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Song of the Lion: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel
Song of the Lion: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel
Song of the Lion: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel
Audiobook10 hours

Song of the Lion: A Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito Novel

Written by Anne Hillerman

Narrated by Christina Delaine

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

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

New York Times Bestseller

“Fans of Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito, characters created by the author’s father, Tony Hillerman, will savor this multilayered story of suspense, with its background of contemporary environmental vs. development issues.” — Library Journal

A deadly bombing takes Navajo Tribal cops Bernadette Manuelito, Jim Chee, and their mentor, the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, back into the past to find a vengeful killer in this riveting Southwestern mystery from the bestselling author of Spider Woman’s Daughter and Rock with Wings.

When a car bomb kills a young man in the Shiprock High School parking lot, Officer Bernadette Manuelito discovers that the intended victim was a mediator for a multi-million-dollar development planned at the Grand Canyon.

But what seems like an act of ecoterrorism turns out to be something far more nefarious. Piecing together the clues, Bernadette and her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, uncover a scheme to disrupt the negotiations and inflame tensions between the Hopi and Dine tribes.

Retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn has seen just about everything in his long career. As the tribal police’s investigation unfolds, he begins to suspect that the bombing may be linked to a cold case he handled years ago. As he, Bernadette, and Chee carefully pull away the layers behind the crime, they make a disturbing discovery: a meticulous and very patient killer with a long-simmering plan of revenge.

Writing with a clarity and grace that is all her own, Anne Hillerman depicts the beauty and mystery of Navajo Country and the rituals, myths, and customs of its people in a mystery that builds on and complements the beloved, bestselling mysteries of her acclaimed father, Tony Hillerman.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateApr 11, 2017
ISBN9780062660688
Author

Anne Hillerman

ANNE HILLERMAN is the bestselling author of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series. Lost Birds is her ninth novel in the series, which was created by her father, Tony Hillerman. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, and is at work on her next novel.

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Reviews for Song of the Lion

Rating: 4.084506990610329 out of 5 stars
4/5

213 ratings19 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What an excellent read, outstanding characters, in-depth plot, and a rich study in Navajo culture ! I am looking forward to the next Ann Hillerman novel!!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Anne Hillerman truly delivers. Great characters and plot development. Impressive reverence and respect of Navaho culture and the New Mexico/ Arizona landscape. Great connection to the Grand Canyon.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I continue to be grateful that Anne Hillerman is continuing in Tony Hillerman's footsteps. Another solid mystery, excellent and respectful of the Navaho southwest.

    advanced reader's copy provided by edelweiss
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Song of the Lion is another excellent Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito adventure. The enchanting, beautiful desert of the Southwest is its own character in this book. One can easily imagine the mountains, dry desert, animals and five fingered people who all live together. The native American stories explain why the area is so sacred. The people characters are all believable. The situations that everyone find themselves in all propel the story. This book received five stars in this review.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Digital Audiobook performed by Christina Delaine3.5*** After her father, Tony Hillerman, died, Anne Hillerman took up the series he had begun and continued it. This is book # 21 in the Leaphorn & Chee mystery series (Book # 5 in Anne’s continuation called The Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series), set on the Navajo nation in Arizona and New Mexico. The action begins at a basketball game where team rivalries have brought out a large crowd. Then a car explodes in the high school parking lot, killing a young man. Officer Bernadette Manuelito is on the scene, and soon discovers that the vehicle belonged to a mediator for a dispute over a multimillion-dollar development planned at the Grand Canyon. I hadn’t read one of the Leaphorn books in quite some time, and I think they are best read in order, just to watch the relationships develop over time. But I certainly didn’t feel lost or disconnected by reading this one out of order. The Tribal Police deal with real, modern-day crime, but are not averse to listening and exploring the traditional wisdom employed by the elders. Both father and daughter authors seamlessly weave these elements of magical realism into the narrative.Hillerman has inherited her father’s skill at plotting, and at character development. Joe Leaphorn is long retired, though the younger detectives still seek his counsel, which he’s happy to give. Bernie is a strong female lead; intelligent, disciplined, resolute, cautious, respectful of tradition, but embracing modern technology. And she is more than up for the task of going against the bad guy on her own! And I love the relationship between Bernie and Sgt Joe Chee. I’ll keep reading the series, but I think I’ll go back and pick up where I left off (somewhere around book # 4, I think). The audio version is wonderfully performed by Christina Delaine. I loved the cadence of her speech, especially when voicing some of the elderly Native American characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When Tony Hillerman died in 2008, he left a legacy of 18 books in his Navajo Tribal Police series, featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn and his younger protege, Sgt. Jim Chee. Hillerman's daughter Anne took up the series in 2013, adding a female character, Bernadette Manuelito, as Chee's wife, also a Tribal Police officer.Song of the Lion is the third entry in this revived series, and is a solid addition to the club.The plot revolves around discovering who blew up the car of a Navajo lawyer involved in negotiations over a controversial development near the Grand Canyon. Threads lead back through a long-forgotten incident in Leaphorn's past, though Chee and Manuelito stay pretty well center stage in this one.The writing is crisp, the characters are fully-formed and believable, and Anne Hillerman's love for and familiarity with the Four Corners locale is as strong and well-managed as her father's was. The story stands well alone, though anyone coming into the series at this point will probably be tempted to go back and pick up the earlier entries, simply for the sheer enjoyment of a well-crafted mystery set in a distinctive milieu.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Bernie, Dineh police officer & Jim Chee's wife is at the Oldtimer's basketball game when she feels a big movement... Outside a bomb has destroyed a new BMW and a young man is found nest to the car in poor condition. A vehicle speeds away, some kids take off, the a.h. rookie arrives & makes things worse. Then the young man dies...The man that the car belongs to is a big time lawyer who is working w/ the Dineh, Havasupai, Grand Canyon business, Hopi, & other tribal/state/federal/private interests to mediate the possibilities & concerns regarding a proposed resort on the Easter side of the Grand Canyon... on sacred lands.Jim Chee is assigned as the lawyer's bodyguard, but isn't too successful as the man keeps taking off & disregarding Chee's concerns. The Lawyer's estranged son shows up & another rift begins....Oddly the Lawyer, they dead young man, the bomber, & Lawyer's son are all connected...Leaphorn didn't really seem to be in the picture much, but he held the missing link between the characters.Actually, I was able to connect the dots as well.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Song of the Lion by Anne Hillerman is an absolutely riveting mystery about a car bombing during an alumni basketball at Shiprock High School. Although this latest release is the twenty-first installment in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

    Navajo Tribal Police Officer Bernadette "Bernie" Manuelito is off duty at the basketball game when she hears an explosion that sounds close by. Rushing to the parking lot, she discovers one of the vehicles has exploded and she quickly takes charge of the situation. After discovering the owner of the car is Aza Palmer, a lawyer who is mediating a proposal for a controversial resort that will be built on the Navajo Reservation, Bernie's husband, Sergeant Jim Chee is assigned to guard Aza during an upcoming forum. When the identity of the man who was killed at the bomb site is discovered, Bernie hopes retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn might help fill in the blanks about the deceased man's past. With tensions running high between protestors who are hoping to kill the resort project, will Jim and Bernie figure out who wants to kill Aza before it is too late?

    Although the bombing case is quickly turned over the a variety of federal agencies, Bernie continues trying to understand the connection between the deceased, Richard Horseman, and Aza Palmer. Both men grew up on the reservation, but their lives took dramatically different turns. Aza is a very successful lawyer based in Arizona and this is not the first time he has worked as a mediator. Richard, on the other hand, has a bit of a checkered past which includes brushes with the law and an alcohol problem. According to his grandmother, Marie Nez, her grandson has left his problems behind and has been diligently working on steering clear of trouble. If Mrs. Nez's assertions are true, then Bernie wants to know why he was near Aza's car the night of the explosion. Could the reason be completely innocent?

    Meanwhile, Jim has his hands full trying to protect Aza. The biggest threat to the lawyer at this point is his stubborn refusal to heed Jim's pleas to maintain a low profile and stop going off on his own. Jim is also rather troubled when a young man keeps appearing on the scene and his questions to Aza about the man's identity go unanswered. As the protestors step up their efforts to sabotage the public discussion, Jim is grateful for the extra help when Bernie unexpectedly decides to spend her days off with him. But even with the both of them keeping an eye on Aza, can they keep him out of harm's way?

    Despite the injuries that still plague Joe Leaphorn, he is still a vital resource with a formidable amount of information from his years on the police force. Bernie hopes Joe will be able to provide background information about Richard's past and her patience pays off once he begins searching through old records. Does Joe hold the key which will break the case wide open?

    Song of the Lion is a fast-paced and intriguing police procedural that is quite compelling. Anne Hillerman does an outstanding job providing readers with fascinating information about Native American culture. The investigation moves along at a brisk pace and there are several unexpected twists and turns that will keep readers invested in the resolution of the case. Although the identity of the perpetrator is rather easy to surmise, the novel comes to an action-packed and rather dramatic conclusion. Old and new fans of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series will be absolutely delighted with this latest outing which features a topical storyline and a fascinating mystery.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another great story! Chee sort of falls into the background on this one as his wife Bernie starts to take the lead role in the series. Leaphorn's recovery is really slow which is a bit frustrating but an interesting twist that he has to use Navajo more than English right now.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book--mystery set in the Navajo nation of the Southwest. It's also about the sense of place and the familiar characters. Chee and Bernie get pulled into events surrounding a controversial proposal to build a resort in the grand canyon. My only complaint with this novel was that there were so many new characters that I got lost occasionally.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Anne Hillerman continues to do a wonderful job of expanding the characters and places that her father created while giving us expanded background and development for Officer Manuelito. In Song of the Lion a car bomb explodes in Shiprock during a basketball game. One person is killed, but are they connected to the explosion, or was it meant to scare the owner of the car, Aza Palmer? Palmer is the mediator for a planned development near the Grand Canyon that has stirred up passions from the different tribes, developers, environmentalists, and everybody in between. Chee is given the unenviable task of guarding Palmer at the meeting, while Bernie enlists the assistance of Lt. Leaphorn to help untangle the mystery around the bombing. Tribal politics, environmental activists, and secrets from the past all coalesce to create a chaotic mess that may leave more bodies in its wake.Song of the Lion is another great performance by Anne. I have really enjoyed the character development for Bernadette Manuelito, and the expanding depth of her character. Anne's knowledge and love for the Four Corners region, and the Navajo Nation continue to come through in vivid descriptions of the landscape and the people. In terms of plot, while starting strong with the car bomb, the story hits a bit of a plateau as the action moves from Shiprock to Tuba City. You can almost feel the same boredom that Chee feels as he's having to watch over Aza Palmer. But Anne continues to drop little clues and bits of info enough to keep you reading and wanting to know more. Anne's job to continue writing about her father's beloved characters is a tough one, and I think she continues to deliver compelling stories that expands and moves the characters along.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An okay mystery with a few irritating flaws. Two key characters are introduced but their names are replaced about 2/3rds of the way through with their childhood nicknames. This was rather confusing and superfluous to the thread of the story. Further on, a seriously verbose section ruins the narrative and does not move the story forward. It was as if the author had lost where the plot was headed or else wanted to delay the big reveal. Obscuring the intended plot development is an amateurish approach to creating suspense and certainly didn't make for an enjoyable novel. However, the overall plot for the story was inventive and earned 3-stars. Not a patch on Tony Hillerman's writing, though. For one thing, Anne Hillerman does not write evocatively of the desert or capture the essence of the people. I believe Tony H. would have cringed at Jim Chee being nicknamed 'Cheeseburger'.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    From the blurb: “A deadly bombing takes Navajo Tribal cops Bernadette Manuelito, Jim Chee, and their mentor, the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, back into the past to find a vengeful killer ... When a car bomb kills a young man in the Shiprock High School parking lot, Officer Bernadette Manuelito discovers that the intended victim was a mediator for a multi-million-dollar development planned at the Grand Canyon. But what seems like an act of ecoterrorism turns out to be something far more nefarious and complex.”This is the third book of Anne Hillerman's Jim Chee and Bernie Manuelito series. They are an extension of her father, Tony Hillerman's, mysteries set in the Navajo nation of the Southwest. A developer wants to build a new resort along the Grand Canyon, much to the consternation of both enviornmentalists and the guides who believe the Canyon is at its best at its wildest. But murder follows and both Chee and Bernie find themselves trying to unravel the threads.I enjoyed reading the special impact the canyon plays in tribal culture. Bernie, Jim and Lt Leaphorn continue to be well personified – and staying believably within the personalities and earlier scenarios that Tony Hillerman created for them. The book pulled me along, keeping me interested and engaged. However, I read this a couple months ago and had trouble remembering plot details. :( So I would have to rate this one as entertaining but not memorable.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    With a few deft sentences, Anne Hillerman again makes her characters instantly familiar.Unfortunately, Song of the Lion does not have either the compelling suspense or the beautifully revealed Navaho art and culture that graced her two previous novels. The plot tediously zigged and zagged toward predictable resolutions.Worse still is the constant mention of Coke and Fritos - is this one of those rebate to the author ploys?And Bernie still bragging about her totally unhealthy diet = why? What happened to the legacy of The Three Sisters or to simply choosing not to eat food that poisons your body?And many readers have long ago tired of the tired and never funny "Cheeseburger."
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Anne Hillerman does a great job continuing her father's characters and world, putting her own touch and new characters into the mix. Sure, not the same, but still well done & enjoyable.
    Good mystery, well-read by Christina Delaine.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Although building on characters developed by her late father, Anne Hillerman has clearly shown herself to be an author of her own. Her characterizations make this and her earlier books a joy to read. They combine an interesting story with insights into Navajo (and other native American) culture and people. I look forward to further installments on the lives of Bernie, JIm, Joe, and the others that populate Hillerman's writings.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Again, Anne Hillerman is not the writer her father was. It is, however, wonderful to meet familiar characters again. In this novel, Chee and Bernie get pulled into events surrounding a controversial proposal to build a resort in the grand canyon. My only complaint with this novel was that there were so many new characters that I got lost occasionally. Still, it was an enjoyable read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I've enjoyed Anne Hillerman's other two books that continue with Tony Hillerman character more than this third one. I'm glad she continues with the stories, but this one tries too hard to include everything, rather like there is a checklist for "successful novel". It came off as being rather preachy with environmental concerns, domestic abuse, alcoholism, etc. I'd prefer she concentrate on a good crime story with wonderful scenery and Southwest culture.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I just finished reading SONG OF THE LION by Anne Hillerman and it was a very pleasurable experience. Yes, there is mystery, tension and suspense - but for me, it is all about the sense of place and the familiar characters.SONG OF THE LION is the third book Anne Hillerman has written for the series since her father, Tony Hillerman, passed away in 2008. The series of books featuring Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee (of the Navajo Tribal Police) had an almost cult following (including myself).Before taking up the challenge of continuing her father’s legacy, Ms. Hillerman wrote several nonfiction books and also worked as a journalist. SPIDER WOMAN’S DAUGHTER and ROCK WITH WINGS (along with SONG OF THE LION) are her additions to the series with a retired Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and his wife and fellow police officer, Bernie (Bernadette) Manuelito.Ms. Hillerman writes with a brilliant sense of place and cultural understanding of the Navajo Nation.Bernie’s encounter with the mountain lion is beautifully written. “Nashdoitsoh stared at her with its bright carnivore eyes and growled as it paced.”….. “Then, from that place in her pounding heart that knew hozho, she began to sing the song her grandmother had taught Mama. That song of courage and protection Mama had sung to her and Darlene. A song about the beauty that surrounded them; a song honoring the lion itself.”……“The song’s rhythm and repetitions, its poetry and simplicity became her prayer.”I would recommend any and all of the books in this superb mystery series.