| Plot Summary of The Sinister Pig |
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"The Sinister Pig
Tony Hillerman
Harper Torch, 2003, 318 PP
ISBN: 0-06-109878-7
The Department of the Interior is unable to account for forty or more billion dollars worth of royalties that should have been paid to the Native American tribes from whose lands oil, gas and coal have been extracted. This is but one of many Washington scandals that keeps accountants, lawyers and Congressmen busy but, with no resolution in sight, is not a burning issue to the members of the tribes in northern New Mexico and Arizona who should have been the recipients of these royalties.
But when the murdered body of an unidentified, middle aged white male is found in a remote area of the Navajo reservation near the Jicarilla Apache natural gas field, Sergeant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police suspects there might be a connection. His suspicion that the murder is connected to something very big and sensitive is confirmed when FBI headquarters in Washington takes charge of the case and refuses to involve any local law enforcement including its own resident agent in northern New Mexico.
But Sergeant Chee continues to investigate the murder along with his former boss and friend, retired Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, who becomes involved when a reporter from U.S. News contacts him to discuss a possible connection between the murder and the missing royalty funds. Meanwhile in the southern part of New Mexico, Border Patrol Officer Bernadette Manuelito, a former Navajo Tribal Police officer and girlfriend of Sergeant Chee, has uncovered some suspicious activities in the desert near the Mexican border which may be related to the murder and missing royalty funds.
Crime and high level official corruption, along with competition and turf battles among the numerous competing law enforcement agencies – FBI, DEA, U.S. Customs, Homeland Security, BLM enforcement division, Navajo Tribal Police, New Mexico State Police and local county sheriff – provide non-stop action up to the surprising conclusion. "
Chuck Nugent, Resident Scholar
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"The FBI are suspecting that a pipeline system in New Mexico is being used to bypass paying royalty money into the Interior Department's trust fund for the Indians. In fact, the embezzling has been going on for a long time - to the tune of billions of dollars. They send a 'spy' to investigate. When this well-dressed man, stripped of identification, is found dead, the FBI tells Jim Chee, a sergeant with the Navajo Tribal Police, that it's a hunting accident.
He finds this very puzzling. He becomes more suspicious himself of the pipelines and pumping stations in the gas field.
Meanwhile, Bernie, the love of his life, has left the Tribal Police to join the Customs Patrol. Jim Chee misses her. He suspects she left her job on his squad because of him - scared of getting too close? Bernie tackles her new job with the same competence she showed with the Tribal Police. She notices an exotic game ranch near the Mexican border and takes photographs. When her boss finds out she was there, he gets agitated, orders her not to go there, and takes her photos. Plus he wants a photograph of her. When Bernie later finds out her photo is being distributed among drug dealers, she gets suspicious - of her boss, and of several other people.
Soon she is in terrible danger; someone wants her dead. Jim Chee and his former lieutenant, Joe Leaphorn, do some more investigating, and start putting pieces together. A powerful Washington businessman orders his pilot to kill Bernie. He is actually using the pipeline for a massive illegal drug business.
A Mexican smuggler working for him and Winsor's pilot realize that killing Bernie is not necessarily going to help them in any way. They tip her off and, in an ensuing struggle, Winsor is the one who gets shot. Jim Chee finds Bernie and takes her home.
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Tena van't Foort, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Sinister Pig |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- very upbeat
How difficult to spot villain?
- Moderately Challenging
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 70%
Kind of investigator
- American Indian mystery
Any non-mystery subplot?
- squabbling with fellow investigator(s)/police boss
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use?
- a little
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- business executive
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
- an above average amount
Motive of antagonist
- power
The antagonists are:
- Drug kingpins
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
- mean, arrogant
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
Desert?
Yes
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 1
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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