The Way of the Bear: A Mystery Novel

Anne Hillerman

Apr 2023 · A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel Book 8 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

I enjoyed the read as always, the only criticism I would venture is it seemed to me that there were too many shootings and it was kind of predictable that the real bad guys, that were actually women, were overcome in gunfights quite handily even though they were touted as excellent marksmen, in other words they went down too easy. and also that many shootings in such a small time and space and the way they were so remorseless and unemotional put me off, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I enjoyed Bernie's journey.

About the author

ANNE HILLERMAN is the bestselling author of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series. Lost Birds is her ninth novel in the series, which was created by her father, Tony Hillerman. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, and is at work on her next novel.