Anne Hillerman

Last updated
Anne Hillerman
20190831RS0041 (48685007292) (cropped).jpg
Hillerman in 2019
Born (1949-10-02) October 2, 1949 (age 74)
Lawton, Oklahoma, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
EducationJournalism
Alma mater University of New Mexico
Notable awardsSpur Award for Best First Novel, 2014
SpouseDon Strel
Relatives Tony Hillerman
Marie Unzner
Website
Anne Hillerman

Anne Hillerman (born October 2, 1949) is an American journalist from New Mexico, and a New York Times best-selling author. The daughter of novelist Tony Hillerman, she continued her father's series of Joe Leaphorn-Jim Chee novels following his death, adding officer Bernadette Manuelito as a full partner in solving the crimes.

Contents

Biography

She is the daughter of novelist Tony Hillerman and his wife Marie Unzner, and was married to photographer Don Strel who died in 2020. Anne has served as arts editor and editorial page editor, as well as writer, for The Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper and the Albuquerque Journal . [1] Her first books were primarily about travel, local New Mexico points of interest, and restaurants. She and Strel collaborated on Santa Fe Flavors: Best Restaurants and Recipes and Gardens of Santa Fe. [2]

Leaphorn and Chee novels

Tony Hillerman, who died in 2008, was best known for his Leaphorn and Chee mystery novels. [3] Tony Hillerman's Landscapes: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn was begun by Anne before his death, and includes his comments. With Anne gleaning locale details from her father's novels, and her husband taking the photographs, she intended it as a book to draw in readers of his novels, a guide for the reader to visualize the New Mexico and Arizona sites from the perspective of the two main protagonists Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. [4]

After her father's death, Anne continued the Leaphorn and Chee series, but Leaphorn's involvement is curtailed in the first chapter of the first book, Spider Woman's Daughter. Leaphorn is the victim of an assassination attempt, spends half of the book in a coma, and later was severely limited in his ability to communicate. Chee and Bernadette Manuelito are the crime solvers from that book forward in the series, with Leaphorn mentioned sporadically in the background but never fully active in the investigations. Spider Woman's Daughter garnered the 2014 Spur Award for Best First Novel from the Western Writers of America, and landed on the New York Times Best Seller list. [5] [6] [7]

She followed that with a change in the series, Rock With Wings, [8] Song of the Lion [9] [10] and Cave of Bones, released April 2018, all of which have also been on the New York Times Best Seller list. [11] Hillerman has continued to publish several more adventures in the series.

Bibliography

General subjects
Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee
Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Hillerman</span> American writer (1925–2008)

Anthony Grove Hillerman was an American author of detective novels and nonfiction works, best known for his mystery novels featuring Navajo Nation Police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Several of his works have been adapted for film and television.

Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is a fictional character created by the twentieth-century American mystery writer Tony Hillerman. He is one of the two officers of the Navajo Tribal Police who are featured in a number of Hillerman's novels. The other officer is Jim Chee.

Jim Chee is one of two Navajo Tribal Police detectives in a series of mystery novels by Tony Hillerman. Unlike his superior Joe Leaphorn, the "Legendary Lieutenant", Chee is a staunch believer in traditional Navajo culture; indeed, he is studying to be a traditional healer at the same time that he is a police officer.

<i>The Blessing Way</i> 1970 novel by Tony Hillerman

The Blessing Way is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the first in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series. First published in 1970, it introduces the character of officer Joe Leaphorn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navajo Nation Police</span> Law enforcement agency of the Navajo Nation

The Navajo Nation Police is the law enforcement agency on the Navajo Nation in the Southwestern United States. It is under the Navajo Division of Public Safety. It is headed by a Chief of Police, six Police Captains and eight Police Lieutenants. It includes: Internal Affairs, Patrol, K-9 Unit, Police diving, Tactical Operations Team, Traffic Unit, Fiscal management, Recruitment, and Training Divisions. The Navajo Nation Police are responsible for seven districts: Chinle, Crownpoint, Dilkon, Kayenta, Shiprock, Tuba City, and Window Rock. There are also several substations in each district ranging from one-man substations or up to five officers each. Currently, there are 210 sworn police officers, 28 criminal investigators, and 279 civilians acting as support staff for the department. There are approximately 1.9 police officers per 1,000 people and one officer is responsible for patrolling 70 square miles (180 km2) of reservation land. The Navajo Nation Police are funded by federal contracts and grants and general Navajo Nation funds. This police department is one of only two large Native American police Departments with more than 100 sworn officers in the United States.

<i>The Fallen Man</i> 1996 novel by Tony Hillerman

The Fallen Man is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the twelfth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 1996.

<i>Listening Woman</i> 1978 book by Tony Hillerman

Listening Woman is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the third in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 1978. The novel features Joe Leaphorn.

<i>The Ghostway</i> 1984 novel by Tony Hillerman

The Ghostway is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the sixth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series. It was first published in 1984 and features Jim Chee.

<i>A Thief of Time</i> 1988 novel by Tony Hillerman

A Thief of Time is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the eighth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 1988. It was adapted for television as part of the PBS Mystery! series in 2004.

<i>Skinwalkers</i> (2002 film) 2002 American mystery television film

Skinwalkers is a 2002 mystery television film based on the novel of the same name by Tony Hillerman, one of his series of mysteries set against contemporary Navajo life in the Southwest. It features an all-Native cast, with Adam Beach and Wes Studi playing officers Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn. It was produced as part of the PBS Mystery! series, filmed on the Navajo reservation and directed by Chris Eyre.

<i>Coyote Waits</i> 1990 novel by Tony Hillerman

Coyote Waits is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the tenth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 1990.

<i>The First Eagle</i> 1998 novel by Tony Hillerman

The First Eagle is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the thirteenth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 1998.

<i>Hunting Badger</i> 1999 novel by Tony Hillerman

Hunting Badger is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the fourteenth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 1999.

<i>The Wailing Wind</i> Book by Tony Hillerman

The Wailing Windis a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the fifteenth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 2002. It is a New York Times best-seller.

<i>The Sinister Pig</i> Book by Tony Hillerman

The Sinister Pig is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the sixteenth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 2003. It was a New York Times best-seller.

<i>Skeleton Man</i> (novel) 2004 novel by Tony Hillerman

Skeleton Man is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the seventeenth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 2004. It was a New York Times best-seller

<i>The Shape Shifter</i> 2006 novel by Tony Hillerman

The Shape Shifter is a crime novel by American writer Tony Hillerman, the eighteenth in the Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series, first published in 2006. It was a New York Times best-seller and the last Chee/Leaphorn novel by Hillerman published before Hillerman's death on October 26, 2008.

<i>Song of the Lion</i> 2017 mystery novel by Anne Hillerman

Song of the Lion is a 2017 release and the third Leaphorn/Chee mystery written by Anne Hillerman, daughter of the series originator Tony Hillerman. The title is derived from Navajo culture, which speaks of a cougar, Náshdóítsoh, who protects the Navajo people. After her father's 2008 death, Anne continued the series. The Navajo Nation on which the story takes place, is a geographical area that spans 27,000 square miles over the connecting borders of the US states of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. According to the NN itself, it encompasses 500 Indian tribes on 318 reservations.

<i>Spider Womans Daughter</i> 2013 novel by Anne Hillerman

Spider Woman's Daughter is a crime novel by American writer Anne Hillerman, released in 2013. It is the first [[Leaphorn/Chee mystery written by her, the daughter of the series originator Tony Hillerman. The title of the book is derived from Native American legends. Spider Woman was the one who taught the Navajo people how to weave. Officer Bernadette Manuelito is the daughter of a weaver, and married to Officer Jim Chee. He nicknamed her "Spider Woman's Daughter" for her ability to weave together a complex array of evidence to solve a crime. In her debut effort to continue the series, Anne Hillerman has given the reader an exceptionally detailed plot and long list of characters. One reviewer at Goodreads.com counted 46 named characters.

<i>Dark Winds</i> 2022 American psychological thriller television series

Dark Winds is an American psychological thriller television series created by Graham Roland based on the Leaphorn & Chee novel series by Tony Hillerman. It premiered on AMC and AMC+ on June 12, 2022, with the first season consisting of six episodes. After its premiere, the series was renewed for a six-episode second season, which premiered on July 30, 2023. In September 2023, the series was renewed for a third season.

References

  1. Cowles, Gregory (April 21, 2017). "A Daughter Continues Her Father's Legacy, and His Series". The New York Times. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  2. "Anne Hillerman and Don Strel Book Launch Celebration". The Santa Fe New Mexican  via Newspapers.com (subscription required). April 2, 2010. p. Z013. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  3. "Tony Hillerman's Landscape". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  4. Brown, Ann (May 10, 2015). "In Her Own Write: Anne Hillerman Continues Stories of Dad's Characters". AZ Daily Star. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  5. "Spur Award Winners". Western Writers of America. 12 May 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  6. "Faces and Places". The Santa Fe New Mexican  via Newspapers.com (subscription required). March 23, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  7. "Anne Hillerman guest speaker for Rudolfo & Patricia Anaya Lecture". UNM Newsroom. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  8. "Anne Hillerman to speak at Sage Cafe". Las Cruces Sun-News. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  9. "The New York Times Best Seller list" (PDF). April 30, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  10. Kinney, Mike Raccoon Eyes. "Anne Hillerman: Song Of The Lion- A Legacy Series". Indybay. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  11. Widhalm, Shelley (September 2, 2017). "Loveland readers turn focus to 'Spider Woman's Daughter'". Reporter-Herald. Retrieved January 24, 2018.