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

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Legendary Navajo policeman Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn takes center stage in this riveting atmospheric mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman that combines crime, superstition, and tradition and brings the desert Southwest vividly alive.

Joe Leaphorn may have retired from the Tribal Police, but he finds himself knee-deep in a perplexing case involving a priceless artifact—a reminder of a dark time in Navajo history. Joe’s been hired to find a missing biil, a traditional dress that had been donated to the Navajo Nation. His investigation takes a sinister turn when the leading suspect dies under mysterious circumstances and Leaphorn himself receives anonymous warnings to beware—witchcraft is afoot.

While the veteran detective is busy working to untangle his strange case, his former colleague Jim Chee and Officer Bernie Manuelito are collecting evidence they hope will lead to a cunning criminal behind a rash of burglaries. Their case takes a complicated turn when Bernie finds a body near a popular running trail. The situation grows more complicated when the death is ruled a homicide, and the Tribal cops are thrust into a turf battle because the murder involves the FBI.

As Leaphorn, Chee, and Bernie draw closer to solving these crimes, their parallel investigations begin to merge . . . and offer an unexpected opportunity that opens a new chapter in Bernie’s life.

Legendary Navajo police lieutenant Joe Leaphorn takes center stage in this riveting, atmospheric mystery that combines crime, superstition, and tradition and brings the desert southwest vividly to life

Joe Leaphorn may have retired from the tribal police, but he finds himself knee-deep in a perplexing case involving a priceless artifact—a reminder of a dark time in Navajo history. Joe’s been hired to find a missing biil, a traditional weaving that had been donated to the Navajo Nation. His investigation takes a sinister turn when the lead suspect dies under mysterious circumstances and Leaphorn himself receives an anonymous warning. Meanwhile, Officer Bernie Manuelito discovers a body near a popular running trail.

The situation grows more complicated when the trail-side death is ruled a homicide, thrusting the tribal cops into a turf battle with the FBI. And Sergeant Jim Chee finds himself working a burglary case in another part of the Navajo Nation that morphs into something much more sinister. As Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito draw closer to solving each of these crimes, their merging investigations create an unexpected opportunity that may open a new chapter in Bernie’s life.

“The Tale Teller is more than just a police procedural set in the Southwest, it’s a reading experience not to be missed. Anne Hillerman has reached a new level of storytelling in this one, and she deserves recognition as one of the finest mystery authors currently working in the genre.”