Spider Woman's Daughter by Ann Hillerman **** (of 5)

Anne Hillerman's father, Tony Hillerman, wrote 18 mysteries set in the Navajo nation of the American southwest.  His stories were respectful of Native American culture, strongly evocative of the landscape of the southwest, and award-winning mysteries.  When he died in 2008, he and his lead characters were sorely missed.  It is no small feat, therefore, for his daughter Anne to continue the series, but she does so, in this the first in her series, with aplomb.  The Legendary Lieutenant Leaphorn (he is always referred to by the Navajo Police force as The Legendary Lieutenant), around whom so many of the elder Hillerman's mysteries circulate, is shot in the opening scene. Spider Woman's Daughter is a mystery about who shot the author's father's main character.  Elevating Detective Jim Chee and his now-wife Officer Bernadette Manuelito to the lead allows them to find their own footing in the tribal detective world now that the aging Leaphorn is not only retired but additionally injured, perhaps mortally.  Chee and Bernie blossom as they track ancient Indian pottery and tempting leads across Arizona and New Mexico's wide expanses.  The mystery is not as strong as it might be, but the characters, dialogue, humor, impressive countryside, native culture, and opportunity to learn Indian history and politics are as rich as ever.