The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman

The Fallen Man is a mystery novel in Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee series, featuring Joe Leaphorn (recently retired) and Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. The novel revolves around a skeleton found on a remote mountain peak, leading to an investigation that uncovers a decades-old mystery tied to greed, land disputes, and Navajo traditions.
 
A skeleton is discovered high on Ship Rock, a sacred Navajo landmark. The remains are identified as Richard Stratton, a wealthy rancher who mysteriously vanished eleven years ago. His disappearance had long been a mystery—was it an accident, suicide, or murder?
Jim Chee is pulled into the case when investigating a land dispute connected to the Stratton family, while Joe Leaphorn, despite being retired, is drawn back into the mystery as new details emerge. As they dig deeper, they find connections between Stratton’s death, family conflicts, financial motives, and hidden secrets from the past.
The case takes them through the rugged Navajo Nation, where they encounter smugglers, land speculators, and betrayals, leading to a tense and surprising conclusion.