A grave robber and a corpse reunite Navajo Tribal Police Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee. As Leaphorn seeks the identity of a murder victim, Chee is arresting Smithsonian conservator Henry Highhawk for ransacking the sacred bones of his ancestors. As the layers of each case are peeled away, it becomes shockingly clear that they are connected, that there are mysterious others pursuing Highhawk, and that Leaphorn and Chee have entered into the dangerous arena of superstition, ancient ceremony, and living gods.
This book is not typical of Tony Hillerman's mysteries. For one thing, most of the action takes place in Washington, DC where both his Navajo cops are terribly out of place. For another, the plot runs along thriller lines. The denouement is spectacular, fun and set in the Smithsonian. Could there be a better or more baffling place to hide a body? Hillerman has created a memorable hitman and the "accidental" working out of justice is not to be missed.
