also contains plenty of action and surprises, along with dynamic central characters struggling to live in the modern world without sacrificing their culture. Recommended. In an interview with the author about his writing style and method for devising plots, Jeff Guinn (of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram) says that "Hunting Badger . . . continues to hold a high place on every national best-seller list. It moves at a brisk pace and is characterized, as always, by the author's insights into tribal culture. It bespeaks the care Hillerman took to make it at least a little different from previous Leaphorn/Chee adventures." Gary Dretzka, writing in the Chicago Tribune, notes that the "novel was inspired by the intensive manhunt that followed the murder of Officer Dale Claxton on May 4, 1998, near Cortez, Colo., and the subsequent wounding of three other police officers. . . . To this day, Navajo tribal police shake their heads in wonder at how badly botched the whole thing was. That scenario is repeated in Hunting Badger, only with more satisfying results." Dretzka explains that "Hillerman stages the manhunt in some of the most picturesque country in the Southwest and, as usual, easily transports the reader to the edge of a high mesa from which to observe the mayhem. Besides introducing a few new legends and colorful residents of the Nation, the author also has a good bit of fun playing matchmaker. This is Hillerman at his best." References Bibliography External links Hunting Badger at Tony Hillerman Portal 1999 American novels Novels by Tony Hillerman HarperCollins books Novels set in Arizona Novels set in New Mexico