Shadow of the Solstice by Anne Hillerman gave me something new to think about along with a good story to carry it. The characters are interesting and personable and the interactions of generations and the problems inherent in those age groups are for everyone. The anticipated arrival of a political appointee is causing problems for the Navajo police while the disappearance of an elder and her grandson take the story in a different direction.

An excellent and gripping mystery read - but as this was my first foray into the Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito, honestly what I enjoyed most of all was the setting itself. Up until know, I don't believe that I've read any book that takes place in the Navajo nation, much less one where that's so integral to the plot (and the core of the series, I am assuming). To say the least, I found it to be a really fascinating new experience, which was helped by the fact that the book was set up so that it wasn't dependent on my having read any of its predecessors. So, by itself, "Shadow of the Solstice" was definitely a thrilling time that seems to work quite well as a standalone, but I am also quite excited to go to my library and start to check out more of the series.