The First Eagle

What can I say, I love Leaphorn & Chee! I read this over a very gray and rainy few days in the Pacific Northwest, so it was really nice to be transported mentally to the sunny Southwest (although Hillerman is also adept at capturing the drama of a desert thunderstorm). These mysteries are so reliable - good plot, main characters you really root for, and respectful cultural detail (Google tells me that the Navajo Nation gave Hillerman their “Special Friend of the Dineh” award in 1987 for the strength and dignity of Navajo culture he accurately captured; this novel also has elements of Hopi culture). My only quibble is that I could have done without the romance piece - it is aligned with their personalities for both Chee & Janet Pete to be reserved with each other, but their guarded distance is distractingly painful in this book and much less fun to read than the other elements of the plot. This was also an interesting time to read this particular novel, because the plot centers around the threat of pandemic disease. I wish it felt more speculative than it does in 2021.