Coyote Waits is a novel by Tony Hillerman

Tony Hillerman

Tony Hillerman was an award-winning American author of detective novels and non-fiction works best known for his Navajo Tribal Police mystery novels...

. It was adapted as a TV film, which aired in 2003.

Coyote Waits (novel)

The plot involves rock formation vandalism, a dead policeman, an elderly Navajo

Navajo people

The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...

 accused of his murder, a bottle of expensive scotch, and a book on Navajo witchcraft beliefs.

This book involves the characters Joe Leaphorn

Joe Leaphorn

Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is a fictional character created by American mystery writer Tony Hillerman, one of two officers of the Navajo Tribal Police that feature in a number of novels. The other officer is Jim Chee.- Profile :...

, Jim Chee

Jim Chee

Jim Chee is one of two Navajo Tribal Police detectives in a series of mystery novels by Tony Hillerman. Unlike his superior Joe Leaphorn, the "Legendary Lieutenant", Chee wants to be a staunch believer in traditional Navajo culture; indeed, he is studying to be a traditional healer at the same...

, and Janet Pete.

Coyote Waits (2003 film)

It was adapted for television in November 2003 and was directed by Jan Egleson. It aired as part of PBS

Public Broadcasting Service

The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

's Mystery! series. It starred Adam Beach

Adam Beach

Adam Ruebin Beach is a Canadian Saulteaux actor.He is best known for his roles as Tommy on Walker, Texas Ranger, Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt, Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers, Private Ben Yazzie in Windtalkers, Dr...

 as Chee and Wes Studi

Wes Studi

Wesley "Wes" Studi is a Cherokee actor, who has earned notability for his portrayal of Native Americans in film. He has appeared in well-received Academy Award-winning films, such as Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves, Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans, the award-winning Geronimo: An...

 as Leaphorn. It also featured Jimmy Herman

Jimmy Herman

Jimmy Herman is a Dene/Chipewyan First Nations actor who has appeared in several films such as Dances with Wolves among others.He was born on the Cold Lake Reserve in Alberta, Canada....

, Alex Rice

Alex Rice

Alexandrea Kawisenhawe Rice born in 1972 in Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada, is a First Nation actress.-Early life:Alex Rice is a Kanien'kehaka born in 1972 in Kahnawake, Quebec, and is proud of her Mohawk heritage. She is also a member of the Rice family of Kahnawake, having descended from Edmund...

, Graham Greene

Graham Greene (actor)

Graham Greene is a Canadian actor who has worked on stage, and in film and TV productions in Canada, England and the United States.-Early life:...

, Keith Carradine

Keith Carradine

Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...

 and Gary Farmer

Gary Farmer

- History :Farmer was born in Ohsweken, Ontario into the Cayuga nation and Wolf Clan of the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy. Farmer attended Syracuse University and Ryerson Polytechnic University, where he studied photography and film production....

. The filming locations were in New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

.