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    Cave of Bones: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel
    Cave of Bones: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel
    Cave of Bones: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel
    Audiobook10 hours

    Cave of Bones: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel

    Written by Anne Hillerman

    Narrated by Christina Delaine

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Don’t miss the TV series, Dark Winds, based on the Leaphorn, Chee, & Manuelito novels, now on AMC and AMC+!  

    A New York Times Bestseller

    Anne Hillerman brings together modern mystery, Navajo traditions, and the evocative landscape of the desert Southwest in this intriguing entry in the Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito series.

    When Tribal Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito arrives to speak at an outdoor character-building program for at-risk teens, she discovers chaos. Annie, a young participant on a solo experience due back hours before, has just returned and is traumatized. Gently questioning the girl, Bernie learns that Annie stumbled upon a human skeleton on her trek. While everyone is relieved that Annie is back, they’re concerned about a beloved instructor who went out into the wilds of the rugged lava wilderness bordering Ramah Navajo Reservation to find the missing girl. The instructor vanished somewhere in the volcanic landscape known as El Malpais. In Navajo lore, the lava caves and tubes are believed to be the solidified blood of a terrible monster killed by superhuman twin warriors.

    Solving the twin mysteries will expose Bernie to the chilling face of human evil. The instructor’s disappearance mirrors a long-ago search that may be connected to a case in which the legendary Joe Leaphorn played a crucial role. But before Bernie can find the truth, an unexpected blizzard, a suspicious accidental drowning, and the arrival of a new FBI agent complicate the investigation.

    While Bernie searches for answers in her case, her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee juggles trouble closer to home. A vengeful man he sent to prison for domestic violence is back—and involved with Bernie’s sister Darleen. Their relationship creates a dilemma that puts Chee in uncomfortable emotional territory that challenges him as family man, a police officer, and as a one-time medicine man in training.

    Anne Hillerman takes us deep into the heart of the deserts, mountains, and forests of New Mexico and once again explores the lore and rituals of Navajo culture in this gripping entry in her atmospheric crime series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 3, 2018
    ISBN9780062799203
    Author

    Anne Hillerman

    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.

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    Reviews for Cave of Bones

    4/5

    202 ratings25 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Anne Hillerman has done a good job continuing the legacy of her father in writing about the Navajo Tribal Police and the stark environs of the southwest. While not quite as adept at using the setting as character, she does excellent work developing characters and fashioning them into a solid story. Cave of Bones, the latest Chee/Leaphorn/Manualito mystery is a fine example of that.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed listening to this audio. Great work. Enjoy
    • 5/5
      Great book in the true style of the Hillerman family tradition. They just keep getting better and better. Take a trip to New Mexico the easy way and read Cave of Bones.
    • 5/5
      Keller man was at her best - suspense, development/empathy of/for characters! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
    • 5/5
      This book was interesting , it's something different . I found it was interesting to read about another culture and I think I would consider the Navajo and all other tribes as another culture ,very interesting to me.
    • 4/5
      I continue to really enjoy this series, and I think that Anne Hillerman is really coming into her own as a writer. Still wielding the consistent legacy of her father's commitment to the people and region she's writing about, but Bernie just continues to develop and flower as a character. Very interested to see what paths both she and Chee elect to pursue in the future.
    • 3/5
      An extremely slow-paced novel. I think that the unhurried nature is by design as a means to reflect the cultures represented in these books, but for me it made the story tedious, nothing really piqued my interest.The other thing is, if Manuelito drive enough miles, mostly back and forth to and from nowhere in particular, and enough seemingly random events happen, then all the pieces of the puzzle finally fall into place where a clear picture of the crime(s) is in front of Manuelito / Chee / Leaphorn's face. There is no real methodology to solving the mystery except for dragging things out until they become clear. In other words, let's leave it ALL to luck and happenstance and... case solved! The end.I like the landscape descriptions in these books, and the books in general are entertaining enough, I suppose, but I always feel let down at the end. Sometimes I thought this one might jump up to 3-1/2 stars and the other times drop to 2 or 2-1/2, but I'll leave it at 3 stars if you like these sorts of books set in the Southwest US.
    • 4/5
      When Bernie Manuelito is coerced into giving a talk to a group of wayward teenagers completing an outdoor encounter group, she finds more than she expected.One of the girls has gone missing – and the male councilor sent to look for her has also disappeared into the wilderness of the El Malpais Lava Tubes – an area that the Navajo believe was formed from the clotted blood of a monster. The missing girl returns quickly and seemed to have taken shelter in an ancient burial site – complete with skeleton and beautiful pictographs. But her searcher is still missing.Clearly something is going on the among the staff of the outdoor encounter group as they struggle to secure financing for the camp which seems to be as troubled as the kids they are trying to help.In the meantime, Bernie’s husband, Jim Chee also in the Navajo police, has been sent to do some training in Santa Fe; he’s asked to check into a missing man who may be merely in hiding from his mother and wife’s intense conflict. Jim also agrees to keep an eye on Bernie’s troubled sister Darleen, who seems to be involved with several shady characters while trying out a new art school program in her first venture living away from home.There is a small appearance by Joe Leaphorn who does some necessary background sleuthing.All in all it’s a satisfying read, even though I had worked out much of the mystery. Although I still prefer her father’s depth and subtlety , Anne Hillerman’s books also focus on the Navajo culture and the beauty of the area. I enjoy them enough to continue the series.I am left with the idea that I would love to see the lava tubes and caves in El Malpais National Park.
    • 3/5
      Landscapes and settings beautifully rendered - plot convoluted and repetitive - characters not of the depth we are traditionally drawn to in Hillerman novels.A map would again be welcome - not sure why one appears in some books, then not in others as locales change."Unit" overworked. Culver was an unnecessary and distracting subplot.
    • 4/5
      A nice visit with Bernie, Chee, and Leaphorn. A search for a lost hiker leads to a pot and drug smuggling ring. Everything ties together on the Rez.
    • 4/5
      So glad that Anne Hillerman is continuing the Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito series. I'm a great fan of her father's books. Looking forward to more good reading down the line.
    • 1/5
      Tribal Officer, Bernie Manuelito (Jim Chee's wife) is assigned to give a talk to a group of "troubled" teenage girls, who are out on a retreat doing a solo over-night stay in the Malpais Lava Flow: While Chee, is taking classes on advanced police work and having to deal with Bernie's spoiled, p.i.t.a. sister.One of the counselors goes missing after locating one of the more problematic girls who left her campsite.There is more to the story, but I really can't tell you because I found it dis-jointed with too many different sub-plots and I read through it quickly just to be done with it. I never warmed up to the story and I didn't like the majority of the characters, they were just shallow ugly people.Also disappointing is the gratuitous mentions of Joe Leaphorn... It seems he's only written because he is expected to be a part of the story and the author really doesn't know how to fit him in. As I stated I found this dis-jointed, confusing, rambling, & not really well written...
    • 4/5
      if you're reading this, it's probably not your first Hillerman book. Bernie is tasked to give a talk to kids in El Malpais, near Grants, NM, but is distracted by a lost person. Jim Chee goes to school in Santa Fe, right near my house. Leaphorn provides consulting services. Most of the story is about Bernie, but it all comes together in the end. Oh, and there's a new chracter in the series, an FBI chick who wire brushes Bernie. There are some nice clues about Navajo culture. Fun read!
    • 4/5
      Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman is a perplexing mystery with several cases to solve. This 22nd installment in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series can easily be read as a standalone.

      Tribal police officer Bernadette "Bernie" Manuelito is only supposed to be giving a talk to the participants of the Wings and Roots program. However, she quickly becomes embroiled in a case in which teenager Annie Rainsong goes missing and staff member Domingo "Dom" Cruz who is searching for her, has also disappeared. Annie eventually returns unharmed but Dom is nowhere to be found.  Since Annie is prone to exaggerating, no one but Bernie believes her claims that she found bones in the cave she took refuge in overnight.  Bernie is soon swept up in several seeming disparate investigations involving the Wings and Roots program, Dom's search and rescue and possible grave robbing of Native American artifacts.

      Bernie's husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, is in Santa Fe for training and he grows concerned for his sister-in-law Darleen who is attending  a class at the Institute of American Indian Arts. He is worried that she might be in trouble with her boyfriend Clayton "CS" Secody whose furtive actions make Jim suspicious. Equally dismaying is the discovery that CS is involved with Clyde Herbert, a felon that Jim put behind bars.  Jim is afraid Darleen is in over her head since she is unwilling to discuss what is going on with her, CS and Herbert.

      Both Bernie and Jim turn to Lt. Joe Leaphorn for background on some of the principals they encounter on their respective investigations. Although Joe still has a few memory issues from being shot, he remains sharp as a tack.  He augments his  recollections with some research that turns up some very unexpected revelations.

      Cave of Bones is a mesmerizing police procedural that takes a few startling twists and turns. The cases are quite interesting and in addition to a wily group of suspects, Bernie must also battle the elements in her quest for answers.  Anne Hillerman's descriptive prose brings the New Mexico landscape and Native American culture vividly to life.   The novel comes to a satisfying conclusion that neatly wraps all of the story arcs. This latest addition to the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series is sure to be hit with fans of the genre.
    • 4/5
      Another great Hillerman novel! Anne continues to develop the characters to a level that surpasses her dad, but I do miss his sense of place and history. His infusion of Navajo culture and description of the land and customs has never been matched.
    • 4/5
      I was introduced to Tony Hillerman's books about the Navajo Police Force at least 30 years ago by a friendly librarian. When Tony died I thought that would be the end of the series but his daughter took up the mantle and has now produced 4 more books. She also introduced a female police officer into the mix, Bernie Manuelito who is married to Jim Chee. Bernie was centre stage in this book and it was great to see her cope with problems on her own.Bernie was asked to speak to a group of girls taking a Navajo heritage and character building course out in a remote area of New Mexico once covered by lava from a volcano called El Malpais. Each girl had to spend one night alone without any technology to get in the way of experiencing nature and her own thoughts. Annie got spooked and ran in the middle of the night. She ended up sheltering in a cave that had been used in the distant past as a burial site. In the morning one of the camp counsellors went to find her. Annie eventually runs back to the camp but the counsellor never shows up. He was an expert in tracking the area so it is doubtful he simply got lost. Annie denies she ever saw him but she is clearly traumatized by her experience. Bernie calls in the officer who will set up a search for him and then she leaves to conduct other business. Meanwhile Jim Chee is on a course in Santa Fe where Bernie's sister, Doreen, is also taking an art course. Jim wants to check on Doreen because she is involved with a man Jim sent to jail in years past. Although Annie is not involved in the search for the missing man she keeps getting drawn into the matter because there are allegations that he may have misused band funds and walked away to avoid arrest. Bernie's investigation is not helped by a blizzard that sweeps into the area and closes everything down for a night. Everything gets resolved of course but not the way I expected.I wasn't overly impressed by the narrator of this audiobook, Christina Delaine. She didn't seem to get the men's voices significantly different from the female voices.
    • 3/5
      Mystery is not my genre, but this looked interesting. I hadn't read any of the series, but I did enjoy the Navajo culture woven into the plot. Otherwise I spent a lot of time trying to keep track of characters who only had tangential relation to the plot.
    • 5/5
      Cave of Bones is a well written story. The tone of the book stayed from the beginning to the end. All of the characters were believable, as well as the story itself. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Anne Hillerman is continuing the series begun by her father, Tony Hillerman, which centers on detectives in the Shiprock/Four Corners area of New Mexico. Officer Bernadette (Bernie) Manuelito is asked to fill in for another officer giving a talk to a group of troubled Navajo girls participating in the “Wings and Roots” camping program. When Bernie arrives, her talk is cancelled because one of the girls, Annie Rainsong, is missing, as is Domingo (Dom) Cruz, the experienced instructor who went out to find her. Other plot strands include what is happening with Bernie’s husband, Jim Chee, also an officer, who is off at a training course in Santa Fe, and with Bernie’s sister Darleen, who is at an art school in Santa Fe.There isn’t much of a mystery, with the officers being rather oblivious to the clues any reader would pick up, and the writing is somewhat ho-hum. But the descriptions of Navajo customs and of the El Malpais Conservation area are quite well done. This is an area of ancient eruptions, resulting in “a landscape of craters, cones, lava falls, and ice caves." I have been to this section of New Mexico, and it is indeed amazing and awe-inspiring. I enjoyed “revisiting” it through this story. The author also exposes a bit of the complications in policing the area because of the sometimes unclear and overlapping jurisdictions of state, federal, and tribal areas, but these difficulties don’t play much of a role in the story.Evaluation: This book has more to offer in terms of setting than for its mystery aspects, but if you approach it as a guide to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, you will be well-rewarded. As a bonus, the author does not neglect to pay tribute to the ubiquitous green chiles in New Mexico cuisine.
    • 4/5
      I enjoy the characters and the settings. The stories are interesting and good characterization. Bernie is on a case where a counselor and teen disappear during a camping retreat for at-risk teens.
    • 5/5
      A lot of clever interpersonal drama. It added to the richness of the story having it take place in winter and in the end a snow storm became a plot element. I don't recall that Tony Hillerman ever branched out to botany in any of the books he wrote so adding that in this story is a new dimension. Interesting that Anne Hillerman would name the young woman who plays a central role in the story after herself.
    • 4/5
      Anne Hillerman has found the magic with this, her fourth, Leaphorn/Chee/Manuelito novel. Good storyline, interesting characters, not too much domestic backstory. Pleasure to read.
    • 4/5
      Good characters, some stereotypes i.e. nasty council member, excellent sense of all things Najaho and the high desert locale. The story evolved slowly; much like a woven carpet, the pace suited the environment.
    • 4/5
      A charming mystery involving illegal antiquities, natural psychedelics, greed, and finally, justice. Bernie, Chee, and Leaphorn are, as always engaging characters.
    • 5/5
      A new addition to the ‘Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito’ series written by Anne Hillerman, CAVE OF BONES, does not disappoint. It is an interesting story written in the tradition of the early books by Tony Hillerman (Anne’s father).The story centers on ‘what did or didn’t happen’ when Annie Rainsong became separated from the main group of campers in the Wings and Roots wilderness program for teens sponsored by the Ramah Tribal Council.The main location is the Ramah Navajo District, specifically El Malpais National Conservation Area - an area of ancient lava flows; a “landscape of craters, cones, lava falls and ice caves.”The scenery, the sense of place, the Navajo culture, the geography, the map - are all major characters in this series and why I love the series so much.Many familiar characters are involved - Officer Bernadette Manuelito, Sgt. Jim Chee (on a training course in Santa Fe), retired Navajo policeman Joe Leaphorn and Captain Largo.Detailed characters and interwoven plots, story tension and very interesting locations make (for me) a perfect read. *****