In 1971, Navajo Tribal Police officer Lt. Joe Leaphorn and his rookie deputy Jim Chee investigate ritualistic murders and an audacious heist.
Leaphorn guesses Chee's secret. Lab results indicate an unusual cause of death for Anna, who had a tragic connection to the Leaphorn family.
Leaphorn and Chee suspect a connection between the murders and robbery. They link the crimes to money launderers, missing Mormons and a lost helicopter.
Chee's loyalties remain divided as he and Leaphorn identify prime suspects. A clue leads Manuelito to the lake, as her colleagues walk into an ambush.
Following a prison break that succeeds thanks to the use of black magic, Manuelito confronts a terrifying enemy. Chee realizes he's been deceived.
Although the FBI considers the heist and murder cases closed, Chee realizes there's much more to the story. Leaphorn hunts the Buffalo Society alone.
Now a private detective, Chee accepts a case from the wife of wealthy tycoon B.J. Vines. Leaphorn investigates a car bombing linked to a peyote cult.
While Chee recuperates in the hospital, Leaphorn interviews his father, Henry Leaphorn, and B.J. Vines, to learn more about the People of Darkness.
The blond hitman who wounded Chee tries to finish the job. Leaphorn learns that the killer and the People of Darkness are linked to his son's death.
Leaphorn and Manuelito close in on the blond assassin. Chee gets more involved with the Vines family. Sally finds young motherhood overwhelming.
With time running out before he loses custody of his suspect, Leaphorn tries to get a confession. Chee goes undercover at a People of Darkness ritual.
Leaphorn and his father, a retired cop, get a break in their case. Chee confronts the Vines, and Manuelito contemplates a big change.