Published Works by Tony Hillerman

Tony Hillerman was a prolific writer who produced 37 original works published between 1970 and 2006, many of which were bestsellers and continue to be read today. This comprehensive index includes Hillerman's 30 fiction works (18 of which comprise his famous Navajo mystery series featuring Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee), two children's works, five story compilations, and twelve non-fiction works. The majority of the works, both fiction and nonfiction, concern themselves with the southwestern United States in some way, whether it be including Native American characters and cultural traditions, descriptions of the desert and mountain landscape, or providing details about the day to day life in this particular region. Several of the books have been reissued and published in various editions, including large-print, books-on-tape and DVD, in various languages, and as graphic novels. See Editions for a full list of editions of his works.

Fiction Works

The Blessing Way (1970)

The Blessing Way is the first of Tony Hillerman's mystery/detective genre novels that features Joe Leaphorn of the the Navajo Tribal Police.
The Fly on the Wall (1971)

For his second novel, the author, himself a long-time political reporter [and] Chairman of the University of New Mexico's Department of Journalism, builds a chilling...
Dance Hall of the Dead (1973)

The "Dance Hall of the Dead" is what the Zuni Indians call heaven. This novel is set against a Ramah Navajo and Zuni reservation background. The Zunis,...
Listening Woman (1978)

In Listening Woman Tony Hillerman again captivates the reader with a tale of mystery and suspense In a contemporary setting among the Navajo Indians. Tony Hillerman...
People of Darkness (1980)

This ingenious story fascinatingly combines modern technology and ancient mythology: the religious mysteries of the Navajo Indians are as relevant to the plot as is...
The Dark Wind (1982)

The corpse had been “scalped,” its palms and soles removed after death. Sergeant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police knows immediately he will have his hands full...
The Ghostway (1984)

A car thief, a killer, an infected hogan, a ghost kept from its journey into death's underworld: the search for a lost girl leads Tribal Policeman Jim Chee to a case...
Skinwalkers (1986)

Tony Hillerman's eighth novel brings together Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee, the two Navajo Tribal Policemen of his previous novels. It forces the...
A Thief of Time (1988)

A Thief of Time is the eighth of Tony Hillerman's mystery/detective genre novels that features Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the the Navajo Tribal Police....
Talking God (1989)

Once again a master storyteller weaves a spellbinding tale, evoking in a way only he can the striking beauty of the Southwest and the Navajo people.
Coyote Waits (1990)

Coyote Waits is the tenth Tony Hillerman Navajo Mystery novel and features Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. The coyote in Navajo mythology is an...
Sacred Clowns (1993)

Sacred Clowns is the eleventh Navajo Mystery Novel and features Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police. Leaphorn and Chee have been recently...
Finding Moon (1995)

Finding Moon is a mystery novel set in in Southeast Asia. It features amateur and reluctant detective Moon Mathias, who is searching for his late brother's secret...
The Fallen Man (1996)

Human bones lie on a ledge under the peak of Ship Rock mountain, the remains of a murder victim undisturbed for more than a decade. Three hundred miles across the...
The First Eagle (1998)

The First Eagle is Tony Hillerman's thirteenth Navajo Mystery Novel. This novel features Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police and a retired "...
Hunting Badger (1999)

Hunting Badger is Tony Hillerman's fourteenth Navajo Mystery novel featuring Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee from the Navajo Tribal Police.

The Wailing Wind (2002)

Officer Bernadette Manuelito found the dead man slumped over in the cab of a blue pickup abandoned in a dry gulch off a dirt road, with a rich ex-con's phone number...
The Sinister Pig (2003)

The Sinister Pig is Tony Hillerman's sixteenth Navajo Mystery Novel and features Sergent Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police and a now retired "Legendary Lieutenant...
Skeleton Man (2004)

Skeleton Man is Tony Hillerman's seventeenth Navajo Mystery novel and the second to last book published in this series. This novel features Jim Chee of the Navajo...
The Shape Shifter (2006)

Retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is called upon once again to solve a crime. This time it's Joe's last case, a case that remains...
Spider Woman's Daughter (2013)

First stunning effort by Anne Hillerman in pursuing her father's mystery writing legacy. The author writes the policewoman into the common imagination in the character...
Rock with Wings (2015)

Coming out to critical acclaim in 2015, Rock with Wings is Anne Hillerman's second mystery novel to feature the indomitable detective Bernadette Manuelito, and this...
Song of the Lion (2017)

Writing with a clarity and grace that is all her own, Anne Hillerman depicts the beauty and mystery of Navajo Country and the rituals, myths, and customs of its people in...
Cave of Bones (2018)

New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman brings together modern mystery, Navajo traditions, and the evocative landscape of the desert Southwest in this intriguing entry...

Non-Fiction Works

The Great Taos Bank Robbery (1973)

This is a collection of essays about life in New Mexico as told by Tony Hillerman. The essays cover a range of topics such as: a bank robbery in Taos, the Holy Land...
The Spell of New Mexico (1976)

A rich gathering of essays that evoke the unique and mysterious appeal New Mexico has had for some of the twentieth century's best-known writers. Included are...
Indian Country: American's Sacred Land (1987)

A photo book with color photography of "Indian Country" in New Mexico and Arizona by Béla Kalman and text by Tony Hillerman.
Words, Weather and Wolfmen: Conversations with Tony Hillerman (1989)

A collection of in-depth interviews with the author about his writing process and a Jim Chee short story, illustrated throughout.
Hillerman Country (1991)

This book portrays the unique landscape of the American Southwest in both words and pictures. Hillerman affectionately describes the land of his stories and what...
Talking Mysteries: A Conversation with Tony Hillerman (1991)

In this collection, Tony Hillerman talks about his writing process. This volume contains an autobiographical essay by Hillerman entitled "Mystery, Country Boys and...
The Best of the West: An Anthology of Classic Writing from the American West (1991)

A sterling collection of classic and contemporary fiction and nonfiction evoking the unique spirit of the West and its people, selected and introduced by Tony...
New Mexico, Rio Grande, and Other Essays (1992)

Renowned author Tony Hillerman's original essays written for "New Mexico" and "Rio Grande," plus two new essays, are complemented by the extraordinary images of...
The Tony Hillerman Companion: A Comprehensive Guide to his Life and Work (1994)

This guide to Hillerman's art and the world it portrays offers fascinating revelations about the man's extraordinary life and work. Includes a detailed synopsis of...
Ride the Wind: USA to Africa

The exhilarating true story of the 1992 Transatlantic Challenge flight undertaken by Richard Abruzzo and Troy Bradley in a helium-hot air balloon, with a chile ristra...
Canyon de Chelly (1998)

Canyon de Chelly is a short essay covering the history of Canyon de Chelly that was published by James Cahill in 1998.
Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir (2001)

Seldom Disappointed: A Memoir is Tony Hillerman's autobiographic novel. In this memoir Hillerman discusses how he found his ideas for the plots to his novels and more...
Kilroy Was There: A GI's War in Photographs (2004)

In this photo-book Tony Hillerman gives narration to dramatic photographs of the horrors and triumphs of World War II as taken by Frank Kessler. The black and white...
Tony Hillerman's Landscapes: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn

Step into the world of bestselling author Tony Hillerman’s novels with Tony Hillerman’s Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn, a stunning collection of the...
Gardens of Santa Fe

Gardens of Santa Fe is a lush, visual extravaganza of the city's many floral-filled spaces of private oasis.
Tony Hillerman's Landscapes: Southwest Map and Guide

The companion guide to Tony Hillerman's Landscapes: On the Road with an American Legend. Published by University of New Mexico Press, eloquent prose descriptions...

Guides

An Insider's Guide to Santa Fe

An essential companion guide to Santa Fe art, culture, and history.
Santa Fe Flavors

Vibrant and well-illustrated compilation of recipes for Southwest cuisine, geared for the novice.

Children's Works

The Boy Who Made Dragonfly (1972)

The Boy Who Made Dragonfly is a retelling of a Zuni myth that was first recorded a century ago by anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing. This is a children's book,...
Done in the Sun: Solar Projects for Children

Sweet, slim volume of accessible solar projects and experiments for children illustrated by Mina Yamashita and published by Santa Fe Sunstone Press.
Children's Guide to Santa Fe

Child-friendly and invaluable guide, for townies and weary travelers alike, to a range of fun and affordable family activities in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and beyond.
Buster Mesquite's Cowboy Band (2001)

This is Tony Hillerman's second children's work, and his only picture book. It features a cast of characters who are all Southwestern animals. This book was...

Anthologies

The Joe Leaphorn Mysteries (1989)

The Joe Leaphorn Mysteries is an anthology of the first three novels from Tony Hillerman's Navajo Mystery Series including: The Blessing Way (1970),...
The Jim Chee Mysteries (1990)

The "Jim Chee Mysteries" is an anthology of the first three novels from the Navajo Mystery Series featuring Officer Jim Chee including: People of Darkness (1980), The...
Dům, kde tančí mrtví ; Lidé temnot (1992)

This is the first Eastern European edition of a Tony Hillerman novel. This edition is a compilation of Dance Hall of the Dead and People of Darkness,...
Leaphorn & Chee: Three Classic Mysteries (1992)

Leaphorn & Chee Three Classic Mysteries Featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee is an anthology of three novels featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim...
Der Wind des Bösen and Schüsse aus der Steinzeit (1997)==The Dark Wind and Dance Hall of the Dead [German, paperback, 1982 & 1973]

This is a German compilation of two of Tony Hillerman's novels: The Dark Wind (1982) and Dance Hall of the Dead (1973).
Leaphorn, Chee, and More (2005)

Leaphorn, Chee, and More is an anthology of three different novels featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee from Tony Hillerman's Navajo Mystery Series. This...

Edited Collections

The Mysterious West (1994)

Edited by Tony Hillerman, the Southwest's foremost suspense writer, this first-ever collection of mystery stories set in the West contains 20 original entries by such...
The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories (1996)

In The Oxford Book of American Detective Stories, Tony Hillerman and Rosemary Herbert bring together thirty-three tales that illuminate both the evolution of crime...

News Articles

Who Has Sovereignty Over Mother Earth?

From the Archive New York Times : In 1997, the novelist Tony Hillerman wrote that a fight over reservations’ sovereighty was pitting “city Indians” against traditionalists.

Magazine Articles

Meet Dr. Frankenstein Shuster

Hillerman, Tony. "Meet Dr. Frankenstein Shuster." New Mexico 38, no. 8 (1960): 24-31.
Birthday for a College

Hillerman, Tony. "Birthday for a College." New Mexico 42, no. 2 (1964): 2-7, 31.
The Adventure of Archology: A Long Search for the First Americans

Hillerman, Tony. "The Adventure of Archaeology: A Long Search for the First Americans." TRUE Magazine 48, no. 361 (1967): 55-57, 68.
The Budville Murders: Reardon Rules in Action

Hillerman, Tony. "The Budville Murders: Reardon Rules in Action." The Quill: The Magazine for Journalists , no. 10 (1968): 12-15.
The Great Taos Bank Robbery

Hillerman, Tony. "The Great Taos Bank Robbery." New Mexico 48, nos. 5-6 (1970): 16-21.
They Survived the Trap

Hillerman, Tony. "They Survived the Trap." New Mexico 48, nos. 7-8 (1970): 20-23.
The Czech That Bounced: How the Folsom was saved to history

Hillerman, Tony. "The Czech That Bounced: How Folsom was saved to history." New Mexico 50, nos. 1-2 (1971): 25-27.
King's Dilemma: Save Our Land? Save Our Youth?

Hillerman, Tony. "King's Dilemma: Save Our Land? Save Our Youth?" New Mexico 50, nos. 1-2 (1972): 14-15.
The Conversion of Cletus Cyprian Xywanda

Hillerman, Tony. "The Conversion of Cletus Cyprian Xywanda." New Mexico 51, nos. 11-12 (1973): 28-30.
The Very Heart of Our Country: New Mexico's Navajoland

Hillerman, Tony. "The Very Heart of Our Country: New Mexico's Navajoland." New Mexico 51, nos. 3-4 (1973): 6-15.
The Bosque del Apache

Hillerman, Tony. "The Bosque del Apache." New Mexico 52, nos. 9-10 (1974): 18-22.

Going... Going...

Hillerman, Tony. "Going... Going..." New Mexico 54, no. 2 (1976): 28-31, 36-37.
Dinetah, If I Forget You...

Hillerman, Tony. "Dinetah, If I Forget You..." Arizona Highways 55, no. 8 (1979): 4-9.
Speaking of Weather: Tall Tales of New Mexico's Weather

Hillerman, Tony. "Speaking of Weather: Tall Tales of New Mexico's Weather." New Mexico 58, no. 12 (1980): 74-77.
The Hopi Migrations: Journey to the Center of the Universe

Hillerman, Tony. "The Hopi Migrations: Journey to the Center of the Universe" Arizona Highways 56, no. 9 (1980): 8-15.
The Truer Sound of Oku Pin and Dzil Dotlizi

Hillerman, Tony. "The Truer Sound of Oku Pin and Dzil Dotlizi." Century: A Southwest Journal of Observation and Opinion 2, no. 6 (1981): 11-12
A Town to Restore the Spirit - Taos in Summer (1984)

Hillerman, Tony. "A Town to Restore the Spirit - Taos in Summer." National Geographic Traveler 1, no. 2 (1984): 18-27.
A Ballooning Interest: Albuquerque's Hot-Air Fiesta

Hillerman, Tony. "A Ballooning Interest: Albuquerque's Hot-Air Fiesta." National Geographic Traveler 11, no. 2 (1985): 142-149
A Strange Encounter with the Enemy

Hillerman, Tony. "A Strange Encounter with the Enemy." Reader's Digest (1986): 55-61.
Building Without Blueprints

Hillerman, Tony. "Building Without Blueprints." The Writer 99, no. 2 (1986): 7-10.
City of Collectors

Hillerman, Tony. "City of Collectors." Almanac 19, no. 4 (1987): 6.
The Mystique of the Land

Hillerman, Tony. "The Mystique of the Land." New Mexico 65, no.1 (1987): 36-45.
The Reader as Partner

Hillerman, Tony. "The Reader As Partner." The Writer (1987) 100, no. 10: 14-16
A Canyon, an Egret... and a Mystery

Hillerman, Tony. "A Canyon, an Egret ...and a Mystery." Audubon 7, no. 89 (1989): 30-36.
Sacred Ground: Land of the Navajo and Hopi

Hillerman, Tony. "Sacred Ground: Land of the Navajo and Hopi." National Geographic Traveler 6, no. 3 (1989): 44-61.
The Witch, Yazzie, and the Nine of Clubs

Hillerman, Tony. "The Witch, Yazzie, and the Nine of Clubs." AZ (1989): 48-51, 94-98.
A Canyon, An Egret, and A Book

Hillerman, Tony. "The story of how a novel evolved... A Canyon, An Egret, and A Book." The Writer 104, no. 1 (1991): 9-12, 45.
Chee's Witch

Hillerman, Tony. "Chee's Witch." Southwest Airlines Spirit (1992): 34-35, 48, 53-55.
Hollowed Ground

Hillerman, Tony. "Hollowed Ground." Chicago Tribune Magazine 2 (1992): 10-13.
Navajos call them Skinwalkers

Hillerman, Tony. "Navajos call them Skinwalkers." New Mexico 70, no. 7 (1992): 66-69.
Canyon de Chelly, Arizona (1993)

Hillerman, Tony. "Canyon de Chelly, Arizona." National Geographic Traveler 10, no. 3 (1993): 66-75.
First Lead Gasser

Hillerman, Tony. "First Lead Gasser." Ellery Queen (1993): 4-14.
Our Own Holy Land

Hillerman, Tony. "Our Own Holy Land." Louis L'amour (1993): 83-89.
The Wild West Will Never Die

Hillerman, Tony. "The Wild West Will Never Die." LIFE (1993): 38-49.
NM Report: A True Crime Story

Englade, Ken and Tony Hillerman. "A True Crime Story: A Tragic Moment in New Mexico: Reflections on a Nation Gripped by Violence." Modern Maturity 38, no. 1 (1995): 22-31.
Chee's Witch

Hillerman, Tony. "Chee's Witch." Native Peoples 2, no. 1 (1998): 32-39.
Conjuring Up Itterswiller: Memories of an Alsatian Vineyard

Hillerman, Tony. "Conjuring Up Itterswiller: Memories of an Alsatian Vineyard." appellation (1998): 32-33.

Palawan

Hillerman, Tony. "Palawan." Islands 18, no. 5 (1998): 70-75.
Faces of the Native Spirit

Hillerman, Tony. "Faces of the Native Spirit." Lands' End Direct Merchants (1999): 50-54.

Offer It Up

Hillerman, Tony. "Offer It Up." Portland: the University of Portland Magazine 20, no. 4 (2001): 18-19.
A Word to Worried Parents

Hillerman, Tony. "A Word to Worried Parents." Sooner Magazine 23, no. 1 (2002): 19-21.

Kilroy Was There

Hillerman, Tony. "Kilroy Was there." The Kent State University Press (2004): 1.
Mile-High Multiculturalism

Hillerman, Tony. "Mile-High Multiculturalism." Smithsonian 37, no. 9 (2006): 18-22.
Building Without Blueprint (Reprint)

Hillerman, Tony. "Building Without Blueprints." The Writer 120, no. 5 (2007): 25-26.
Tony Hillerman's New Mexico

Hillerman, Anne and Don Strel. "Tony Hillerman's New Mexico." New Mexico 88, no. 2 (2010): 24-29.