"The Flute Can Boy was the first to see it. He stopped and stared. ‘Somebody lost a boot,’ he said. Even from where he stood, at least fifteen yards farther from down the trail, Albert Lomatewa could see that nobody had lost the boot.’ These are the first four sentences of Tony Hillerman’s novel "The Dark Wind." Instantly, the reader is swept away into the mystery that leads to a mutilated body found in the desert. One of the biggest problems is that the body is that of a Navajo discovered on Hopi Indian land.
The novel is part of a series by Tony Hillerman. "The Dark Wind" is the second book in the series. The novels involve a continual conflict between two Indian tribes, the Navajo and the Hopi. The problem is concerned with the ownership of desert lands inhabited by the two tribes. Hillerman created two main characters that intertwine within the novel series. They are Navajo policeman Jim Chee and his boss, Joe Leaphorn.
Officer Jim Chee, working with the Navajo Tribal Police of Arizona, is confronted with seemingly insurmountable problems. "The Dark Wind" is filled with mystery and intrigue. Plots and subplots deal with revenge and political involvement. There is a touch of witchcraft. Plus, there are the formidable drug dealers and the hard-working FBI agents. As well, there is the constant tension between the Anglos, the Navajos and the Hopis.
"The Dark Wind" is a real thriller. It was made into a popular movie, starring Lou Diamond Phillips as Officer Chee.
