In the earliest days of this blog, even before I moved to Southeast Asia, I participated in several book memes hosted by various blogs. Most of those posts are long gone but a few remain such as several installments of “Sunday Salon” — the oldest one still on this blog is from 3 July 2011 and is number 52. Finding that, and starting to add My Book Collection online has inspired me to participate in a few memes once again.

First Chapter, First Paragraph: Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Socrates Book Reviews where participants share the first paragraph of one of the books that they are currently reading, have read or are planning to read. According to Socrates, this meme is guaranteed to increase your TBR 🙂

This week I’m participating with: Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman

First Chapter, First Paragraph:

Annie Rainsong knew that today she would die.

And that she deserved to.

About the Book:

When Tribal Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito arrives to speak at an outdoor character-building program for at-risk teens, she discovers chaos. Annie, a young participant on a solo experience due back hours before, has just returned and is traumatized.

Gently questioning the girl, Bernie learns that Annie stumbled upon a human skeleton on her trek. While everyone is relieved that Annie is back, they’re concerned about a beloved instructor who went out into the wilds of the rugged lava wilderness bordering Ramah Navajo Reservation to find the missing girl. The instructor vanished somewhere in the volcanic landscape known as El Malpais. In Navajo lore, the lava caves and tubes are believed to be the solidified blood of a terrible monster killed by superhuman twin warriors.

​Solving the twin mysteries will expose Bernie to the chilling face of human evil. The instructor’s disappearance mirrors a long-ago search that may be connected to a case in which the legendary Joe Leaphorn played a crucial role. But before Bernie can find the truth, an unexpected blizzard, a suspicious accidental drowning, and the arrival of a new FBI agent complicate the investigation.

While Bernie searches for answers in her case, her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee juggles trouble closer to home. A vengeful man he sent to prison for domestic violence is back—and involved with Bernie’s sister Darleen. Their relationship creates a dilemma that puts Chee in uncomfortable emotional territory that challenges him as family man, a police officer, and as a one-time medicine man in training.

​Anne Hillerman takes us deep into the heart of the deserts, mountains, and forests of New Mexico and once again explores the lore and rituals of Navajo culture in this gripping entry in her atmospheric crime series.

Source: Anne Hillerman

What do you think? Would you read this one?

I loved Tony Hillerman’s books even before I moved to New Mexico, even meeting him on a few occasions at book-signings in Albuquerque. I was extremely saddened when he passed away. I’d already moved to Thailand by then and it was 2015 before I realized she had started writing novels in the Leaphorn & Chee series (and bringing Officer Manuelito into the forefront).

Cave of Bones is #4 in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series (and #22 in the overall Leaphorn & Chee series).

I stumbled across the first two books in 2015-2016 and read books 5 and 6 soon after each was published. But I was missing the other three until earlier this month. I am now reading Song of the Lion; once that is finished, I will be able to start Cave of Bones. Really looking forward to it!