The Shape Shifter

Don’t miss the TV series, Dark Winds, based on the Leaphorn, Chee, & Manuelito novels, now on AMC and AMC+!  

“With The Shape Shifter, Hillerman once again proves himself the master of Southwest mystery fiction, working in a Hemingway-esque tradition of pared-down writing to bring the rugged Southwest into focus.”—Santa Fe New Mexican

Legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is drawn back into the past to solve a cold case that has haunted him for nearly a decade in this atmospheric and twisting mystery infused with the Native American culture and lore of the desert Southwest.

Though he’s officially retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, Joe Leaphorn occasionally helps his former colleagues Jim Chee and Bernie Manuelito crack particularly puzzling crimes. 

But there is that rare unsolved investigation that haunts every lawman, including the legendary Leaphorn. Joe still hasn’t let go of his “last case”—a mystery involving a priceless Navajo rug that was supposedly destroyed in a fire. Nine years later, what looks like the same one-of-a-kind rug turns up in a magazine spread, and the man who showed Joe the photo has gone missing.

With Chee and Bernie on their honeymoon, Leaphorn plunges into the case solo, picking up the threads of this crime he’d long thought impossible to solve. Not only has the passage of time obscured the details, but a murderer long thought dead continues to roam free—and is ready to strike again to keep the past buried.

Since his retirement from the Navajo Tribal Police, Joe Leaphorn has occasionally been enticed to return to work by former colleagues who seek his help when they need to solve a particularly puzzling crime. They ask because Leaphorn, aided by officers Jim Chee and Bernie Manuelito, always delivers.

But this time the problem is with an old case of Joe's—his "last case," unsolved, is one that continues to haunt him. And with Chee and Bernie just back from their honeymoon, Leaphorn is pretty much on his own.

The original case involved a priceless, one-of-a-kind Navajo rug supposedly destroyed in a fire. Suddenly, what looks like the same rug turns up in a magazine spread. And the man who brings the photo to Leaphorn's attention has gone missing. Leaphorn must pick up the threads of a crime he'd thought impossible to untangle. Not only has the passage of time obscured the details, but it also appears that there's a murderer still on the loose.

New York Times bestselling author Tony Hillerman is at the top of his form in this atmospheric and riveting novel set amid the rugged beauty of his beloved Southwest.

“Nicely colored with background about Native American mythology.” - Entertainment Weekly

“A story that goes far beyond solving a whodunit. Hillerman . . . is deeply taken with the Southwest’s intriguing mix of modern and traditional cultures. The vivid exploration of these interests through the characters and the setting of The Shape Shifter make this another of his books likely to cross over from the mystery genre to find wide general popularity.” - Los Angeles Times

“The Shape Shifter has more to offer than mystery.” - Washington Post

“Lt. Joe Leaphorn is living in the past—and how lucky for readers of his tremendous mysteries about the Navajo tribal police that he is . . . astonishing.” - Chicago Tribune

“Enthralling...Only Hillerman could so masterfully connect such disparate elements as an ancient cursed weaving, two stolen buckets of pinon sap and the Vietnam War. The conclusion is sure to startle longtime fans of this acclaimed mystery series.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The kind of first-rate thriller and engaging cultural travelogue readers have come to expect from [Hillerman] . . . Along with the cultural and law enforcement smorgasbords, Mr. Hillerman also gives us finely drawn mysteries built around series characters that readers can identify with.” - Washington Times