My latest read mystery book - the 11th this year already! - was the last book by one of my favorite mystery writers, Tony Hillerman: The Shape Shifter.
It was typical Hillerman. A well-crafted story involving his Navajo protagonists Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Believable dialogue. Interesting characters. Native American histroy and spirituality skillfully mixed in.
It was a Leaphorn book primarily, with just a little of Chee and Chee's new wife Bernie. That's my only quibble - Chee is my favorite character in the Navajo series, but he only played a peripheral role here.
Ah well.
Quibble aside, good read. Not the best of the series, but still better than a lost of other mystery books I've read.
I'm sad this is the last of the series of 18 novel about the Leaphorn, and a few books in, Chee. I read a few of the earlier books years ago, and I read the last six this year. In those final books, Lieutenant Leaphorn retires but continues to work occasionally as a private investigator, Sergeant Chee breaks up with his old girlfriend, then courts and marries Officer Bernie Manuelito. I enjoyed their romance. I enjoyed Che's internal conflicts about love, remaining true to his Navajo roots, and his spiritual quest. At least by this point Chee is happy, and the future looks great for him.
I'll go back eventually to read some of the earlier books in the series that I haven't read yet.
As for this one, it was a fitting last book by a good writer.
There was even a bit of probably unintentional irony in the last lines of the book.
The now retired Joe Leaphorn finally was able to reimburse a Navajo woman for some goods stolen years before at the start of his career. He said, "'Well, I finally got the job done.' And she said, 'Well young man, it sure took you a long time to do it.'"
Hillerman got the job done. It only took him 36 years of these wonderful books to do it.
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