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I once had a roommate who read all of the Tony Hillerman books, whenever she was unsure as to what to read next she could pick up another in his series. It is a gift to find a mystery series that you enjoy! Based on a number of online recommendations regarding where to start in Hillerman’s eighteen-book, Navajo mystery series, I took the online advice that Skinwalkers was a good place to start even though it’s not the first book in the series. But Hillerman is a wonderful guide, giving the reader just enough backstory, and so this was a fine place to begin.

Set in the Navajo lands of the Four Corners region, the novel opens with one of my favorite mystery conceits: a string of homicides that do not appear to be related,…or are they? The two Native detectives must contend with rumors of Navajo witchcraft and the discovery of a strange bone bead.

The series was first written in the 1970s, and there’s something rather enjoyable about being in the pre cell phone era. Rather than feeling overly dated, the story holds up well.

I enjoy a well-plotted procedural novel. This isn’t a revolutionary book, but the steady pacing, the interesting characters, and the beautiful depictions of the New Mexico landscape made it an enjoyable read.