Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito, Book 05-07 - Ann Hillerman

Written by Ann Hillerman
Read by Christina Delaine, Darrell Dennis, DeLanna Studi, Peter MacDonald
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

The Tale Teller (Christina Delaine )

Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito, Book 05
Publisher: HarperAudio
Release date: April 9, 2019
Duration: 10:01:40

Legendary Navajo policeman Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn takes center stage in this riveting atmospheric mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman that combines crime, superstition, and tradition and brings the desert Southwest vividly alive.

Joe Leaphorn may have retired from the Tribal Police, but he finds himself knee-deep in a perplexing case involving a priceless artifact—a reminder of a dark time in Navajo history. Joe’s been hired to find a missing biil, a traditional dress that had been donated to the Navajo Nation. His investigation takes a sinister turn when the leading suspect dies under mysterious circumstances and Leaphorn himself receives anonymous warnings to beware—witchcraft is afoot.

While the veteran detective is busy working to untangle his strange case, his former colleague Jim Chee and Officer Bernie Manuelito are collecting evidence they hope will lead to a cunning criminal behind a rash of burglaries. Their case takes a complicated turn when Bernie finds a body near a popular running trail. The situation grows more complicated when the death is ruled a homicide, and the Tribal cops are thrust into a turf battle because the murder involves the FBI.

As Leaphorn, Chee, and Bernie draw closer to solving these crimes, their parallel investigations begin to merge . . . and offer an unexpected opportunity that opens a new chapter in Bernie’s life.

Library Journal “VERDICT Hillerman’s writing becomes stronger with every new installment in the series, deepening the development of each character. Fans will be intrigued by the intertwining stories that keep them guessing. The picturesque Southwest, as well as the history of the Navajo, come through on each page.”

“Narrator Christina Delaine expertly weaves the web of Anne Hillerman’s latest mystery, which continues Hillerman’s father’s popular detective series featuring Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito. Delaine is required to to pronounce Navajo words and to distinguish a variety of voices; she capably portrays male, female, young, and old and also skillfully depicts Leaphorn’s struggles to articulate thoughts as he recovers from a gunshot wound to the head. Leaphorn may have retired from the Tribal Police, but when he’s called on to investigate the disappearance of a priceless artifact, he crosses paths with that of Manuelito and Chee, who are working on a parallel rash of burglaries. Delaine is especially good at insightfully portraying this absorbing mystery’s female characters.”— AudioFile

Stargazer (Darrell Dennis )

Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito, Book 06
Publisher: HarperAudio
Release date: April 13, 2021
Duration: 09:19:59

Murder, deception, Navajo tradition, and the stars collide in this enthralling entry in New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman’s Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, set amid the beautiful landscape of the American Southwest.

What begins as a typical day for Officer Bernadette Manuelito—serving a bench warrant, dealing with a herd of cattle obstructing traffic, and stumbling across a crime scene—takes an unexpected twist when she’s called to help find an old friend. Years ago, Bernie and Maya were roommates, but time and Maya’s struggles with addiction drove them apart. Now Maya’s brother asks Bernie to find out what happened to his sister.
Tracing Maya’s whereabouts, Bernie learns that her old friend had confessed to the murder of her estranged husband, a prominent astronomer. But the details don’t align. Suspicious, Bernie takes a closer look at the case only to find that nothing is as it seems. Uncovering new information about the astronomer’s work leads Bernie to a remote spot on the Navajo Nation and a calculating killer.

The investigation causes an unexpected rift with her husband and new acting boss, Jim Chee, who’s sure Bernie’s headed for trouble. While she’s caught between present and past, Chee is at a crossroads of his own. Burdened with new responsibilities he didn’t ask for and doesn’t want, he must decide what the future holds for him and act accordingly.
Can their mentor Joe Leaphorn—a man also looking at the past for answers to the future—provide the guidance both Bernie and Chee need? And will the Navajo heroes that stud the starry sky help them find justice—and the truth they seek?

The Sacred Bridge
DeLanna Studi, Peter MacDonald - Narrator

Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito, Book 07
Publisher: HarperAudio
Release date: April 12, 2022
Duration: 09:18:49

An ancient mystery resurfaces with ramifications for the present day in this gripping chapter in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series from New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman.

Sergeant Jim Chee’s vacation to beautiful Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell has a deeper purpose. He’s on a quest to unravel a sacred mystery his mentor, the Legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, stumbled across decades earlier.

Chee’s journey takes a deadly turn when, after a prayerful visit to the sacred Rainbow Bridge, he spots a body floating in the lake. The dead man, a Navajo with a passion for the canyon’s ancient rock art, lived a life filled with many secrets. Discovering why he died and who was responsible involves Chee in an investigation that puts his own life at risk.

Back in Shiprock, Officer Bernadette Manuelito is driving home when she witnesses an expensive sedan purposely kill a hitchhiker. The search to find the killer leads her to uncover a dangerous chain of interconnected revelations involving a Navajo Nation cannabis enterprise.

But the evil that is unleashed jeopardizes her mother and sister Darleen, and puts Bernie in the deadliest situation of her law enforcement career.

“It’s never a surprise to fans of the Leaphorn/Chee/Manuelito series when any one of the characters stumbles across a dead body–but this installment involves two characters and two bodies. Nonetheless, listeners won’t be confused by the dual plotlines. At the outset, Navajo Tribal Police detective Jim Chee’s vacation is interrupted by his discovery of a corpse while hiking. At home, his wife, Officer Bernie Manuelito, witnesses a hit-and-run. As two investigations ensue, narrator DeLanna Studi’s distinct characterizations keep the storylines clearly differentiated, allowing listeners to also absorb the depictions of the story’s physical setting and culture. A glossary of Navajo words narrated by WWII code talker Peter MacDonald provides an excellent reference.”—AudioFile