âAnne Hillerman deserves recognition as one of the finest mystery authors currently working in the genre.ââNew York Journal of Books
In this gripping chapter in New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillermanâs Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, the detectives must sort out a save-the-planet meditation group connected to a mysterious death and a nefarious scheme targeting vulnerable indigenous people living with addiction.
The Navajo Nation police are on high alert when a U.S. Cabinet Secretary schedules an unprecedented trip to the little Navajo town of Shiprock, New Mexico. The visit coincides with a plan to resume uranium mining along the Navajo Nation border. Tensions around the officialâs arrival escalate when the body of a stranger is found in an area restricted for the disposal of radioactive uranium waste. Is it coincidence that a cult with a propensity for violence arrives at a private camp group outside Shiprock the same week to celebrate the summer solstice? When the outsidersâ erratic behavior makes their Navajo hosts uneasy, Officer Bernadette Manuelito is assigned to monitor the situation. She finds a young boy at grave risk, abused women, and other shocking discoveries that plunge her and Lt. Jim Chee into a volatile and deadly situation.
Meanwhile, Darleen Manuelito, Bernieâs high spirited younger sister, learns one of her home health clients is goneâand the womanâs daughter doesnât seem to care. Darleenâs curiosity and sense of duty combine to lead her to discover that the clientâs grandson is also missing and that the two have become ensnared in a wickedly complex scheme exploiting indigenous people. Darleenâs information meshes with a case Chee has begun to solve that deals with the evil underside of human nature.