Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Bestseller Hillerman's meandering fourth mystery set in New Mexico (after 2017's Song of the Lion) takes Navajo police officer Bernadette "Bernie" Manuelito into El Malpais, the badlands where Rose Cooper, the director of a program for troubled teenage girls, runs a campsite. When Annie Rainsong, one of the campers, goes missing, Domingo "Dom" Cruz, the assistant program director, goes looking for her. Annie returns safe, if a little scared, with a tale of finding a cave of bones. When Dom fails to return, the police send out a search party. Dom's disappearance may be linked to a long-ago case handled by former police officer Joe Leaphorn. Bernie soon gets caught up in a case of grave robbing and stolen artifacts related to the cave find. Meanwhile, Sgt. Jim Chee, Bernie's husband, who's in Santa Fe for training, checks up on her younger sister, Darleen, who's in school there and hanging out with the wrong people. Diffuse plotting makes this a weak series entry, though Hillerman's use of the harsh but beautiful landscape and details of Navajo life is as strong as ever. Agent: Elizabeth Trupin-Pulli, JET Literary Associates. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In the fourth series installment (after Song of the Lion), the law enforcement talents of -Hillerman's characters shine. New Mexico tribal police officer Bernadette Manuelito agrees to talk to a group of at-risk teenage girls who are participating in a wilderness challenge near a Navajo reservation. One of the girls has just returned from a vision quest with a story of being lost and spending the night in a cave where she discovered bones; now an instructor who had gone looking for her is missing. As the search is organized, the girl's mother, a prominent tribal official, accuses Bernie and the program leaders of stealing tribal funds. While Bernie sifts through the evidence, she encounters some questionable individuals who appear to be involved in stealing artifacts from Native American grave sites. Meanwhile, Jim Chee, Bernie's husband, discovers that a man he sent to prison is associating with Bernie's sister. As always, retired cop Joe Leaphorn is available for advice. Hillerman's vivid descriptions of Navajo culture and the desert landscape are top-notch; the story lines flow smoothly to a satisfying conclusion. -VERDICT Fans of Hillerman's characters will relish this Southwestern mystery and cheer Bernie's growing confidence as a sleuth. [See Prepub Alert, 10/16/17.]-Patricia Ann -Owens, formerly at Illinois Eastern -Community Coll., Mt. Carmel © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

When Navajo teen Annie Rainsong goes missing on a camping trip aimed to help troubled girls get on track, tribal police officer Bernie Manuelito happens to be en route to the New Mexico lava-fields scene. Annie turns up unharmed, but still there are mysteries to be solved. What scared Annie in the cave where she spent the previous night? Where is the man who tried to find her? Is someone embezzling funds from the organization that arranged the trip? At the same time, Bernie's husband, Sheriff Jim Chee, is searching for a different missing man while trying to assuage his wife's worries about her sister's city life. Fans of the series will appreciate that Lieutenant Leaphorn, injured in a previous series entry, makes an appearance here. Also present in Hillerman's accessible and relaxingly paced work are her usual unobtrusive and enjoyable details about Navajo culture and the southwestern landscape. Readers who enjoy the work of Anne's father, Tony Hillerman, as well as mysteries by Nevada Barr, will welcome another outing with Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito.--Verma, Henrietta Copyright 2018 Booklist

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A troubled teen's claims about the eponymous cave lead tribal officers through a search of the remote regions of the Navajo Nation.The goal of the Wings and Roots program is to help empower at-risk girls, program director Rose Cooper explains to Tribal Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito as she preps the latter for her upcoming talk to the group. Never much of a public speaker, Bernadette is dreading her presentation. Not to worry: when the time comes, she's relieved of her painful duty in order to fulfill more traditional police responsibilities during her visit to the program. Troubled young Annie Rainsong has disappeared on a solo vision quest, and dedicated Wings and Roots staff member Domingo Cruz is searching for her. When Annie shows up, she's visibly shaken by something she saw while hiking through the lava fields, and she's notably without Dom. Given Annie's frequent overdramatizing, her story of finding a cave with human bones is hard for some of the staff to swallow. Her credibility is further diminished when she lapses into what seems to be a drug-induced state. Bernadette has to investigate Annie's claims about the bones and figure out what's happened to Dom without the help of her husband and fellow officer, Jim Chee, who's on a mission of his own. While checking in on Bernadette's sister, Darleen, at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Chee finds a mysterious bruise on Darleen's arm, and she's cagey when he confronts her. Certain that Bernadette won't be satisfied with no explanation, Chee feels obliged to stick around until he can ensure the safety of Darleen, who's been hanging with a crowd that's been on Chee's bad side before.As Hillerman continues her father's legacy through his beloved characters (Song of the Lions, 2017, etc.), she's gradually and gratifyingly finding her own voice. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.