Sacred Clowns is one of Tony Hillerman's most thoughtful Leaphorn-and-Chee novels, turning on a death during a Hopi koshare (sacred clown) ceremony and on Jim Chee's struggle to reconcile Navajo justice with Anglo law. Hillerman uses the mystery to explore questions of cultural belonging and personal conscience, and Chee's courtship of Janet Pete gives the book an emotional warmth alongside its puzzle. The dedication to the students and volunteers of St. Bonaventure Indian Mission reflects the author's long ties to the region.
Published by HarperCollins in 1993, the book belongs to the run that cemented Hillerman as the defining voice of Southwestern crime fiction. This copy bears the "First Edition" statement, though its number line indicates a later printing rather than the first. A sound hardcover of a beloved Chee novel, set squarely in the Navajo and Pueblo country Hillerman knew so well, remains a satisfying thing to document and shelve.
Stated 'First Edition,' but a fourth printing
Like our copy of The First Eagle, this one states 'First Edition' but the number line ends in 4 — the fourth printing. The lowest digit is the tell. This is a HarperCollins book; see how HarperCollins states its first printings.
| Author | Tony Hillerman |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 1993 |
| ISBN | 0-06-016767-X |
| Edition | Stated 'First Edition,' but a fourth printing |
| Condition | Hardcover in dust jacket, light wear. |
| Topic | New Mexico / Navajo mystery fiction |
Photographs © New Mexico Literacy Project, licensed CC BY 4.0 — reuse with attribution. This is an identification and provenance record of a real donation; no appraisal or valuation is offered.
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