Review - The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman

Title - The Shape Shifter
Author - Tony Hillerman
ISBN - 978-0-06-056347-9
No. of Pages - 322
Rating - 4.25 out of 5


As former Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn struggles to come to terms with retirement and loneliness he receives, from a former colleague, a copy of a recent magazine photograph of a priceless old Navajo rug that was supposedly destroyed in a fire many years before. As Leaphorn tracks down the origin of the photograph the trail winds through the rough terrain of greed, deceit, and murder where a cold-blooded killer lies in wait.

Hillerman has once again written a fine mystery. His ability to blend Navajo lore with a very satisfying plot held my attention right through to a satisfying and surprising conclusion. I was struck by the way Hillerman enabled the reader to get inside the mind of Joe Leaphorn and feel his struggles with retirement, the loss of his wife, and his own ethical decision making. The Shape Shifter is an excellent read and I highly recommend it.