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telerit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-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? No
4.5
beyta's review against another edition
3.0
This next adventure in the series picks up about half a year after the previous book. There has been a lot of progress from a whodunit type story to what we see from Hillerman now, and I think it's been a lot of good changes.
lratkinson's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite series of all time. So thankful that Anne Hillerman has continued in the spirit of the original.
common1's review against another edition
4.0
The investigations by Joe Leaphorn, retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, and Officer Bernadette Manuelito crisscross in the mysteries in "Lost Birds." As always, these pages are filled with rich characters and colorful Navajo folklore, and these characters only grow richer with time and experience.
lakeshorelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I have read all of the books in this series, starting with those by Tony Hillerman, but both Tony and Anne have worked to allow each book to stand alone. As with any series, some are stronger than others, and this is a very good one, with some unusual experiences for our favorite characters as well as a few mysteries to solve and family relationships to explore.
Retired, legendary, Joe Leaphorn has been asked to work on two cases as a private detective --a woman trying to find her birth mother, and a women who has disappeared. One of those cases is about to cross paths with Navajo police officer Bernie Manuelito is called to the site of a school explosion where the missing women and her husband both worked.
Meanwhile, on the home front, Lt. Leaphorn's housemate, Louisa, has some surprising news, and Bernie and Darleen and their mother face even more challenges.
Just a typical week in the four corners. Pick up this book, or start the series with [b:Song of the Lion|31280668|Song of the Lion (Leaphorn & Chee, #21)|Anne Hillerman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1469809083l/31280668._SY75_.jpg|51198864] or go all the way back in time to [b:The Blessing Way|867387|The Blessing Way (Leaphorn & Chee, #1)|Tony Hillerman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1179033344l/867387._SY75_.jpg|3100762]. I'm sure you will love the characters and the setting as well as I do. Though I'm usually wary of cultural issues, these books are very well researched by the authors who live in the Four Corners area.
Retired, legendary, Joe Leaphorn has been asked to work on two cases as a private detective --a woman trying to find her birth mother, and a women who has disappeared. One of those cases is about to cross paths with Navajo police officer Bernie Manuelito is called to the site of a school explosion where the missing women and her husband both worked.
Meanwhile, on the home front, Lt. Leaphorn's housemate, Louisa, has some surprising news, and Bernie and Darleen and their mother face even more challenges.
Just a typical week in the four corners. Pick up this book, or start the series with [b:Song of the Lion|31280668|Song of the Lion (Leaphorn & Chee, #21)|Anne Hillerman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1469809083l/31280668._SY75_.jpg|51198864] or go all the way back in time to [b:The Blessing Way|867387|The Blessing Way (Leaphorn & Chee, #1)|Tony Hillerman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1179033344l/867387._SY75_.jpg|3100762]. I'm sure you will love the characters and the setting as well as I do. Though I'm usually wary of cultural issues, these books are very well researched by the authors who live in the Four Corners area.
author_d_r_oestreicher's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Lost Birds by Anne Hillerman is a continuation of the series originated by her father Tony Hillerman, set in Navajo Country and featuring the Navajo Nation Police. As with the other books, southwestern geography and the Navajo culture are featured. In this book, (a) Stella Brown, adopted by a white family, is looking for her Navajo roots, (2) an explosion at the Eagle Roost School ties into a murder, loan sharks, and a missing person, and (3) Kory has his mental health challenges exacerbated by a terminal cancer diagnosis. An excellent addition to this series.
Check out https://amazon.com/shop/influencer-20171115075 for Omega Cats Press books and book recommendations.
For my extended notes: https://1book42day.blogspot.com/2024/10/lost-birds-leaphorn-chee-manuelito.html
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
rebelbelle13's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
I hate to say this, but this... wasn't great. My gripes are primarily due to too many main characters with very little warning when the setting and perspective shifts, too many characters to remember, and too many plots to keep track of with too little time spent on each one. Not to mention that when it's obvious who the murderer is, the police can't seem to figure it out. The author should have picked two main characters to focus on at most, and two to three main storylines. The individual stories weren't given enough time or room to breathe or stay with the reader. We didn't get enough backstory to care about any of the side characters or why the MCs were helping them, or why the reader should care about their plights. A storyline about finding a birth family could easily have been solved by a DNA test, but conveniently, the character wanted nothing to do with that method until the story was resolved- and then, it was ok. A thread about wild dogs attacking sheep was left dangling (why include it in the first place?) and a witness with key evidence kept "remembering" information at a trickle, presumably to draw out the plot to a full size novel.
This novel honestly just makes me want to go back and read Hillerman's original books, before his daughter took over. It wasn't awful, but really could have used another round of editing.
This novel honestly just makes me want to go back and read Hillerman's original books, before his daughter took over. It wasn't awful, but really could have used another round of editing.