Spider Woman's Daughter

A Leaphorn & Chee Novel

By: Anne Hillerman

Narrated by: Christina Delaine

Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Anne Hillerman, the talented daughter of best-selling author Tony Hillerman, continues his popular Leaphorn and Chee series with Spider Woman's Daughter, a Navajo Country mystery, filled with captivating lore, startling suspense, bold new characters, vivid color, and rich Southwestern atmosphere.

Navajo Nation Police Officer Bernadette Manualito witnesses the cold-blooded shooting of someone very close to her. With the victim fighting for his life, the entire squad and the local FBI office are hell-bent on catching the gunman. Bernie, too, wants in on the investigation, despite regulations forbidding eyewitness involvement. But that doesn't mean she's going to sit idly by, especially when her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, is in charge of finding the shooter.

Bernie and Chee discover that a cold case involving his former boss and partner, retired Inspector Joe Leaphorn, may hold the key. Digging into the old investigation, husband and wife find themselves inching closer to the truth...and closer to a killer determined to prevent justice from taking its course.

©2013 Anne Hillerman (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Apple and Tree

Would you try another book from Anne Hillerman and/or Christina Delaine?

No

Would you recommend Spider Woman's Daughter to your friends? Why or why not?

In this case, the apple falls too far from the tree. Tony Hillerman's daughter is just not as good as he was--not even close. The writing is like a sledge hammer, the characters one-dimensional and the story violent without nuance.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

I did not like the narration--choppy, abrupt, but it could be the writing.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

good book out of the gate

Would you listen to Spider Woman's Daughter again? Why?

yes, the story was interesting enough to give it another listen, yes it is so

What did you like best about this story?

that Leaphorn made it through, yes it is so

What about Christina Delaine’s performance did you like?

she did a great job

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Bernie & Chee its the way it should be

Indian Crime Mystery

The riveting stories of Police Officer Bernedette Manuelito is fantastic! The reader's performance with her different voices for the characters is great! Very entertaining!

Same feel and flavor as Dad's stories.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I was a little concerned that I would again just move right into the Arizona countryside, but there I was. My familiar folk doing what I expected of them in many ways, and some expanding in unexpected ways, but lively and lifelike. Oh Yeah-h-h-h. Hope to see more of Leaphorn yet, but this was an outstanding adventure that helped support a 12 hour drive!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Spider Woman's Daughter?

I really enjoyed *Mama's* talk of blanket making/design, and descriptions of pottery patterns. I'm a archeo- and mythology enthusiast so continuing that tradition in the writings is rewarding to me.

What does Christina Delaine bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This was my first female reader for Hillerman, but with a female-focus in this adventure it was most accommodating. Think that if we focus on Chee & Leaphorn action more, I like to hear a male voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Just really needed to embellish the miles....

True to the characters and engaging story

What made the experience of listening to Spider Woman's Daughter the most enjoyable?

The characters were believable extensions from the originals - it was like hearing from old friends; the narrator did a great job.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was great, but the ending slightly rushed. I would have liked to see Chee a little stronger at the end -- Bernie doesn't have to be superwoman after all. But, that's just nit picking. The story was engaging and suspenseful. The indian imagery and back stories were very interesting.

Have you listened to any of Christina Delaine’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No -- this is my first time to listen to Christina Delaine and I was impressed. She did a great job with a lot of different characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, but I didn't put it down until it was finished.

Any additional comments?

I'm looking forward to reading (listening to) more of Anne Hillerman's books.

Spiderwomans Daughter

couldn't wait to find out the killer,supenseful,kept you thinking along with story,loved it & was glad Leap horn survived.

It gets better, an acceptable freshman effort

I'm a big fan of Tony Hillerman and the Leaphorn and Chee series, but I had read a number of negative reviews and put off listening to this one written by his daughter Anne. When I started listening I was going to turn off the the book and ask for my money back by the middle of the third chapter as it really dragged at the beginning--like reading Dickens going off on tangents that really didn't advance the story and didn't even provide much in the way of local "color". One of the things I really loved about Tony's writing was, assuming he is accurate and knowledgeable, is his description of contemporary Navajo life and their customs, history and geography. I took a survey course of the West in college, but like all such courses it was superficial, compared to the education I received from listening to Tony--it is eyeopening in a way few novels of any kind are, In the beginning it was pedestrian, but I persevered and even scrolled forward until about Chapter Four when the story really picked up momentum and it seemed the Author hit her stride and all I could do was hang on for the ride. So anyone who liked Tony's novels but are hesitating due to the negative reviews of this, I say persevere, the last 90% of the book compares very favorably to her Father's storytelling. I should mention that in the beginning the narrator's voice was a bit off-putting, especially in her Jim Chee voice. It wasn't just her trying to sound masculine, over half the characters are male and she was fine, but I think I got used to the previous narrator's voice for Chee and she really slowed down his voice to the point he sounded dull-witted (think Gomer Pyle), which as we all know he is not--but somewhere towards the end of the book she had Jim speak in a more natural rhythm. Bottom line, by the end I was converted, and I am looking forward to listening to Anne and Christina"s next effort.

Great transition from Tony to Anne

Years past, I was a huge Tony Hillerman fan, reading all his books. I recently came across Anne. This is a fabulous continuity story, setting the stage for the new generation in Joe Leaphorn’s world. Ending could have been stronger, that is only complaint, loved the story overall. Narrator was great, except her interpretation of Jim Chee seemed really odd and off to me. And Bernie sounded like a timid female and timid, kinda off too. That said, complicated characters to voice and the narration overall was really impressive and did not take away from story beyond Jim Chee’s voicing. On to the next book!

good story , true to her father's legacy

narrator could have been better but good story like her father's stories. highly recommend

A real page turner

Better than I anticipated. A number one. Description of NM exact even mentioning a well kept secret of those traveling route 66. Earls.