When an author dies, and someone else takes over the series, often a close relative, the resulting books are usually not up to those the deceased author wrote. I'm glad to state that is not the case with Anne Hillerman. Her books in this series are just as good as her father's. I especially enjoyed the ins and out of this book and how it all came together. And Ms. Hillerman is taking the personality of each of the characters to new levels of complexity.

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Now retired, Joe Leaphorn is asked by the manager of a local museum to recover a missing item. An anonymous donor sent items to the museum but one of the items on the enclosed inventory is missing. Although he is still recovering from a severe gunshot injury, Leaphorn is determined to not let that hinder his efforts to solve this case. At the same time, Officer Bernie Manuelito and Jim Chee are tasked with solving a rash of strange burglaries in the area. The investigation takes a strange turn when Manuelito comes across a dead man while on her daily run at a local park. Unknown to Leaphorn, Chee and Manuelito, their separate investigations will eventually collide in a tangled web of blackmail and revenge.

The Tale Teller by Anne Hillerman is a continuation of the Chee/Leaphorn bestselling mysteries by famed writer Tony Hillerman. While maintaining continuity, Hillerman has improved upon it by bringing in new characters, which enhance the series and appeal to a new generation of fans. This book doesn't disappoint and the author, as always, provides a plot that is complex enough to maintain a reader's interest without getting bogged down in technical jargon. I look forward to many more entries in this series and give this book 4/5 stars.

*A copy of this book is the only consideration provided in exchange for this review.*

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