I
enjoyed Anne Hillerman's new book, Spider Woman's Daughter,
set in her late father's Navajo Detective series. I confess, once I
realized she was a writer who had published a book about her father's
journies in Navajoland (Tony Hillerman's Landscape),
I was hoping she might pick up the reins and write a book in his
series. When Spider Woman's Daughter
was released, I snatched it up and dove into it. I quickly
discovered that Anne Hillerman has her father's knack for building
suspense and character. Even more important, she knows how to allow
the reader to work on the mystery along with the main characters. I
loved being able to learn more about the characters of Officer
Bernadette Manuelito and her mother, as well.
Not
to sound like a Philistine, but I did not discover Tony Hillerman's
detective series until two years ago, after I began to work at the
Heard Museum's book store. My mother was devoted to the series for
many years, waiting for each new book with bated breath, so I knew
they wouldn't disappoint me once I picked them up. And yet I still
didn't read them – not until I read Talking Mysteries
byTony
Hillerman and Ernie Bulow (Ernie Bulow also wrote Navajo
Taboos). This slim volume
contains an introduction by Ernie Bulow, a quick autobiography by
Tony Hillerman, an interview in which Bulow and Hillerman discuss
writing and writing methods, and a masterpiece of a short story by
Hillerman. Be sure and turn all the way to the end of the book,
where you'll find gorgeous illustrations by Ernest Franklin depicting
Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee on the trail of a mystery. Once I had seen
those illustrations, I knew I had to start reading about the
characters.
I
have now read all but the last two books in Tony Hillerman's series,
and I've been very spoiled by being able to pick them up without
having to wait for them to be written. Alas, I'll be forced to wait
with everyone else for Anne's new books in the series.
So
– how much did I enjoy her book? So much, I'm looking forward to
reading the next one. Considering the big shoes Anne had to step
into, this is high praise. But one word of warning: things get hairy
really quick. You'll be on the hook until the very end!
I decided not to try to use any of the cover graphics for these books from google - they would only be taken down, because they're proprietary. The photo at the top of this post was taken in Petrified Forest/Painted Desert national park, which is also Navajo Country.
