Anne Hillerman, a renowned American journalist, and New York Times bestseller, has penned 10 novels, with 9 featuring the Navajo detectives Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee, and his wife, Officer Bernadette Manuelito. These include The Tale Teller (2019), Song of the Lion (2017), and Spider Woman’s Daughter (2013).
For a deeper dive into the characters and unfolding mysteries, reading these books in order of publication is highly recommended. This approach ensures that you experience the stories as Anne Hillerman intended.
Get ready for a captivating journey—it’s time to unravel the intricate plots alongside Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito!
A Tribute To Her Father’s Works
1. Tony Hillerman’s Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn (2009)
Tony Hillerman’s beloved landscapes of New Mexico and Arizona come alive in this 2009 tribute by his daughter, Anne Hillerman, and her photographer husband, Don Strel. Through photographs and descriptions, they invite readers on a journey through these settings that were so crucial to her father’s writing.
Her father, Tony Hillerman, passed away on October 26, 2008, at the age of 83, from pulmonary failure.
The Leaphorn, Chee, And Manuelito Series
1. Spider Woman’s Daughter (2014)
Anne Hillerman picks up her father’s legacy in this gripping Navajo mystery. It takes you back to Navajo Country, where Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito witnesses a shooting. With the victim clinging to life, Manuelito, her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, and the local FBI race to find the shooter, even as Manuelito herself becomes a key witness.
Their investigation takes a surprising turn when it collides with a cold case involving Chee’s former mentor, retired Inspector Joe Leaphorn.
2. Rock with Wings (2015)
In the story, Sergeant Jim Chee and Officer Bernadette Manuelito, his wife, are taking a break from their demanding police work. However, their peace is disrupted by two cases—one close to Shiprock and another in Monument Valley.
While probing separate incidents, they stumble upon alarming revelations. Will they be able to solve the cases? They have retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn as a mentor.
3. Song of the Lion (2017)
A car bomb kills a young man in the Shiprock High School parking lot. Chee, Manuelito, and their mentor, retired Lieutenant Leaphorn, must find the person behind it. As the investigation goes deeper, they come across something bigger than just a car bomb: someone wants to cause tension between the Hopi and Dine tribes.
4. Cave of Bones (2018)
Manuelito juggles two connected mysteries: an instructor missing in the Ramah Navajo Reservation’s rugged lava wilderness while searching for a lost girl, and a young girl who stumbled upon a human skeleton. Meanwhile, Chee faces a family dilemma. His wife’s sister, Darleen, is involved with a man recently released from prison for domestic violence.
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5. The Tale Teller (2019)
Retired Lieutenant Leaphorn finds himself in hot water. Hired to recover a missing Navajo treasure, a priceless biil (traditional dress), he uncovers a web of threats and a suspicious death. The prime suspect turns up dead under mysterious circumstances, leaving Leaphorn in the crosshairs.
Meanwhile, Chee and Manuelito are on a separate case, gathering evidence for a string of burglaries. Their investigation takes a deadly turn when they discover a homicide victim. This throws them into a turf war with the FBI, escalating the stakes.
As their seemingly unconnected cases progress, a surprising twist emerges: Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito’s paths will converge, leading them towards a shocking revelation.
6. Stargazer (2021)
Manuelito is forced to confront a painful past when her estranged roommate, Maya, resurfaces in desperate need. Maya, battling addiction, confesses to killing her astronomer husband. But something about the story doesn’t sit right with Manuelito.
The details don’t align, and the investigation is deemed dangerous by Chee, Manuelito’s husband and newly promoted acting boss. As Manuelito delves deeper, the case threatens to drive a wedge even deeper between her and her husband.
7. The Sacred Bridge (2022)
Sergeant Jim Chee investigates a body found in Lake Powell, while his wife, Officer Bernadette Manuelito, probes a hit-and-run linked to a Navajo Nation cannabis enterprise. Their cases intertwine, uncovering secrets and leading to life-threatening situations. Chee explores ancient mysteries, and Manuelito’s inquiry endangers her family, culminating in a suspenseful climax.
8. The Way of the Bear (2023)
Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito are drawn into a series of deaths around Bears Ears National Monument. They encounter a paleontologist who has mysteriously perished beside his vehicle, and a man slain in his home without any apparent theft. Their investigation reveals a complex tangle of motives involving illicit fossil trade, revenge, and deep-rooted Navajo traditions. Amidst the stark yet awe-inspiring terrain, the officers must leverage their seasoned skills and instincts to solve the mysteries and apprehend the culprits
9. Lost Birds (2024)
Lost Birds brings back retired detective Joe Leaphorn. He’s tasked with finding the birth parents of a woman raised outside her Navajo heritage, using only a photo with a distinctive blanket as a clue. Leaphorn uncovers a web of family secrets, leading to a dangerous hidden truth. Meanwhile, an explosion throws his investigation into disarray. Officer Bernadette Manuelito is also on the case, juggling a missing person and a brutal attack on a prized sheep flock.
