As in his earlier novels, Hillerman interweaves the beliefs and customs of the Navajo throughout the plot of Skinwalkers, creating a tapestry of culture that forms the backdrop to the often violent and puzzling incidents that demand the investigative talents of Leaphorn and Chee. Incorporated into the narrative are clan tales, genealogies, local folklore, even words and phrases in the Navajo tongue — all elements that lend authenticity to the novel and depth to the characters.

Hillerman also uses interior monologue — in this novel to characterize a desperate mother whose baby is dying from a congenital defect and to provide motivation for Jim Chee's often impulsive decisions — and impressionistic description — to evoke the dry beauty of the desert, the blackness of night, the smell of rain over a butte. Most characteristic of Hillerman's prose is its evocation of locale, its creation of the ambiance and...