First of all, this is not a Leaphorn and Chee Novel. It is a Manuelito Novel—Bernadette Manuelito being the wife of Jim Chee. Leaphorn is quickly put into a coma and Chee is presented as kind of a tiresome, bungling husband, while Manuelito solves the crime. I had not read Thief of Time, so the mystery lacked coherence. I read Tony Hilerman's second novel, Dance Hall of the Dead, and picked up Spider Woman's Daughter to see how Anne did taking over for her father. Not so well, as far as I can tell. While there is the obligatory Southwest scenery and Native American culture, the emasculation of the main characters and a weak mystery, leave much to be desired, making this book a dead end for the series. ( )

Anne Hillerman is not her father, that's for sure. I kept going, because I did get interested in the mystery, but it was a slog. ( )

(2013) Tony Hillerman's daughter steps in and continues this Chee/Leaphorn universe very ably. Adds Chee's wife Bernie Manuelito as the main character, who witnesses the gunning down of Leaphorn in a parking lot and the killer getting away. She devotes her time to finding out who did this and whey. Even though suspects are many, it turns out to be an artifact appraiser whose husband was killed by Joe, who wants revenge and to cover her activities of stealing Navaho art.KIRKUS REVIEWA daughter takes on her famous father's legacy in resuming a series focused on Navajo culture.Bernadette Manuelito is at the helm of a mystery that involves all of Shiprock's Navajo Tribal Police force when one of her longtime colleagues is gunned down after a breakfast with co-workers. Bernie is on hand when a hooded figure shoots her colleague, Lt. Joe Leaphorn, and she'll do anything it takes to find his assailant while his life hangs in the balance. Unfortunately, as witness to the crime, Bernie is forced to take a back seat in the case. Luckily, her husband, Sgt Jim Chee, is leading the inquiry, so she's still a party to insider information. In the time she has open from investigating, Bernie connects with the American Indian Resource Center, trying to finish a job Joe had contracted to help with. The AIRC houses an unbelievable collection of Indian art and artifacts, and Bernie soon finds herself drawn not only to the beauty of what she sees, but also to the connections of the staff to Jim's and Joe's pasts. At the same time, she's forced to shift some attention to her little sister Darleen's care of their mother when it becomes apparent that Darleen's drinking is affecting her caretaking abilities.With big shoes to fill, Hillerman does her best to copy the style of her father Tony's beloved series (The Shape Shifter, 2006, etc.), maintaining the integrity of Navajo culture throughout. Fans will spot the guilty party a mile off.Pub Date: Oct. 1st, 2013ISBN: 978-0-06-227048-1Page count: 320ppPublisher: Harper/HarperCollinsReview Posted Online: June 17th, 2013Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1st, 2013

Navaho police couple search for shooter of retired Navaho Lt. ( )

3.5 stars from me. ( )