The Way of the Bear
A Novel
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Winner of the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for Best Mystery
Fossil harvesting, ancient lore, greed, rejected love and murder combine in this gripping new installment of New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman’s Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series.
An unexpected death on a lonely road outside of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument raises questions for Navajo Tribal Police officers Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito. Why would a seasoned outdoorsman and well-known paleontologist freeze to death within walking distance of his car? A second death brings more turmoil. Who is the unidentified man killed during a home invasion where nothing much seems to have been taken? Why was he murdered?
The Bears Ears area, at the edge of the Navajo Nation, is celebrated for its abundance of early human habitation sites and the discovery of unique fossils which revolutionized the scientific view of how early animals dealt with their changing world. Chee and Manuelito appreciate the area’s scenery and wealth of human and scientific resources, but their visit to this achingly beautiful place is disrupted by a current of unprecedented violence that sweeps them both into danger. Illicit romance, a fossilized jawbone, hints of witchcraft, and a mysterious disappearance during a blizzard add to the peril.
It takes all of Manuelito’s and Chee’s experience, skill, and intuition to navigate the threats that arise and see justice served.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Hillerman's pleasing eighth Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito mystery (after 2022's The Sacred Bridge) takes Navaho police officer Bernadette "Bernie" Manuelito and her policeman husband, Lt. Jim Chee, to Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. Chee is there to meet with Chapman Dulles, a scientist who has decided to donate to the Navajo Nation's Fallen Officers Memorial Fund. Bernie has taken time off from work and joined Chee to contemplate her future after being passed over for a promotion to detective. While hiking on a cold winter's day, she comes across what looks at first glance to be an archaeological dig. Bernie begins to suspect that the excavation may really be connected with the robbing of grave sites or the illegal collection of fossils. Her suspicions seem to be confirmed when she's chased and shot at. Meanwhile, Chee shows up at Dulles's home to find an unidentified dead man sprawled on the driveway. Dulles is nowhere to be found. An intriguing plot matches the well-developed, reflective leads. As always, the real strength of this series lies in its authentic atmosphere, evocative descriptions of the landscape, and fascinating details of Navajo life. Hillerman consistently satisfies.
