongoing children's opera, symphony, and performing arts school, and the girls' film school runs for two weeks each summer. Geared to adolescent readers, Hillerman includes a brief sketch and timeline of Santa Fe's cultural, economic, and political history that delineates the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the Spanish reconquest of 1692, the Mexican and American territorial governments, trade and trail routes, disputes regarding authentic architecture, Catholicism, 1912 statehood, and the region's growing influence as a center of art and culture.

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  An Insider's Guide to Santa Fe

  Anne Hillerman

  An essential companion guide to Santa Fe art, culture, and history. Published in 1998 and updated in 2000, An Insider's Guide is a welcome and needed instruction booklet for all things Santa Fe. The city different was founded in 1608, and Hillerman deftly parses out the history of Indigenous, Mexican, and Anglo influences that contributed to the cultural capital of the region as a "confluence of contradictions." The area boasts pit houses and community plazas that are more than eight centuries old. Local culture, lodging options, museums, nightlife, sports, shopping, festivals, kid-focused fun, and the natural environment have dedicated chapters. Activities in nearby Taos and Los Alamos are included. Although the intro jests that the handbook cannot be exhaustive because that is what phone books are for, it is today's precise absence of phone books that makes this manual so necessary. Great to keep in the car, purse or pack for inspiration when the need arises.

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  Ride the Wind: USA to Africa

  Anne Hillerman

  Anne Hillerman's gift for story-telling is nowhere as evident as in Ride the Wind: USA to Africa with its exhaustive research, transcriptions of radio transmissions between the flight operators, and photos of the balloons in full splendor. The transatlantic race between teams from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States became more of a cooperative venture as teams radioed information back and forth about locale, altitude, wind streams, and equipment malfunction. To ensure equality of competition, all the dual-design gas and helium powered balloons were exactly the same with a height of 90 feet and a weight of 100 pounds. A bright yellow, four by seven foot floating capsule would ensure an emergency landing at sea. Thousands observed the pre-dawn launch of the five balloons on September 16, 1992. Not only did the crews hope to win by being the fastest to fly over the Atlantic, they also hoped to break Richard's father's record of 137 hours in the air. Novice readers will learn all about the mechanics of ballooning, from zonal flows and rigging to ballasting and feathering the burner. Adventure seekers and travelers will embark on a hair-splitting journey as helium valves stick open and the over-inflated balloon threatens to rip apart. The balloonists endure a lack of privacy, hygeine, and climactic extremes, clearing ice from the equipment in the morn, and sweating from the balloon envelope's heat later in the day. This tale of a competitive, transatlantic balloon flight is a historic tale of cooperation and courage, eloquently conveyed by one of the Southwest's great storytellers. Although the Belgians won the race, the U.S. balloon piloted by Abruzzo and Bradley flew onto Morocco, making it into the record books for the longest time in flight at 145 hours.

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  Done in the Sun: solar projects for children

  Anne Hillerman

  Parents: sip your wine or tea and let the children decide. Anne Hillerman's guide allows for plenty of child-directed choice and activity with its enticing photos of the Santa Fe Ballet, the Museum of International Folk Art, the dinosaur skeleton at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, the ladders and kivas of Bandelier, and the Sandia Peak Tramway. Ideas abound for winter and summer excursions, from theater and symphonies to skiing and river-rafting. Seasonal events like Zozobra are highlighted in addition to activities that nourish the children's talent and growth through extended participation. Santa Fe hosts an ongoing children's opera, symphony, and performing arts school, and the girls' film school runs for two weeks each summer. Geared to adolescent readers, Hillerman includes a brief sketch and timeline of Santa Fe's cultural, economic, and political history that delineates the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the Spanish reconquest of 1692, the Mexican and American territorial governments, trade and trail routes, disputes regarding authentic architecture, Catholicism, 1912 statehood, and the region's growing influence as a center of art and culture.