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sedemoss's review against another edition
4.0
I'm finding these Tony Hillerman Leaphorn and Chee books to be very enjoyable. They are easy reads, and each is interesting enough to keep me wanting to read the next one. I came to the books because of the excellent television series based on the novels. The Navajo cultural asides are very nice to know and hopefully they are accurate. Working my way through all of these books has been, so far a good time.
kitdunsmore's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this. Hillerman not only exposes an intriguing world, but almost everything that goes on ties in in some way with the mystery or his overall theme. A part of the story that I thought he was wasting my time with turned out to be critical in the end. And both Chee and Leaphorn are going through things that tie in with everything else. Not just a great mystery; also a great novel.
emerygirl's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book while traveling with my family to Bluff, Utah. We stayed at the same hotel as the main character did in the book. It was really fun to read this while on the road trip. The story was good, but it probably would have only gotten 2 stars had I not been traveling in the same area as the setting of the book.
dyant's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
4.0
After reading the author's note in [b:Spider Woman's Daughter|17349269|Spider Woman's Daughter|Anne Hillerman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1361588761s/17349269.jpg|24090377], I decided to re-read this one, which was cited as the inspiration for the story. I was a bit hesitant to re-read a book I'd liked so much the first time around and wondered if it would live up to my memories since I read it more than 20 years ago. A few pages in, all of my concerns disappeared. The story and writing have definitely stood the test of time, and re-reading this book reminded me of why I love this series so much. The rich sense of place and the memorable characters are what drew me in initially and have kept me coming back. I'm so glad that [a:Anne Hillerman|612732|Anne Hillerman|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] has decided to continue the series her father created and am looking forward to reading [b:Rock with Wings|22934457|Rock with Wings (Navajo Mysteries, #20)|Anne Hillerman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420073594s/22934457.jpg|42465523] soon to find out where the Navajo mysteries go next!
bupdaddy's review against another edition
3.0
A plenty-interesting-enough mystery, and if you want to read a Tony Hillerman novel (and you should read at least one, right?), this has two of his most famous character detectives working together.
retiredlibrarylady's review against another edition
4.0
I read all this series years ago and this one turned up among old things. Really fun to rediscover Chee and Leaphorn. Not my favorite plot but delightful nonetheless.
constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
Navajo policemen Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are working on two separate cases that merge in this excellent story. Leaphorn is looking for a missing woman and Chee is looking for a murderer. Hillerman does a very good job of explaining relevant Navajo traditions. This is a solid 4 out of 5 stars book.
mnboyer's review against another edition
4.0
A super fun read that takes place on the Navajo Reservation and involves Detective Leaphorn and Officer Chee--a great read if you are interested in American Indian Detective novels, and I highly recommend the series.
The story begins with anthropologist Eleanor Friedman-Bernal going missing. She is known for her work with Anasazi pottery, and it is might suspicious that she just up and disappears. Bring in a depressed Leaphorn, who is grieving and is nearing retirement, but nonetheless finds himself wanting to uncover the mystery surrounding Eleanor's disappearance. Meanwhile, Officer Chee is chasing down his own thief he's calling the Backhoe Bandit. As you can imagine, these two different cases overlap and both men become involved with finding Eleanor.
A lot of the story revolves around the Anasazi, and there is some interesting information and theorization that the anthropologists in the novel are attempting to uncover. This leads to discussions of digging up pottery (and Anasazi remains) that is quite interesting as well. There is a hint of magical realism because there is a hidden figure up in the hills that may be an ancient flute player--or it may just be another character in the story.
All in all, I read this overnight in a quick sitting. There are a few areas where you might guess some of the twists and turns if you read a lot of detective novels, or if you're familiar with Hillerman's style. That being said, it was a great read--super fun and it kept my interest till the end. An enjoyable ending, as well, that ties up most of your questions as a reader.
The story begins with anthropologist Eleanor Friedman-Bernal going missing. She is known for her work with Anasazi pottery, and it is might suspicious that she just up and disappears. Bring in a depressed Leaphorn, who is grieving and is nearing retirement, but nonetheless finds himself wanting to uncover the mystery surrounding Eleanor's disappearance. Meanwhile, Officer Chee is chasing down his own thief he's calling the Backhoe Bandit. As you can imagine, these two different cases overlap and both men become involved with finding Eleanor.
A lot of the story revolves around the Anasazi, and there is some interesting information and theorization that the anthropologists in the novel are attempting to uncover. This leads to discussions of digging up pottery (and Anasazi remains) that is quite interesting as well. There is a hint of magical realism because there is a hidden figure up in the hills that may be an ancient flute player--or it may just be another character in the story.
All in all, I read this overnight in a quick sitting. There are a few areas where you might guess some of the twists and turns if you read a lot of detective novels, or if you're familiar with Hillerman's style. That being said, it was a great read--super fun and it kept my interest till the end. An enjoyable ending, as well, that ties up most of your questions as a reader.
mpetruce's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5