The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman ****

The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman is the seventh in the series featuring Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito, except Leaphorn is on vacation in Japan, so only Chee and Manuelito. Chee is tracking down a murder up by Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. Manuelito is undercover at an illegal marijuana farm.  These books are a mixture of Navajo lore and life in the four-corners area and detective stories.

Chee is concerned with the desecration of Navajo heritage by the Glen Canyon Dam starting back in the 1960s and the continued damage by tourists. I lived in Salt Lake City while Lake Powell was being filled and recall all the issues discussed in this volume. The LA Times reported in February 2023 arguments to drain Lake Powell. The issue of environmental and Navajo cultural damage is still a current topic as it has been since the dam was completed in 1966.

Manuelito is concerned with Navajo land and water being used to grow hemp for CBD. I don’t know much about this, but I assume anything that uses water within the Navajo Nation and the Southwest, in general, is important.

Chee’s crime was a murder that involved jealousy, resentment, and misunderstanding. This is what I expected from Anne Hillerman. Manuelito deals with murderous evil men. I was surprised by the level of violence.

Except for a few scenes in Manuelito’s story, I found this to be a pleasant return to the area around southeast Utah.

“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Check out https://amzn.to/2SpaDMN to see my books.

Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for book recommendations.