A review by acarman1
A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman

5.0

A thief of time is a person who steals historical artifacts. This detective novel delves into the crossover between what those thieves and the respectable archaeological community. When an archaeologist goes missing on the quest for ancient Anasazi relics, Lieutenant Leaphorn joins the hunt, if only to distract him from his great grief over the recent loss of his wife. Meanwhile, Jim Chee pursues a thief of time who has also stolen Navajo digging equipment. When the thief's body turns up surrounded by ancient Anasazi skeletons and relics, Chee's case and Leaphorn's case collide. Set against the rich tapestry of the Southwest and involving a deep dive into the underbelly of academia and a brush with a Mormon serial killer, the novel also accomplishes the great personal rapprochement between our heroes as Leaphorn makes peace with Chee's double life as a cop and medicine man and Chee recognizes for the first time how much he wants Leaphorn's respect.