Reviews

3.5 I read all of Tony Hillerman’s books and loved them for what I learned about the Navajo Nation and traditions.
I have enjoyed Anne Hillerman’s books that have continued the series after her father’s death. But this one didn’t seem to deliver the way others have. And the resolution didn’t seem to be specific to the Navajo tradition.

liberrydude's review

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3.0

Duty separates Chee and Bernie as they pursue suspects at the far corners of the Navajo Nation. Chee has few days off and is checking on a cave of significant spiritual interest in the vicinity of Lake Powell and Page, Arizona. He’s contemplating his future in law enforcement too when he finds a body floating in the lake. He ends up helping the NPS ranger with the case and doing most of the heavy lifting in a very predictable outcome.

Bernie back in the Shiprock area witnesses a violent hit and run murder of a pedestrian. She ends up going undercover on a hemp farm on the Nation where the pedestrian worked. She’s still waiting for her interview to become a detective too. She gets more than she bargained for in a fast paced and quickly resolved case.

It will be interesting to see where both officers go in their next adventure. Chee wants more spiritual pursuits but still relishes police work. Bernie is ready to be a detective. Both want to start a family.

skyelerbear's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

amberdebo's review

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4.0

These books make me miss living on the Dinetah. Even if you don't like mysteries, these books are worth a read just for the way the author makes you fall in love with Arizona and New Mexico. Her imagery is fantastic, and you can tell she really consults professionals about tribal and cultural specifics. A tricky thing to do these days, being a person of European descent writing about a cultural different than yours, but I think she does it well. The books are beloved on the Navajo Nation (at least amongst my friends there; I can't pretend to know every single Navajo and their opinions), so I think the author is doing everything right in that regard.

author_d_r_oestreicher's review

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4.0

The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman is the seventh in the series featuring Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito, except Leaphorn is on vacation in Japan, so only Chee and Manuelito. Chee is tracking down a murder up by Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. Manuelito is undercover at an illegal marijuana farm. These books are a mixture of Navajo lore and life in the four-corners area and detective stories.

For my expanded notes: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-sacred-bridge-by-anne-hillerman.html
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