May 11, 2023 -- This week’s guest on REPORT FROM SANTA FE is New York Times best-selling author Anne Hillerman, discussing her new book "The Way of the Bear," the eighth book in her acclaimed Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito series of mysteries.

Anne is the daughter of novelist Tony Hillerman. After her father's death in 2008, she continued his series of Joe Leaphorn-Jim Chee novels to help keep the stories he created alive, by putting his characters to work solving new crimes. One of his minor characters, Navajo police officer Bernadette Manuelito, became Anne Hillerman’s central protagonist and a full partner in solving the crimes.

The Hillerman books have expanded into a new television series on AMC called “Dark Winds” based on the characters Anne and her father created. The first season's episodes were inspired by Tony Hillerman’s Listening Woman and People of Darkness. The production assembled an excellent team of indigenous scriptwriters and actors to develop the plots and dialogue for the show. The episodes capture New Mexico and use the Navajo Nation as real locations and settings.

Anne's awards include the New Mexico Department of Agriculture Rounders Award “to honor those who live, promote and articulate the Western way of life.” She also won the prestigious Frank Waters Award for literary excellence, and the Spur Award for the Best First Mystery from the Western Writers of America.