The Tony Hillerman Novel "Hunting Badger"

Tony Hillerman is a mystery writer that opted to use more substance than fluff. Titles written by Hillerman include Skinwalkers, A Thief of Time, the Wailing Wind, and The Sinister Pig. All of this author’s books are American Indian Mysteries. His most current work, Hunting Badger, is about a robbery at a Ute American casino. The plot also involves several stolen vehicles and anti-government militia. His main character from Thee First Eagle returns to make a main appearance in Hunting Badger. The main character, a broken man named Jim Chee, makes serious life changes which lead him to living a simpler life.

As the plot continues, we find out two Ute Casino security guards have been shot while the casino was robbed. The demons of Chee threaten to derail all of his good detective work. Another of Hillerman’s beloved detective’s returns to this story as well. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn has gone into retirement and after mourning the death of his beloved wife Emma he has moved on with a new woman in his life. But there is still a hole in his life so he starts up police work again to fill that void.

Hillerman is also well known for working in Native American customs and beliefs into his stories. Fans of this particular novel will not be disappointed. So if you are a Hillerman fan or have never read him before, pick up Hunting Badger and give it a read, if you like the mystery genre, you will not be disappointed by this Hillerman work.