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

Idealized characters and dynamics, big change from TH

I was uneasy with the change in perspective from father to daughter writing about Chee and Leaphorn and the gang.

In Spider Woman's Daughter, Anne Hillerman writes idealized characters whereas her father who created Leaphorn and Chee illuminated the humanity in the bad guys and the human foibles of the good guys. Character behavior made sense and conflict was natural and enriched the story line.

It will be interesting to see what Anne Hillerman will create in terms of her own characters. Humor and creativity are evident in this tale she has spun. Character wise, I liked the blue sedan driving mother of one of the suspects and Louisa.

The narrator was able to create distinct voices for the characters. Some of the voices sound Southern Colorado to me. I haven't spent time in AZ to know the accuracy of accents. Importantly, characters are distinct so I knew who was talking and could follow easily.

Spider Woman’s Daughter

Very good story, Anne Hillerman, Tony Hillermans daughter seem to have the same talent for storytelling as her father did. I look forward to purchasing the next book in the series.

Amazing! So proud of Anne for doing such a wonderful job following in her father’s footsteps!

Wonderful story Ms. Anne!
Loved it❤️
Very intricate and so well done.
I really think it fit in just like one your dad’s. Thank you for continuing with the tales I love so very much.

The slide continues

The later books in the Jim Chee/ Joe Leaphorn Navaho series saga were lacking in comparison with his earlier works. His daughter's work (at least I assume this is his daughter) doesn't greatly reverse this slide. Officer Bernadette Manuelito is too broadly drawn to be a strong main character. the only thing we know about her for sure is that she resents her husband Jim Chee giving her directions; much less orders. This despite the fact that he is her superior officer.
The culprit in the book is obvious before you reach the halfway point. Despite this, both professional police officers and the FBI are don't perceive it until the the last hour of the audiobook. The relationship between 'Bernie' and her family never rises above obvious cliches and her sister is so entirely unsympathetic her problems so obviously self induced it wasn't possible to care much for her troubles.
The biggest problem I had with the audiobook though; was the reader. Perhaps it would not have mattered who replaced George Guidall; it wouldn't have been the same. This reader certainly wasn't up to the task. Perhaps it was Guidall who mispronounced Navaho words for the first fifteen or so works; but I doubt it. Christina Delaine might improve over time but to those who've listened to the series read by George Guidall it won't be the same.
Certain elements of the mystery were well done. The story dovetailed nicely with a previous Hillerman work and the intricate murder plot was nicely done. If you appreciated the last few Tony Hillerman Navaho cop books this one will at least match those; particularly the last two. For those of you who were fans of the earlier books in the series; save your credit.

It's just not up to par

Perhaps George Guidall could have salvaged the book with his genius for good voices and acting emphasis. Perhaps.

It's very difficult for a woman tor do male characters when reading, but some of them pull it off. This one did not. Her males were strained and fake, the same voices that you hear in cliche, usually saying something like "Heap big chief." While they're using good English, the tonal emphasis says they're producing a heap big pile of pony product.

I don't know if George ever spent any time around Navajos, but he could at least produce the diction and pacing associated with many Natives. Even those who are of different tribes seem to have some speech techniques in common, probably from the large numbers who travel from one tribe to another.

I don't think Tony would have taken this book in the same direction that his daughter did. There are families of writers who each find their own voice and become successful. This book did not do it for Anne. Perhaps her next effort will do it...but I will be extremely reluctant to try it.

I cannot recommend this as an audio book. As a written book, you have the option of giving your own interpretation to the words on the page, and this may make it somewhat viable in that form.

Meanwhile I only finished this to see what happened to the legendary Lieutenant. I'll never have a reason to listen to it again.

Spider Woman is breathtaking

Anne Hillerman has stepped in to her father’s shoes and wears them well. This is the first of her novels that I have read. I will read them all and look for more novels from her. I like her take on Chee. The narrator is artful. She distinguishes the voices of the main characters in a way that always makes it clear who is speaking. I am very pleased to know that the story hasn’t ended.

O U T S T A N D I N G!

NARRATION IS PERFECT. Storyline is well-rounded, tense, has all the Feels, checks off all the boxes AND leaves you wanting the sequel, of course. SO GRATEFUL the Leaphorn Saga continues!

Glad there are more stories

I enjoyed this book as much as the Leaphorn and Chee novels by Tony Hillerman. The story drew me in from the first page and I was transported back to the Navajo country. Bernie Manuelito, married to Jim Chee, is now one of the main characters in the Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito novels.

After Leaphorn is shot in the parking lot of the Navajo Inn, Bernie promises him that she will find the person who shot him. While Chee leads the Navajo side of the investigation into the shooting, Bernie does some investigating on her own. They identify potential suspects, narrow down the likely ones, analyze clues, and make connections between the current case and Leaphorn’s old ones. They eventually find the person who shot Leaphorn (someone from his past seeking revenge) and the motive - revenge and greed.

Bernie proves herself to be as good as solving mysteries as Chee. Both Bernie and Chee have learned from Leaphorn how to be Navajo police officers while walking in “beauty despite the evil and disharmony” in the world. They also are learning how to make a difference in the world and how to live with honor (what life is about). Bernie is the Spider Woman’s daughter who “helps with life’s unexpected complications, untangling messy situations.”

Great book, amazing reader!

I guess writing great mysteries about the Dine police runs in the family! This has a great plot, well written with colorful descriptions that lend to the sense of place in the southwest. The reader is one of the best in the business! It sounds like an ensemble cast. If you’re new to Chee and Leaphorn, you can still listen to this and get the history with these characters. Excellent!

The Legacy Lives On

What did you love best about Spider Woman's Daughter?

I have read ALL of the Leaphorn and Chee stories. After Tony Hillerman passed, I mourned the loss of this great author, as well as his wonderful characters. My husband and I went out West shortly after his death and I referred to our trip to the area as the "Tony Hillerman Memorial Tour"...
Recently, when I learned about "Spider Woman's Daughter," I was hesitant to read/listen to the story because I worried that I would be disappointed. However, I was thrilled to realize that the story is not only up to the standard of a well-crafted Hillerman novel, but true to the characters.
Ms. Hillerman wisely chose Bernie as the center of the story in her first attempt to continue the story line. And she successfully composed a sensitive, well-woven mystery. It was terrific to learn more about the Manuelito family - adding realism to the family element of these contemporary tales. I do hope more Leaphorn & Chee stories are planned! I will surely read them all. Must be in the DNA.

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

Well-paced

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

No