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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Audiobook performed by George Guidall
Book number two in Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn series has Joe investigating the disappearance of two Native-American boys. His efforts are complicated by the unique laws and sacred religious rites of the Zuñi people (Joe is Navajo). There are also federal agents (FBI? DEA?) involved and an important archeological dig in the middle of his search area.
I love the way Leaphorn thinks things through before acting. And I like learning little Native American cultural information in the midst of the mystery plot. Definitely a series I will continue.
George Guidall does a good job on the audio. He has good pacing and I really like the way he voices Leaphorn. There were times when Guidall’s performance transported me to my childhood, listening to my grandfather (or grandmother, or aunts or uncles) telling stories in the dark, as we all sat on the porch of a summer evening. But the press of daily life got in my way and the library deadline was fast approaching, so I abandoned the audio and finished reading the second half of the book in a day.
(Note: Updated on second reading - 29Sep20)
Book number two in Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn series has Joe investigating the disappearance of two Native-American boys. His efforts are complicated by the unique laws and sacred religious rites of the Zuñi people (Joe is Navajo). There are also federal agents (FBI? DEA?) involved and an important archeological dig in the middle of his search area.
I love the way Leaphorn thinks things through before acting. And I like learning little Native American cultural information in the midst of the mystery plot. Definitely a series I will continue.
George Guidall does a good job on the audio. He has good pacing and I really like the way he voices Leaphorn. There were times when Guidall’s performance transported me to my childhood, listening to my grandfather (or grandmother, or aunts or uncles) telling stories in the dark, as we all sat on the porch of a summer evening. But the press of daily life got in my way and the library deadline was fast approaching, so I abandoned the audio and finished reading the second half of the book in a day.
(Note: Updated on second reading - 29Sep20)
rojo25's review against another edition
dark
informative
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? No
3.0
jnjmitch's review against another edition
3.0
Hoping these get better, as I want to watch the AMC series based on later books.
s_a_g_e's review against another edition
4.0
My second Hillerman book, reading them in order. I don't know why I love these so much, but here I am giving another four. I love the setting, I love the simplicity of it. It's like a weekly detective show. I'm usually a Fantasy/Sci-Fi kind of person, and yet I love these books.
woody1881's review against another edition
1.0
I have read many of Hillerman's books. Some I really enjoy. But there are a few of his books that make me sorry I ever picked them up. This is one of those. Overall Hillerman is a great writer and I enjoy reading about Jim Chee and Leaphorn. I just wish Chee would keep his gun on him instead of leaving it in the glove compartment all the time!
hthacher's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
rustyduckmd's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jsaw22's review against another edition
4.0
Great second offering by Hillerman: he continues to illuminate the fascinating blend of cultures in the American Southwest while delivering a solid mystery at a crackling pace.
misterjay's review against another edition
4.0
I had read the first of the Leaphorn and Chee books years ago and had always planned to read the entire series. But this was in the days of paperbacks from the airport bookstore and finding the next one in the series was something of a pain. And I'll be damned before I read a series out of order. But then the ebook revolution came along and well, here we are. The books were worth the wait.
Dance Hall of the Dead, in particular, moves fast and with character. And I do mean character. Each new character is introduced with just a few lines and yet within those few lines are everything we need to know about where they've come from and where they are now. And it's through revelations in character that the mystery unfolds until a climax that feels inevitable concludes the story. For now.
I've already ordered the next book in the series; hopefully I'll get to it before too many more decades have elapsed.
Dance Hall of the Dead, in particular, moves fast and with character. And I do mean character. Each new character is introduced with just a few lines and yet within those few lines are everything we need to know about where they've come from and where they are now. And it's through revelations in character that the mystery unfolds until a climax that feels inevitable concludes the story. For now.
I've already ordered the next book in the series; hopefully I'll get to it before too many more decades have elapsed.