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cwmills's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
acarman1's review against another edition
5.0
The novels of Tony Hillerman are wonderful reads for people who love mysteries and people interested in American Indian lore and traditions. It shows the trials of these indigenous communities as they face pressure from within and without. In this one, the discovery of a body on the Navajo reservation draws two Navajo Tribal Policemen to the nation's capital where they discover how the body intersects with a hired killer, a native activist and a group of South American terrorists trying to use a Smithsonian exhibit on Talking God (a Navajo deity) to make a deadly political point. Along the way, the policemen use their understanding of people and the world gleaned from their membership in the Navajo to put the pieces together and foil the plot. While the overall tone of the novel is positive, there is plenty of opportunity to critique the dominant culture of the United States.
coreysehr's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
staticdisplay's review against another edition
3.0
Leaphorn & Chee both end up in DC, separately, although it turns out they are both working on the same case from different ends. Chee is reconnecting with Janet, who happens to be the attorney for someone he just arrested, and Leaphorn is trying to identify a dead man. there are intervening chapters written from the perspective of the killer, which has been done before in this series - although well-written, I just didn't enjoy the perspective. I prefer the main characters, and, like other commenters, am looking forward to when they start to work more closely together.
gmvader's review against another edition
5.0
Leaphorn and Chee both end up in Washington and, although neither is there officially — Leaphorn is retired and Chee is on vacation — they both get pulled into a plot to blow up a museum as well as to steal some sacred artifacts.
Hillerman is always entertaining and this book could almost be a comedy if it weren’t for the inclusion of a third point of view character who is a racist hitman that spends the book hiding just under their noses.
His inclusion turns the book into a thriller that has more intensity and personal stakes in it than Hillerman’s books usually have.
This is one of the better ones in the series and I enjoyed it a great deal. I have read a lot of these books and never get tired of the stories that Hillerman tells or of the characters that he sprinkles throughout.
Hillerman is always entertaining and this book could almost be a comedy if it weren’t for the inclusion of a third point of view character who is a racist hitman that spends the book hiding just under their noses.
His inclusion turns the book into a thriller that has more intensity and personal stakes in it than Hillerman’s books usually have.
This is one of the better ones in the series and I enjoyed it a great deal. I have read a lot of these books and never get tired of the stories that Hillerman tells or of the characters that he sprinkles throughout.
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
I'm planning a trip out west next spring and I'm interested in Navajo culture, so this novel seemed ideal. Imagine my surprise when much of the story took place in the Smithsonian in my old home town. But the discussion of modern Navajo life--the tension between the traditional and the modern was fascinating. Very enjoyable. I look forward to reading other books in this series.
srash's review against another edition
4.0
A pretty solid mystery. I find it weirdly hilarious that Hillerman keeps teaming Chee and Leaphorn up, but they have an odd relationship that is sort of respectful but still quite guarded. They're not quite friends but also certainly not enemies. The mystery itself is an interesting one with an antagonist who is equal parts repulsive and pathetic and lots of international intrigue, though I think it suffers a little from relocating most of the action to DC.
jbb42's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
stinajohanns's review against another edition
3.0
This didn't quite do it for me. The case was never too interesting and the solution was either a bit too confusing or I simply hadn't kept focus reading.