This latest mystery by Anne Hillerman has complex layers of plot and subplot. I loved the subplot involving Bernie Manuelito’s sister, Doreen, and the disappearance of one of Doreen’s home care clients, Mrs. Raymond. Both Doreen and Mrs. Raymond stood out among a strong cast of characters.
The circumstance around the journey that Mrs. Raymond embarks on are based on a real crime. The way that Mrs. Raymond chooses to support her grandson, who needs substance abuse treatment, is heroic and admirable. She’s both colorful and realistic. I love the unique secondary characters that Hillerman writes so well.
Darleen’s concern for her missing client takes her on the road to find her. Darleen, who’s had an off-and-on difficult life, has come into her own, and this trip does even more for her growth and maturation.
In the main plot, the mystery involving a misogynistic cult that believes they’re supposed to save the Earth, is remarkable. The cult doesn’t resemble any I’ve ever heard of, except for their dangerous sweat lodge. I remember reading about a man several years ago who did fake sweat lodge ceremonies that caused some deaths. Investigating the sweat lodge and a mysterious abandoned car brings Bernie out to the home and property of some of other wonderful minor characters, the Yazzies, who have rented their revival grounds to the cult. Jim Chee and Bernie are equally involved in looking into multiple incidents on the Yazzie property—all of which relate to a dead body Mrs. Raymond’s grandson found.
Every time I thought the book was coming to a conclusion, suddenly there was more, and then there was more. The pace is truly original, not stuck in cliched mystery tropes. I also admire the way that Hillerman blended in changes in Chee and Bernie’s personal and profession lives without falling into a bog of backstory. Well structured.
As always, I look forward to the next book in the series.
Amber Foxx Mysteries 