The First Eagle is a novel written by Tony Hillerman. It was first published in hardback in June of 1998 by Harper. The First Eagle follows the characters of Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee on his quest to find out who killed a Navajo Tribal Police Officer. He finds a Hopi Eagle poacher beside the body and believes he has an open and shut case. It is when retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is brought back to investigate the disappearance of a missing scientist that the book begins to twist and turn.
Both cases are without a doubt connected to one another. The two characters have a lot of challenges to face. They have the superstitions of the Indian people of the reservation along with their own personal drama. Leaphorn is dealing with the death of his wife who has passed with cancer. She is a constant reminder throughout the storyline that continually haunts him. Leaphorn is also plagued with police work. Even though he is retired, he is surrounded by it and he just can't seem to escape it. Chee, on the other hand, is trying to come to terms about a possible promotion because it might force him to leave the reservation. This is something he doesn't think he is ready to do just yet. He is also down in is luck when it comes to his romantic relationships.
This crime thriller takes place throughout several Indian reservations and a number of Indian and white cultures clash.
