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The Shape Shifter
By Tony Hillerman
Joe Leaphorn is having some trouble adjusting to retirement from the Navajo Tribal Police, although he is often asked to help solve a particularly difficult crime.
We are treated to different problems here; an unsolved case from Leaphorn's past. Joe never felt comfortable with the resolution of this case, so when it surfaces in a magazine article about a one-of-a-kind handmade Navajo rug hanging on the wall of a wealthy collector, Joe is interested. The rug was supposedly destroyed years ago in a fire. The article is brought to his attention by a former colleague who thought it could be the same rug -- Mel Bork.
When Mrs. Bork calls Joe and tells him Mel has been missing for two days, the hunt is on, as far as Joe is concerned.
This book reminds the reader that Hillerman writes about the Navajo - their history, their beliefs and what happened when the white men came. These facts are interwoven with an interesting mystery, and some charismatic characters, including Tommy Vang. Vang surfaces as a Humong native that Mr. Delos brought back from Vietnam as his servant. Mr. Delos is now the owner of the mysterious rug and his past is a bit murky.
As the plot unfolds we are reminded how captivating Tony Hillerman's novels can be, with the convergence of Navajo lore, the atmosphere of the Southwest, and a down to earth mystery with a few quirky surprises along the way. This book was like a bit of fresh air to me - and it was entertaining. The Shape Shifter just appeared in book stores in 2006.
Published by: HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
Copyright : © 2006 by Tony Hillerman
Reviewed by: Joan G. Smith, 01/20/07
Copyright : © 2007 by Joan G. Smith
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