ìSpider Womanís Daughterî opens with a truly unexpected bang!It was their favorite gathering spot, the Navajo Inn in Window Rock, Arizona. Retired Lt. Joe Leaphorn is telling an interesting tale about a ghost from his past. ìA woman. First, she reminds me that I saved her life. Then says she wants me to do her a favor Ö .î The jovial part of the weekly Navajo Police Officersí breakfast ends as Capt. Howard Largo barks, ìOkay, folks, letís get down to business.îJust then, Officer Bernadette (Bernie) Manuelitoís cell phone began to vibrate. Glancing down, she notices the call is from her husband, Sgt. Jim Chee, who is working out of the Shiprock station.ìGotta take this,î she said, as she retreated to the lobby. Looking out the window, she watches the nightmare unfold. A blue sedan, a running figure clad in a hoodie, an extended arm and a sound Bernie knew meant certain death for someone dear to her. Rushing to the victim, who is now slumped against a pickup truck, she reaches down and feels for a pulse. As the blood pools on the street, she vows in Navajo; ìI promise Iíll find out why this happened and who did this to you.îTony Hillerman fans know he created a series of Navajo mysteries featuring Leaphorn and Chee. But alas, Hillerman died in 2008. As a rule, I shun books wherein another writer resurrects the characters of a famous dearly departed author. The practice fits my definition of plagiarism; and most copycat efforts fail because famous authors have a unique combination of skill and style that is impossible to mimic.But, oh, how I miss traveling through Navajo country with Chee and Leaphorn! I had to try ìSpider Womanís Daughter,î by Anne Hillerman, and found it to be a wonderful exception to my rule. As the daughter of Tony Hillerman, she certainly has the legal right to breathe new life into his characters. But I doubt she would have attempted such a daunting task without a number of successful non-fiction books already under her belt. In the ìAcknowledgments,î Anne said that writing Tony Hillermanís ìLandscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphornî laid the foundation for ìSpider Womanís Daughter,î her first venture into the world of fiction.Now, back to the mystery. Since Bernie is the only eyewitness to the shooting, Capt. Largo orders her not to have anything to do with the investigation, even though he knows Bernie and Chee will stop at nothing to find the shooter. Thanks to Bernieís description of the sedan, the car is quickly spotted at Bashasí grocery store. Unfortunately, the owner, Gloria Benally, lends the vehicle to half the town, which doesnít help to narrow the list of suspects. Her 19-year-old son, Jackson, parked it in front of the market earlier that morning. Then, his friend Leonard Nez, (AKA Lizard), gave him a ride to the University of New Mexico in Gallop.Or, at least thatís what Mrs. Benally is saying. But then why did an on-campus search reveal that Jackson hadnít attended classes that morning? And where is Nez? While those two move to the top of the suspect list, Bernie believes the shooting was an act of revenge, a behavioral trait more characteristic of a ìBilagaanaî (Caucasian) than a Navajo.I have always loved the ìsense of placeî and respect for the Native American cultures that Hillerman infused into all of his novels. Through fiction, he educated the public about the indigenous cultures who have occupied the Four Corners for thousands of years. Ann continues that practice, her vivid descriptions of the landscape and weather is captivating. The heat, clinging dust and vastness of the Southwest become real as Bernie and Chee follow the clues from Window Rock to Santa Fe. Youíll feel as if you are riding beside them in their pickup on the washboard road leading to Chaco Canyon. Watch out for the elk!Then, Cheeís healing ìsingî for the shooting victim, who is barely clinging to life in a Santa Fe hospital, illustrates the important role ancient practices still play in Navajo society. Through Bernieís mother, a weaver now ravaged by age, we see a woman who still respects the fine weaving and pottery created by her ancestors. Her casual observations are key to solving this crime. Note, too, how a neighbor cares for the elderly woman and the importance of the extended family in the culture.However, this is no romanticized version of Navajo life. Bernieís sister, Darleen, is a high-school dropout who is quickly becoming an alcoholic. A lack of education, substance abuse and few employment prospects are common problems for many Native American teenagers. Darleen is hanging around with the wrong crowd, drinking and driving, and sponging off her mother.Hoping to put the mystery and family problems out of their minds for a few hours, Bernie and Chee take a spontaneous trip to Chaco Canyon. The visit only compounds the mystery when a tip they receive leads to the discovery of a body in a crevasse below Pueblo Alto. Now, there appears to be some skullduggery concerning a rare collection of Chaco cylindrical jars. Is this a red herring or the connection between both crimes?One big difference readers will notice between Tony and Ann Hillermanís writing shouldnít be too surprising. This mystery definitely has a feminine voice and perspective to it. No, there are no dramatic love scenes, but Bernie certainly received a promotion from a minor to a major character. And itís about time! But male readers need not worry, the essence of Leaphorn and Chee lives on in ìSpider Womanís Daughter.î
