Those looking to latch onto a great mystery series who have yet to discover Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are in for a real treat if they pick up this one. Tony Hillerman created an entire genre with these novels, and though they've been copied, no one has ever been able to blend Native American beliefs and traditions, with modern-day mystery nearly as well. Some entries focus on Chee, others with just Leaphorn. This series is at its best, however, when the older Leaphorn and the younger Chee interact, and that’s what you get here.

COYOTE WAITS —

This one is not as exciting as the spectacular Skinwalkers, nor is it as deftly plotted as the enthralling Thief of Time. It is nonetheless a good read. When Chee feels responsible for the death of fellow officer Delbert Nez, Leaphorn and Chee take different paths investigating the case — one which on the surface, appears to be open-and-shut. This engrossing story of ancient Navajo tradition, and modern-day government agencies is a satisfying addition to the series.


SKINWALKERS —

Skinwalkers is one of Hillerman's finest pairings of the younger Jim Chee, with Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn. This one begins when a shotgun blast into Jim Chee's trailer has both men trying to figure out how the attempt on Chee's life ties together with two murders in the sprawling Indian territory over which they have jurisdiction.

The seasoned Leaphorn begins to have respect for young Chee as they work on different ends to solve this mystery. Leaphorn has his own personal problems to deal with as well in this entry; his beloved wife may have the onset of Alzheimer's disease. It is a distraction he can't afford once the danger begins escalating.

Sprinkled throughout this complex and entertaining mystery novel are insights into the Navajo people, from the way they speak, to their customs and broad family ties. But the thread that may tie everything together is something the older Leaphorn despises, and the younger Chee embraces. That aspect of the investigation is the complex mythology of Navajo witchcraft. You see, the killings may involve something very ancient in the Navajo culture, called a Skinwalker.

This is simply a great read, full of description of the Four Corners landscape, which is interwoven with the traditions of the Navajo. The story itself begins at a languid pace, but gradually takes on urgency as the body count starts to rise. The good police work of Leaphorn and Chee may not be enough to save either of them this time out.

Chee's growing recognition among his people as a Hataalli (Medicine Man) who can perform the Blessing Way will play an integral part in this excellent entry in the Leaphorn/Chee canon. Skinwalkers is like an orange soda on a hot day in the New Mexico desert. It's refreshing, and really hits the spot.


THIEF OF TIME —

Leaphorn and Chee are fleshed out more than usual in this well-plotted entry in the series. Both Chee and Leaphorn are dealing with personal issues as this mystery begins. Chee hasn't quite figured out how he feels about Mary leaving him because he would not leave his Navajo way of life behind and move to the city with her. He is smitten with a pretty Navajo attorney named Janet in this one, but she's with someone else.

Leaphorn meanwhile, is on terminal leave because of Emma’s tragic passing. Neither he nor Chee can explain his obsession with finding a missing pot hunter named Eleanor Friedman-Bernal, especially since he plans to retire. What is clear as a bell, however, is that a Navajo would not be involved in the thefts. The reason is that it would mark the Navajo as a "Thief of Time" according to Navajo tradition.

Chee's letting a rather large backhoe get stolen right under his nose will have ties to Leaphorn's investigation. Once more this leads to the young policeman with an appreciation for the old ways of the Navajo, teaming up with Leaphorn. This case will take them far across the Navajo territory, stretching all the way into Utah, and then down the San Juan River. Leaphorn's recollection of another death ties in with Eleanor's disappearance, who was collecting pots made by the mysterious Anasazi. But was something she discovered worth killing for?

Leaphorn and Chee will be hundreds of miles apart when they reach the same conclusion in this quite complex and multi-layered mystery. One will have to race to the other as things turn ugly, and two very different men will find common ground when Leaphorn asks the unexpected of young Chee.

Thief of Time is a real gem in this fine series. Hillerman's description of the thousand foot cliffs along the San Juan River at night, and a starry sky filled with Navajo mystery create an unforgettable portrait of the America's Southwest. Visiting Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee in these pages might be the next best thing to sleeping under the stars in Navajo country, wondering if there is magic in the sky above. Highly recommended. ( )

I believe these were originally three separate novels. This version was in the bargain shelf at B&N, and I assumed it'd been repackaged as a kind of collector's set.

These totally unique novels are about a pair of Navajo Tribal Policemen on a rez in New Mexico. A stereotypical pairing, the gruff veteran nearing retirement and the eager young guy is refreshed by their unique environment. Jim Chee (the younger man)is struggling to balance his promising future as a cop with his calling as a tribal healer.

They're uniquely American books-these stories could not take place anywhere else on the planet but the American southwest. You can't get more American than this setting, it is quite literally about cowboys and Indians. And yet it's all about a world few Americans actually know much about or even see.

Hillerman's illustration of the fantasy Native American versus the reality is fascinating. They're just people, who have a different culture. Every time I pick up one of these novesl I learn something new about them. He also keeps abreast of all the political situations and territorial changes, not only out of a desire to be accurate but to communicate just what we're *still doing* to these people. ( )