Coyote Waits

By Tony Hillerman

Officer Jim Chee waits to have a cup of coffee with Delbert Nez, unaware that the other officer has been killed.  Chee arrives on the scene in time to pull Nez from his burning patrol car, then find an old drunk walking in the road with a bottle and the murder weapon.  Feeling guilty about not helping his fellow officer, Chee investigates the case, trying to find out why the old man would kill Nez.

Lt. Joe Leaphorn is also helping the suspect's family, who thinks the old man is innocent.  But if he didn't kill him, who did?

The only reason I would give for NOT liking this book is that Chee has such bad intuition about romance.  I know he lives out in the middle of nowhere, but why crush on someone that works in the defender's office?  They will always be on opposite sides!  It distracted me from the mystery, because I kept thinking "Here we go again -- another hopeless mess like his last girlfriend."  I guess that's why he's also stupid enough not to provide backup to another officer.