Well, I do have to admit I was a bit disappointed in Hillerman's last novel, but he is in his 80's and in not the best of health, so I give him a little leeway. I love his main characters, Joe Leaphorn and Jm Chee. I identify so strongly with a lot of the spiritualism he writes about and love the country most of his novels take place in. His works have always engaged me and I found several of the women characters to be much more than "cardboard." I think of his novels as fast, good reads and I greatly respect him as a person esp. considering the honour the Dinee/Navajo Nation have bestowed on him.