"The Sacred Bridge"

Anne Hillerman is the bestselling author of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series. The Sacred Bridge is her seventh novel in the series, which was created by her father, Tony Hillerman. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she is at work on her next novel.

Hillerman applied the Page 69 Test to The Sacred Bridge and reported the following:

This excerpt [below left, inset] from The Sacred Bridge catches my two main characters, Sgt. Jim Chee and Officer Bernadette Manuelito, in one of the frequent telephone conversations they have in the novel. They are on the phone more than usual because I have separated them geographically, each solving complex crimes many miles apart. Chee is at Lake Powell, where he hiked to Rainbow Bridge-- a sacred place for many Southwestern tribes. His spiritual batteries re-charged, he stays on because he discovers a body floating face down in the icy water. Meanwhile, Bernie goes undercover to investigate what looks like an illegal cannabis operation. The excerpt also illustrates Bernie’s ongoing source of worry, her beloved and difficult Mama.

I expect that browsers who opened the book here should be curious enough to read on. Before and after this moment of calm, they’ll find gunshots, fires, kidnappings, and the other suspicious and sinister behavior expected in a mystery.

One thing I enjoyed about writing The Sacred Bridge was the challenge of balancing the parallel stories, weaving in vivid descriptions of this breath-taking, real-life scenery, and finding spots in the mystery for humor along with the necessary tension to keep the readers’ interest. The book also deals with some real-life issues including the tragic problem of missing and murdered indigenous women. The potential of cannabidiol products to help those with rare diseases, and the seemingly unavoidable conflict between holding a job and spending time with people we love all add to the mix.

This is the twenty-fifth book in the Leaphorn/Chee/Manuelito series, and I believe my Dad would be proud to see the characters he loved still at work!

Learn more about the book and author at Anne Hillerman's website.

My Book, The Movie: Spider Woman's Daughter.

The Page 69 Test: Spider Woman's Daughter.

The Page 69 Test: Song of the Lion.

The Page 69 Test: The Tale Teller.

Q&A with Anne Hillerman.

--Marshal Zeringue