Spider Woman's Daughter

Today's post is on Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman. It is a continuation of the series by her father Tony Hillerman. It is 301 pages long and is published by HarperCollins. The cover is sun rise in desert with the title in black and author in white. Below the author's name is a stylized woman representing the Spider Woman. The intended reader is someone who has read the series so far.
 
From the back of the book- Legendary tribal sleuths Leaphorn and Chee are back! The supremely talented daughter of New York Times bestselling mystery author Tony Hillerman continues the popular series with this fresh new Navajo Country mystery-her debut novel-filled with captivating lore, startling suspense, bold new characters, vivid color, and rich atmosphere
It happened in an instant: After a breakfast with colleagues, Navajo Nation Police Officer Bernadette Manualito saw a truck squeal into the parking lot and heard a crack of gunfire. When the dust cleared, someone very close to her was lying on the asphalt in a pool of blood.
With the victim in the hospital fighting for his life, every officer in the squad and the local FBI office are hellbent to catch the gunman. Bernie, too, wants in on the investigation, despite regulations strictly forbidding eyewitness involvement. Her superior may have ordered her to take some leave, but that doesn't mean she's going to sit idly by, especially when her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, is put in charge of finding the shooter.
Pooling their skills, Bernie and Chee discover that a cold case involving his former boss and partner, retired Inspector Joe Leaphorn, may hold the key to the shooting. Digging into the old investigation with fresh eyes and a new urgency, husband and wife find themselves inching closer to the truth with every clue . . . and closer to a killer who will do anything to prevent justice from taking its course.
 
 
Review-  First of all I must say that I am a huge fan of Tony Hillerman.  I believe that I have read and collected all of his books, so understandably I was skeptical that anyone could capture my attention in the same way.  I am happy to report that "Spider Woman's Daughter" by Anne Hillerman is a winner.  
It is obvious that Anne Hillerman understands her father's characters, and is able to continue writing them in character while adding her own subtle take of their personalites.
She has fleshed out the personality of Bernadette, giving her depth, making her more likeable and more an American working woman, while remaining true to the personas of Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee.   I have always enjoyed the give and take of the Hillermans' characters;  they portray a richness and understanding of the Navaho way.
 I was happy to see her continue broadening the readers' understanding of the Southwest.  The book's title, "Spider Woman's Daughter", caused me to wonder what that had to do with Myths of the Navajo.   She uses Bernadette to inform us that "Spider Woman's Daughter" helps with life's unexpected complications, untangling messy situations.
All in all, I have put Anne Hillerman on my must read list. 
 
I give this book a Five out of Five Stars. I get nothing for my review and I was given this book by HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.