In "The Skeleton Man," Hillerman's latest in the series, the author takes a compelling (albeit somewhat melodramatic) story--a plane crash 50 years ago over the Grand Canyon, a missing cache of diamonds that somehow start to emerge, and dead bodies.

Mix in the subplots of Leaphorn himself and Jim Chee's love life, we have a story that is fast off the starting blocks. It should be enough to carry the book full force. Alas, while much of the action is compelling, the landscape and atmosphere effective, "The Skeleton Man" remains bare-bones and by the end seems to come unglued. Perhaps the Leaphorn/Chee stories
have come to an end....as not much new is happening (well, Chee gets married--so it's good to get THAT out of the way, as he'd been whining for the last few novels!). Maybe a new angle, or even a new series--certainly no one is tired of the Native American approach.

All this said, Hillerman fans will, no doubt, enjoy the adventure of reading "The Skeleton Man." Hillerman is Hillerman and a lapse in excitement and accomplishment does not mean he's to be written off. The book was worth the read and, as always, I won't hesitate to read future stories, with or without his famed duo.