Stargazer

I persist in enjoying these books, despite my growing wish that they were written by a Native author instead. I appreciate that Hillerman is taking the stories further away from Navaho religious practices and concentrating more and more on the authentic lives of her characters -- it's interesting to see where they go with their various relationships to law enforcement and each other and to the greater New Mexico community. A solid addition to the series.

Advanced Readers' Copy provided by Edelweiss.

I was both relieved and nervous when Anne Hillerman began writing new volumes in the Leaphorn-Chee-Manuelito series started by her father. Stargazer is, I think, the best of these new additions. The characters are every bit as complex and rich as they ever were. I particularly appreciate the growth in number and depth of female characters.

The mystery here is "who killed the astronomer?" His ex-wife has confessed to the crime, but Officer Bernadette Manuelito, who has known her since their childhood, isn't convinced. There are plenty of candidates, with both personal and professional relationships with the astronomer. I found myself guessing as I read and changes my mind several times thanks to the clues and red herrings offered by show more Hillerman. Whether or not you're familiar with this series, Stargazer is a great read, one that both newbies and long-time fans can enjoy.

I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes; The opinions are my own. show less

When a man is discovered in his car by the side of the road, shot dead, it looks like a suicide, but Bernie Manuelito's former college roommate comes forward to confess to murder of her husband, who she is trying to divorce. Things just don't add up, and the alleged killer isn't helping the investigation. Meanwhile, Bernie is finding it irritating to have Chee as her boss, though he dislikes being in that position temporarily even more than she does, and she worries about her mother's advancing dementia (something that has personal significance for the author, as she reveals in a poignant afterword). Joe Leaphorn has his own case to pursue and dithers about whether to commit to an anxiety-producing flight to D.C. with his girlfriend, show more who is understandably frustrated by his unwillingness to commit. The resolution of this conflict makes the otherwise distracting subplot worthwhile. The leisurely unfolding of the story suffers a bit from uneven pacing, a disproportionate amount of attention to the characters' personal lives compared to the mystery, and a fairly obvious missed clue or two, but the case is resolved in a dramatic finish.

I enjoy this series and, while I didn't find this as strong an entry as some, I liked the visit to the Very Large Array telescope facility (where the dead man had worked) and the parallel introduction to indigenous astronomy. The author continues her father's informative and respectful portrayal of Dine culture and hopefully holds open the door for indigenous writers. show less

I don't really write reviews but I really wanted to comment on this novel....

I began reading Tony Hillerman's Navajo mysteries more than 30 years ago, shortly before I moved to New Mexico. His descriptions of of the wonderful landscapes and of the traditions of the Diné were one of three things that motivated me to move to the Southwest from the Kansas City area (the others being an ill-fated university "field trip" of sorts that took in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and -- best of all -- a day at Chaco Canyon; as well as listening to the wonderful music of Robert Mirabal. After I had been living in 'Burque for a time, I had already talked to Tony Hillerman at several book signings when he, quite ironically, introduced me to Mirabal show more (and to Clive Cussler but that is another story for another time).

I was happy to hear that Anne had taken up the heavy burden of continuing the series of novels after her father passed away. By then, I had moved all the way to Thailand and the books were not easy to obtain (shipping being a prohibitive factor). I did manage to read ebooks of her first two and thought they were pretty good. After that, I lost track as my busy life took over. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that that I discovered that Stargazer was being published.

I found an ebook easily this time around and it took me about three days to finish. I had tears in my eyes for much of the final two or three chapters. Not only from the storyline but just little sprinkles of items about the wonderful region this story takes place in as well as actions by characters that I have known for 30 plus years. I never visited one of the settings of this novel while I lived there despite it being about a two-hour drive from my home. Now, I see how wrong I was by not going when I had the chance and would really like to rectify that when I can. I am also craving a Blake's green chili cheeseburger (or, bettrr yet, one from Owl's Café).

Anne has truly done her dad proud and Stargazer may just be the best in her portion of the series at least. Now, I need to track down the two that I haven't read but I am certain I will enjoy those also.

Well done, Anne Hillerman.

ahéhee’ show less

Good entry in this really good series. Lots of family and friend stuff to be sorted but AH does it well to keep the plot moving. A new telescope in town provides a unique back story for this usually lonely terrain. Fortunately, NM is big enough for her and Steven Havill to keep both of these astronomically tinted series alive and well with their next-generation sleuths.

A lot happening in her latest book. Had to keep all the stories straight. The murderer in the main story was easy to figure out and I knew before it was revealed. Goodreads: Murder, deception, Navajo tradition, and the stars collide in this enthralling entry in New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman?s Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, set amid the beautiful landscape of the American Southwest.What begins as a typical day for Officer Bernadette Manuelito¥serving a bench warrant, dealing with a herd of cattle obstructing traffic, and stumbling across a crime sceneÂ¥takes an unexpected twist when she?s called to help find an old friend. Years ago, Bernie and Maya were roommates, but time and Maya?s struggles with addiction show more drove them apart. Now Maya?s brother asks Bernie to find out what happened to his sister.Tracing Maya?s whereabouts, Bernie learns that her old friend had confessed to the murder of her estranged husband, a prominent astronomer. But the details don?t align. Suspicious, Bernie takes a closer look at the case only to find that nothing is as it seems. Uncovering new information about the astronomer?s work leads Bernie to a remote spot on the Navajo Nation and a calculating killer.The investigation causes an unexpected rift with her husband and new acting boss, Jim Chee, who?s sure Bernie?s headed for trouble. While she?s caught between present and past, Chee is at a crossroads of his own. Burdened with new responsibilities he didn?t ask for and doesn?t want, he must decide what the future holds for him and act accordingly. Can their mentor Joe LeaphornÂ¥a man also looking at the past for answers to the futureÂ¥provide the guidance both Bernie and Chee need? And will the Navajo heroes that stud the starry sky help them find justiceÂ¥and the truth they seek? show less

This book should have been titled: Stargazer: Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito can't make a decision to save their own lives.

The book was interesting enough. I liked the inclusion of Diné history like The Long Walk of the Navajo and Bosque Redondo, the Navajo origin stories and mythology like the Navajo Hero Twins as well as cultural things thrown in like the Eyedazzler rug. I also learned something because I did not realize that there were other Navajo reservations outside the Four Corners region; the Alamo, Ramah and To'Hajiilee Navajo Reservations were new to me.

I wish the story itself was better, but I found it very slow and repetitive, and the detecting was piss poor, but the above made it worth my while to read.