COYOTE WAITS

There is a certain appeal in books that feature Native American culture. From a practical standpoint – there just aren’t that many. Then there is the nagging feeling that much of the culture being explained in the telling of the story are things Americans should already know, especially those of us in Oklahoma, where Tony Hillerman was born.

His settings are west of the state line, and Hillerman uses Navaho tradition to provide the characters for his series of Southwestern mystery novels. Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are regulars, and in “Coyote Waits” the two take different routes while investigating the death of a fellow officer.

It’s almost soothing to hear the Navaho philosophy as Hillerman spins it. Every conversation carries some traditional observation, but his dialogues ring true, as though he has kept a chair vacant to allow his readers to sit and eavesdrop on the story.

Most mysteries include numerous suspects, required red herrings, and a surprise revelation at the end, but “Coyote Waits” provides an almost caught-red-handed suspect in a Navaho shaman. There are some doubts, though, and before you can say yaa ah t’eeh (hello in Navaho…) Chee and Leaphorn uncover others with credible motives.

Hillerman has a legion of fans, and enough awards to build a ceremonial pyre. With last year’s release of “Shapeshifter” there are eighteen stories built from his knowledge of the Arizona/New Mexico landscape. He manages to construct his fictional world in a way that readers don’t have to read every book in a special order, while managing a continuing story line.

In the Navaho spirit world, “Coyote” is an evil presence and “Coyote Waits” hoping to satisfy its ever-present hunger. In the world of mystery stories, it’s a fact that “Reader Waits,” while Hillerman pens his next satisfying offering.