Lynda C. (Readnmachine) reviewed on 4/29/2020 + 1476 more book reviews

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.

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