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Tony Hillerman is a national treasure, having achieved critical acclaim, chart-topping popularity, and a sterling reputation as an ambassador between whites and Indians. Fortunately, he's also still a marvelous writer, much imitated but never equaled. The Sinister Pig--his 16th novel to feature Navajo cops Joe Leaphorn and/or Jim Chee--isn't his best book, but it's still a pleasure from the first page to the last. Its plot is almost too complex to summarize, involving the mysterious shooting of an ex-CIA agent, financial shenanigans around oil-and-gas royalties, disappearing congressional interns, exotic pipeline technology, and the cross-border trade in both drugs and illegal aliens. Officer Bernadette Manuelito has left the Navajo Tribal Police for the U.S. Customs Service, patrolling the barren borderlands of southern New Mexico. There, her curiosity and smarts land her in a growing peril that provides much of the book's suspense--and invokes the protective instincts of Sergeant Chee, who still hasn't quite been able to tell her how he feels about her. It's impossible not to care about Hillerman's exquisitely drawn repertory characters, nor to overlook the pleasures of his beautifully crafted and relaxed-seeming prose. In the midst of these virtues are a few warts: several sections are a little flat or awkward, and the villainous plutocrat behind it all is short on plausibility (though lots of fun to hate). But even a lesser Hillerman is still a richer, more satisfying read than most authors' top stuff. --Nicholas H. Allison
 Customer Reviews 
Don't Start with This One!
Rating: 2
I really love Hillerman's books. He is one of my favorite authors. That said, everyone lets a stinker once in a while, and this is Hillermans. My first impression was that Hillerman had gotten so old and feeble that he couldn't write any more. This impression was later corrected, he's as good as ever. So, if you like Hillerman, don't expect much from this one. If you have not read Hillerman, don't start here - please. He is a very good author and all of this other books are far superior to this one.
Hillerman is amazing.
Rating: 5
This is the first book I read of Hillerman's and I loved it. I have started at the beginning of this delightful series and Hillerman does not disappoint. Great read.
Nothing special
Rating: 2
The best I can say is the audio book kept me awake on a long drive. The book barely resembles the early Hillerman ones I remember, and is sort of a mix of generic Crichton-Grisham political/crime suspense with a little romance and a little New Mexico flavor thrown in for old-times sake.
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